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Former WWE writer Vince Russo recently gave an insight into how fans treated villainous wrestlers in the 1970s.
George 'The Animal' Steele is arguably best remembered for his run as a babyface in WWE. Before becoming a fan favorite, the 1995 Hall of Fame inductee was one of the top bad guys of his generation. In 1972, he even had to be escorted to the ring by police when he interfered in the Bruno Sammartino vs. Pedro Morales match at Shea Stadium.
On Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws show, Russo recalled how the officers were left confused by fans' heated reaction to Steele's appearance:
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"I remember Jim Myers, George The Animal Steele, telling me when they played Shea Stadium there was a big entrance to the ring. They had to walk across the field. I remember him telling me he used to get a police escort, and he was a heel at the time. Bro, he had so much heat, the police didn't know, 'Is this real? Is this part of the show?' because the heat was so real." [From 8:02 – 8:37]
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Watch the video above to hear Russo's thoughts on whether Hulk Hogan and The Iron Sheik legitimately disliked each other in real life.
Vince Russo compares WWE in 1972 to 2023
WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik recently passed away at the age of 81. The Iranian-American stayed in character long after he retired because he wanted to protect his wrestling persona.
Using George Steele and The Iron Sheik as examples, Vince Russo said fans might not understand how wrestling used to be:
"So, literally, when they were escorting him [George Steele] to the ring, they handled it like they were escorting the President of the United States because they didn't know, 'Is somebody gonna take out a gun and shoot?' Bro, I don't think people understand what it was like back then." [From 8:37 – 8:56]
Russo also described WWE as "pansies" for avoiding controversial topics in 2023, such as anti-American storylines.
What are your thoughts on modern-day wrestling? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.
