George Scott (August 27, 1929 – January 20, 2014) was a Canadian
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
, booker and promoter. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he and his younger brother
Sandy competed as The Flying Scotts in North American regional promotions including the
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc.
Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
, particularly the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
and
Mid-Atlantic territories, as well as successful stints in the
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 until 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The territory was originally part o ...
,
Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
History
Queensbury Athletic Club
The promotion, initially known as the Queensbury Athle ...
and
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the prom ...
.
Scott was also the longtime head booker for the
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions Inc. is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, restarted by Jim Crockett's son and Jim Crockett Jr's brother, David Crockett. Founded in 1931, the promot ...
working under promoter
Jim Crockett, Jr.
James Allen Crockett Jr. (August 10, 1944 – March 3, 2021) was an American professional wrestling promoter. From 1973 to 1989, he was part owner of Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), a wrestling company affiliated with the National Wrestling Allian ...
during the 1970s and with
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
during the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
's national expansion during the early 1980s. He helped organize many of the early PPV events such as
WrestleMania I
WrestleMania (sequentially known as WrestleMania I) was the inaugural WrestleMania and ...
and
WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view List of WWE pay-per-view events, event produced by the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event took place on April 7, 1986 (a Monday), making ...
as well as the early cards for the WWF's weekly television shows ''
Saturday Night's Main Event
''Saturday Night's Main Event'' is an American professional wrestling television program that is produced by WWE (known at the time of launch as the World Wrestling Federation). Premiering in 1985, it originally aired on NBC in the United Sta ...
'', ''
Prime Time Wrestling
''WWF Prime Time Wrestling'' is a professional wrestling television program that was produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It aired on the USA Network from January 1, 1985, to January 4, 1993. A precursor to ''Monday Night Raw'', ''Pr ...
'' and ''
Superstars of Wrestling''.
On the Steve Austin Show Unleashed Podcast, Scott was credited by
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...
as the person who came up with the idea that to reverse the Figure-four leglock, the opponent would simply turn over onto their stomach.
Professional wrestling career
Early life and career
George Scott was the first born son to his parents, Walter James Scott Sr. (1903-1991) and Jeannie Mackay (1904-1995). He was born in
Dalmeny, Scotland while his parents were visiting relatives and, returning to Canada, was raised in
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
. He grew up with his siblings Angus (AKA Sandy Scott, 1934-2010), and beloved Walter (1936-2014). His sister Jeannie Gow Scott, at the age of 11, suffered appendicitis during a return trip from Scotland on the , and was pronounced dead in
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...
on October 25th 1937. She is buried in Woodland Cemetery, Hamilton, Ontario.
Involved in
hockey
Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...
,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, and
roller skating
Roller skating is the act of traveling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on streets, sid ...
as a child, Scott began
amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is a variant of wrestling practiced in collegiate, school, or other amateur level competitions. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games: freestyle and Greco-Roman. Both styles are under the ...
at the local
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
at age 12 and, during the next year, also started weightlifting.
Living nearby
Ben and Mike Sharpe
The Sharpe Brothers was a Canadian professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Ben Sharpe and Mike Sharpe, best known for their tenures wrestling in the territories of Northern California and Japan. Both men were tall in stature wit ...
, both well known professional wrestlers in Hamilton at the time, he also faced
Martin Hutzler Martin may refer to:
Places
* Martin City (disambiguation)
* Martin County (disambiguation)
* Martin Township (disambiguation)
Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Austr ...
in an amateur bout at the YMCA. Making his professional debut in
Wasaga Beach
Wasaga Beach (or simply Wasaga) is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Situated along the longest freshwater beach in the world, it is a popular summer tourist destination. It is located along the southern end of Georgian Bay, approximate ...
at age 17, he was helped in his early career by
Pat Murphy and Dano Macdonald. During the late 1940s, Scott attempted to convince local promoter Joe Maiche to wrestle in the Brantford armories before being signed by Toledo promoter
Jack Pfefer
Jack Pfefer (also commonly spelled as "Pfeffer"; December 10, 1894 – September 13, 1974) was an American professional wrestling promoter during the early-to-mid twentieth century. He pioneered an earlier form of sports entertainment, as he was ...
and promoted as an up-and-coming wrestler. As Benny Becker, would gain considerable experience from many veteran wrestlers in the territory and would later face
"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers and
Gorgeous George
George Raymond Wagner (March 23, 1915 – December 26, 1963) was an American professional wrestler known by his ring name Gorgeous George. In the United States, during the First Golden Age of Professional Wrestling in the 1940s–1950s, Gorgeou ...
several times in his early career.
