When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". He won the World Wrestling Association world heavyweight championship from the Frenchman douard Carpentier at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1961. He was feuding with a wrestler known as The Geek who had a neck like a stack of dimes, making him a literal pencil neck geek. Feb 27. 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. his service in the United States Navy during World War II. Returning to the WWA, Blassie began feuding with the likes of Bobo Brazil, Mil Mascaras, and others, as well as teaming with another known violent savage, Mad Dog Vachon. As Greenberg shares it, Bruno used to have many people follow him around in the back, many of which were purported to be in the mob. [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. "No. WWE Confidential presents a feature on the life and times of the fashion plate of professional wrestling, "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". As a result, fans may be aware of Classy Freddie Blassie for his appearances during WWEs Golden Era and beyond but that only scratches the surface of his career. [2][14] Blassie also managed Muhammad Ali in his boxer vs. wrestler match in 1976 against Antonio Inoki. [7] Later, he received regular work wrestling at local carnivals. This film article about a 1980s comedy is a stub. Notable Title Wins Include: NWA Southern Heavyweight title (14); WWA (Los Angeles) World Heavyweight title (4); WWA World Tag Team title (2 times w/Mr. [20] Because of this, Blassie is one of, if not the only man to have worked with all four generations of the McMahon family. comes a time when every man must fight for that he believes in. Hed also engage in big title feuds with serious GOATs like Japans Rikidozan and Americas Lou Thesz, both of whom are considered among the most influential wrestlers of all time. Freddie Blassie. Freddie Blassie, 85, died of heart failure on June 2, 2003. He was 85. Some of the guys were businessmen, some were political types, and some others Im sure were mobsters. 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. He also starred in a 1983 movie called My Breakfast With Blassie, where he sat down for a meal with Andy Kaufman as a parody of the 1981 critically acclaimed film My Dinner With Andre. 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. Patrick Stewart In A Checkered Coat Wallpaper. Lanny would state that Jerry Graham "had no business living the last 15 years of his life" due to his drinking problems. 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. Replying to. Blassie, Murray wrote, has dedicated his life to wrapping up as much hate as one man can safely carry in a lifetime. His parents repeatedly separated, only to reconcile. Towards the end of Freddie Blassies life, he began to realize that it all may be coming to an end soon. Gross tubs? My Breakfast with Blassie was conceived of by Linda Lautrec and Johnny Legend as a satire on My Dinner with Andre. Managed by "Loud", Countless World Wrestling Federation TV and Pay Per View Ads. Upon his return to the U.S. and the pro-wrestling circuit full time in 1946, he was repackaged by promoters as Sailor Freddie Blassie, as promoters looked to capitalize on U.S. patriotism following the war. [6] On July 7, Blassie successfully defended his title against the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz. The widow of pro-wrestling villain Classy Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". 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). Who Is Freddie Blassie's Wife? 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. 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. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. Using a variety of names, he wrestled the top performers of the day including Lou Thesz and Gorgeous George, but did not reach their level of popularity. The phrase pencil neck geek is such a common bit of North American English idiom that likely few are aware that it actually comes from pro wrestling, let alone from the mouth of Freddie Blassie. [3], Blassie's famous "pencil-neck geek" catchphrase originated early in his career while describing a fellow carnival performer who appeared in a geek show. Freddie Blassie Also known as Fred Blassie, Fred McDaniel Overview Career Career highlights Titles Matches Match Statistics Matchguide Feuds Promos Tournaments Tag Teams & Stables Entourage Awards Books Wrestling Games Movies Commentary Career Ratings Comments Matches Displaying items 1 to 100 of total 1631 items that match the search parameters. Freddie Blassie retired as an active wrestler in 1974 in part because of the difficulty of securing a wrestling license . Blassies father was a heavy alcoholic and was abusive towards his beloved mother. Blassie worked for the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, which presented him with its lifetime achievement award in 1996. He felt this was his chance to tell his life story before moving on. Hell, the article is entitled "Freddie Blassie - The Truth (and Somewhere In-Between)" for crying out loud. 