If there was ever a wrestler that stood out in my childhood Saturday mornings it was the one of a kind George ‘the Animal’ Steele.
The green tongue and appetite for the turnbuckle was something that as a wrestling fan I’ll never forget about the guy. He was truly one of a kind and a pioneer for a particular group of pro wrestler that brought that extra bit of entertainment to the ring. I’m thinking about guys like the Boogeyman or even someone like Finn Balor‘s demon gimmick that generates so much persona in the ring.
George Steele was a one of a kind performer who could make fans smile or boo…and his competitors laugh or cry…
— Triple H (@TripleH) February 17, 2017
Unfortunately however the wrestling world lost a pioneer in a guy like the Animal who succumbed to kidney failure at the age of 79.
‘The Animal’ first made a name for himself in the WWF during the 1980’s and was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995. He even made a brief return to the organization in 1998 as part of ‘The Oddities’ stable.
Although he didn’t hold any titles in the WWE/WWF, George Steele was a NWA World Tag Team Champion with Frankie Laine and the Grande Wrestling Alliance Heavyweight Champion.
