YORKTON - Professional wrestling has always been that sort of shadowy grey area in terms of whether it belongs in a space focused on sports.
While I’ll leave the answer to that up to the individual, I certainly recognize the participants as athletes.
And sometimes the story of those athletes are too interesting not to include here.
That is certainly the case with George Gordienko: Canadian Wrestler, Artist and Renaissance Man by Steven Verrier and from McFarland.
Now if you are unaware of Gordienko do not be too surprised. The publisher’s website even suggests “Gordienko may be the greatest wrestler you’ve never heard of.”
While perhaps largely unknown as a wrestler, the pedigree is there.
Gordienko, who was born in North Winnipeg wrestled from 1946 to 1976 and was rated the best heavyweight wrestler in the UK in 1963, and in 1970, won the annual Royal Albert Hall tournament in London – he wrestled extensively abroad.
Often he teamed with Stu Hart, a name wrestling fans will recognize.
While notable as a wrestler, author Verrier said when he writes books on those athletes he looks for those with a story of interest which extends beyond the ring.
“In terms of wrestlers . . . I look beyond the wrestling to look for who’s story really needs to be told,” he told Yorkton This Week.
In the case of Gordienko he was an outstanding amateur wrestler and weight lifter, and progressed to carve out a pro wrestling career, but Verrier said it was very much just a path to a very different career – that of an artist.
In fact, even as he wrestled Verrier said Gordienko “was doing exhibitions in parts of Europe and some in Canada too.
“Wrestling was the way to a full time life in art.”
Verrier said art was always something Gordienko aspired too “since childhood.”
The road to full time art was not always smooth,
Gordienko was excluded from wrestling in the United States during the McCarthy era because of his association with the Communist Party as a young man, and so was deprived of a run for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
As for writing the bio research was paramount, and Verrier said that aspect of a project like the Gordienko book certainly takes more time than writing, adding he continues to research as nuggets unearth as he fine tunes a first draft.
In the case of Gordienko Verrier found the wrestlers nephew who was a huge help.
“His uncle . . . happened to be his hero,” said the author, adding he was only too happy to raise awareness of the wrestler.
Verrier said in general he likes finding people to interview as a first step to a bio, and then filling in the early years of the athlete.
“I try to start with the foundation. . . How these young people were molded,” he said. “I want to look beyond the wrestler first.”
You can find the book at McFarlandBooks.com
