George Scott (wrestler)

George Scott(August 27, 1929 – January 20, 2014) was a Canadianprofessional wrestler,booker and promoter. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he and his younger brotherSandycompeted asThe Flying Scottsin North American regional promotions including theNational Wrestling Alliance,particularly theMidwestandMid-Atlantic territories,as well as successful stints in theAmerican Wrestling Association,Maple Leaf WrestlingandStampede Wrestling.

George Scott
Born	(1929-08-27)August 27, 1929 Dalmeny, Scotland
Died	January 20, 2014(2014-01-20)(aged 84) Indian Rocks Beach, Florida,U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	George Scott The Great Scott Benny Becker
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Billed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Debut	1948
Retired	1985

Scott was also the longtime head booker for theJim Crockett Promotionsworking under promoterJim Crockett, Jr.during the 1970s and withVince McMahonduring theWorld Wrestling Federation's national expansion during the early 1980s. He helped organize many of the early PPV events such asWrestleMania IandWrestleMania 2as well as the early cards for the WWF's weekly television showsSaturday Night's Main Event,Prime Time WrestlingandSuperstars of Wrestling.

On the Steve Austin Show Unleashed Podcast, Scott was credited byRic Flairas the person who came up with the idea that to reverse the Figure-four leglock, the opponent would simply turn over onto their stomach.

Professional wrestling career

Early life and career

George Scott was the first born son to his parents, Walter James Scott Sr. (1903-1991) and Jeannie Mackay (1904-1995). He was born inDalmeny, Scotlandwhile his parents were visiting relatives and, returning to Canada, was raised inHamilton, Ontario.He grew up with his siblings Angus (AKA Sandy Scott, 1934–2010), and beloved Walter (1936-2014). His sister Jeannie Gow Scott, at the age of 11, suffered appendicitis during a return trip from Scotland on theSSAthenia,and was pronounced dead inMontreal, Quebecon October 25, 1937. She is buried in Woodland Cemetery, Hamilton, Ontario.

Involved inhockey,basketball,androller skatingas a child, Scott beganamateur wrestlingat the localYMCAat age 12 and, during the next year, also started weightlifting.

Living nearbyBen and Mike Sharpe,both well known professional wrestlers in Hamilton at the time, he also facedMartin Hutzlerin an amateur bout at the YMCA. Making his professional debut inWasaga Beachat age 17, he was helped in his early career byPat Murphyand Dano Macdonald. During the late 1940s, Scott attempted to convince local promoter Joe Maiche to wrestle in the Brantford armories before being signed by Toledo promoterJack Pfeferand promoted as an up-and-coming wrestler. As Benny Becker, would gain considerable experience from many veteran wrestlers in the territory and would later face"Nature Boy" Buddy RogersandGorgeous Georgeseveral times in his early career.

National Wrestling Alliance

After a brief stint withGeorgia Championship WrestlingandJim Crockett Promotions,Scott eventually found his way back to Canada where he wrestled for promoterJohn Katanin Toronto and made his debut inMaple Leaf Gardensin November 1950. While there, he andWhipper Billy Watsonhad an altercation in which he appeared with Watson on the undercard facingLee Henning.The following day, a local newspaper wrote how Scott's match stole the show and Scott began appearing in the opening matches for much of his time in the promotion thereafter.

In 1952, following a match against Buddy Rogers in Florida, Scott collapsed in the bathroom of his apartment. He was eventually found by a friend who, noticing the bathroom light on, broke into the apartment when Scott failed to respond to his knocking on the door. Brought to a local hospital, Scott was told he had passed out due to a deep bruise in his hip and was eventually flown back to Toronto where he was diagnosed with three ruptured discs in his back caused when Rogers had kicked him in the back during their match.

Although doctors recommended surgery, Scott refused when he was told he would be unable to wrestle again. Taking a year off to recuperate, he lived with his parents while John Katan,Jack LaskinandJack Tunneyheld stags andfundraising eventsto help his family as Scott remained paralyzed for six months.

