George Steele
Encyclopedia
William James Myers better known by his ring name
George "The Animal" Steele is a former American
professional wrestler
and actor
. Steele's career lasted from 1967 until 1989, though he made occasional wrestling appearances into the 1990s and 2000s.
He also portrayed Swedish wrestler/actor Tor Johnson
in Ed Wood
, directed by Tim Burton
and starring Johnny Depp
.
. In High School, he found success in track running, baseball, basketball and football. In 1956, Myers entered Michigan State University
as a football player for the Michigan State Spartans
, but his career as a football player was immediately cut short as a result of knee problems.
After gaining a bachelor of science degree from Michigan State University
and a master's degree
from Central Michigan University
, Myers became a teacher
, amateur wrestling coach
, and football coach at Madison High School in Madison Heights, Michigan
. There he would eventually become a member of the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame.
champion Bruno Sammartino
, he began working in Pittsburgh
in 1967 on the popular Studio Wrestling
TV show broadcast on WPXI-TV Channel 11. There he dropped the mask, but still looking to hide his real name, adopted the name "George Steele". The name was taken from Michigan High School Hall of Fame Coach George Steele of Warren; whom Myers coached against.
Working well with Sammartino, he was invited for a full run in the WWF. He told WWF TV commentator Ray Morgan that he was the nephew of Ray Steele (kayfabe
) and had an extensive amateur background. He sold the story by using an array of armlocks on opponents, weakening them for his finisher, the Flying Hammerlock (Steele would lift his opponents off the mat by a hammerlocked arm). He also revealed his teaching background to interviewers that made his in-ring Neanderthal image all the more incongruous. He wrestled Sammartino to an hour-long draw at Madison Square Garden but lost the rematch. He was then relegated to a feud with Chief Jay Strongbow, and lost to Edouard Carpentier at the Garden before taking a brief hiatus to reinvent his wildman character.
Now his gimmick was fully established. A true crazy heel, he acted like a wild man in the ring, tearing up the turnbuckle with his teeth and using the stuffing as a weapon as well as sticking out his green tongue (an effect accomplished by eating green Clorets breath mints
). The Animal had a stooped posture and a hairless head, but a thick mat of fur on his back; wrestling broadcasters often speculated that The Animal was indeed "the missing link." At best The Animal could occasionally manage to utter a word or two during interviews with one them usually being "Duh-da-dahh."
As Steele recalled in a later shoot interview, his infamous "Duh-dahh" interview style happened by accident. Throughout his career, Steele prided himself on being able to cut eloquent and effective promos, and ranked his mic skills with the best in the business. At a WWF TV taping in the early 1980s, he was cutting one of these promos when Vince McMahon cut him off, and reminded Steele that his gimmick was the "Animal", and for an animal he was "making too much sense". Incensed, Steele did a second take of nothing but garbled and incoherent syllables ("Duhh-dahh"). Steele did this deliberately, and out of pure frustration, thinking that McMahon would acquiesce and allow Steele to cut his normal, eloquent promos. Much to Steele's shock, McMahon replied, "That's exactly what I want!", and this would remain Steele's interview style for the rest of his WWF run. Steele started to fully cultivate his gimmick of a menacing imbecile.
Steele eventually became one of the more beloved wrestlers of the early "WrestleMania" era of the mid-1980s. He turned face during Saturday Night's Main Event when his partners in a six-man match, Nikolai Volkoff
and the Iron Sheik, abandoned him to their opponents, Ricky Steamboat
and the U.S. Express (Barry Windham
and Mike Rotunda
), leading to Steele being taken under the wing of the Express' manager, Capt. Lou Albano
. His most famous feud was in 1986 against "Macho Man" Randy Savage
, after Steele developed a crush on Savage's valet, Miss Elizabeth
. The feud was meant to last only a couple of months (and end with Steele being disappointed), but it proved so popular with fans that it continued well into 1987. In 1988, Steele began carrying a stuffed animal named "Mine" to the ring, He participated in the Wrestlemania IV
Battle Royal, But was outside the ring the whole time, Late in 1989 Steele retired due to Crohn's disease
. Though he left the WWF without any WWF championships behind him, he left a fan favorite. A decade later, Steele came out of his retirement briefly.
In 1999, during the WWF's "Attitude Era", George Steele returned as part of The Oddities. Then on January 10, 2000, George Steele appeared on an episode of WCW Monday Nitro
as one of three legends Jeff Jarrett
had to face that night. Eight years later, Steele made an appearance at TNA Slammiversary
as a groomsman in the wedding for "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal
and So Cal Val, along with Koko B. Ware, Kamala, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts
.