National Wrestling Alliance
After a brief stint with
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Atlanta, Georgia. The promotion was affiliated with what had been the world's top sanctioning body of championship titles for decades before, the National W ...
and
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions Inc. is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, restarted by Jim Crockett's son and Jim Crockett Jr's brother, David Crockett. Founded in 1931, the promot ...
, Scott eventually found his way back to Canada where he wrestled for promoter
John Katan
John Katan (July 12, 1901–March 9, 1968) was a Ukrainian Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, trainer and wrestling promoter, promoter. A journeyman wrestler, Katan appeared throughout the world competing in nearly 6,000 match ...
in Toronto and made his debut in
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...
in November 1950. While there, he and
Whipper Billy Watson had an altercation in which he appeared with Watson on the undercard facing
Lee Henning. The following day, a local newspaper wrote how Scott's match stole the show and Scott began appearing in the opening matches for much of his time in the promotion thereafter.
In 1952, following a match against Buddy Rogers in Florida, Scott collapsed in the bathroom of his apartment. He was eventually found by a friend who, noticing the bathroom light on, broke into the apartment when Scott failed to respond to his knocking on the door. Brought to a local hospital, Scott was told he had passed out due to a deep bruise in his hip and was eventually flown back to Toronto where he was diagnosed with three ruptured discs in his back caused when Rogers had kicked him in the back during their match.
Although doctors recommended surgery, Scott refused when he was told he would be unable to wrestle again. Taking a year off to recuperate, he lived with his parents while John Katan,
Jack Laskin
Jack may refer to:
Places
* Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA
People and fictional characters
* Jack (given name), a male given name, i ...
and
Jack Tunney
John "Jack" Tunney Jr. (January 21, 1935 – January 24, 2004) was a Canadian professional wrestling promoter. He was known worldwide for his appearances on WWE, World Wrestling Federation television as the promotion's figurehead president. Tunn ...
held stags and
fundraising events
Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...
to help his family as Scott remained paralyzed for six months.
Worried that he might suffer another more serious injury, his parents had tried to encourage him to retire and his mother suggesting a career in law enforcement. Although he began working as a bouncer for a time and was offered a managerial position at the bar he worked for, he declined and eventually returned to active competition in
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward Hart (May 3, 1915 – October 16, 2003) was a Canadian amateur and professional wrestler, wrestling booker, promoter, coach, trainer, football player and sailor. He is best known for founding and handling Stampede Wrestling, a ...
's Stampede Wrestling in 1954.
The Flying Scotts
Helping his brother Angus break into the wrestling business in 1953, Scott began teaming with his brother in Stampede Wrestling shortly after his recovery later winning the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship in 1954. After a brief stint in Maple Leaf Gardens in 1955, The Flying Scotts, as they were known, became one of the top tag teams in the Toronto and Buffalo areas during the late 1950s. Defeating
Chris
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common.
People with the given name
* Chris Abani (born 1966), N ...
and
John Tolos
John Tolos, nicknamed "The Golden Greek", (September 18, 1930 – May 28, 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler, and professional wrestling manager.
Professional wrestling career
Tolos was born on September 18, 1930, in Hamilton, Ontario ...
for the Stampede International Tag Team Championship in 1958, they would feud with
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may Animal slaughter, slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesal ...
and
Mad Dog Vachon
Joseph Maurice Régis Vachon (September 14, 1929 − November 21, 2013) was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known by his ring name Mad Dog Vachon. He was the older brother of wrestlers Paul and Vivian Vachon, and the uncle of wrestl ...
the following year.