Worried that he might suffer another more serious injury, his parents had tried to encourage him to retire and his mother suggesting a career in law enforcement. Although he began working as a bouncer for a time and was offered a managerial position at the bar he worked for, he declined and eventually returned to active competition inStu Hart's Stampede Wrestling in 1954.

The Flying Scotts

Helping his brother Angus break into the wrestling business in 1953, Scott began teaming with his brother in Stampede Wrestling shortly after his recovery later winning the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship in 1954. After a brief stint in Maple Leaf Gardens in 1955, The Flying Scotts, as they were known, became one of the top tag teams in the Toronto and Buffalo areas during the late 1950s. DefeatingChrisandJohn Tolosfor the Stampede International Tag Team Championship in 1958, they would feud withButcherandMad Dog Vachonthe following year.

Scott would also return to the Carolinas with his brother during the 1960s before eventually regained the Stampede International Tag Team Championship in 1963. They would also win the Indiana version of the AWA World Tag Team Championship and, while inAustraliaduring the late 1960s, won theIWA World Tag Team Championshipthree times between 1966 and 1968.

While inStu Hart's Stampede Wrestling in 1954, he and Angus would become one of the most popular tag teams inWestern Canadaduring their six-year stay in the promotion. At one event, in which they were featured in the main event against The Miller Brothers (BillandEd Miller), promoters were forced to turn away 6,000 at a Stampede Wrestling event before splitting up. The two would eventually have a falling out after the death of their mother resulting in Angus refusing to attend her funeral.

Scott spent a short time (1968) in Championship wrestling based in Fort Worth Texas at the North side arena, the promotion was later bought by Fritz Von Erich and renamed WCCW. Scott as a baby face had bloody matches with Johnny Valentine, once Valentine ripped Scotts shirt off and ran him into the ring post, Scott spent the night in the hospital because Valentine went too far and really injured him.

Stampede Wrestling

Remaining in Calgary, Scott had a successful singles career while with Stampede Wrestling during the 1950s and 60s. When Billy Watson appeared in the area in the late 1960s, he refused to defend his title against Scott as well asLuther LindsayandGeorge Gordienko.According to Scott, this was the result of their argument inTorontoyears before.

While wrestlingKiller Kowalskiduring a match in Calgary, fans reportedly began chanting"We want Scott".The following night at an event in Edmonton, Watson asked Scott to team with him in Toronto to which Scott declined. Scott has stated in later interviews that he regretted that decision as the wrestler who eventually teamed with Watson,Billy Red Lyonswhose career would take off after that match.

Involved in booking for Stu Hart andJim Crockettduring the early 1970s, he declined offers to tour Japan and instead chose to continue wrestling for both Stampede Wrestling and the Mid-Atlantic territory. He teamed withEl MongolandJimmy Dancing Bearin 6-man tag team matches againstBuddy ColtandThe Assassinsin late 1971 and, the following year, he lost toSuperstar Billy GrahaminChicago, Illinoison November 3, 1972Suffering a neck injury while wrestling in Texas, he was forced to retire the following yearreuniting with his brother Angus against Atlantic Coast Tag Team ChampionsGene&Ole AndersoninWinston-Salem, North Carolinaon May 26, 1973, retiring later that year.

Jim Crockett Promotions and the Mid-Atlantic territory

In the years following his retirement, George gained a reputation as one of the leading bookers in the industry. Brought in by John Ringly, who had recently taken over Jim Crockett Promotions after the death of his father-in-lawJim Crockett, Sr.,and stayed on afterDavidandJim Crockett, Jr.assumed control of the promotion.

During his first few years in the Carolinas, he made major changes in the promotion including changing its focus from traditional tag team wrestling to singles competitors by bringingWahoo McDaniel,The Super DestroyerandJohnny Valentine,with Valentine being the top wrestler in the territory. Although fans were slow to respond to the sudden shift, Valentine had become one of the most popular wrestlers in the region within several months. He also signed younger wrestlers such as"Superfly" Jimmy Snuka,Roddy Piper,Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboatand"Nature Boy" Ric Flair,and became a major influence during their early careers.