Steele has made several appearances for Tony Vellano's Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
in Amsterdam, NY. At its first event in 2003, Steel was interviewed by journalist "Handsome" Randall Burton for the Rochester, NY television show "Wrestlevision." Steele became frustrated while a nervous Burton stammered through several odd questions during this controversial interview. Rather than answering questions, Steele became agitated and abruptly walked away from the interviewers. The clip circulated on Youtube, as many have questioned whether Steele's frustration was legit or if he was in kayfabe
mode. Opponents have cited that it would make little sense for Steele to kayfabe
the interview as a heel, as he had been a fan favorite throughout the majority of his career.
George Steele appeared on Monday Night Raw on November 15, 2010. He made a guest appearance during the Kofi Kingston/David Otunga match.
and was also diagnosed with Crohn's Disease
in 1988. In 1998, however, Myers had successfully won his battle against Crohn's Disease. In 2002, to prevent the disease from returning, Myers had his colon removed.
Myers is a religious man. He attends the First Baptist Church Merritt Island, and currently lives in Cocoa Beach, Florida
with his wife Pat, whom he married before he entered Michigan State in 1956. Together, Pat and Jim have two sons, Dennis and Randy, and a daughter, Felicia. It was announced that Steele would make an appearance at the Mahoning Valley Scrappers
in Tim Burton
's Ed Wood
. The casting was particularly appropriate because for many years Steele was often mistaken for Johnson. He tells a story about a New York novelty store, which once sold the popular Tor Johnson mask as a George Steele mask to increase sales due to his popular run in wrestling at the time.
Steele also did a Minolta
Office Products commercial with actor Tony Randall
.
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
George "The Animal" Steele is a former American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Steele's career lasted from 1967 until 1989, though he made occasional wrestling appearances into the 1990s and 2000s.
He also portrayed Swedish wrestler/actor Tor Johnson
Tor Johnson
Tor Johansson , better known by the stage name Tor Johnson, was a Swedish professional wrestler and actor....
in Ed Wood
Ed Wood (film)
Ed Wood is a 1994 American comedy-drama biopic directed and produced by Tim Burton, and starring Johnny Depp as cult filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film concerns the period in Wood's life when he made his best-known films as well as his relationship with actor Bela Lugosi, played by Martin Landau...
, directed by Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
and starring Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
.
Early life
Myers was raised in Madison Heights, MichiganMadison Heights, Michigan
Madison Heights is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, its population was 29,694.- History :...
. In High School, he found success in track running, baseball, basketball and football. In 1956, Myers entered Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
as a football player for the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
, but his career as a football player was immediately cut short as a result of knee problems.
After gaining a bachelor of science degree from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
, Myers became a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, amateur wrestling coach
Amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
, and football coach at Madison High School in Madison Heights, Michigan
Madison Heights, Michigan
Madison Heights is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, its population was 29,694.- History :...
. There he would eventually become a member of the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame.
Wrestling career
Looking to supplement his income, he got into the world of Detroit-area professional wrestling, but in order to protect his privacy, he wrestled using a mask and the name The Student. Scouted by World Wide Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
champion Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
, he began working in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
in 1967 on the popular Studio Wrestling
Studio Wrestling
Studio Wrestling was a live professional wrestling show broadcast from WIIC-TV Channel 11 in Pittsburgh every Saturday evening. In 1959, WIIC began broadcasting professional wrestling from their studio located in Fineview. The show was hosted by Bill Cardille through most of its run, although he...
TV show broadcast on WPXI-TV Channel 11. There he dropped the mask, but still looking to hide his real name, adopted the name "George Steele". The name was taken from Michigan High School Hall of Fame Coach George Steele of Warren; whom Myers coached against.
Working well with Sammartino, he was invited for a full run in the WWF. He told WWF TV commentator Ray Morgan that he was the nephew of Ray Steele (kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
) and had an extensive amateur background. He sold the story by using an array of armlocks on opponents, weakening them for his finisher, the Flying Hammerlock (Steele would lift his opponents off the mat by a hammerlocked arm). He also revealed his teaching background to interviewers that made his in-ring Neanderthal image all the more incongruous. He wrestled Sammartino to an hour-long draw at Madison Square Garden but lost the rematch. He was then relegated to a feud with Chief Jay Strongbow, and lost to Edouard Carpentier at the Garden before taking a brief hiatus to reinvent his wildman character.
