George Scott (wrestler)
George Scott was a Canadian professional wrestler, booker and promoter. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he and his younger brother Sandy competed as The Flying Scotts in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, particularly the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic territories, as well as successful stints in the American Wrestling Association, Maple Leaf Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling.
Scott was also the longtime head booker for the Jim Crockett Promotions working under promoter Jim Crockett, Jr. during the 1970s and with Vince McMahon during the World Wrestling Federation's national expansion during the early 1980s. He helped organize many of the early PPV events such as WrestleMania I and WrestleMania 2 as well as the early cards for the WWF's weekly television shows Saturday Night's Main Event, Prime Time Wrestling and Superstars of Wrestling.
On the Steve Austin Show Unleashed Podcast, Scott was credited by Ric Flair as 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. and Jeannie Mackay. He was born in Dalmeny, Scotland while his parents were visiting relatives and, returning to Canada, was raised in Hamilton, Ontario. He grew up with his siblings Angus and Walter. His sister Jeannie Gow Scott, at the age of 11, suffered appendicitis during a return trip from Scotland on the, and was pronounced dead in Montreal, Quebec, on October 25, 1937. She is buried in Woodland Cemetery, Hamilton, Ontario.Involved in hockey, basketball, and roller skating as a child, Scott began amateur wrestling at the local YMCA at age 12 and, during the next year, also started weightlifting.
Living nearby Ben and Mike Sharpe, both well known professional wrestlers in Hamilton at the time, he also faced Martin Hutzler in an amateur bout at the YMCA. Making his professional debut in Wasaga Beach at age 17, he was helped in his early career by Pat Murphy and 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 promoter Jack Pfefer and 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 Rogers and Gorgeous George several times in his early career.
National Wrestling Alliance
After a brief stint with Georgia Championship Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions, Scott eventually found his way back to Canada where he wrestled for promoter John Katan in Toronto and made his debut in Maple Leaf Gardens in November 1950. While there, he and Whipper Billy Watson had an altercation in which he appeared with Watson on the undercard facing Lee 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 Laskin and Jack Tunney held stags and fundraising events to 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 in Stu 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. Defeating Chris and John Tolos for the Stampede International Tag Team Championship in 1958, they would feud with Butcher and Mad Dog Vachon the 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 in Australia during the late 1960s, won the IWA World Tag Team Championship three times between 1966 and 1968.
While in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling in 1954, he and Angus would become one of the most popular tag teams in Western Canada during their six-year stay in the promotion. At one event, in which they were featured in the main event against The Miller Brothers, 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 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 as Luther Lindsay and George Gordienko. According to Scott, this was the result of their argument in Toronto years before.While wrestling Killer Kowalski during 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 Lyons whose career would take off after that match.
Involved in booking for Stu Hart and Jim Crockett during 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 with El Mongol and Jimmy Dancing Bear in 6-man tag team matches against Buddy Colt and The Assassins in late 1971 and, the following year, he lost to Superstar Billy Graham in Chicago on November 3, 1972, Suffering a neck injury while wrestling in Texas, he was forced to retire the following year reuniting with his brother Angus against Atlantic Coast Tag Team Champions Gene & Ole Anderson in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on 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-law Jim Crockett, Sr., and stayed on after David and Jim 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 bringing Wahoo McDaniel, The Super Destroyer and Johnny 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" Steamboat and "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 promoter Frank 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 from Maple Leaf Wrestling and the Carolinas. This would continue for several years until Frank Tunney's death in 1983 and his nephew Jack Tunney sided 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 promoter Jim Barnett and Georgia Championship Wrestling for two months.
Scott was approached by Eddie Einhorn to become a partner in his International 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 allowing Bill Watts to purchase the territory for his Universal Wrestling Federation/Mid-South promotion.