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. 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. 500,000+ HD Wallpapers & Freddie Blassie Wallpaper 100% Free to Use High Quality Wallpapers Personalise for all Screen & Devices. [3], In 1964, Blassie feuded with Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil. Keith Elliot Greenberg has been doing his part to preserve professional wrestling history for the past few decades. 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. [7] Later, he received regular work wrestling at local carnivals. This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. Blassie later challenged Morales for the WWWF Championship, but came up short. 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. His first match with Blassie had actually. [6] His cousin John Frank Holaus often refereed his matches. A child of two German immigrants, Freddie Blassie was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918. Wrestler's widow goes to the mat - New York Post the late 1960s, he moved to the East Coast and the World-Wide Wrestling [8] They received acclaim on the Dr. Demento Radio Show, and the latter song was featured on several albums, including Dr. Demento's 20th anniversary collection, The Very Best of Dr. Demento, and Dr. Demento Presents the Greatest Novelty CDs of All Time. ", "Heres some money," Blassie would say. Bruno had gotten so famous that he couldnt always pick the boneheads from the rest. Most recently, he co-authored the 2016 edition of the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. )[8] The movies title and premise are parodies of the 1981 art-house classic My Dinner with Andre.[23]. [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. It made Japanese wrestling a commodity on the West Coast and had given Rikidozan the credibility of conquering America. Hed also regularly tag with Gorilla Monsoon, another wrestler better known for his non-wrestling roles. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Blassie also was seen with the comedian Andy Kaufman in ''My Breakfast With Blassie,'' a 1983 spoof of ''My Dinner With Andre.''. Let's learn more about this classic heel! Fred Blassie had a shocking heel turn during his stint in Georgia, which led to him becoming an extremely hated wrestler! 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. 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. Andy Kaufman on Letterman w/ "Classy" Freddie Blassie 02/23/1983 He hated his father for it. * 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! (1965 - 1968) ( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964) ( divorced) ( 3 children) Freddie Blassie Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. 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). He started a second career as a manager in the WWWF. 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County in crackdown on fraudulent benefit cards, UCLAs senior trio has persevered in restoring the Bruins to national prominence, UCLA stuns top-seeded Stanford in Pac-12 womens basketball tournament semifinals, Harvard-Westlakes Bryce Rainer fires out 92-mph fastballs in first start since 2021, Hes taken the next step: How Boogie Ellis found his game as USCs point guard, Even after Gavin Lux injury, Andrew Friedman hints at patient approach with roster, Elliott: After trading away Jonathan Quick, Kings make more deals ahead of trade deadline, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. After regaining the WWA Championship from Rikidzan on July 25, 1962, Blassie lost the title two days later to the "Masked Destroyer" Dick Beyer. 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. Blassie got involved when he threw his cane into the ring, with Sheik and Volkoff using it to their advantage to gain the victory. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. 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. John Tolos: Wrestler celebrated as one of the finest ring villains Freddie Blassie was one of the most hated heels of his time. Death [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. 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. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say, New era of football begins at Mater Dei under coach Frank McManus. Blassie's interference at Wrestlemania 2 cost Volkoff his match with Kirchner, when the cane was grabbed by Kirchner instead of Volkoff. 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 kept track of all of his matches during his career, including personal anecdotes. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. This story has been shared 104,709 times. After Blassie lost the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rikidzan in Los Angeles, the two had a rematch on live Japanese television. This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. This film article about a 1980s comedy is a stub. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. [6] Blassie described this performer as "having a neck like a stack of dimes and a real pencil-neck geek". Blassie would show Greenberg dozens of notebooks with "beautiful cursive handwriting." [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. For example, in the 1970s, he took on Cowboy Bill Watts, whod become a promoter and booker for Mid-South Wrestling and WCW. 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." 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. Freddie Blassie, the silver-maned . He is a writer and editor-in-chief here on the site, a podcast producer, the chief graphic designer of the cover art for the sites articles, the former host of The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo, and an elementary school teacher and assistant principal who enjoys playing guitar and spending time with his lively daughters! 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. [3], In 1953, he worked in the Atlanta, territory for Paul Jones (the wrestler of the 1930s, not the wrestler/manager of the 1980s). After the war, he continued to wrestle professionally in the Midwest. In the early 1970s, Blassie "turned face", or became a good guy, since so many fans were cheering his famous antics. In this series, we will look at some of pro wrestlings greatest and most well-known managers and/or valets, but explore their prior career as an in-ring professional wrestler. 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). The two spoke the same dialect of German, their parents had mutual friends, and . Recommended:10 Wrestling Book Must Reads and 5 You Dont Want To Waste Your Time On. In the 1950s, Fred Blassie was hands down the most hated wrestler in the southeastern territory. His career began in earnest after his service in the United States Navy during World War II. Freddie Blassie | Pro Wrestling | Fandom Still claiming to be the West Coast Champion, entered into a feud with Bruno Sammartino to unify the titles. [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. [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. him a favorite of talk shows and reportedly influencing a fellow [8] Blassie also appeared in a segment at the Vengeance pay-per-view event in December 2001, where an "undisputed" champion would be crowned. And more wrestling fans definite need to know about the. 