George Gordienko (1928-2002) may be the greatest wrestler you've never heard of. From humble, Ukrainian immigrant roots on 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 U.S. during the McCarthy era for his one-time membership in the Communist Party, he was deprived of a shot at 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.