Mr. Wrestling
| Mr. Wrestling | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | George Burrell Woodin |
| Born |
July 28, 1934 Utica, New York |
| Died | November 30, 2002 (aged 68) Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Cause of death | Myocardial infarction |
| Alma mater |
Cornell University Michigan State University |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Mr. Wrestling Tim Woods |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Billed weight | 230 lb (100 kg) |
| Debut | 1962 |
| Retired | 1983 |
George Burrell Woodin (July 28, 1934 – November 30, 2002) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Mr. Wrestling and Tim Woods.
Woodin received a degree in agricultural engineering from Cornell University and a degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University.
Before becoming a professional wrestler, Woodin was a successful collegiate wrestler. While wrestling for the Michigan State Spartans, Woodin won two Big Ten titles in 1958 and 1959. He also finished second in the NCAA tournament in 1958 and 1959.
As a junior at Michigan State, Woodin won the 1958 Big Ten 177-pound title by pinning Gary Kurdelmeier of the University of Iowa at 8:21. A couple of weeks later, the two met again in the 177-pound finals of the 1958 NCAAs at the University of Wyoming, where Woodin lost to Kurdelmeier 6-2.
As a senior, Woodin defeated Iowa's Gordon Trapp 6–4 in the heavyweight finals to win his second Big Ten title. At the 1959 NCAAs, the Michigan State Spartan competed in the 191-pound class, making it to the finals for the second year in a row, but lost 9-5 to Syracuse's Art Baker. With his two runner-up finishes at the national championships, Woodin was a two-time NCAA All-American.
Woodin began his wrestling career at the age of 28 using the name "Tim Woods". He was then given the name "Mr. Wrestling" by Nebraska promotor Joe Dusek, and subsequently adopted both a white wrestling mask and white singlet to complete the character. Mr. Wrestling became a major superstar in the Georgia, Florida, Texas and Mid-Atlantic territories. He wrestled in the World Wide Wrestling Federation in the northeast, at the upper end of the preliminary wrestlers. Starting in the Seventies, he would alternate between his masked persona as Mr. Wrestling and wrestling unmasked as Tim Woods, depending on the territory.
In 1968, Woodin faced street fighter Arnold Spurling in a shoot fight in Columbus, Georgia. After Woodin dominated Spurling with amateur wrestling holds, Spurling bit off part of one of Woodin's fingers. The finger was subsequently surgically reattached, but Woodin did not regain full use of it. Later that year, Woodin challenged NWA World Heavyweight Champion Gene Kiniski, with the bout being stopped after Woodin's finger began bleeding.
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