3. Gorgeous George
Gorgeous George is on this list for one very important reason; he was the archetypal heel, the perfect bad guy and the complete cad. Without exaggeration, pretty much everything we expect from our heels today was first pioneered by Gorgeous George. George Wagner, a trained psychiatrist and well-travelled, yet largely unexceptional wrestler, created a gimmick for himself that would turn him into a big money draw wherever he went. George was good at wrestling, dont get me wrong, but he wasnt Lou Thesz good. He was charismatic, too, but he wasnt Jim Londos charismatic. In short, despite talent, training and persistence, George Wagner was the dictionary definition of a solid, mid-card wrestler. Frustrated at his modest level of career success, Wagner decided to take a few radical steps. As a psychiatrist, Wagner knew his audience better than most. So, he concocted a plan to get under their collective skins that is still in effect today. First, he bleached his hair blonde (he was among the first wrestlers to do this), then he started billing himself as Gorgeous George Wagner, next, he added a long, sequinned robe and selected the ostentatious strains of pomp and circumstance as entrance music for his introduction (he may also have been the first wrestler to do this as well). His transformation to arch heat-magnet complete, Gorgeous George as he simply became known, would glide down to the ring, refusing to wrestle until the canvas (and sometimes the referee!) had been sprayed with disinfectant by one of his valets. Hed even admire himself in the mirror before the match, vainly making sure his hair was just so. If an opponent tried to lock up with him, or if the referee tried to make physical contact with George in any way, The Human Orchid, as he dubbed himself, would loudly admonish them, haughtily shrieking, Get your damn hands off of me! as if their very touch was an affront to his delicate sensibilities of taste, refinement and class. He would beg off when his opponent was on the attack and then brazenly cheat to gain a victory and sometimes he would even flat out run away and refuse to wrestle his enemies. Sound familiar? To say the gimmick worked would be an understatement. To say that it was widely imitated would be an insult; to say that Gorgeous George was a draw is like saying that Mick Foley is ever-so-slightly into Christmas. To put it bluntly, Gorgeous George absolutely defined the role of the heel character. Today, George-isms are now a viable (and essential) part of every good heels arsenal. Eventually, Gorgeous George became an American cultural icon via the 1950s explosion of televised wrestling; in fact, he even helped to inspire Muhammad Alis unique interview style and persona, as well as James Browns legendary stage act. The character worked even better in gimmick matches, particularly Georges own invention, the ever-popular Hair vs. Hair match. The sight of George being shaved bald at ringside by Canadian legend Whipper Watson in 1959 is one of the defining images of the era. In fact, the match was so successful, that George even bet his wifes hair on the rematch. Dont worry; Im sure his cut of the massive ticket sales probably allowed him to buy a nice couch to sleep on.