“You see, I only wrestled part-time for the majority of my career,” said Steele. “I was a teacher during the school year, then I wrestled during the summer months. It kept me fresh in the eyes of the fans.” When he did wrestle, it was always against the top guys. Steele faced every babyface champion working for the McMahon family at the time: Sammartino, Morales, Backlund and Hogan.
His style was brutal and unorthodox, with next to no finesse. He’d pummel his opponents with a strong offense that included biting and blinding with turnbuckle stuffing, then use his massive strength to force them into submission with a flying hammerlock. “I could go behind the scenes and wrestle, but I wasn’t paid to do that in the ring, “ said Steele. “I was a brawler, and I worked my gimmick.”
When the WWF went national, Steele went full-time. Part of his career change included a softening of the character, to please the new target audience. Steele said, “The business changed – they started making dolls and lunchboxes – so I had to adapt my style. I became like a big teddy bear. Initially I thought it was a mistake, but it ended up extending my career.”
Now retired from the ring, as well as teaching, Steele, who is a few credits shy of a PhD, keeps very active with several projects. “I am a member of the Rotary, and serve on three boards,” he said. Two of his main focuses are his health business and the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, an affiliate of the CAC. “CAC is part of our team,” said Steele. “They help with the selection of our honorees. I really admire the CAC and what they have done for the wrestling community. They are like a brotherhood.”