Now his gimmick was fully established. A true crazy heel, he acted like a wild man in the ring, tearing up the turnbuckle with his teeth and using the stuffing as a weapon as well as sticking out his green tongue (an effect accomplished by eating green Clorets breath mints
Mint (candy)
A mint is a candy characterized by the presence of mint flavoring or real mint oil, whether it be peppermint oil, spearmint oil, or another natural or artificial source...
). The Animal had a stooped posture and a hairless head, but a thick mat of fur on his back; wrestling broadcasters often speculated that The Animal was indeed "the missing link." At best The Animal could occasionally manage to utter a word or two during interviews with one them usually being "Duh-da-dahh."
As Steele recalled in a later shoot interview, his infamous "Duh-dahh" interview style happened by accident. Throughout his career, Steele prided himself on being able to cut eloquent and effective promos, and ranked his mic skills with the best in the business. At a WWF TV taping in the early 1980s, he was cutting one of these promos when Vince McMahon cut him off, and reminded Steele that his gimmick was the "Animal", and for an animal he was "making too much sense". Incensed, Steele did a second take of nothing but garbled and incoherent syllables ("Duhh-dahh"). Steele did this deliberately, and out of pure frustration, thinking that McMahon would acquiesce and allow Steele to cut his normal, eloquent promos. Much to Steele's shock, McMahon replied, "That's exactly what I want!", and this would remain Steele's interview style for the rest of his WWF run. Steele started to fully cultivate his gimmick of a menacing imbecile.
Steele eventually became one of the more beloved wrestlers of the early "WrestleMania" era of the mid-1980s. He turned face during Saturday Night's Main Event when his partners in a six-man match, Nikolai Volkoff
Nikolai Volkoff
Josip Nikolai Peruzović , better known by his ring name of Nikolai Volkoff, is a professional wrestler who is best known for his performances for the World Wrestling Federation...
and the Iron Sheik, abandoned him to their opponents, Ricky Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood , better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is a retired American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He was one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his career...
and the U.S. Express (Barry Windham
Barry Windham
Barry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....
and Mike Rotunda
Mike Rotunda
Lawrence Michael "Mike" Rotunda is a former American professional wrestler, perhaps best known under the name Irwin R. Schyster or I.R.S. for short. He is currently signed with WWE working as a road agent and making occasional appearances on WWE shows as Irwin R...
), leading to Steele being taken under the wing of the Express' manager, Capt. Lou Albano
Lou Albano
Louis Vincent "Captain Lou" Albano was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1969, then he became a manager, until 1995....
. His most famous feud was in 1986 against "Macho Man" Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
, after Steele developed a crush on Savage's valet, Miss Elizabeth
Miss Elizabeth
Elizabeth Ann Hulette , best known as Miss Elizabeth, was an American professional wrestling manager. She gained international fame from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, and the mid-1990s in World Championship Wrestling in her role as the manager to the late...
. The feud was meant to last only a couple of months (and end with Steele being disappointed), but it proved so popular with fans that it continued well into 1987. In 1988, Steele began carrying a stuffed animal named "Mine" to the ring, He participated in the Wrestlemania IV
WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 27, 1988 at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey....
Battle Royal, But was outside the ring the whole time, Late in 1989 Steele retired due to Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
. Though he left the WWF without any WWF championships behind him, he left a fan favorite. A decade later, Steele came out of his retirement briefly.
In 1999, during the WWF's "Attitude Era", George Steele returned as part of The Oddities. Then on January 10, 2000, George Steele appeared on an episode of WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
as one of three legends Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
had to face that night. Eight years later, Steele made an appearance at TNA Slammiversary
Slammiversary (2008)
Slammiversary was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on June 8, 2008 from the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi. It was the fourth event under the Slammiversary chronology and marked the sixth anniversary of the...
as a groomsman in the wedding for "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal
Jay Lethal
Jamar "Jay" Shipman better known by his ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Ring of Honor , where he is the ROH World Television Champion...
and So Cal Val, along with Koko B. Ware, Kamala, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Jake Roberts
Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a second-generation American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
.
