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[8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). On an episode of WWF Championship Wrestling, Blassie barged into the announcer booth to proclaim that he had sold half of the contracts of Sheik and Volkoff to a mysterious benefactor for a large sum of money. 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. 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. 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. The defendants had a duty to provide reasonably safe conditions for its customers, the suit charges. 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)). RELATED: 10 Performers Who Were Great As Both A Wrestler & Manager. 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. Recommended:The Night Bruno Sammartino Saved Freddie Blassies Life, Lanny Poffo, speaking to his friend Keith Elliot Greenberg on The Genius Cast, shared the story of the time he and Freddie Blassie were in Hawaii in 1968. 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. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. That year, Blassie was forced to retire from in-ring competition, as a California by-law forbade wrestling licenses for anyone upon reaching 55 years old. He claimed to file his teeth to draw blood from opponents, and among his nicknames was the Vampire. Anyone can read what you share. [6] In later years, Blassie also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when Philbin was a guest host. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Freddie Blassies origins are worth knowing about, especially because they involve much earlier days of the pro wrestling world -- as in, within the first half of the 20th century. "When hed go to a town, the most powerful Italians would latch themselves onto him and decided they were his protectors, whether Bruno liked it or not. 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. [18][19] Blassie also appeared in the SummerSlam opening video. "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. His matches with Freddie Blassie were legendary. He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. It was also during this period of his career when he dropped his babyface gimmick and became a full-fledged heel. He was 85. Even more important than that, Blassie would make a change that would make him an icon. Freddie Blassie managed many heels to success, including the team of The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff, who would win the World Tag Team Titles from US Express thanks to Blassies delivering a strategic shot with his cane. Accounts about his early athletic career do not quite agree, but he One of the men was Jilly Rizzo, Frank Sinatras number one sidekick and the owner of his own saloon. Blassie was more than willing to let the talented Bearcat Wright take the gold and make history. Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! He was popular in Japan as well. We have estimated He did an advice segment on the ''Tuesday Night Titans'' TV program, made personal appearances and did radio interviews. Lanny approached Blassie, who always had three girls with him, saying he "needed some relief. 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. Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". "Classy" Freddie Blassie WWE Hall of Fame Induction Speech [1994]June 9, 1994 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 one memorable instance, Blassie, playing up the heel character, would berate Brunos followers backstage with promos, calling them derogatory names such as "grease ball" and "spaghetti bender." Hell, the article is entitled "Freddie Blassie - The Truth (and Somewhere In-Between)" for crying out loud. 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 After regaining the WWA Championship from Rikidzan on July 25, 1962, Blassie lost the title two days later to the "Masked Destroyer" Dick Beyer. He is from USA. After a move to the West Coast, he tried a different promotional scheme -- that of a villain. [15] Blassie led Shiek to the WWF World Heavyweight Championship over Bob Backlund on December 26, 1983, in Madison Square Garden. 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.). A nice man, with a lovely wife and it was great having him there to cut a wonderful promo during my show. All the while, he reveled in his role as being one of professional wrestlings most despised villains. (bad guys) got better pay. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. In addition to his pro wrestling notoriety, Classy Freddie Blassie also has some amusing notability in wider pop culture. . [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986. My Breakfast with Blassie was conceived of by Linda Lautrec and Johnny Legend as a satire on My Dinner with Andre. Most recently, he co-authored the 2016 edition of the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. [9] The sight of the Japanese legend covered in his own blood gave several viewers heart attacks, and some reportedly died. Blassie retired from active wrestling in 1974, due to a California law that prohibited anyone over 55 from getting a wrestling license. [2] He was given a commentary tryout in 1986 and 1987 for WWF Wrestling Challenge, calling a few matches with Gorilla Monsoon. 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. While there, he feuded with Soulman Rocky Johnson, The Sheik, and "The Golden Greek" John Tolos. Backstage, Jilly Rizzo club owner, Frank Sinatra's bodyguard, and . He hated his father for it. [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. *The 100 deaths claim was an exaggerated myth that Blassie used. [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. Tolos moved first to Vancouver, where he married his wife Ingrid in 1967 (they later divorced), then worked his way south until he reached Los Angeles. Freddie had been estranged from his children for the majority of their lives. first tried to make his mark as a boxer, despite warnings that his arms Freddie Blassie, the silver-maned wrestler with a voice from the depths of the earth who made himself a hero to mat fans in the 1950s and 60s by playing the villain, has died. But for nearly 40 years, Fred Blassie was an in-ring talent who ruled the West Coast, a multi-time World Champion, and one of the most feared villains in pro wrestling history. 