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. [10] He was so hated there that uniformed police officers were regularly brought in to protect him as he made his way to and from the ring. His career began in earnest after his service in the United States Navy during World War II. The closest I ever saw him to loosing the mask was against Cowboy Bob Ellis, I believe in the mid 60's. I can still remember old Dick Lane calling the action. heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the [3] As an adult, Frederick was a teetotaler. He would become a frequent foe of Morales throughout the rest of his in-ring career in WWWF. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. He graduated from McKinley High School and began work at a meatpacking plant. The professional wrestler Freddie Blassie, who became a cult figure to fans by playing the villain inside the ring during the 1950's and 1960's, died Monday. In 1960, he became a regular with World Wrestling Associates (WWA) in Los Angeles, a move that would cement his legacy in pro wrestling, long before he became a manager. Blassie retired from active wrestling in 1974, due to a California law that prohibited anyone over 55 from getting a wrestling license. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. June 8, 2003 The professional wrestler Freddie Blassie, who became a cult figure to fans by playing the villain inside the ring during the 1950's and 1960's, died Monday. This movie got together because the man who produced wrestling manager and former wrestling champion Fred Blassie's novelty song, "Pencil-Neck Geek", Johnny Legend, wanted to film a very cheap parody of the awful art movie My Dinner with Andre, and decided that Blassie's young friend and protege, the eccentric comedian Andy Kaufman would be the . At Freddie Blassies wake, a family member came up to Keith Elliot Greenberg, saying that Freddies son had read the book and was ready to make peace with his father. Linda's dual role (as director and actress) was scripted as an irritating fan who requests Andy's autograph after he washes his hands. However, Blassie wanted nothing to do with him because he too had a massive drinking problem and felt that it would "hit too close to home." Blassie continued to manage Sheik and Volkoff even after they lost the tag team titles. mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. By the mid-1970s, Freddie Blassie was in his 50s and began to settle into a role as a manager in WWE, though he would still occasionally wrestle a match. Hogan would return in late 1983, turning face almost immediately after and thus separating from Freddie Blassie. [3], In 1964, Blassie feuded with Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil. Following a stint in the California wrestling scene, Freddie Blassie headed southeast to the Georgia territories in the 1950s, where he would enjoy a whopping 17 reigns with the big title of the region, the NWA Georgia Southern Heavyweight Championship between 1954 and 1960. 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! However, Blassie said he would toss his drink in the sand if he didnt drink it, so Lanny took the offer. Frederick Kenneth Blassie (Classy Freddy Blassie, The Vampire, Sailor Fred Blassie, The Hollywood Fashion Plate, The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling), Miyako Morozumi (30 September1968 - 2 June2003)( his death), ? [6] In later years, Blassie also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when Philbin was a guest host. [6] Blassie described this performer as "having a neck like a stack of dimes and a real pencil-neck geek". . Blassie appeared alongside Slick to co-manage Sheik and Volkoff for a few television appearances before finally bowing out in November 1986, with Albano, the final member of the Three Wise Men, retiring a few weeks later. However, sadly, Freddie passed away before he could ever speak to his son again. [3], In 1953, he worked in the Atlanta, territory for Paul Jones (the wrestler of the 1930s, not the wrestler/manager of the 1980s). [3][8] In 1983, Rhino Records released a 14-track album by Blassie, titled I Bite the Songs. Freddie had been estranged from his children for the majority of their lives. [8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. It was a wonderful look back at "old-school" wrestling as told by one of the masters, both as a wrestler and as a talker. One of Blassies most notable clients during his run with WWE, however, was Hulk Hogan, who he managed as soon as Hogan debuted in the company in 1979. When he asked for her parents' blessing, they were hesitant because of his reputation with Rikidzan and because he was 28 years older than she. 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. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. I think Dick Lane was as good as Gordon Solie in his day. You pencil neck geek! For those who were brought up on pro wrestling in the 1980s and 1990s, one of the most colorful managers of the day was WWF stalwart, Classy Freddie Blassie. After a 39-year in-ring career in the sport, Blassie retired as a wrestler as a 4x WWA World Heavyweight Champion, a 17x NWA Georgia Southern Heavyweight Champion, NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion, as well as dozens more regional titles in multiple NWA territories. Blassie would continue to make his titles make history in 1963, he lost to Bearcat Wright, making Wright the first African-American to hold a World title in the United States. As a German descent American, he was often faced with questions of loyalty, despite marrying a Jewish woman. JP Zarka created Pro Wrestling Stories in May 2015. Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. He also bleached his hair at this time, as many of the other stars of the era did, such as Gorgeous George, Johnny Valentine, and "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. "Classy" Freddie Blassie lead an interesting life as one of . Even more important than that, Blassie would make a change that would make him an icon. Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). Lanny was only 12 or 13-years-old at the time. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahons Venomous 25-Year Feud, Bob Backlund Humble Beginnings to Championship Gold, World Wrestling Association: WWA Indianapolis Wrestling Territory, Rise and Sad Demise of The Midnight Express, Greatest Challenge Yet for Pro Wrestling Stories Author Jim Phillips, Adrian Street The British Brawler Who Wore Sequins, Ric Flair and Terry Funk: A Feud to Remember, Lou Thesz The Side Business Hustles of a Champion Wrestler, Velvet McIntyre | WWEs Original Irish Lass Kicker, Big Time Wrestling in San Francisco | Wrestling Territories, Wrestlers Who Shouldnt Have Followed Fathers Footsteps, Jack Donovan Deal One of Wrestlings Most Heinous Attacks. Most recently, he co-authored the 2016 edition of the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. Poffo, at first, played it small and declined. Fred Blassie had a shocking heel turn during his stint in Georgia, which led to him becoming an extremely hated wrestler! Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. He is from USA. In 1964, Blassie once again captured the WWA World title for the third time (again from Carpentier), but upon losing to Dick The Bruiser in April, he headed to the newly minted World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). A gifted gabber and a splashy dresser, Blassie guided The Iron Shiek to the WWF World Heavyweight title in 1983, Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff to the WWF World Tag Team titles, as well as managing such clients as Adrian Adonis, Jesse The Body Ventura, Kamala, Hercules Hernandez, and even Hulk Hogan during his first stint in the WWF. As much as governing body politics held back minorities, the wrestlers themselves had even more power. In order to impress a girl, he entered a carnival show match in a shoot fight and won. This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. Im not implying that Bruno would ever have any dealings with the mafia on his own. book. Sadly, the gimmick was a bomb, and Blassie jumped around territories, including working in New York City for Jess McMahon (grandfather of Vince McMahon Jr.). He bleached his hair and quickly became a [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. By 1952, Blassie was getting disillusioned by the East Coast and headed for California, although he did still work for various NWA territories in the South, particularly Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW). [3], One of Blassie's most famous proteges was The Iron Sheik. [3], In 1952, Blassie moved to Los Angeles to work for Jules Strongbow. Blassie originally wrestled ", "Heres some money," Blassie would say. That revolution -- making the villain the hero -- put fans in the seats and money in Blassies pocket. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles 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. 500,000+ HD Wallpapers & Freddie Blassie Wallpaper 100% Free to Use High Quality Wallpapers Personalise for all Screen & Devices. [8], Blassie appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show that featured a new dance craze called The Twizzle. 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. [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Miyako Blassie, 68, says in court papers that she was shopping for groceries when she tripped near the entrance to a Pathmark in Westchester. Since his retirement, he has occasionally worked as a "goodwill ambassador" (!) . You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on theWWE NetworkandPeacock. Recommended:The Time WWE Hall of Famer DR. JERRY GRAHAM Kidnapped His Mothers Dead Body. According to Greenberg, Gorgeous George, towards the end of his career, wanted to form a tag team with Blassie. [8] His final wrestling appearance was May 12, 2003 in Philadelphia on Raw, three weeks before his death. Blassie died in Hartsdale, N.Y., Jeff Walton, a former wrestling publicist, told The Los Angeles Times. After handing over ME duties to Alex Richards, he remains a frequent contributor to the site. She . 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. Born Fred Blassman in St. Louis, Blassie played baseball and football in high school. By the 1970s, Blassie had relocated to the East Coast where he successfully pursued his mat career. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. Download 100+ Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Images & 500,000+ Wallpapers for Free. 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. 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. [2] He sporadically returned to make brief appearances following his retirement in 1986, mostly in produced video packages hyping the "new generation" of wrestling. Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie. [7], After the US entered World War II, Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months.

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