Scott would also return to the Carolinas with his brother during the 1960s before eventually regained the Stampede International Tag Team Championship in 1963. They would also win the Indiana version of the AWA World Tag Team Championship and, while in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
during the late 1960s, won the
IWA World Tag Team Championship
IWA World Tag Team Championship is a Tag Team Championship defended in Puerto Rico.The titles were first introduced in the first incarnation of the International Wrestling Association, where they are defended. They also made a brief appearance i ...
three times between 1966 and 1968.
While in
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward Hart (May 3, 1915 – October 16, 2003) was a Canadian amateur and professional wrestler, wrestling booker, promoter, coach, trainer, football player and sailor. He is best known for founding and handling Stampede Wrestling, a ...
's Stampede Wrestling in 1954, he and Angus would become one of the most popular tag teams in
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada ...
during their six-year stay in the promotion. At one event, in which they were featured in the main event against The Miller Brothers (
Bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
and
Ed Miller), promoters were forced to turn away 6,000 at a Stampede Wrestling event before splitting up. The two would eventually have a falling out after the death of their mother resulting in Angus refusing to attend her funeral.
Scott spent a short time (1968) in Championship wrestling based in Fort Worth Texas at the North side arena, the promotion was later bought by Fritz Von Erich and renamed WCCW. Scott as a baby face had bloody matches with Johnny Valentine, once Valentine ripped Scotts shirt off and ran him into the ring post, Scott spent the night in the hospital because Valentine went too far and really injured him.
Stampede Wrestling
Remaining in Calgary, Scott had a successful singles career while with Stampede Wrestling during the 1950s and 60s. When Billy Watson appeared in the area in the late 1960s, he refused to defend his title against Scott as well as
Luther Lindsay
Luther Jacob Goodall (December 30, 1924 – February 21, 1972) was an American professional football player and wrestler, known by his ringname Luther Lindsay or Lindsey, who competed throughout the United States with the National Wrestling A ...
and
George Gordienko
George Gordienko (January 7, 1928 – May 13, 2002) was a Canadian professional wrestler and artist. Born of first generation Ukrainian and Cossack-Canadian parents in North Winnipeg, Manitoba, by age 17 Gordienko had received numerous awards fo ...
. According to Scott, this was the result of their argument in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
years before.
While wrestling
Killer Kowalski
Walter Kowalski (born Edward Władysław Spulnik; October 13, 1926 – August 30, 2008), known professionally as Killer Kowalski, was a Polish-Canadian professional wrestler.
Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, includin ...
during a match in Calgary, fans reportedly began chanting ''"We want Scott"''. The following night at an event in Edmonton, Watson asked Scott to team with him in Toronto to which Scott declined. Scott has stated in later interviews that he regretted that decision as the wrestler who eventually teamed with Watson,
Billy Red Lyons
Willem Snip (17 May 1932 – 22 June 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler, who wrestled under the ring name Billy Red Lyons. He was an active wrestler between 1956 and 1985, and won numerous championships throughout his career. He worked for ...
whose career would take off after that match.
Involved in booking for Stu Hart and
Jim Crockett
James Allen Crockett Sr. (June 2, 1909 – April 1, 1973) was a professional wrestling promoter and professional sports franchise owner sometimes known as Jim Crockett Sr., or to people within the business simply as "Big Jim".
Early life
Crockett ...
during the early 1970s, he declined offers to tour Japan and instead chose to continue wrestling for both Stampede Wrestling and the Mid-Atlantic territory. He teamed with
El Mongol
Raul Molina (April 7, 1930 – October 6, 2016) was a Mexican-born professional wrestler better known by his ring name of El Mongol. He was most famous in the Georgia territory during the late 1960s and early '70s.
