Agreed, and a powerfully built bloke as well. He was trained as a real wrestler and could handle himself by all accounts.
There is a funny story, can't remember who told it, but when George was in the UK, he wandered into a wrestlers gym (Dale Martin, Brixton, maybe?), it was winter and he was fully clothed, with a big over coat on and smoking a big cigar. He was wandering around, looking at what equipment they had, puffing on the cigar, everyone was watching him.
He walked over to the weights bench, loaded the bar with as much weight as it would hold, got on the bench, over coat on, cigar in mouth, and started bench pressing this huge weight, without breaking sweat. After a while he put the bar down, walked around, looking at the posters on the wall, and then walked out.
Mentioned on here a few weeks ago by Main Mask, wrestler and speedway rider Flash Lee Edwards.
Also, another who we heard from years back is Toronto born Gori Ed Mangotich.
There certainly seem to have been more Canadians around than Americans.
In the 1930s there was the Candy Kid, Ted Bell.
George Gordienko was the best wrestler I ever saw live-really magnificent.
Was The Greek-American Chicago Express really Canadian, Matey Dave?
Plenty to go at on John Shelvey's register of imports.
https://heritagedocs.wixsite.com/talkwrestling/forum/memories-of-the-old-days/john-s-canadian-register-of-imports
Jack Wentworth was born here and Lancastrians continue to claim him. But his son Robert made a visit.
Matey Dave writes:
est we forget the Canadian whirlwind: BIG BILL TORONTOS
Paul Vachon, Jack Wentworth, Paul Lortie, Bob Langevin
Sky Hi Lee, did Little Beaver tour here?
Whipper Watson Sr and Jr, Red Pollard, Billy Two Rivers, Chief Thunderbird (not the Polish one).
Johnny War Eagle was one of my favourites. Not based on his tv showings, but in real life, yes.
Scarface Laval hardly toured, but did at least appear,
Cowboy Rick Hunter, George Gordienko, Gordon Nelson, Red Ivan. Probably more, if I have a think about it.