During the late-1970s, Scott became a partner with Jim Crockett buying a third of Toronto promoterFrank Tunney's promotion for $100,000. This allowed them access to southern Ontario and parts of the northeastern United States as well as bringing in wrestlers fromMaple Leaf Wrestlingand the Carolinas. This would continue for several years until Frank Tunney's death in 1983 and his nephewJack Tunneysided with the World Wrestling Federation when they entered the area during the mid-1980s; Scott later sued Jack Tunney and eventually received a $500,000 settlement and $150,000 in legal expenses in 1992.

In 1981, Scott chose to leave Jim Crockett Promotions due to a pay dispute and resigned his position after giving Jim Crockett six weeks notice. Although Jim Crockett attempted to take Scott to court, the matter was soon dropped. Receiving numerous offers from promoters across the country, Scott took several months off before agreeing to temporarily assist Atlanta promoterJim BarnettandGeorgia Championship Wrestlingfor two months.

Scott was approached byEddie Einhornto become a partner in hisInternational Wrestling Association,offering him a $250,000 salary and a percentage of the promotion, but Scott eventually declined. During this time, he also looking into purchasing the rights for the NWA's Oklahoma territory although he walked away from the deal allowingBill Wattsto purchase the territory for hisUniversal Wrestling Federation/Mid-South promotion.

World Wrestling Federation

In 1983, Scott received a call fromVince McMahon, Sr.with whom he had a close working relationship while with Jim Crockett Promotions. Agreeing to assist his sonVince McMahonwho had recently taken over theWorld Wrestling Federation,he was immediately sent to Atlanta to oversee the WWF's purchase of the Saturday night timeslot onTBS,forcing outGeorgia Championship Wrestlingand resulting what became known as "Black Saturday".He was later involved in negotiations withKeith Hartfor the McMahon's buyout ofStampede Wrestlingwhich, according toStu Hartin his biographyStu Hart: Lord of the Ring,was concluded by a handshake agreement. The official sale was finalized byJim Barnetton August 24, 1984, for $1,000,000 to be paid off $100,000 a year.

While in the area, he began running events inMiami, Florida,which soon became very profitable for the company, and he soon began booking for the entire promotion. Between 1984 and 1985, the WWF was grossing between $3 million and $4 million on weekends. He was directly involved in planning some of the biggest events in the promotion's history includingWrestleMania Iand2,the first televised shows forSaturday Night's Main Eventand the supercardBig Event at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium.Scott appeared on-camera at WrestleMania when, during the main event between Hulk Hogan & Mr. T and"Rowdy" Roddy PiperandPaul Orndorff,he pulled guest officialMuhammad Aliout of the ring as he was supposed to be an outside-the-ring referee.

Prior to WrestleMania, he took part in the initial negotiations withMr. Tto appear in the main event. Despite an argument between him and Mr. T, the disagreement was eventually settled and he agreed to appear; Mr. T later ran up $22,000 in expenses during the week leading up to WrestleMania.

Scott was also one of the key officials who attempted to clean up the widespread drug use among wrestlers in the promotion. He was involved in setting up the WWF's initial drug testing program. Those who failed the drug test would be suspended for six weeks and, if caught a second time, would be released from the company. Although having control of most of the roster, he and thenWWF World Heavyweight ChampionHulk Hoganbecame involved in a heated argument during an event atMadison Square Gardenregarding"some unsavory characters"hanging around backstage. Hogan, who by this time was gaining some political clout, went over Scott's head complaining about the incident to promoter Vince McMahon.

He worked three days straight withNBCproducerDick EbersolonSaturday Night's Main Event I.He and Ebersol disagreed on the show's content, with Ebersol in favor of aSaturday Night Live-style show as opposed to Scott's ideas for a traditional wrestling event. The format had been previously used on the WWF'sTuesday Night Titans.Eventually, Scott decided to resign due to overwork, the changing direction of the company and ongoing conflicts with Hogan and other wrestlers.