Steele has made several appearances for Tony Vellano's Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Amsterdam, New York. It was previously located in Schenectady, New York...
in Amsterdam, NY. At its first event in 2003, Steel was interviewed by journalist "Handsome" Randall Burton for the Rochester, NY television show "Wrestlevision." Steele became frustrated while a nervous Burton stammered through several odd questions during this controversial interview. Rather than answering questions, Steele became agitated and abruptly walked away from the interviewers. The clip circulated on Youtube, as many have questioned whether Steele's frustration was legit or if he was in kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
mode. Opponents have cited that it would make little sense for Steele to kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
the interview as a heel, as he had been a fan favorite throughout the majority of his career.
George Steele appeared on Monday Night Raw on November 15, 2010. He made a guest appearance during the Kofi Kingston/David Otunga match.
Personal life
Myers has dyslexiaDyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
and was also diagnosed with Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
in 1988. In 1998, however, Myers had successfully won his battle against Crohn's Disease. In 2002, to prevent the disease from returning, Myers had his colon removed.
Myers is a religious man. He attends the First Baptist Church Merritt Island, and currently lives in Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,482 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates of 2008, the city had a population of 11,920...
with his wife Pat, whom he married before he entered Michigan State in 1956. Together, Pat and Jim have two sons, Dennis and Randy, and a daughter, Felicia. It was announced that Steele would make an appearance at the Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are a minor league baseball club based in Niles, Ohio, a city in the valley of the Mahoning River. The Scrappers play in the Pinckney Division of the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League and are affiliated with the Cleveland Indians Major League...
Acting career
In 1994, Steele made his professional acting debut as Swedish wrestler-turned-actor Tor JohnsonTor Johnson
Tor Johansson , better known by the stage name Tor Johnson, was a Swedish professional wrestler and actor....
in Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's Ed Wood
Ed Wood (film)
Ed Wood is a 1994 American comedy-drama biopic directed and produced by Tim Burton, and starring Johnny Depp as cult filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film concerns the period in Wood's life when he made his best-known films as well as his relationship with actor Bela Lugosi, played by Martin Landau...
. The casting was particularly appropriate because for many years Steele was often mistaken for Johnson. He tells a story about a New York novelty store, which once sold the popular Tor Johnson mask as a George Steele mask to increase sales due to his popular run in wrestling at the time.
Steele also did a Minolta
Minolta
Minolta Co., Ltd. was a Japanese worldwide manufacturer of cameras, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as . It is perhaps best known for making the first integrated autofocus 35mm SLR camera system...
Office Products commercial with actor Tony Randall
Tony Randall
Tony Randall was a U.S. actor, comic, producer and director.-Early years:Randall was born Arthur Leonard Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Julia and Mogscha Rosenberg, an art and antiques dealer...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Flying Hammerlock (Lifting opponents off the mat by a hammerlocked arm)
- Big Splash
- Signature moves
- Biting the opponents out-stretched arm
- Crossface ChickenwingProfessional wrestling holdsProfessional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring...
- Full nelson
- PowerslamPowerslamA powerslam is a professional wrestling body slam move in which the wrestler performing the slam falls face-down on top of his/her opponent. The use of the term "powerslam" usually refers to the front powerslam and the scoop powerslam.-Emerald Flowsion:...
- Shoulderbreaker
- Suplex slam
Championships and accomplishments
- Cauliflower Alley ClubCauliflower Alley ClubThe Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
- Other honoree (2004)
- Grande Wrestling Alliance
- GWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- Regional
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version)The Detroit, Michigan version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1964 until 1980, when the Detroit promotion closed.-Title history:...
(1 time) - with Frankie Laine
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version)
- Professional Wrestling Hall of FameProfessional Wrestling Hall of FameThe Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Amsterdam, New York. It was previously located in Schenectady, New York...
- Class of 2005
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him # 267 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWF Hall of FameWWE Hall of FameThe WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
(Class of 1995) - Slammy Award for Best Performance by an Animal (1987)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Most Embarrassing Wrestler (1987, 1988)
- Worst Feud of the Year (1987) vs. Danny DavisDan MarshDan Marsh is a former professional wrestling referee and wrestler most famous as Danny Davis of the World Wrestling Federation. He also competed in the WWF for several years as Mr. X, a masked wrestler....
- Worst Tag Team (1986) with the Junkyard DogJunkyard DogSylvester Ritter was an American professional wrestler and professional football player, best known for his work in Mid-South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as The Junkyard Dog...
External links
- WWE Hall of Fame profile
- Interview with Steele about his career (from Legends of Wrestling 2)
- May 19, 2011 Interview with George "The Animal" Steele (on Roundtable Wrestling Radio)