Wrestler George ‘The Animal’ Steele Passes Away

“George Steele was only an animal in the ring”, the chairman and CEO of WWE said on Twitter.

With his bald head and green tongue, Steele, whose real name was Jim Myers, made his mark on WWE ripping up turnbuckle pads like a savage.

Born William James Myers in Detroit, he played college football and earned a bachelor of science degree and a masters degree and worked as a teacher before moving into professional wrestling in the 1960s.

Last May he tweeted about suffering “serious health challenges“.

The 79 year old was one of the most legendary characters of the WWE – then known as WWF – in the 70s and 80s.

Steele quickly established himself as one of the most vicious heels (bad guys) in wrestling.

While he was teaching, he moonlighted in sports-entertainment while working Detroit-area promotions. He was diagnosed in 1988 after a nine year struggle with its symptoms, he explained on his website, and had his colon removed in 2002.

Steele began his career as a professional wrestler in 1969 in his home state of MI, and after being spotted by Bruno Sammartino, began a long career in WWE. He was later inducted into the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame.

The feud culminated in a match between Randy Savage and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, with George Steele serving as a second to Steamboat in his corner for the match. He even dabbled in Hollywood, taking on the role of Tor Johnson for director Tim Burton‘s 1994 film, “Ed Wood“.

In the late 1980s, George Steele retired from wrestling after he learned “that he had Crohn’s disease”.

“The Animal” fought some incredible battles inside the ring, notably against Hulk Hogan and Bob Backlund.