VIDEO: George Steele turns face on Saturday Night's Main Event

 

Working with Sammartino, he was invited to work full time in WWF coming in as the nephew of commentator Ray Steele. By this time his gimmick was fully established

He was a crazy heel who was known for tearing apart turnbuckles and using the stuffing as a weapon as well as sticking his green tongue out (an effect accomplished by chewing green Clorets breath mints). 

 

In the mid-80's, Steele made the successful transition from crazy heel to beloved fan favourite. The turn came about on an edition of Saturday Night's Main Event when his partners Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik abandoned him leaving him in the ring with the team of Ricky Steamboat and The U.S. Express.

 

Manager Capt. Lou Albano took Steele under his wing and his most famous feud was still ahead of him as he set his sights on the WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP BELT held by then champion Randy ”Macho Man” Savage. Steele not only set his sights on Savage’s title but his manager Elizabeth as well. He got his shot at the title on April 7, 1986 at Wrestlemania II but came up short

 

Towards the latter part of the 90’s, Steele returned as a member of the stable known as The Oddities. On January 10, 2000 Steele appeared on WCW Nitro as one of the legends Jeff Jarrett had to face

 

Eight years later, The Animal resurfaced in TNA at Slammiversary as a groomsmen for ”Black Machismo” Jay Lethal and So Cal Val

Steele made several appearances in the early part of the 2000’s and returned to WWE Monday Night Raw for one night on November 15, 2010 during a match between Kofi Kingston & David Otunga

 

Below you can watch a clip of George Steele's face turn from the May 10, 1985 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event