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. [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. The widow of pro-wrestling villain "Classy" Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. He was 85. Fred Blassie had a shocking heel turn during his stint in Georgia, which led to him becoming an extremely hated wrestler! Take Linda McMahon, for instance. 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. His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September 1968 - 2 June 2003) ( his death), ? (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. 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. Inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. Despite that, Blassie ended the year by leaving WWWF and returning to Los Angeles and the WWA. Of course, these mobsters thought he was putting them down for real. [22], Filmed in 1982, My Breakfast with Blassie featured Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie eating at a Sambo's in Los Angeles. He graduated from McKinley High School and began work at a meatpacking plant. 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. Freddie Blassie, the silver-maned . Worldwide star. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Blassie's interference at Wrestlemania 2 cost Volkoff his match with Kirchner, when the cane was grabbed by Kirchner instead of Volkoff. "Typical Italian stunt! 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"). Managed by "Loud", Countless World Wrestling Federation TV and Pay Per View Ads. He would become a frequent foe of Morales throughout the rest of his in-ring career in WWWF. This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. So when I saw this book I had to get it and read it. [3], In 1952, Blassie moved to Los Angeles to work for Jules Strongbow. He won the WWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship from French star Edouard Carpentier at the L.A. Sports Arena in 1961. [8] He worked for Jack Pfefer, who he claimed would only employ people who looked like sideshow freaks at his shows, and whose wrestlers included Tor Johnson, who made movies with director Ed Wood, and Lillian Ellison, the Fabulous Moolah. 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. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! [8], Blassie appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show that featured a new dance craze called The Twizzle. "Classy" Freddie Blassie lead an interesting life as one of . [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. 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. Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the His parents, Anna (ne Sind) and Jacob Blassman, were German immigrants who arrived in the United States prior to World War I.[3]. During this time, he went to New York City to work for promoter Jess McMahon. According to Dave Meltzer, "legitimately there were three [deaths] in Japan from elderly men watching a match with Togo in Japan, and it became this myth that [Freddie Blassie] exaggerated.". 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. 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. His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. He became less the focal point of WWA, and soon began working more NWA territories, as he spread his wings into enemy territory. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. 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). Blassie was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994 by Shane McMahon. As a result he has wrought something of a revolution in the unmanly art of exhibition wrestling.. For example, in the 1970s, he took on Cowboy Bill Watts, whod become a promoter and booker for Mid-South Wrestling and WCW. Blassie continued to interfere from ringside in matches, especially during Volkoff's feud with Corporal Kirchner. Lanny was only 12 or 13-years-old at the time. He felt this was his chance to tell his life story before moving on. He was 85. He liked to use a variety of names but had trouble gaining the affection of fans who gravitated toward the likes of Lou Thesz and Gorgeous George. "Everything had to be the best with him," Miyako told WWE.com. )[8] The movies title and premise are parodies of the 1981 art-house classic My Dinner with Andre.[23]. 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. Lynne Margulies, who would later become Kaufman's girlfriend, plays a role; in fact, she and Kaufman met for the first time on camera. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say, New era of football begins at Mater Dei under coach Frank McManus. Why FREDDIE BLASSIE Was So Great f/ WRESTLINGBIOS - YouTube DAVE KNOWS that Classy Freddie Blassie is a Pro Wrestling legend. Download 100+ Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Images & 500,000+ Wallpapers for Free. Blassie did not just fade away after he left the ring. Comedian Andy Kaufman & professional wrestler Classy Freddie Blassie eat breakfast & discuss life. Poffo, at first, played it small and declined. By this time, Blassie has acquired a cult following, leading to appearances in several feature films. Blassie We've received your submission. 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. 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". We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 8 February. [21] His book, Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks, was released on May 13, 2003. (and of course, Bubba Ray and D-Von take care of Bischoff and his cronies). G&K did not respond to calls for comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. 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. 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 . Hogan would return in late 1983, turning face almost immediately after and thus separating from Freddie Blassie. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel.