Long before even Vince McMahon senior, there was Bill Curry. The dude was doing this in the 30s and 40s! People think Rocky 3 was based off Ali and Gorilla Monsoon or Inoki? No Bill Curry did the bit with boxing champ JacK Dempsey in 1940! He created the whole sports entertainment.
Even Vince Jr. recognized the influence of Bill Curry with the obvious rip off work of George "the animal" Steele 40 years later. Guy was WAY ahead of his time when it came to pro wrestling. He even got legitimately arrested and did time because local cops saw him smash a dude with a cinder block and didn't know it was all a work so they arrested him and he was charged with assault. And he kept the work going!!!!! Took his arrest rather than break character.
Pro wrestling hero!!!!!