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George "The Animal" Steele Has Gone To Bite That Great Turnbuckle In The Sky

Legendary pro wrestler, actor, and school teacher George "The Animal" Steele passed away yesterday, the world has learned. Steele, whose real name was William James Myers, died at of kidney failure while in hospice care. He was 79 years old.

Steele's career as a pro wrestler began in 1967 and lasted until 1988. Steel was recruited to the World Wide Wrestling Federation, which would eventually become WWE, by Bruno Samartino, with whom he feuded in the ring, along with other wrestling greats of the era. Steele's "heel," or bad guy, character was an insanely strong wild man with the brains of an animal, a bald head but a full back of hair, a green-colored tongue, a penchant for biting both turnbuckles and opponents, and, eventually, a lack of ability to speak in more than two syllables at a time. However, in his personal life, Steele had a masters degree and worked as a high school teacher coach in Michigan. Steele did his best to keep his wrestling career a secret from his students, though this was easier in the 60s and 70s, when pro wrestling was a territorial business, and before became a worldwide television personality with a cartoon character based on him.

During Wrestling's golden age of the 1980s, which is the period from when most wrestling fans today recognize him, Steele was a popular "babyface," wrestling's terminology for a good guy, and most notably feuded with "Macho Man" Randy Savage over the affection of Savage's manager, Miss Elizabeth. Steele took part in the famous match between Savage and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat at Wrestlemania 3, interfering (to stop Savage from cheating) to help Steamboat win the match, though Steele later said he would have preferred to be wrestling a match in front of such a large crowd near his hometown. Steele retired in 1988, having never won a championship,  though he made sporadic appearances of varying length in WWE and other wrestling promotions until 2010. In 1994, Steele played Tor Johnson in Tim Burton's film, Ed Wood.

On Monday Night Raw, we can probably expect a touching video package remembering Steele's career. He is survived by a wife and three children.

Steele remembered by some of his fellow all time greats on Twitter:

Statement from WWE on Steele's death:

WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer William James Myers, known to fans as George "The Animal" Steele has passed away at the age of 79.

Steele was one of the wildest and most unpredictable Superstars in sports-entertainment history. Yet, despite his green tongue, hairy torso and insatiable appetite for turnbuckle pads, "The Animal" was a very well-educated man. Prior to breaking into sports-entertainment, Steele received his Master's Degree from Central Michigan University and became a high school teacher and wrestling coach in the Detroit area.

It was during his teaching stint that he began moonlighting in sports-entertainment, working in the Detroit-area promotions. Steele's first WWE appearances took place in 1967, when he came to WWE and immediately began a heated rivalry with WWE Champion Bruno Sammartino. For nearly 20 years, Steele was a reviled villain, managed by the likes of fellow Hall of Famers The Grand Wizard, "Classy" Freddie Blassie, Capt. Lou Albano and Mr. Fuji. His classic main events with Sammartino, Pedro Morales and Bob Backlund saw him come close to winning the WWE Championship on many occasions.

In 1985, however, Steele was embraced by the WWE Universe and changed the course of his career. After The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff abandoned him during a match, Steele fell back under the tutelage of the then-beloved Albano. His transformation was remarkable, as one of the most hated men in the sport became one of its most loveable figures. Long after his in-ring retirement and WWE Hall of Fame induction, George "The Animal" Steele's name still evoked terror for one generation of WWE fans and warm smiles for another.

WWE extends its condolences to Steele's family, friends and fans.

George "The Animal" Steele vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage
Saturday Night's Main Event 1987 – Winner Gets Miss Elizabeth (it was a different time)

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