Blassie was a contemporary of six-time NWA world champion Thesz, who died in 2002 at the age of 86. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 85 years old group. egomaniac then known as Cassius Clay. His career began in earnest after He grabs his balls!" His eagerness to learn from 1935 to 1942 led to many of the circuits top stars sharing knowledge with Blassie, and when he returned home to the U.S. in 1946, he was determined to make an honest run as a professional wrestler. 10 Things Fans Should Know About Classy Freddie Blassie, 10 Managers With The Best Claim To Be On A Wrestling Mount Rushmore, 10 Performers Who Were Great As Both A Wrestler & Manager, 10 All-Time Greats You Forgot Had Managers. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. He came up with it back in his carnival days, when describing a literal carnival geek -- as in, a performer who bites the heads off of chickens -- who had a slender neck. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. * Blassie also told Greenberg that women used to come up to him on the street and gawk at him because he was God's gift to women! Take Linda McMahon, for instance. "The Fashion Plate of Wrestling" Freddie Blassie calls his interviewer and the fans "pencil neck geeks" and shows why he will always be remembered as one of the greatest managers in WWE history. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. [21] His book, Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks, was released on May 13, 2003. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. Blassie would show Greenberg dozens of notebooks with "beautiful cursive handwriting." On top of that, hed take on English legend Billy Robinson, WWE Champion Superstar Billy Graham, and legendary masked heel wrestler Destroyer. Miyako Blassie, 68, says in court papers that she was shopping for groceries when she tripped near the entrance to a Pathmark in Westchester. Born: 1921. @megantheevalium. At the age of 13, after Jacob had beaten Anna again, Frederick threatened his father with a baseball bat; instead he lived with his aunt for six months until his mother asked him to return home. American professional wrestler and manager, Worldwide Wrestling Associates (19601968), World Wide Wrestling Federation (1964; 1971). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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[7] When Philbin had a late-night weekend talk show in San Diego, Blassie would routinely show up to yell at the audience, throw furniture, and threaten Philbin; the confrontations were wholly kayfabe and both of them were friends when the cameras weren't rolling. He joined the Navy at the start of World War II and started wrestling initially under the name of Sailor Fred Blassie while stationed at Port Hueneme. Born Fred Blassman in St. Louis, Blassie played baseball and football in high school. I think Dick Lane was as good as Gordon Solie in his day. Deiveson Figueiredo Tattoo Wallpaper. [9][6], On June 2, 2003, Blassie died of heart and kidney failure at the age of 85. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. Sportswriter Jim Murray called him the worst villain since Hitler in a 1961 column in The Times. He returned to AJPW again in 1973, but the following year in 1974, he jumped to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) for his final tour of Japan. [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986. first tried to make his mark as a boxer, despite warnings that his arms [3][8][9], In 1960, Blassie returned to Strongbow's promotion in Los Angeles, where he was a big star for Worldwide Wrestling Associates (WWA) of southern California, drawing many fans to the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the Freddie Blassie's net worth Using his newfound skills, Blassie became a wrestler starting in the carnival circuit, debuting in 1935 but taking a break in the 1940s to fight in World War II. [3], Upon Blassie's return from the war, he was billed as "Sailor" Fred Blassie to capitalize on the wave of war-time patriotism sweeping the country, but that gimmick was unsuccessful. , money, salary, income, and assets. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United [6] Blassie described this performer as "having a neck like a stack of dimes and a real pencil-neck geek". [6] His cousin John Frank Holaus often refereed his matches. Blassie worked for the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, which presented him with its lifetime achievement award in 1996. He was now hooked, and he decided that pro wrestling was his destiny and not his backbreaking work in the meatpacking plant. It was in the latter that he decided to embrace his villainous side, bleaching his hair blonde like Gorgeous George. [6] His knees were also in terrible condition, which also contributed to his retirement. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! The two of them had a great relationship off-camera, but because kayfabe was well and truly protected during this time in the business unless you were on the inside, you never were to know that a heel and face got along in real life. The "Shakespeare of WWE" made an appearance on our podcast The Genius Cast in 2018, and he certainly had a few good stories up his sleeves! Blassie, Murray wrote, has dedicated his life to wrapping up as much hate as one man can safely carry in a lifetime. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Three injured in shooting outside Bronx funeral home, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, US home prices just did something they haven't done since 2012, How a retired detective snared his seventh 'Torso Killer' confession, It's insane that NYers can use but not buy pepper spray for self-defense: Change this now, Celeb-loved jewelry brand Dorsey drops dazzling new styles, White Lotus actor jokes about being hit on following shows success, Is this the couple behind the Worst Art Job Listing Ever?, Undertaker transforms coffin into barbecue grill, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. Originally from Chicago, he has called London home since 2008. [2] He was given a commentary tryout in 1986 and 1987 for WWF Wrestling Challenge, calling a few matches with Gorilla Monsoon. He began wrestling professionally in 1935 and it was soon after that he came up with his famous pencil neck geek insult. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. Before The Client List is an extension of our ongoing series, Before They Were Famous, which looks at wrestlers before they became internationally famous. Accounts about his early athletic career do not quite agree, but he But while his US in-ring career ended (while still working for WWWF), he remained employed by WWWF and became a manager instead. *The 100 deaths claim was an exaggerated myth that Blassie used. In 1964, Dick the Bruiser defeated Blassie to become champion, and Blassie headed east to work for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. It was also during this period of his career when he dropped his babyface gimmick and became a full-fledged heel. [8] Blassie also appeared in a segment at the Vengeance pay-per-view event in December 2001, where an "undisputed" champion would be crowned. Keith Elliot Greenberg has been doing his part to preserve professional wrestling history for the past few decades. [6] Afterwards he became a manager in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) and its subsequent incarnation the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Blassie was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994 by Shane McMahon. He returned again in 1990 briefly to do color commentary for Prime Time in April with Vince McMahon, as an emergency fill-in after Tony Schiavone quit, playing a heel once again. His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September1968 - 2 June2003)( his death), ? In March of 1962, Blassie lost the WWA World title to Rikidozan, and for the next four months, Blassie competed in Japan, determined to regain his title from the Japanese wrestling innovator. He has written several wrestling biographies including Freddie Blassies The Legends of Wrestling, Ric Flairs To Be The Man, "Superstar" Billy Grahams Tangled Ropes,and the unreleased biography of The Iron Sheik which, despite being chockful of stories that would be sure to make your jaw drop, will never see the light of day. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. [7], After the US entered World War II, Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie. As much as governing body politics held back minorities, the wrestlers themselves had even more power. Anyone can read what you share. Blassie did not just fade away after he left the ring. In 1973, knee problems largely forced Blassie to stop wrestling personally, though he occasionally donned the tights to tag-team with one of his heels, as he did in Madison Square Garden in June 1974, teaming with the hulking Nikolai Volkoff to face then-champ Bruno Sammartino and Chief Jay Strongbow in a tag team match (Blassie was forced to submit for the final fall by a Bruno bearhug, and the fans almost tore the Garden's roof off). Blassie continued to manage Sheik and Volkoff even after they lost the tag team titles. The series began at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, with Blassie winning on a technicality, but not a pin. Let's learn more about this classic heel! Those colorful interviews helped make him a celebrity in the newly expanding medium of television. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). Fred Blassie had a shocking heel turn during his stint in Georgia, which led to him becoming an extremely hated wrestler! Blassie also wanted to clarify through his final memoir that he was an absentee father as he was on the road for most of his sons life growing up. This is in reference . [6] One of his most famous feuds took place in southern California in 1971, against Tolos. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. "No. In His father was an abusive alcoholic, prompting Frederick to stay with his grandparents whenever Jacob beat Anna. In 1961, he defeated Eduoard Carpentier for the WWA World Heavyweight Championship, a title that held prominence in the pro-wrestling world, since WWA was an outlaw territory outside the realm of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. Blassie got involved when he threw his cane into the ring, with Sheik and Volkoff using it to their advantage to gain the victory. He had been in poor health for quite a while, and it was as if he wanted to wait to get his story out before he passed on. The film My Breakfast With Blassie, which came out in 1983, was a spoof of My Dinner With Andre. The camera followed Blassie and Kaufman as they ate and discussed life at a local restaurant that looked like a Dennys. While writingThe Legends of Wrestling, Greenberg got to know Freddie Blassie quite well and mentioned in his appearance on The Genius Cast that Blassie really opened up to him. Blassie, well-known for exaggerating a story or two, stated that when he was wrestling Rikidozan in Japan, 100 Japanese wrestling fans dropped dead of heart attacks because the matches were so gory. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? ", In this particular story, Blassie won a match by count-out in Roosevelt Stadium when he kicked Sammartino in the breadbasket while the referee was distracted. [3], Blassie returned to WWA in 1968 just as promoter Mike LeBell decided to rejoin the NWA. Feb 27. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Freddie had been estranged from his children for the majority of their lives. [7] Later, he received regular work wrestling at local carnivals. In addition to his pro wrestling notoriety, Classy Freddie Blassie also has some amusing notability in wider pop culture. Also featured is Bob Zmuda, who plays a nosy fan. After Blassie lost the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rikidzan in Los Angeles, the two had a rematch on live Japanese television. Blassie, whose late hubby [inset] was known for his gravel-voiced put-down pencil-neck geek, claims to have suffered excruciating pain in the January 2011 tumble, which broke her right wrist, and permanent scarring from a cut eyebrow. In the early 1970s, Blassie "turned face", or became a good guy, since so many fans were cheering his famous antics. [6] Blassie lost the title to Rikidzan on March 28, 1962.[9]. When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". In the summer of 1986, Blassie started to slowly phase himself out of the WWF and into retirement. [3], In 1953, he worked in the Atlanta, territory for Paul Jones (the wrestler of the 1930s, not the wrestler/manager of the 1980s). So when I saw this book I had to get it and read it. 304K views 6 years ago The Dudley Boyz put Rico through a table after getting the call from WWE Hall of Famer "Classy" Freddie Blassie at ringside. [8] In 2001, Blassie appeared in a special July 16, 2001 Raw is War segment for the Invasion storyline, wherein he exhorted a gathering of WWF wrestlers to stand tall against The Alliance and later got mocked by Alliance leaders Shane and Stephanie McMahon. Blassie held various regional titles, Walton said, including the WWA World Title on five separate occasions, the Americas Heavyweight Title nine times and tag team belts with various partners over the years. This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. The two spoke the same dialect of German, their parents had mutual friends, and . [3], In 1964, Blassie feuded with Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil. [3][23] (The film was referenced by American rock band R.E.M. [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. Some wrestlers choose to play a villain as a way of promoting their career, while others are forced to by their promoters. Accounts about his early athletic career do not quite agree, but he first tried to make his mark as a boxer, despite warnings that his arms were too short. He delivered a rousing speech, dramatically standing up from his wheelchair to get the WWE-loyal wrestlers pumped up for the next battle. [21] His final words on WWE television were "D-Von, get the table! [22][2] Rose Marie's character Sally Rogers brought him on at the end of the episode claiming to have discovered another new dance sensation. [8] The fans consistently booed him because he was considered a "Yankee". Replying to. One that stands out was his rivalry with Bruno Sammartino in the early 1960s. [4] He is regarded as one of the greatest wrestling heels, or villains, of all time. A third-generation wrestling fan and senior writer for World Wrestling Entertainment publications, Greenberg is the author of more than thirty nonfiction children's books, and has written for The New York . his service in the United States Navy during World War II. States. Gross tubs? My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. 2018 Remaster of Andy Kaufman on The Late Show w/ David Letterman w/ "Classy" Fred Blassie on February 23rd, 1983.More remastered Andy Kaufman - https://goo.. It was not until he moved to the West Coast that fans began supporting him. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. [13][6][dubious discuss], While touring Japan in 1965, and by this point divorced, Blassie met the woman who would eventually become his third wife, Miyako Morozumi, at a train station. ", Bruno kayfabed him. When Gene Okerlund confronted Blassie in an interview after the match, Blassie said, "what cane, I didn't have no cane!". The widow of pro-wrestling villain Classy Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say, New era of football begins at Mater Dei under coach Frank McManus. He held his WWA World title for 289 days and thanks to WWAs alliance with Japan, in particular the Japan Wrestling Alliance (JWA) headed by puroresu icon Rikidozan, Blassie would not only help introduce Japanese pro wrestling to the U.S. market but help validate it in Japan as well. "When hed go to a town, the most powerful Italians would latch themselves onto him and decided they were his protectors, whether Bruno liked it or not. [5], Blassie was born Frederick Kenneth Blassman in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1918. September 30, 1968 - June 2, 2003 (his death), Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? Towards the end of Freddie Blassies life, he began to realize that it all may be coming to an end soon. In that storyline, he is menaced by Eric Bischoff and his henchmen, before calling on the Dudley Brothers to "Get the tables!" Blassie later challenged Morales for the WWWF Championship, but came up short. If they refused to drop a title, it didnt matter what the bookers thought. Blassie was a regular on the WWWF's "All-Star Wrestling" and "Championship Wrestling" weekly TV shows that were videotaped at small arenas in Pennsylvania and aired throughout the Northeast. [8] He worked for Jack Pfefer, who he claimed would only employ people who looked like sideshow freaks at his shows, and whose wrestlers included Tor Johnson, who made movies with director Ed Wood, and Lillian Ellison, the Fabulous Moolah. The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. All the while, he reveled in his role as being one of professional wrestlings most despised villains. [6] On July 7, Blassie successfully defended his title against the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz. After a move to the West Coast, he tried a different promotional scheme -- that of a villain. He heard Blassie say that and whipped out a gun saying, "Ill kill that sonuvabitch! He continued to outrage crowds by distracting referees so that his men could cheat and by getting in his own cheap shots when the refs weren't looking. A nice man, with a lovely wife and it was great having him there to cut a wonderful promo during my show. This story has been shared 143,593 times. WWE Confidential presents a feature on the life and times of the fashion plate of professional wrestling, "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Blassie came into the WWWF with his own world title belt, claiming to be the Pacific World Champion, and was coming to Sammartino's "back yard" to unify the world title. . Hear Keith Elliot Greenbergs share stories about "Classy" Freddie Blassie on The Genius Cast below: Over his 22-year wrestling career, Freddie Blassie had many notable feuds. At an early age, Blassie was enamored with pro wrestling, particularly the shooters of the early era of pro wrestling in the 1930s, and would often sneak into a local gym to watch the technical masters stretch and submit their opponents. By doing this, he saved Freddie Blassies life. Real Name: Fred Blassie. [2] In 1963, Bearcat Wright defeated him to become champion, and it was quite a statement during the fight for civil rights that an African-American had won such a title. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. [18][19] Blassie also appeared in the SummerSlam opening video. Hed continue being a heel, managing a number of bad guys like George The Animal Steele, Hercules, and Blackjack Mulligan. He returned to the company in 1971, reaching the final of a tournament in January for the vacant WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship before losing to Pedro Morales. Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff | WWE As a German descent American, he was often faced with questions of loyalty, despite marrying a Jewish woman. Renowned as "The Hollywood Fashion Plate", [3] he was a one-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, and was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The defendants had a duty to provide reasonably safe conditions for its customers, the suit charges. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Between matches, he gave loud and boastful interviews, making him a favorite of talk shows and reportedly influencing a fellow egomaniac then known as Cassius Clay. Still a motormouth, he gave interviews in which he bragged about himself and his protgs and denounced anybody he didn't like as a "pencil necked geek". [3] As an adult, Frederick was a teetotaler. My Breakfast with Blassie was conceived of by Linda Lautrec and Johnny Legend as a satire on My Dinner with Andre. Blassie. [22] In the demonstration of the dance, Blassie picked up Rob Petrie and twirled him over his head. switched to professional wrestling. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. Born in 1918 to German parents who escaped World War I, Blassie took up boxing as a teenager, but found a growing interest in wrestling and actually snuck into matches, eventually befriending catch wrestlers and learning holds from them. He is from USA. [3], In 1952, Blassie moved to Los Angeles to work for Jules Strongbow. While there, he won the NWA Georgia Southern Heavyweight Championship, the holder of which was generally first in line to challenge the NWA World Heavyweight Champion whenever he passed through the territory.
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