George Gordienko
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George Gordienko (1928 - 2002) of Canada was one of the top officially recognized wrestlers in the world.
[edit] Life
He wrestled professionally from 1946 to 1976. He started as a weightlifter as a teenager and later become a first-rate lifter. 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 NWA title 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 and was doing very well in wrestling.
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. And then triumphed in the British Commonwealth heavyweight title.
George Gordienko wrestled all over the world and retired in 1976 at age 48 after having his ankle broken by Roland Bock in Germany.
After his retirement he became a successful artist. Gordienko died in 2002.