Professional wrestling career ...
and
Jimmy Dancing Bear
Jimmy may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* Jimmy (2008 film), ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy
* Jimmy (1979 film), ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melat ...
in 6-man tag team matches against
Buddy Colt
Ron Read (January 13, 1936 – March 5, 2021), known professionally as Buddy Colt, Ty Colt and "Cowboy" Ron Reed, was an American professional wrestler who worked in NWA promotions including the St. Louis Wrestling Club, Championship Wrestling f ...
and
The Assassins in late 1971 and, the following year, he lost to
Superstar Billy Graham
Eldridge Wayne Coleman (born June 7, 1943), better known by his ring name "Superstar" Billy Graham, is an American former professional wrestler. He gained recognition for his tenure as the WWWF Heavyweight Champion in 1977–1978. He is a thre ...
in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
on November 3, 1972 Suffering a neck injury while wrestling in Texas, he was forced to retire the following year reuniting with his brother Angus against Atlantic Coast Tag Team Champions
Gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
&
Ole Anderson
Alan Robert Rogowski (born September 22, 1942), better known by the ring name Ole Anderson (), is an American retired professional wrestler, referee, manager, and promoter. Part of the Anderson family, Anderson was a founding member of the influen ...
in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...
on May 26, 1973 retiring later that year.
Jim Crockett Promotions and the Mid-Atlantic territory
In the years following his retirement, George gained a reputation as one of the leading bookers in the industry. Brought in by John Ringly, who had recently taken over Jim Crockett Promotions after the death of his father-in-law
Jim Crockett, Sr., and stayed on after
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
and
Jim Crockett, Jr.
James Allen Crockett Jr. (August 10, 1944 – March 3, 2021) was an American professional wrestling promoter. From 1973 to 1989, he was part owner of Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), a wrestling company affiliated with the National Wrestling Allian ...
assumed control of the promotion.
During his first few years in the Carolinas, he made major changes in the promotion including changing its focus from traditional tag team wrestling to singles competitors by bringing
Wahoo McDaniel
Edward Hugh McDaniel (June 19, 1938 – April 18, 2002) was an American Choctaw-Chickasaw professional American football player and professional wrestler better known by his ring name Wahoo McDaniel. He is notable for having held the NWA United S ...
,
The Super Destroyer and
Johnny Valentine
John Theodore Wisniski (September 22, 1928 – April 24, 2001), better known by his ring name Johnny Valentine, was an American professional wrestler with a career spanning almost three decades. He has been inducted into four halls of fame fo ...
, with Valentine being the top wrestler in the territory. Although fans were slow to respond to the sudden shift, Valentine had become one of the most popular wrestlers in the region within several months. He also signed younger wrestlers such as
"Superfly" Jimmy Snuka,
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor.
In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for hi ...
,
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood Sr. (born February 28, 1953), better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his work with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Jim Crockett Promot ...
and
"Nature Boy" Ric Flair, and became a major influence during their early careers.
During the late-1970s, Scott became a partner with Jim Crockett buying a third of Toronto promoter
Frank Tunney
Francis Martin Tunney (November 12, 1912 - May 10, 1983) was a Canadian professional boxing and wrestling promoter, based in Toronto.
Biography
Early life
He was educated in Markham, Ontario, and went to a business college after high school. Hi ...
's promotion for $100,000. This allowed them access to southern Ontario and parts of the northeastern United States as well as bringing in wrestlers from
Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
History
Queensbury Athletic Club
The promotion, initially known as the Queensbury Athle ...
and the Carolinas. This would continue for several years until Frank Tunney's death in 1983 and his nephew
Jack Tunney
John "Jack" Tunney Jr. (January 21, 1935 – January 24, 2004) was a Canadian professional wrestling promoter. He was known worldwide for his appearances on WWE, World Wrestling Federation television as the promotion's figurehead president. Tunn ...
sided with the World Wrestling Federation when they entered the area during the mid-1980s; Scott later sued Jack Tunney and eventually received a $500,000 settlement and $150,000 in legal expenses in 1992.
In 1981, Scott chose to leave Jim Crockett Promotions due to a pay dispute and resigned his position after giving Jim Crockett six weeks notice. Although Jim Crockett attempted to take Scott to court, the matter was soon dropped. Receiving numerous offers from promoters across the country, Scott took several months off before agreeing to temporarily assist Atlanta promoter
Jim Barnett and
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Atlanta, Georgia. The promotion was affiliated with what had been the world's top sanctioning body of championship titles for decades before, the National W ...
for two months.
#
Scott was approached by
Eddie Einhorn Eddie Einhorn (January 3, 1936 – February 24, 2016) was minority owner and vice chairman of the Chicago White Sox.
Biography
Einhorn grew up in a Jewish family in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of Mae (née Lippman) and Harold B. Einhorn and resi ...
to become a partner in his
International Wrestling Association, offering him a $250,000 salary and a percentage of the promotion, but Scott eventually declined. During this time, he also looking into purchasing the rights for the NWA's Oklahoma territory although he walked away from the deal allowing
Bill Watts
William F. Watts Jr. (born May 5, 1939) is a retired American professional wrestler, promoter and former American football player. Watts garnered fame under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a promoter in the Mid-South Un ...
to purchase the territory for his
Universal Wrestling Federation/Mid-South promotion.
World Wrestling Federation
In 1983, Scott received a call from
Vince McMahon, Sr.
Vincent James McMahon (July 6, 1914 – May 24, 1984), sometimes referred to as Vince McMahon Sr., was an American professional wrestling promoter. He is best known for running the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, which was later renamed WWWF (World ...
with whom he had a close working relationship while with Jim Crockett Promotions. Agreeing to assist his son
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
who had recently taken over the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
, he was immediately sent to Atlanta to oversee the WWF's purchase of the Saturday night timeslot on
TBS, forcing out
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Atlanta, Georgia. The promotion was affiliated with what had been the world's top sanctioning body of championship titles for decades before, the National W ...
and resulting what became known as "
Black Saturday". He was later involved in negotiations with
Keith Hart for the McMahon's buyout of
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the prom ...
which, according to
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward Hart (May 3, 1915 – October 16, 2003) was a Canadian amateur and professional wrestler, wrestling booker, promoter, coach, trainer, football player and sailor. He is best known for founding and handling Stampede Wrestling, a ...
in his biography ''Stu Hart: Lord of the Ring'', was concluded by a handshake agreement. The official sale was finalized by
Jim Barnett on August 24, 1984 for $1,000,000 to be paid off $100,000 a year.
While in the area, he began running events in
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
which soon became very profitable for the company and he soon began booking for the entire promotion. Between 1984-1985, the WWF was grossing between $3–4 million on weekends. He was directly involved in planning some of the biggest events in the promotion's history including
WrestleMania I
WrestleMania (sequentially known as WrestleMania I) was the inaugural WrestleMania and ...
and
2, the first televised shows for ''
Saturday Night's Main Event
''Saturday Night's Main Event'' is an American professional wrestling television program that is produced by WWE (known at the time of launch as the World Wrestling Federation). Premiering in 1985, it originally aired on NBC in the United Sta ...
'' and the supercard ''Big Event at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium''. Scott appeared on-camera at WrestleMania when, during the main event between Hulk Hogan & Mr. T and
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper and
Paul Orndorff
Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr. (October 29, 1949 – July 12, 2021), nicknamed "Mr. Wonderful", was an American professional wrestler and college football player, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Cham ...
, he pulled guest official
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
out of the ring as he was supposed to be an outside-the-ring referee.
Prior to WrestleMania, he took part in the initial negotiations with
Mr. T
Mr. T (born Laurence Tureaud, May 21, 1952), is an American actor. He is known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series ''The A-Team'' and as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film ''Rocky III''. He is also known for his ...
to appear in the main event. Despite an argument between him and Mr. T, the disagreement was eventually settled and he agreed to appear; Mr. T later ran up $22,000 in expenses during the week leading up to WrestleMania.
Scott was also one of the key officials who attempted to clean up the widespread drug use among wrestlers in the promotion. He was involved in setting up the WWF's initial drug testing program. Those who failed the drug test would be suspended for six weeks and, if caught a second time, would be released from the company. Although having control of most of the roster, he and then
WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan
Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...
became involved in a heated argument during an event at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
regarding ''"some unsavory characters"'' hanging around backstage. Hogan, who by this time was gaining some political clout, went over Scott's head complaining about the incident to promoter Vince McMahon.
He worked three days straight with
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
producer
Dick Ebersol
Duncan "Dick" Ebersol (; born July 28, 1947) is an American television executive and a senior adviser for NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. He had previously been the chairman of NBC Sports, producing large-scale television events such as the O ...
on ''
Saturday Night's Main Event I''. He and Ebersol disagreed on the show's content, with Ebersol in favor of a ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
''-style show as opposed to Scott's ideas for a traditional wrestling event. The format had been previously used on the WWF's ''
Tuesday Night Titans
''Tuesday Night Titans'' (abbreviated ''TNT'') was a professional wrestling talk show produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment, World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It aired on the USA Network from May 29, 1984 to September 24, 1986. The two-hou ...
