George Gordienko: Canadian Wrestler, Artist and Renaissance Man

By Steven Verrier

George Gordienko (1928-2002) may be the greatest wrestler you've never heard of. From humble, Ukrainian/Cossack immigrant roots in the Canadian Prairies, he endured a tough childhood during the Great Depression to emerge as a leading "shooter" and one-of-a-kind artist on the mat. Excluded from wrestling in the United States during the McCarthy era because of his association with the Communist Party as a young man, he was deprived of a run with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, for which he was hand-picked by the great Lou Thesz. After retirement, Gordienko transitioned to a different sort of canvas and became a successful painter. This first full-length biography traces his remarkable career.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1476687692
• ISBN13: 9781476687698
• Release Date: April 2022
• Publisher: McFarland & Company
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.9" x 9.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up