George Wells (wrestler) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Wells
Wells, c. 1981
Born	(1947-10-30) October 30, 1947 (age 78) Oakland, California, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	George Wells Master Gee Master G
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Billed weight	240 lb (110 kg)
Debut	1974
Retired	1992

George Wells (born October 30, 1947) is a retired American professional wrestler and Canadian Football League (CFL) player. He was active in North American wrestling from the early 1970s to the 1980s. Some of the promotions he worked for include the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE).

One of his most famous matches was against Jake "The Snake" Roberts at WrestleMania 2. After Roberts won the match, he placed his pet snake, "Damien," on Wells. George Wells was also a popular wrestler in the San Francisco area in the late 1970s. He was the only African-American wrestler to hold the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship in its San Francisco version.

Early Life and Education

George Wells was born in Oakland, California. He finished high school at Oakland Technical High School in 1966. After that, he went to Laney College and then New Mexico State University.

While in college, he played football. He also competed in the heavyweight division in several national tournaments organized by the Amateur Athletic Union.

Football Career Highlights

In 1971, George Wells played in the American Bowl in Florida. He was then chosen by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 1971 NFL draft.

He went on to play eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played as a defensive end for teams like the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Saskatchewan Roughriders. During his CFL career, he was named an All-Star four times. He also played in five playoff games and three Grey Cup championships, winning one. Wells was known for getting many quarterback sacks, averaging 30 to 36 during four of his last five seasons.

Professional Wrestling Journey

Starting Out (1974-1978)

George Wells started wrestling professionally in northern California in 1974 during the football off-season. He had some early losses to wrestlers like Kinji Shibuya and Dick Slater. However, he soon began to win, defeating Terry Garvin in December 1974.

Over the next three years, he continued to wrestle in the San Francisco area. He earned impressive victories against experienced wrestlers such as Mr. Saito and Butcher Vachon. He also teamed up with Al Madril to defeat The Royal Kangaroos in January 1977. Wells and Madril continued to team up, even defeating Butcher Vachon and the Black Marvel in a tag team match.

Later, Wells had short rivalries with wrestlers like Bob Roop and Hiro Ota. He teamed with Moondog Mayne to defeat Hiro Ota and Tank Patton in April 1977. After a brief period of losses, he left the San Francisco area.

Wrestling Across North America (1978-1984)

In 1978, George Wells joined Stampede Wrestling. He teamed with Jerry Morrow to win against Mr. Hito and Michael Martel. However, they later lost their titles to Norman Frederick Charles III and the Cuban Assassin. Wells also had a short time in the World Wrestling Alliance, where he had a draw with Bad News Allen.

After officially retiring from professional football in 1980, Wells focused on wrestling in the Central States Wrestling area. He teamed with Pat O'Connor to defeat Pak Song and Ron McFarlane. He also teamed with O'Connor and Dick the Bruiser in a six-man tag team match. Wells even held the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship for a time, winning it from Bob Sweetan.

Wells then moved to the Mid-Atlantic region. He teamed with Dewey Robertson to defeat The Sheepherders in December 1980. Six days later, they won the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles in Richmond, Virginia. They defended their titles successfully against teams like Kim Duk and Tenryu. Wells and Robertson remained champions until February 1981, when they lost the titles to Mr. Fuji and Tenryu.

Wells later won the NWA Alabama Heavyweight title, but lost it to Jimmy Golden that same year. He returned to Central States Wrestling, where he teamed with Ron Ritchie to become the Central States tag team champions in August. He also wrestled in the USA Pro promotion in 1984, becoming their last heavyweight champion.

Time in the WWF (1984-1986)

In late 1984, George Wells joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He often appeared on shows like WWF Prime Time Wrestling. He had some success teaming with Lanny Poffo and was also an early tag team partner for Bret Hart.

However, Bret Hart soon became a "heel" (a villain in wrestling) and had a short rivalry with Wells. Hart defeated Wells in a singles match. Later, The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) defeated Wells and his partners multiple times. Wells also faced Adrian Adonis and Jake "The Snake" Roberts at major WWF events, including WrestleMania 2. He continued to wrestle against other notable names like Iron Mike Sharpe and Kamala (wrestler) before leaving the WWF in late 1986.

Later Wrestling Years (1986-1992)

After leaving the WWF, George Wells wrestled in the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association as Master Gee. He had rivalries with wrestlers like Junkyard Dog and Butch Reed.

He also appeared in World Class Championship Wrestling. There, he teamed with Matt Borne and briefly held the WCCW World Tag Team Championship. He wrestled against Dingo Warrior and Lance von Erich before leaving the promotion. After a brief appearance in 1987, Wells became less active in wrestling until his retirement in 1992.

Life After Wrestling

After his wrestling career, George Wells returned to Oakland, California. He now works in the San Francisco Bay area.

Championships and Achievements

George Wells achieved several championships during his wrestling career:

• 50th State Big Time Wrestling
  • Hawaiian Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Big Time Wrestling (San Francisco)
  • NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time)
• Central States Wrestling
  • NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ron Ritchie
• Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Dewey Robertson
• NWA All-Star Wrestling
  • NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) - with Dean Ho
• NWA Hollywood Wrestling
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles version) (1 time) - with Hector Guerrero
• Southeastern Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Stampede Wrestling
  • NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (1 time) - with Jerry Morrow
• Western States Alliance
  • WSA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

See also

• List of gridiron football players who became professional wrestlers