''. Eventually, Scott decided to resign due to overwork, the changing direction of the company and ongoing conflicts with Hogan and other wrestlers.
Later career and retirement
After leaving the WWF in 1986, he briefly worked for
Fritz Von Erich
Jack Barton Adkisson Sr. (August 16, 1929 – September 10, 1997), better known by his ring name Fritz Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and the patriarch of the Von Erich family. He was a 3-time world champion ...
in Dallas replacing
Ken Mantel
Ken or KEN may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer.
* ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film.
* ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine.
* Ken Masters, a main character in ...
, who had left the promotion earlier that year. Although
David Meltzer's ''
The Wrestling Observer
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
'' newsletter reported that he had joined the promotion in August, other sources such as David Manning's ''Heroes of World Class'' have claimed he had joined the promotion shortly before
Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Gene Adkisson (February 3, 1960 – February 18, 1993), better known by his ring name Kerry Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler. He was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers. He is best known for his time with ...
's motorcycle accident the previous month.
Scott's time in WCCW was brief however and, according to
Gary Hart, he resigned his position after failing to force Hart out of the promotion. Scott, who reportedly regarded Hart as a threat to his position, had scheduled a match between
Abdullah the Butcher
Lawrence Robert Shreve (born January 11, 1941), better known by the ring name Abdullah the Butcher, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He has a reputation for being involved in some of the most violent and bloody hardcore wrestling matc ...
and
Bruiser Brody
Frank Donald Goodish (June 18, 1946 – July 17, 1988) was an American professional wrestler who earned his greatest fame under the ring name Bruiser Brody. He also worked as King Kong Brody, The Masked Marauder, and Red River Jack. Over the yea ...
at the supercard ''Christmas Star Wars '86'' later that year. However, he secretly withheld from the participants that the match, in which Abdullah the Butcher would lose to Brody, would be a loser-leaves-Texas match. Brody would eventually find out about the arrangement and instead agreed to lose to Abdullah causing him to leave the promotion. Brody would return to WCCW as the masked wrestler Red River Jack and, with Scott leaving the promotion shortly after, Brody replaced him as head booker.
.
He later went back to work for Crockett in 1988, taking over creative rights of the promotion but lightning didn't strike twice and his run was brief as he was fired in April 1989, due to the lack of promotion for the Clash of the Champions, and was replaced by the NWA booking committee. He started up a promotion in the Carolinas called
South Atlantic Pro Wrestling
South Atlantic Pro Wrestling (SAPW, formerly known as the North American Wrestling Association) was a professional wrestling promotion founded by George Scott, John Ringley and Mike Lamberth in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1990, and later taken o ...
in the early 1990s. It got off to a promising start but shut down in 1994.
Personal life
Retiring to
Indian Rocks Beach, Florida
Indian Rocks Beach, or IRB, is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,286 at the 2018 census. Indian Rocks Beach is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located on the ba ...
with his wife Jean, a former City Commissioner who has long been active in local politics. Scott also became involved in
real estate
Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...
and
rental property
Renting, also known as hiring or letting, is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property owned by another. A gross lease is when the tenant pays a flat rental amount and the landlord pays for a ...
, as well as his involvement in numerous charitable events, specifically his assistance in establishing the Eblen Foundation in
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...
, which helps underprivileged families.
In 2001, he was among several honorees at the
Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet & Reunion. Scott was also acknowledged by Vince McMahon, who publicly thanked him for his contributions to the World Wrestling Federation during a wrestling event later that year.
Scott was diagnosed with
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...
in November 2011. He entered
hospice
Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...
care in October 2013 and died a few months later on January 20, 2014.
Championships and accomplishments
*American Wrestling Alliance
**AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with
Sandy Scott
Sandy may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Sandy (surname), a list of people
*Sandy (singer), Brazilian singer and actress Sandy Leah Lima (born 1983)
* (Sandy) ...
