As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. With Andy Kaufman, Freddie Blassie, Laurie Burton, Linda Hirsch. So when I saw this book I had to get it and read it. 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. 3 Saving Freddie Blassie Thanks To Kayfabe. 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. 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 was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994 by Shane McMahon. He won the WWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship from French star Edouard Carpentier at the L.A. Sports Arena in 1961. @megantheevalium. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. 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. Why FREDDIE BLASSIE Was So Great f/ WRESTLINGBIOS - YouTube DAVE KNOWS that Classy Freddie Blassie is a Pro Wrestling legend. [spoken to the WWF wrestlers during Invasion 2001] Gentleman, there Blassie died of heart failure Monday Lanny would state that Jerry Graham "had no business living the last 15 years of his life" due to his drinking problems. He was 85.Mr. 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. He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. He was 85. Deiveson Figueiredo Tattoo Wallpaper. 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. 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. So, how much is Freddie Blassie worth at the age of 85 years old? Blassie would turn heel during this period, developing a lot of the characteristics that hed become known for. However, he became increasingly interested in wrestling. As a German descent American, he was often faced with questions of loyalty, despite marrying a Jewish woman. Freddie Blassie | Pro Wrestling | Fandom 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). [2] He was given a commentary tryout in 1986 and 1987 for WWF Wrestling Challenge, calling a few matches with Gorilla Monsoon. Real Name: Fred Blassie. Lanny approached Blassie, who always had three girls with him, saying he "needed some relief. This story has been shared 143,593 times. Blassie did not just fade away after he left the ring. 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. Fred McDaniel "Ayatollah" Blassie The Vampire The Hollywood Fashion Plate Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Weight 220 lbs (100 kg) Born February 8, 1918 Birth Place St. Louis, Missouri Died June 2, 2003 (aged 85) Death Place Hartsdale, New York Trainer Billy Longson Everett Marshall Warren Bockwinkle Billy Hanson Debut 1935 Retired 1986 [6] On July 7, Blassie successfully defended his title against the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz. Lanny was only 12 or 13-years-old at the time. One of the men was Jilly Rizzo, Frank Sinatras number one sidekick and the owner of his own saloon. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". [20] Images from his WrestleMania XV promo were also included in the opening of the 2001 Survivor Series. My Breakfast with Blassie - Wikipedia 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. [8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. The terminology would follow him for the rest of his career. 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. Despite that, Blassie ended the year by leaving WWWF and returning to Los Angeles and the WWA. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). 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. 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. His first public wrestling match was a shoot fight which he accepted hoping to impress a girl he brought to the show. 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), ? View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. In 1950, he had his first challenge for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, facing championLou Theszin Kentucky. [6] He also began boxing at a local community center and won a heavyweight championship title. His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. In the 1950s, Fred Blassie was hands down the most hated wrestler in the southeastern territory. the time, get up, stand up and fight. Blassie would show Greenberg dozens of notebooks with "beautiful cursive handwriting." [8] Blassie also appeared in a segment at the Vengeance pay-per-view event in December 2001, where an "undisputed" champion would be crowned. I think Dick Lane was as good as Gordon Solie in his day. [3][8] In 1983, Rhino Records released a 14-track album by Blassie, titled I Bite the Songs. Blassie unsuccessfully campaigned along with the other managers to manage "Macho Man" Randy Savage when Savage first entered the WWF in June 1985. 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). 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. John Tolos: Wrestler celebrated as one of the finest ring villains ROH Best in the World (7/11/21) Preview and Predictions, Preview: Ice Ribbon 1133 in 176Box (7/11/21), first African-American to hold a World title. [3], In 1953, he worked in the Atlanta, territory for Paul Jones (the wrestler of the 1930s, not the wrestler/manager of the 1980s). Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. 10 Backstage Stories About Bruno Sammartino WWE Fans Should Know in their 1992 song about Kaufman, "Man on the Moon". Frederick Kenneth Blassie (Classy Freddy Blassie, The Vampire, Sailor Fred Blassie, The Hollywood Fashion Plate, The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling) was born on 8 February, 1918 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, is an Actor. 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. She . (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). Blassie originally wrestled Keith Elliot Greenberg coauthored Legends of Wrestling: Freddie Blassie -- Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks with wrestling icon "Classy" Freddie Blassie shortly before his death in 2003. Freddie Blassie decided to stop being a fixture of wrestling in 1986 but was no stranger to making the odd guest appearance. My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. Freddie Blassie Wrestlers Database CAGEMATCH - The Internet Freddie Blassie Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family September 30, 1968 - June 2, 2003 (his death), Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie." Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. My Breakfast with Blassie (1983) - IMDb Take Linda McMahon, for instance. 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. [8], Blassie appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show that featured a new dance craze called The Twizzle. 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. Classy Freddie Blassie was pro wrestling's 'Fashion Plate' is 6'(1.83m) . A fierce competitor in the ring known for unorthodox methods and a penchant for bloodletting, Blassie was verbose and boastful. Freddie Blassie, 85, died of heart failure on June 2, 2003. 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. He grabs his balls!" After Sheik lost the belt to Blassie's former managed wrestler Hulk Hogan, Blassie managed Sheik in various rematches around the country throughout the first half of 1984, culminating into another major televised rematch on December 28, 1984, once again in Madison Square Garden. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. In addition to his pro wrestling notoriety, Classy Freddie Blassie also has some amusing notability in wider pop culture. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. "Classy" Freddie Blassie lead an interesting life as one of . His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. . After four decades, trainer Ed Moger gets his first Triple Crown starter, An exclusive look at details of Chip Kellys two-year contract extension from UCLA, His shoe game is pretty tight. Why Dodgers hope Miguel Rojas play matches his swag, Rats in the laundry? Fans might recall his interviews with local announcer Dick Lane in which he would proclaim his vast superiority over a number of lesser opponents, branding them all pencil-neck geeks. Those colorful interviews helped make him a celebrity in the newly expanding medium of television. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. In order to impress a girl, he entered a carnival show match in a shoot fight and won. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! * 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! His father was an abusive alcoholic, prompting Frederick to stay with his grandparents whenever Jacob beat Anna. 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. [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. Freddie Blassie | WWE World Wrestling Entertainment WWE)). Following his 1986 on-camera retirement (he remained an executive for the WWE), still made occasional on-camera appearances since then, and his last came on "WWE Raw" in May, just a few weeks before his death (to promote his newly-released biography, "Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks"). Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! Blassie got involved when he threw his cane into the ring, with Sheik and Volkoff using it to their advantage to gain the victory. In What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? comes a time when every man must fight for that he believes in. "Classy" Freddie Blassie appeared in a live-action segment of the cartoon "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling." During these runs, hed take part in a couple of title feuds for the WWE Championship, challenging Bruno Sammartino in the 1960s and Pedro Morales in the 1970s, not to mention coming after Bobo Brazils US Heavyweight Title. mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. Lynne Margulies, who would later become Kaufman's girlfriend, plays a role; in fact, she and Kaufman met for the first time on camera. WWE Confidential presents a feature on the life and times of the fashion plate of professional wrestling, "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Freddie Blassie, 85; Became a Cult Figure in Professional Wrestling by Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks by Classy Freddie Blassie - Goodreads This story has been shared 104,709 times. When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". Professional wrestler Freddie Blassie, who became a cult figure for fans by playing the villain inside the ring during the 1950s and 1960s, has died. ", 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. [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. [3], In 1964, Blassie feuded with Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil. 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. Let's learn more about this classic heel! Feb 27. 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). His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September1968 - 2 June2003)( his death), ? It was in the latter that he decided to embrace his villainous side, bleaching his hair blonde like Gorgeous George. 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. *Blassie also told Greenberg that women used to come up to him on the street and gawk at him because he was Gods gift to women! Those colorful interviews helped make him a celebrity in the newly expanding medium of television. This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. Towards the end of Freddie Blassies life, he began to realize that it all may be coming to an end soon. [21] His book, Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks, was released on May 13, 2003. 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. He bleached his hair and quickly became a He joined the Navy at the start of World War II and started wrestling under the name of Sailor Fred Blassie while stationed at Port Hueneme in California. He briefly turned face in 1989, making an appearance on Prime Time Wrestling angry with Bobby Heenan over money Heenan hadn't paid him back. Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. Yankee Stadium Dimensions 1961, Bruno Mars Park Mgm Setlist, What Is Not A Common Consideration In Urban Driving, 416 Rigby Effective Range, Articles F