In the late 1940s and early 1950s, during television’s infancy, the fledgling TV networks were faced with the problem of filling their airtime with programming. Looking for shows that were cheap and easy to produce, they hit upon the idea of televising professional wrestling, and matches from New York, Chicago and Los Angeles quickly became popular staples of television’s early days.
Televised wrestling’s popularity has never really waned. Whether appearing in the grainy black and white footage of the fifties or today’s HD, cable extravaganzas like the service you can get at directspecialtv.com, many of wrestling’s superstars have transcended their sport and gone on to become pop culture icons. Let’s look at a few of them.
Gorgeous George, born George Wagner, was television’s first bona fide wrestling star. Entering the ring to the regal strains of Pomp and Circumstance, the flamboyant, platinum haired George would stroll down a red carpet, preceded by his valet, tossing rose petals at George’s feet. As a result of his theatrics and charisma, Gorgeous George became a household name as well as one of TV’s early stars.
While many great wrestlers made (and broke) their bones in the ’60s, the decade belonged to Bruno Sammartino. The young Italian bodybuilder, known for his amazing strength and his clean tactics, fought his first big match at Madison Square Garden in January, 1960 and was headlining within 6 months. He became the World Wide Wrestling Federation champ in 1963, and held the title for just under 8 years, a record that has never been duplicated. As a sign of his popularity, it’s said that spectators cried when he lost the title to “bad guy,” Ivan Koloff .
Though his actual height remains a bit of a mystery, the 7 footish, Andre the Giant arrived on the WWF scene in 1973 and quickly became a fan favorite. Billed as “The Eighth Wonder of the World,” Andre played the friendly giant, swatting his smaller opponents around the ring in an almost disinterested fashion. His career lasted well into the 1980s and he gained a new legion of fans when he crossed over into acting with his role of Fezzik, the lovable giant, in the movie, “The Princess Bride.”
Arguably the most famous and popular wrestler of all time, Hulk Hogan dominated the wrestling world for most of the ’80s and ’90s. Sometimes the good guy and sometimes the bad, the square-jawed, 6’7″ Hulkster combined personality, theatrics and athleticism to become wrestling’s top draw. He parlayed his wrestling popularity into numerous television and movie acting appearances, as well as a Saturday morning cartoon show, and a reality TV series, “Hogan Knows Best.”
From ’90s star, the ever popular, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, to current fan favorites, The Rock and John Cena, the world of professional wrestling continues to provide its millions of fans with superstars they can both cheer and boo.