*
Cauliflower Alley Club
The 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.
Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Abram ...
**Other honoree (
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
)
*
Central States Wrestling
**
NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Central States version)'' (
1 time) - with Sandy Scott
*
George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
The George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame is a List of professional wrestling halls of fame, professional wrestling hall of fame museum located within the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum's National Wrestling Hall o ...
**Class of 2004
*
Japan Wrestling Association
The was the first professional wrestling promotion to be based in Japan. It operated from 1953 to 1973.
History JWA under Rikidōzan (1953–1963)
Rikidōzan, a former ''rikishi'' (sumo wrestling practitioner) who had debuted as a Western-st ...
**
NWA International Tag Team Championship
''This was a regional NWA championship based in Japan. For the version of this title that was promoted in NWA All Star Wrestling in Canada, see NWA International Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version).''
The NWA International Tag Team Champio ...
(
1 time) - with Sandy Scott
*
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Jim Crockett Promotions Inc. is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, restarted by Jim Crockett's son and Jim Crockett Jr's brother, David Crockett. Founded in 1931, the promot ...
**
NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-Atlantic version)'' (
2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
) - with Sandy Scott
*
NWA Big Time Wrestling
**
NWA American Tag Team Championship
The WCWA World Tag Team Championship was the primary professional wrestling tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship promoted by the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex area–based World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA). The cham ...
(
1 time) - with
Mr. Wrestling
George Burrell Woodin (July 28, 1934 – November 30, 2002) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Mr. Wrestling and Tim Woods.
Collegiate wrestling career
Woodin received a degree in agricultural engineering fr ...
**
NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today. The title has us ...
(
1 time)
[*]
*
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the prom ...
**
Alberta Tag Team Championship (
3 times) - with Sandy Scott
**
NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship ''(Calgary version)'' (
4 times) - with Sandy Scott
**
NWA International Tag Team Championship ''(Calgary version)'' (
6 times) - with Sandy Scott
*
World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
World Championship Wrestling was an Australian professional wrestling promotion that ran from 1964 until 1978.
History
The promotion gained publicity through television programs on the Nine Network, which were presented at noon on Saturdays and ...
**
IWA World Tag Team Championship
IWA World Tag Team Championship is a Tag Team Championship defended in Puerto Rico.The titles were first introduced in the first incarnation of the International Wrestling Association, where they are defended. They also made a brief appearance i ...
(
3 times) - with Sandy Scott
*
World Wide Wrestling Federation
Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. was an American sports promotion company. It was run by Vincent J. McMahon from 1953 to 1982. Operating as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC), the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing ...
**
WWWF United States Tag Team Championship
The WWWF United States Tag Team Championship was the first version of the main tag team title in the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1963 until 1967. Originally, the WWWF was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance operating out of the No ...
(
1 time) - with
Buddy Austin
Austin Wesley Rogers (born Austin Wesley Rapes; February 27, 1929 – August 13, 1981) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "Killer" Buddy Austin. He is best known for his appearances with the Los Angeles, Californi ...
References
Further reading
*Beekman, Scott. ''Ringside: A History of Professional Wrestling in America''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006.
*
Flair, Ric. ''Ric Flair: To Be the Man''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.
*Hornbaker, Tim. ''National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling''. Toronto: ECW Press, 2007.
*Oliver, Greg and Steven Johnson. ''The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels''. Toronto: ECW Press, 2007.
*
Watts, Bill and Scott Williams. ''The Cowboy and the Cross: The Bill Watts Story: Rebellion, Wrestling and Redemption''. Toronto: ECW Press, 2006.
External links
Profile at Online World of WrestlingCageMatch.de - George Scott
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, George
1929 births
2014 deaths
20th-century professional wrestlers
American Wrestling Association
Canadian male professional wrestlers
Sportspeople from Edinburgh
Canadian people of Scottish descent
Professional wrestling promoters
Professional wrestling writers
WWE executives
Stampede Wrestling alumni
NWA Canadian Tag Team Champions (Calgary version)
Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Champions
IWA World Tag Team Champions (Australia)
NWA International Tag Team Champions