Later career and retirement

After leaving the WWF in 1986, he briefly worked forFritz Von Erichin Dallas replacingKen Mantell,who had left the promotion earlier that year. AlthoughDavid Meltzer'sThe Wrestling Observernewsletter reported that he had joined the promotion in August, other sources such as David Manning'sHeroes of World Classhave claimed he had joined the promotion shortly beforeKerry Von Erich's motorcycle accident the previous month.

Scott's time in WCCW was brief however and, according toGary Hart,he resigned his position after failing to force Hart out of the promotion.Scott, who reportedly regarded Hart as a threat to his position, had scheduled a match betweenAbdullah the ButcherandBruiser Brodyat the supercardChristmas Star Wars '86later that year. However, he secretly withheld from the participants that the match, in which Abdullah the Butcher would lose to Brody, would be a loser-leaves-Texas match. Brody would eventually find out about the arrangement and instead agreed to lose to Abdullah causing him to leave the promotion. Brody would return to WCCW as the masked wrestler Red River Jack and, with Scott leaving the promotion shortly after, Brody replaced him as head booker. . He later went back to work for Crockett in 1988, taking over creative rights of the promotion but lightning didn't strike twice and his run was brief as he was fired in April 1989, due to the lack of promotion for the Clash of the Champions, and was replaced by the NWA booking committee.He started up a promotion in the Carolinas calledSouth Atlantic Pro Wrestlingin the early 1990s. It got off to a promising start but shut down in 1994.

Personal life

Retiring toIndian Rocks Beach, Floridawith his wife Jean, a former City Commissioner who has long been active in local politics. Scott also became involved inreal estateandrental property,as well as his involvement in numerous charitable events, specifically his assistance in establishing the Eblen Foundation inAsheville, North Carolina,which helps underprivileged families.

In 2001, he was among several honorees at theCauliflower Alley Club Banquet & Reunion.Scott was also acknowledged by Vince McMahon, who publicly thanked him for his contributions to the World Wrestling Federation during a wrestling event later that year.

Scott was diagnosed withlung cancerin November 2011. He enteredhospicecare in October 2013 and died a few months later on January 20, 2014.

Championships and accomplishments

• American Wrestling Alliance
  • AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - withSandy Scott
• Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Other honoree (2001)
• Central States Wrestling
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship(Central States version)(1 time) - with Sandy Scott
• George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2004
• Japan Wrestling Association
  • NWA International Tag Team Championship(1 time) - with Sandy Scott
• Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Southern Tag Team Championship(Mid-Atlantic version)(2 times) - with Sandy Scott
• NWA Big Time Wrestling
  • NWA American Tag Team Championship(1 time) - withMr. Wrestling
  • NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship(1 time)
• Stampede Wrestling
  • Alberta Tag Team Championship(3 times) - with Sandy Scott
  • NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship(Calgary version)(4 times) - with Sandy Scott
  • NWA International Tag Team Championship(Calgary version)(6 times) - with Sandy Scott
• World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
  • IWA World Tag Team Championship(3 times) - with Sandy Scott
• World Wide Wrestling Federation
  • WWWF United States Tag Team Championship(1 time) - withBuddy Austin

Further reading

• Beekman, Scott.Ringside: A History of Professional Wrestling in America.Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006.ISBN0-275-98401-X
• Flair, Ric.Ric Flair: To Be the Man.New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.ISBN0-7434-5691-2
• Hornbaker, Tim.National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling.Toronto: ECW Press, 2007.ISBN1-55022-741-6
• Oliver, Greg and Steven Johnson.The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels.Toronto: ECW Press, 2007.ISBN1-55022-759-9
• Watts, Billand Scott Williams.The Cowboy and the Cross: The Bill Watts Story: Rebellion, Wrestling and Redemption.Toronto: ECW Press, 2006.ISBN1-55022-708-4

External links

• Profile at Online World of Wrestling
• CageMatch.de - George Scott(in German)
• George ScottatIMDb