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You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. [8], Blassie appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show that featured a new dance craze called The Twizzle. [8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.. 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. During this time, he went to New York City to work for promoter Jess McMahon. Funeral services will be held at noon Friday at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church in Scarsdale, N.Y. Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. He was 85. @megantheevalium. [8] His death was announced by Jim Ross, 20 minutes into that same day's episode of Raw. Blassie did not just fade away after he left the ring. He delivered a rousing speech, dramatically standing up from his wheelchair to get the WWE-loyal wrestlers pumped up for the next battle. 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. 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. After the war, Blassie returned to the Midwest and continued wrestling professionally. He worked for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment. "That's why he was 'Classy' Freddie Blassie." He won the World Wrestling Association world heavyweight championship from the Frenchman douard Carpentier at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1961. Hed also regularly tag with Gorilla Monsoon, another wrestler better known for his non-wrestling roles. His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September1968 - 2 June2003)( his death), ? first tried to make his mark as a boxer, despite warnings that his arms 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. 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. Since his retirement, he has occasionally worked as a "goodwill ambassador" (!) [10] He had main event-level feuds against stars such as The Destroyer. He claimed to file his teeth to draw blood from opponents, and among his nicknames was the Vampire. Blassie, Murray wrote, has dedicated his life to wrapping up as much hate as one man can safely carry in a lifetime. Lanny said that if a wrestler had a bottle of cologne in their bag, or even rubbing alcohol, Jerry Graham would take it out and drink it. Hogan would return in late 1983, turning face almost immediately after and thus separating from Freddie Blassie. 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 It is a mostly improvised parody of the art film My Dinner with Andre and is set in a Sambo's restaurant where Kaufman and Blassie have a discussion over breakfast. 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 . He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. [20] Images from his WrestleMania XV promo were also included in the opening of the 2001 Survivor Series. [6] The final match of their series took place in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and set new California records for both attendance and gate. Frederick Kenneth Blassie (February 8, 1918 - June 2, 2003), better known as "Classy" Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestling villain and manager born in St. Louis, Missouri. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. Freddie Blassie retired as an active wrestler in 1974 in part because of the difficulty of securing a wrestling license . "I want you to get four Orange Juliuses for me, the girls, and you.". [21] The segment featured Blassie, his wife, and Raw co-General Manager Eric Bischoff, who was about to allow 3 Minute Warning to attack him, until Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Dudley Boyz stepped in. So when I saw this book I had to get it and read it. He became less the focal point of WWA, and soon began working more NWA territories, as he spread his wings into enemy territory. [9][6], On June 2, 2003, Blassie died of heart and kidney failure at the age of 85. 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. 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. [1] It is a mostly improvised parody of the art film My Dinner with Andre and is set in a Sambo's restaurant where Kaufman and Blassie have a discussion over breakfast. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He achieved the rank of Petty Officer (Second Class) before he was discharged. As a result he has wrought something of a revolution in the unmanly art of exhibition wrestling.. Blassie unsuccessfully campaigned along with the other managers to manage "Macho Man" Randy Savage when Savage first entered the WWF in June 1985. However, Blassie said he would toss his drink in the sand if he didnt drink it, so Lanny took the offer. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. Hell, the article is entitled "Freddie Blassie - The Truth (and Somewhere In-Between)" for crying out loud. [8] He was often billed as "The Vampire" during this time for biting his opponents and filing his teeth during interviews and promos. Anyone can read what you share. Blassie later challenged Morales for the WWWF Championship, but came up short. 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. [3], Blassie returned to WWA in 1968 just as promoter Mike LeBell decided to rejoin the NWA. However, later that year Blassie suffered from kidney stones and had surgery to remove them. He bleached his hair and quickly became a heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the book. Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. 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 two spoke the same dialect of German, their parents had mutual friends, and . 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). 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. [2] During that same title reign, in a match against Lord James Blears a fan threw acid on his back, and he had to return immediately to the locker room to wash it off; over the course of his career, he was also stabbed 21 times and lost vision in his right eye after being struck by a thrown hard-boiled egg. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans. Freddie Blassie, the silver-maned . Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! 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. Despite that, Blassie ended the year by leaving WWWF and returning to Los Angeles and the WWA. [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. After handing over ME duties to Alex Richards, he remains a frequent contributor to the site. The series began at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, with Blassie winning on a technicality, but not a pin. Federation (WWWF, later the World Wresting Federation (WWF) and now [6] In later years, Blassie also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when Philbin was a guest host. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. Im not implying that Bruno would ever have any dealings with the mafia on his own. We have estimated [2] He sporadically returned to make brief appearances following his retirement in 1986, mostly in produced video packages hyping the "new generation" of wrestling. In that storyline, he is menaced by Eric Bischoff and his henchmen, before calling on the Dudley Brothers to "Get the tables!" In the early 1970s, Blassie "turned face", or became a good guy, since so many fans were cheering his famous antics. 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. [15] Blassie led Shiek to the WWF World Heavyweight Championship over Bob Backlund on December 26, 1983, in Madison Square Garden. 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. Freddie had been estranged from his children for the majority of their lives. 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.). 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. He heard Blassie say that and whipped out a gun saying, "Ill kill that sonuvabitch! Fred Blassie would meet his wife, a Japanese actress.. November 15, 1968: Fred Blassie defeated Buddy Austin in a "Stretcher" match in the Olympic Stadium.. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. Given that Hogan was the top babyface in the 1980s, this iteration of The Hulkster was actually a heel and would depart in 1981 after a dispute with Vince McMahon Sr. over Hogans taking a role in Rocky III. He was popular in Japan as well. Stats: 6' 0" 220 lbs. were too short. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. 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. [20] Because of this, Blassie is one of, if not the only man to have worked with all four generations of the McMahon family. [3], In 1952, Blassie moved to Los Angeles to work for Jules Strongbow. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). By the 1970s, Blassie had relocated to the East Coast where he successfully pursued his mat career. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. 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. 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. Those colorful interviews helped make him a celebrity in the newly expanding medium of television. *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! Poffo, at first, played it small and declined. 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 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. for the WWF. 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. Fred Blassie had a shocking heel turn during his stint in Georgia, which led to him becoming an extremely hated wrestler! "Classy" Freddie Blassie appeared in a live-action segment of the cartoon "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling." [24], In the early 1990s, the wrestler starred in a documentary directed by Jeff Krulik, titled Mr. Blassie Goes To Washington. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 85 years old group. [16] In 1999, he was shown making the opening narration of WrestleMania XV. [2][14] Blassie also managed Muhammad Ali in his boxer vs. wrestler match in 1976 against Antonio Inoki. 3 Saving Freddie Blassie Thanks To Kayfabe. [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. 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. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? (bad guys) got better pay. Freddie Blassie decided to stop being a fixture of wrestling in 1986 but was no stranger to making the odd guest appearance. As a wrestling manager, wore shirts and trousers of the exact same color, sometimes with a matching jacket. Gross tubs? His father was an abusive alcoholic, prompting Frederick to stay with his grandparents whenever Jacob beat Anna. 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 . Blassie continued to manage Sheik and Volkoff even after they lost the tag team titles. This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. Lanny was only 12 or 13-years-old at the time. "Classy" Freddie Blassie WWE Hall of Fame Induction Speech [1994]June 9, 1994 ", Bruno kayfabed him. Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. 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? Recommended:10 Wrestling Book Must Reads and 5 You Dont Want To Waste Your Time On. The widow of pro-wrestling villain Classy Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. If you're not from the midwest you're not allowed to have an opinion on this. He married his first wife Nettie Needles while on shore leave during the war. 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. Frederick was an only child. 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. 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. 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). He started a second career as a manager in the WWWF. 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. 10 Wrestling Book Must Reads and 5 You Dont Want To Waste Your Time On, Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling, The Night Bruno Sammartino Saved Freddie Blassies Life, The Time WWE Hall of Famer DR. JERRY GRAHAM Kidnapped His Mothers Dead Body, Freddie Blassie, Lou Albano, and "The Fossil Jostle" Atrocity in 85, Roddy Piper: From The Streets to the Big Time, Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers The 1963 WWWF Title Screwjob, Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. 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