That revolution -- making the villain the hero -- put fans in the seats and money in Blassies pocket. Despite Blassie not actually holding any titles to unify, his feud with Sammartino saw Bruno become a national hero, but in the process, Blassie became lifelong friends with another WWWF employee, Gorilla Monsoon. 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 . In 1972, ten years after his last match in Japan with Rikidozans JWA, he returned to Japan and began working for Giant Babas All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. According to Walton, Blassies biggest achievement came Aug. 27, 1971, when he met and defeated Canadian wrestler Golden Greek John Tolos at the Coliseum before 25,000 wrestling fans. Because of his close relationship with Vince McMahon, Sr. and his family, Blassie remained on the WWF payroll until the day he died. 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. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. 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. [9] The sight of the Japanese legend covered in his own blood gave several viewers heart attacks, and some reportedly died. Blassies father was a heavy alcoholic and was abusive towards his beloved mother. After a move to the West Coast, he tried a different promotional scheme -- that of a villain. Freddie had been estranged from his children for the majority of their lives. Greenbergs memoir on Freddie Blassie was released just three weeks before he died in 2003. Blassie also resented "Superstar" Billy Graham, at first, due to his association with Dr. Jerry Graham, who in kayfabe was Billys older brother. He retired from competition in the late 1970s to manage a new generation of gladiators such as Hulk Hogan. He finally defeated Rikidozan and won back his title at a WWA event in Los Angeles but it had served his purpose. . Between matches, he gave loud and boastful interviews, making One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. Over the course of his in-ring career, Classy Freddie Blassie would wrestle a number of legends, many of whom have either become legendary wrestlers or became famous in the following decades for non-competitive roles. The terminology would follow him for the rest of his career. [8], Blassie appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show that featured a new dance craze called The Twizzle. [7], His career continued as he was hired by more established promoters, including Tom Packs in St. Louis and George Simpson in Kansas City. [6] He also began boxing at a local community center and won a heavyweight championship title. As much as governing body politics held back minorities, the wrestlers themselves had even more power. Why FREDDIE BLASSIE Was So Great f/ WRESTLINGBIOS - YouTube DAVE KNOWS that Classy Freddie Blassie is a Pro Wrestling legend. 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. 500,000+ HD Wallpapers & Freddie Blassie Wallpaper 100% Free to Use High Quality Wallpapers Personalise for all Screen & Devices. [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 always had a huge entourage hanging around him," Greenberg wrote in "Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling. 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. At 85 years old, Freddie Blassie height Among the men he managed were Nikolai Volkoff,[2] The Iron Sheik,[2] Blackjack Mulligan,[2] High Chief Peter Maivia,[2] "The Crippler" Ray Stevens,[2] Adrian Adonis,[2] Jesse Ventura,[2] Dick Murdoch,[2] Swede Hanson,[2] Killer Khan,[2] George 'The Animal' Steele,[2] Professor Tanaka,[2] Mr. Fuji,[2] Ivan Koloff,[2] Tor Kamata,[2] Masa Saito,[2] Lou Albano,[2] Victor Rivera,[2] Kamala,[2] Hercules Hernandez,[2] and Hulk Hogan. Blassie would eventually come to be known as a manager (see below) in WWE, but in the 1960s and 1970s, he actually wrestled for the promotion, back then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation. His parents repeatedly separated, only to reconcile. 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). 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. One that stands out was his rivalry with Bruno Sammartino in the early 1960s. Blassie retired from wrestling in 1986, turning over his stable of heels to another manager called Slick. In addition to his pro wrestling notoriety, Classy Freddie Blassie also has some amusing notability in wider pop culture. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. 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. Blassie, who became a cult figure outside the ring and starred with comedian Andy Kaufman in My Breakfast With Blassie, died of heart failure June 2 in Hartsdale, N.Y., according to Jeff Walton, a onetime wrestling publicist in Los Angeles who knew Blassie well. You hit a guy in the neck. Lanny stated that though Freddie Blassie never knew how to save his money well, he always had enough since he was never a drinker and saved a lot of money in that regard. He did an advice segment on the ''Tuesday Night Titans'' TV program, made personal appearances and did radio interviews. However, Blassie said he would toss his drink in the sand if he didnt drink it, so Lanny took the offer. When meeting someone, he would ask where they were from, and no matter their response, he would reply with, "Oh, that's God's country!". Blassie also mastered the television interview, boasting his superiority over other wrestlers he liked to call ''pencil-neck geeks.'' Freddie Blassies income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. JP Zarka created Pro Wrestling Stories in May 2015. [17] In 2000, Blassie made an appearance at the Royal Rumble as a judge in the Miss Rumble 2000 Swimsuit contest, which was won by Mae Young. "Classy" Freddie Blassie with Keith Elliot Greenberg, NWA Georgia Southern Heavyweight Championship, WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship, NWA North American Heavyweight Championship, NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship, North American Wrestling Alliance/Worldwide Wrestling Associates/ NWA Hollywood Wrestling, WWA International Television Tag Team Championship, NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, "Classy Freddie Blassie was pro wrestling's 'Fashion Plate', "Before The Client List: "Classy" Freddie Blassie", "Blassie toast of Cauliflower Alley Club", "WWF WrestleMania XV Results - 3/28/99 (Stone Cold vs. But while his US in-ring career ended (while still working for WWWF), he remained employed by WWWF and became a manager instead. States. [5], Blassie was born Frederick Kenneth Blassman in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1918. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. 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. *The 100 deaths claim was an exaggerated myth that Blassie used. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. One of the men was Jilly Rizzo, Frank Sinatras number one sidekick and the owner of his own saloon. 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. [3][8] In 1983, Rhino Records released a 14-track album by Blassie, titled I Bite the Songs. [7], After the US entered World War II, Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months. Funeral services will be held at noon Friday at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church in Scarsdale, N.Y. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. September 30, 1968 - June 2, 2003 (his death), Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. Blassie, Murray wrote, has dedicated his life to wrapping up as much hate as one man can safely carry in a lifetime. 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. 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. 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). [22], Filmed in 1982, My Breakfast with Blassie featured Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie eating at a Sambo's in Los Angeles. Freddie Blassie decided to stop being a fixture of wrestling in 1986 but was no stranger to making the odd guest appearance. 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. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The 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. Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff | WWE 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". Poffo, at first, played it small and declined. However, Miyako Blassie, surviving wife of the legendary "Classy" Freddie Blassie, is offering that chance as the WWE Hall of Famer's Lincoln Town Car becomes available on WWE Auction. He spent his time in the Missouri territory, working mainly in St. Louis and Kansas City, but when the U.S. entered the Second World War, he enlisted in 1942 and joined the U.S. Navy, where he spent four years (42 months) in combat in the U.S. battles in the Pacific. Ironically, during his WWWF stint, he was managed by another former wrestler who had recently become a manager, in the form of Captain Lou Albano. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. 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. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans. 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. Feb 27. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say, New era of football begins at Mater Dei under coach Frank McManus. In the 1950s, Fred Blassie was hands down the most hated wrestler in the southeastern territory. Accounts about his early athletic career do not quite agree, but he Recommended:The Time WWE Hall of Famer DR. JERRY GRAHAM Kidnapped His Mothers Dead Body. With Andy Kaufman, Freddie Blassie, Laurie Burton, Linda Hirsch. 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. Before The Client List is an extension of our ongoing series, Before They Were Famous, which looks at wrestlers before they became internationally famous. He started a second career as a manager in the WWWF. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "Classy" Freddie Blassie is a legendary wrestling personality, both as a wrestler and a manager. In the segment he is interviewed by "Mean" Gene Okerlund when the two are interrupted by a little old lady in a housekeeper outfit that Blassie claims to be his own mother. Frederick Kenneth Blassman[2] (February 8, 1918 June 2, 2003) was an American professional wrestler and manager, known by the ring name "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Now is 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. In January 1962, Blassie and Mr. Moto defeated Hans Hermann and Jesus Ortega for the California version of the WWA International TV Tag Team title. [spoken to the WWF wrestlers during Invasion 2001] Gentleman, there Also learn how He earned most of Freddie Blassie networth? Download 100+ Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Images & 500,000+ Wallpapers for Free. "Classy" Freddie Blassie appeared in a live-action segment of the cartoon "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' 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. Backstage, Jilly Rizzo club owner, Frank Sinatra's bodyguard, and . And more wrestling fans definite need to know about the. He claimed to file his teeth to draw blood from opponents, and among his nicknames was the Vampire. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. 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. [4] In 1998, Blassie was the winner at the fourth annual Cauliflower Alley Club East Coast Banquet. For the first installment, we look at one of the most iconic villains in pro wrestling history as both a wrestler and a manager in Classy Freddie Blassie. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. In it, Blassie is picked up at the Washington, D.C., airport by a limo full of young women, escorted around the nation's capital, gives his opinions and confronts tourists. He achieved the rank of Petty Officer (Second Class) before he was discharged. When Gene Okerlund confronted Blassie in an interview after the match, Blassie said, "what cane, I didn't have no cane!". 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. In this match Hogan was once again victorious. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on theWWE NetworkandPeacock. Freddie Blassie's net worth 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. Who Is Freddie Blassie's Wife? [6] Blassie lost the title to Rikidzan on March 28, 1962.[9]. [8] His death was announced by Jim Ross, 20 minutes into that same day's episode of Raw. KyleEnjoysWrestling wrote on 30.07.2019: [ 9.0] "People mostly know Blassie for his manager roles, but he was also a pro in the ring. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. 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. 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 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. RELATED: 10 Managers With The Best Claim To Be On A Wrestling Mount Rushmore. Towards the end of Freddie Blassies life, he began to realize that it all may be coming to an end soon. He was popular in Japan as well. All the while, he reveled in his role as being one of professional wrestlings most despised villains. In the late 1960s, he moved to the East Coast and the World-Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, later the World Wresting Federation (WWF) and now World Wrestling Entertainment WWE)). On a mid-July 2001 episode of Raw, the Invasion storyline was in full swing, and Blassie was brought in to motivate the WWE in the face of their ongoing war with the WCW/ECW Alliance. He is from USA. 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. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. Hed continue being a heel, managing a number of bad guys like George The Animal Steele, Hercules, and Blackjack Mulligan. My Breakfast with Blassie was conceived of by Linda Lautrec and Johnny Legend as a satire on My Dinner with Andre. [10] He had main event-level feuds against stars such as The Destroyer. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. Blassie died of heart failure Monday 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. However, later that year Blassie suffered from kidney stones and had surgery to remove them. 1 One of the great legends of pro wrestling albeit one whose in-ring career predated the 1980s Golden Era wrestling boom Classy Freddie Blassie was a successful heel who wrestled all over. [3] Blassie also publicly represented Ali for media events and interviews for a period in the mid-1970s. The suit, filed in federal court in White Plains, accuses the supermarket chain of negligence and recklessness and seeks more than $1 million in damages from corporate parent A&P and mat supplier G&K Services. Moto-1964 and w/Buddy Austin-1967); NWA America's Heavyweight championships (5); Georgia Heavyweight title; "Beat The Champ" TV Title; NWA America's Brass Knuckles Title. After the war, Blassie returned to the Midwest and continued wrestling professionally. Some of the guys were businessmen, some were political types, and some others Im sure were mobsters. [9] During this stint with the company, Blassie was managed by his future nemesis, "Captain" Lou Albano.[3]. Miyako Blassie, 68, says in court papers that she was shopping for groceries when she tripped near the entrance to a Pathmark in Westchester. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. He was 85. World Wrestling Entertainment WWE)). Blassie claims that he made Regis Philbin into the celebrity he is today. 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). wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" You can watch him on Autopsy: The Last Hours of on Reelz in the United States and Channel 5 in Great Britain. The evocative turn of phrase stuck and became Blassies catchphrase to the point where it inspired the name of his autobiography and a novelty single (see below). 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. [8] The fans consistently booed him because he was considered a "Yankee". The Rock for the WWF Title)", "TJR Retro: WWE Royal Rumble 2000 Review (The Rock wins Rumble, Triple H vs. Cactus Jack)", "Freddie Blassie - Dick Van Dyke Show - 1962", "My Breakfast with Blassie: An appreciation", NWA North American Heavyweight Title (Hawaii version) history, NWA Southern Heavyweight Title (Florida) history, NWA World Tag Team Title (Florida) history, NWA International Tag Team Title (Georgia) history, NWA Southern Heavyweight Title (Georgia) history, NWA World Tag Team Title (Georgia) history, "NWA Hall of Fame Class for 2011 announced", WWA International Television Tag Team Title history, NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Title history, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Inductees, 1853 Shepherd Circle SW, Blassie's Atlanta home (1960), 1950 Campbellton Road SW, Blassies Atlanta home (1966), WWE Hall of Fame Profile of Freddie Blassie, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freddie_Blassie&oldid=1142698000, NWA World Tag Team Champions (Florida version), Professional wrestling managers and valets, United States Navy personnel of World War II, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox military person with embed, Articles with disputed statements from February 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The Mysterious Medics (Mysterious Medic #1 and Mysterious Medic #2), This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 22:16. Blassie got involved when he threw his cane into the ring, with Sheik and Volkoff using it to their advantage to gain the victory. On top of that, hed take on English legend Billy Robinson, WWE Champion Superstar Billy Graham, and legendary masked heel wrestler Destroyer. first tried to make his mark as a boxer, despite warnings that his arms You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. He worked for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment. 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. [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? By the 1970s, Blassie had relocated to the East Coast where he successfully pursued his mat career. 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. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. 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. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 85 years old group. By 1968, WWA rejoined the NWA, becoming NWA Hollywood, but in 1971, Blassie returned to WWWF and challenged new WWWF World Champion Pedro Morales, to no avail. In reality, Blassie was a major on-screen figure in wrestling, both in competitive and managerial roles, and had a status in overall pop culture. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans on the other side of the ropes. The widow of pro-wrestling villain Classy Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. 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.
Fictional Characters Named Julie,
David Grutman First Wife,
Articles F