Former WWF star George Wells died in 2020, but the news never reached the wrestling world until now. His family has confirmed that the WrestleMania 2 competitor passed away after dealing with serious health problems.
Wells’ death was first mentioned by author Brad Balukjian in an article for The Ringer. Balukjian had been researching WrestleMania 2 when he tracked down Wells’ ex-wife, Nancy, in Oregon. Balukjian explained that Wells seemed to vanish after leaving wrestling, with little information about him available despite the reach of the internet wrestling community.
“I had always been curious about what happened to George Wells. He seemed to vanish from sight, and no one for years had heard much of him, which is unusual given all the connections of the internet wrestling community.”
Since Wells faced Jake “The Snake” Roberts at WrestleMania 2, Balukjian went looking for answers while researching the event. Nancy told him Wells had died several years earlier but did not share many details. Balukjian also attempted to contact Wells’ son, Jason, but did not hear back at the time.
“Since he was on the WrestleMania 2 card facing Jake Roberts, I did a deep dive during my reporting for my story on that event for The Ringer and was able to reach his ex-wife in Oregon, Nancy. She told me on the phone that he had passed away a few years back but did not seem to want to elaborate, only that he had had lots of health issues.”
“George also has a son, Jason, living in the Berkeley/Oakland area of California, but he did not reply to my emails and messages. I was saddened to hear of the loss and wish the best to his surviving family and friends.”
PWInsider later contacted Jason, who confirmed that his father died in early 2020. Wells had diabetes and kidney problems that required dialysis. He was 72 years old. Wells was already an accomplished athlete before entering professional wrestling. The Oakland native played college football at New Mexico State and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 1971 NFL Draft.
He ultimately built his professional football career in Canada, playing defensive end for the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1971 through 1978. Wells became a CFL All-Star in 1974, earned multiple divisional All-Star selections and was part of Hamilton’s Grey Cup-winning team in 1972.
Wells began wrestling during the football offseason in 1974 and eventually became a full-time performer. He worked across the territory system for promotions including San Francisco’s Big Time Wrestling, Stampede Wrestling, Central States Wrestling, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Mid-South Wrestling and World Class Championship Wrestling.
His career included several championships. Wells held the San Francisco version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship and won the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles with Dewey Robertson. He also captured tag-team gold in Stampede, Central States, Vancouver and Los Angeles, where he teamed with Hector Guerrero.
Wells joined the WWF in late 1984. He briefly teamed with Bret Hart before Hart’s heel turn and the formation of The Hart Foundation, and he later worked against names including Adrian Adonis, Big John Studd, Kamala, Sika and the Funk brothers.
His biggest national appearance came at WrestleMania 2 on April 7, 1986. Wells lost to Jake Roberts before Roberts placed Damien on top of him, creating the memorable image of Wells foaming at the mouth with the snake wrapped around his body.
After leaving the WWF, Wells adopted the name Master Gee in Memphis and renewed his rivalry with Butch Reed. He later moved to World Class, where he battled the Dingo Warrior, who eventually became The Ultimate Warrior. Wells continued making occasional appearances before ending his in-ring career in the early 1990s.
George Wells reached the NFL Draft, won a Grey Cup, collected championships across the wrestling territories and competed on one of the biggest cards of the 1980s. The confirmation arrived six years after his death, finally giving the wrestling world an answer about a performer who had quietly disappeared from public view.
What are your memories of George Wells and his match against Jake Roberts at WrestleMania 2? Let us know in the comments.
