Paul "Pinkie" George (born Paul Lloyd Georgeacopoulos; January 22, 1905 – November 1, 1993) was an American
professional wrestling
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 o ...
promoter,
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
* Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
* Boxer snipe ee ...
and businessman best known as the visionary behind, and first president of, 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 ...
. He operated the NWA's
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
territory, one of the primary members of the NWA based in
Des Moines
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...
. Described by
Sam Muchnick
Samuel Muchnick (born Jeshua Muchnick, August 22, 1905 – December 30, 1998) was an American professional wrestling promoter from St. Louis, Missouri. He is often regarded as wrestling's equivalent of Pete Rozelle (the forward-thinking commission ...
as the father of the NWA
George was inducted into the
NWA Hall of Fame
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Hall of Fame is an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by the NWA. It was established in 2005 to honor select wrestling personalities, mostly alumni of the NWA. Inductees receive commemora ...
in 2014.
Early life
Georgeacopoulos was born to Greek parents Limberis "Louis" and Elizabeth Bolanis Georgeacopoulos in Lowell, Massachusetts on January 22, 1905. When he was a teenager he and his family (including younger brother Andrew) relocated to Black Hawk County, Iowa, where their surname was changed to "George".
After completing school, Pinkie embarked on a stint as a boxer; first as an amateur and then as a professional. Fighting as a flyweight, he completed in over 160 bouts with limited success. On August 29, 1928, he suffered a knockout defeat to
Speedy Dado which was a turning point in his tenure as a boxer.
Career
After marrying his wife, Elizabeth, Georgeacopoulos embarked on a promotional career in
Mason City, Iowa
Mason City is a city and the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 27,338 in the 2020 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro G ...
. They relocated to
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...
, where George promoted his first professional wrestling match between
Joe Stecher
Joe Stecher (April 4, 1893 – March 29, 1974), sometimes spelled Joe Stetcher, was an American professional wrestler and three-time World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. Known for his ferocity, tremendous leg strength and extensive knowledge o ...
and George Vassel in 1928. On September 20, 1934, George was one of many promoters to attend the
Ed Lewis–Londos bout at
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago ...
. He managed numerous fighters such as Johnny Paychek, Glen Flanagan, Abel Cestac and Lee Savold.
In 1948, he brought a
National Basketball League franchise (the
Waterloo Hawks
The Waterloo Hawks were a National Basketball League and National Basketball Association team based in Waterloo, Iowa. The Hawks remain the only sports franchise ever based in Iowa from any of the current Big Four Leagues.
Franchise history
...
) to Iowa, which proved to be unsuccessful. After losing $20,000 in under a year, he sold the franchise to his brother Andy and
Charley Shipp
Charles William Shipp (December 3, 1913 – March 21, 1988) was an American professional basketball player and coach.
A 6'1" guard-forward, Shipp attended Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, where he led the Irish to the National Catholic Ch ...
.
As a wrestling promoter, George worked closely with fellow promoters in Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Missouri.
By 1950, the NWA had 26 members throughout a territory stretching from
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
in Canada to
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, Hawaii. As was planned, George stepped down as President of the NWA at the end of 1950, having taken on the role in 1948. In a further letter to Pfefer dated June 8, 1950, he stated that "in September, my term ends and Sam Muchnick will be elected, as I think he is the fellow deserving of it".
George continued to run the wrestling scene in Iowa, with grapplers such as
Verne Gagne
Laverne Clarence Gagne (February 26, 1926 – April 27, 2015) was an American amateur and professional wrestler, football player, wrestling trainer, and wrestling promoter. He was the owner and promoter of the Minneapolis-based American Wrest ...
,
Bob Orton
Robert Keith Orton Sr. (July 21, 1929 – July 16, 2006) was an American professional wrestler.
The patriarch of the Orton wrestling family, his two sons Bob Orton Jr. and Barry Orton, and grandson Randy Orton, have all wrestled professionally ...
,
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 ...
and
Pat O’Connor making their name in the territory. On January 23, 1951, George incorporated the NWA as a non-profit with a code of ethnics in Iowa for tax purposes, helping ensure its survival for years to come.
George grew disillusioned with the direction of the NWA, which he was not reluctant in expressing, but nevertheless remained confident in the new Presidency of Muchnick. Tensions however grew and George withdrew from the NWA board of directors in 1951. With bitterness and rivalry at its height in 1957 between the NWA and rival promoters/wrestlers such as Wladek Zbyszko, George Simpson and Sonny Myers, George claimed that he received a phone call telling him to get out of the wrestling business or "we’ll deliver your body to your wife". This prompted George to purchase a gun.
George alleged that this was a part of a "one-sided wrestling war" to "harass, scare and discourage (him) out of the business". He also believed it was timed to coincide with a federal investigation against the NWA for alleged monopolistic practices.
The case against the NWA went to trial in December 1958. Simpson testified against Pinkie, stating he had had difficulty booking wrestlers within the NWA system but that he had recently straightened things out with Muchnick and Brown. Muchnick himself testified as a witness for the plaintiff but did little to harm the NWA or Pinkie George.
A jury found in favor of Pinkie and the NWA on December 8.
Later life
George was angry at what he perceived as treachery from his peers, including Muchnick. In a letter to NWA members, he resigned from the Alliance, stating that "a very small minority of the Alliance, including President Muchnick, are in violation of the government decree. Interlocking regional monopolies that control the champion endanger every member of the alliance". George would have friction with the NWA over the next several years, including an infamous federal anti-trust lawsuit.
He would continue to promote boxing in the region and was an active citizen into his senior years. In 1964, he was the manager of future boxing World Welterweight Champion
Curtis Cokes
Curtis Cokes (June 15, 1937 – May 29, 2020) was a boxer from Dallas, Texas, United States. Cokes was the simultaneous WBA, WBC and '' The Ring'' World Welterweight Champion, and he was famous for his training regimen, which he also imposed o ...
.
Legacy
Pinkie George is remembered as the visionary behind 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 ...
and the man responsible for laying the foundations of what would become perhaps the most respected organization in the business. In 2014, he was inducted into the
NWA Hall of Fame
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Hall of Fame is an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by the NWA. It was established in 2005 to honor select wrestling personalities, mostly alumni of the NWA. Inductees receive commemora ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:George, Pinkie
1905 births
1993 deaths
American male boxers
American people of Greek descent
National Basketball League (United States) owners
People from Lowell, Massachusetts
Professional wrestling promoters
Waterloo Hawks