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. 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. 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!". ", to a monstrous applause. Funeral services will be held at noon Friday at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church in Scarsdale, N.Y. 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). 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. "Everything had to be the best with him," Miyako told WWE.com. 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. 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. [8] His final wrestling appearance was May 12, 2003 in Philadelphia on Raw, three weeks before his death. In 1964, the legendary "Classy" Freddie Blassie was still an in-ring competitor when he took on local hero Bruno Sammartino in front of a hostile New Jersey crowd, where he cheated for a cheap countout victory over the champ. For a brief period of time after World War Two, he was billed as "Sailor" Freddie Blassie in matches, a gimmick that did not prove successful. Heres a look at Classy Freddie Blassies wrestling career, long before he decided to take on clients and become one of the most iconic managers of the 1970s and 1980s. "No. As a result he has wrought something of a revolution in the unmanly art of exhibition wrestling.. The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. his service in the United States Navy during World War II. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 85 years old group. were too short. Freddie Blassie retired as an active wrestler in 1974 in part because of the difficulty of securing a wrestling license . The terminology would follow him for the rest of his career. RELATED: 10 Managers With The Best Claim To Be On A Wrestling Mount Rushmore. The Legends of Wrestling - "Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil While there, he feuded with Soulman Rocky Johnson, The Sheik, and "The Golden Greek" John Tolos. Freddie Blassie - Wikipedia Real Name: Fred Blassie. 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. 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 The Life and Times of Classy Freddie Blassie Quiz 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 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. He married his first wife Nettie Needles while on shore leave during the war. wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Downloads, [100+] Freddie Blassie Who Is Freddie Blassie's Wife? The Legends of Wrestling - "Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks (Wwe S) Paperback - February 1, 2004 by Keith Elliot Greenberg (Author) 115 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle $13.99 Read with Our Free App Hardcover $18.99 13 Used from $4.06 2 New from $38.98 1 Collectible from $15.00 Paperback His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. 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. ", 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. 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. Freddie Blassie, Pro Wrestler Popular as Villain, Dies at 85, https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/08/sports/freddie-blassie-pro-wrestler-popular-as-villain-dies-at-85.html. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). "Classy" Freddie Blassie also made a cameo appearance as himself, along with "Wrestling's Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino, and Ric Flair in the 1986 film Body Slam starring Dirk Benedict, "Captain" Lou Albano, and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. 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"). 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. The Dudleyz get the tables with "Classy" Freddie Blassie's help: Raw "Typical Italian stunt! Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=My_Breakfast_with_Blassie&oldid=1107033235, Articles needing additional references from June 2021, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 August 2022, at 19:43. 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.). 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. Replying to. 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. My Breakfast with Blassie (1983) - IMDb He felt this was his chance to tell his life story before moving on. for the WWF. We've received your submission. Freddie Blassie Height 5'10" Weight 220 lbs Hometown St. Louis Signature Move Stomach Claw Career Highlights 1994 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee Freddie Blassie: Bio "Classy" Freddie Blassie is one of the most memorable Superstars to ever set foot inside the squared circle. Freddie Blassie. Many of the viewers were horrified by Blassie's treatment of their hero. When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". It was also during this period of his career when he dropped his babyface gimmick and became a full-fledged heel. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. 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. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. [9][6], On June 2, 2003, Blassie died of heart and kidney failure at the age of 85. As a wrestling manager, wore shirts and trousers of the exact same color, sometimes with a matching jacket. 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. In this match Hogan was once again victorious. [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986. Freddie Blassie Obituary (2003) - San Diego, CA - San Diego Union-Tribune Lanny approached Blassie, who always had three girls with him, saying he "needed some relief. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! 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.. [9], In 1968, Blassie returned to Japan and was reunited with Miyako. 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. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. "Bruno always had a huge entourage hanging around him," Greenberg wrote in "Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling. 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 the war, Blassie returned to the Midwest and continued wrestling professionally. Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". 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. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. He did an advice segment on the Tuesday Night Titans TV program, made personal appearances and did radio interviews. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay.
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