George Gordienko

Professional wrestling career He wrestled professionally from 1946 to 1976. He started as a weightlifter as a teenager. Joe Pazandak was his training partner in wrestling early in his career and Tony Stecher of Minneapolis was his manager in the very beginning. He mostly wrestled as Stu Hart's tag team partner after returning to wrestling in 1953. He fought Lou Thesz for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)'s NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1953 in Canada and wrestled Thesz again to a 90-minute draw in Edmonton in 1955.

George Gordienko won the Alberta Golden Jubilee tournament in 1955, defeating Adrien Baillargeon in the final. He then settled in UK. He was ranked the top heavyweight wrestler in the Great Britain in 1963. In 1970, George won the annual Royal Albert Hall tournament in London. India, and South Africa. He retired in Campbell River, British Columbia.

Championships and accomplishments Cauliflower Alley Club Posthumous Award (2009) George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2010 Fédération Française de Catch Professionnel World Heavyweight Championship (French version) (1 time) Joint Promotions British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA All-Star Wrestling NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with Leo Madril NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) NWA New Zealand British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship (New Zealand version) (1 time) Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2012 Stampede Wrestling NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version) (1 time) NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (1 time) – with Super Hawk Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 1995)