In the United States, during the First Golden Age of Professional Wrestling in the 1940s–1950s, Gorgeous George was one of the biggest stars of the sport, gaining media attention for his outrageous character, which was described as flamboyant and charismatic.

[9] At 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and weighing 215 pounds (98 kg), Wagner was not especially physically imposing by professional wrestling standards, nor was he an exceptional athlete, although he was a gifted amateur wrestler.

[1] When the wedding proved a good drawing card, the couple re-enacted it in arenas across the country, enlightening Wagner to the potential entertainment value that was left untapped within the industry.

Around this same time, Vanity Fair magazine published a feature article about a professional wrestler named 'Lord' Patrick Lansdowne, who entered the ring accompanied by two valets while wearing a velvet robe and doublet.

[14] Wearing an elegant robe sporting an array of sequins, Gorgeous George was always escorted down a personal red carpet by his ring valet "Jeffries", who carried a silver mirror while spreading rose petals at his feet.

This flamboyant image and his showman's ability to work a crowd were so successful in the early days of television that he became the most famous wrestler of his time, drawing furious heel heat wherever he appeared.

[18] Consequently, it was Gorgeous George who brought the sport into the nation's living rooms, as his histrionics and melodramatic behavior made him a larger-than-life figure in American pop culture.

[20] He immediately became a national celebrity at the same level of Lucille Ball and Bob Hope, who personally donated hundreds of chic robes for George's collection, while changing the course of the industry.

In a very real sense, it was Gorgeous George who single-handedly established television as a viable entertainment medium that could potentially reach millions of homes across the country.

[24] On February 22, 1949, he was booked as the feature attraction at New York City's Madison Square Garden in what was pro wrestling's first return to the building in 12 years.

By the 1950s, Gorgeous George's star power was so large that he was able to command 50% of the gate for his performances, which allowed him to earn over $100,000 a year, making him one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.

On May 26, 1950, Gorgeous George defeated Don Eagle to claim the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (Boston version), which he held for several months.

[25] During this reign, he was beaten by the National Wrestling Alliance World Champion Lou Thesz in a highly publicized bout in Chicago.

[30] Gorgeous George appeared in one motion picture, Alias the Champ, made in 1949, which featured wrestler Tor Johnson.

[32] He raised turkeys and owned a cocktail lounge in Van Nuys, California, which he named "Gorgeous George's Ringside Restaurant".

[35] Muhammad Ali and James Brown[citation needed] acknowledged that their own approach to flamboyant self-promotion was influenced by George.

'"[37] In the locker room afterward, the seasoned wrestler gave the future legend some invaluable advice: "A lot of people will pay to see someone shut your mouth.

The title of the 304 page book is Gorgeous George: The Outrageous Bad Boy Wrestler who Created American Pop Culture by John Capouya.

"[1][40] The 1951 Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies cartoon Bunny Hugged featured the one-shot character "Ravishing Ronald", modeled after Gorgeous George.

Musical performers such as Liberace, Little Richard, Elton John, Prince and Morris Day show signs of the George meme.