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. 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. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! Most recently, he co-authored the 2016 edition of the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. "Classy" Freddie Blassie is a legendary wrestling personality, both as a wrestler and a manager. 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. )[8] The movies title and premise are parodies of the 1981 art-house classic My Dinner with Andre.[23]. 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. [20] Because of this, Blassie is one of, if not the only man to have worked with all four generations of the McMahon family. [22][2] Rose Marie's character Sally Rogers brought him on at the end of the episode claiming to have discovered another new dance sensation. However, Blassie said he would toss his drink in the sand if he didnt drink it, so Lanny took the offer. 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. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he [6] Afterwards he became a manager in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) and its subsequent incarnation the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Hogan would return in late 1983, turning face almost immediately after and thus separating from Freddie Blassie. 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. He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. Freddie Blassie, 85, died of heart failure on June 2, 2003. [9] During this stint with the company, Blassie was managed by his future nemesis, "Captain" Lou Albano.[3]. During his time on the West Coast, he was a frequent guest and/or interruption on a local show hosted by Regis Philben, and Blassies appearances thanks to his massive appeal as a wrestling draw helped push Philben into a national celebrity. Many people close to him actually had no idea that he had children in the first place. [6] His cousin John Frank Holaus often refereed his matches. 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. From there, he moved on to become a regular writer, contributor, and reporter for WWE. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. He retired from competition in the late 1970's to manage a new generation of wrestlers, including Hulk Hogan and Jesse Ventura, the future governor of Minnesota. This is in reference . [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. Blassie died in Hartsdale, N.Y., Jeff Walton, a former wrestling publicist, told The Los Angeles Times. [6] One of his most famous feuds took place in southern California in 1971, against Tolos. 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. [8] He teamed with Billy McDaniel as the McDaniel Brothers, but when they went east, they were known as the Blassie Brothers. He joined the Navy at the start of World War II and started wrestling initially under the name of Sailor Fred Blassie while stationed at Port Hueneme. After the war, he continued to wrestle professionally in the Midwest. * 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! 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. In He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. 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. 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. Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie." 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.". "No. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! Blassie. 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. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". He became less the focal point of WWA, and soon began working more NWA territories, as he spread his wings into enemy territory. They had no connecting hallways, so he was stuck with a bunch of these people, kayfabing his gimmick as Bruno was being hauled in on a stretcher. Of course, these mobsters thought he was putting them down for real. Lynne Margulies, who would later become Kaufman's girlfriend, plays a role; in fact, she and Kaufman met for the first time on camera. June 8, 2003 The professional wrestler Freddie Blassie, who became a cult figure to fans by playing the villain inside the ring during the 1950's and 1960's, died Monday. 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. As a result he has wrought something of a revolution in the unmanly art of exhibition wrestling.. Why FREDDIE BLASSIE Was So Great f/ WRESTLINGBIOS - YouTube DAVE KNOWS that Classy Freddie Blassie is a Pro Wrestling legend. A wildly popular villain in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, he later managed other wrestlers, including then-bad guy Hulk Hogan and the ever-evil Iron Sheik. [5], Blassie was born Frederick Kenneth Blassman in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1918. 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 Recommended:The Time WWE Hall of Famer DR. JERRY GRAHAM Kidnapped His Mothers Dead Body. [3], In 1952, Blassie moved to Los Angeles to work for Jules Strongbow. 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. Blassie would turn heel during this period, developing a lot of the characteristics that hed become known for. In 1960, he became a regular with World Wrestling Associates (WWA) in Los Angeles, a move that would cement his legacy in pro wrestling, long before he became a manager. for the WWF. After handing over ME duties to Alex Richards, he remains a frequent contributor to the site. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 85 years old group. Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 8 February. . 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. [9] While recuperating in 1966, he worked as a car salesman and married a second time to a woman whose name Blassie later claimed not to remember. Blassie came into the WWWF with his own world title belt, claiming to be the Pacific World Champion, and was coming to Sammartino's "back yard" to unify the world title. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say, New era of football begins at Mater Dei under coach Frank McManus. 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. States. In the early 1970s, Blassie "turned face", or became a good guy, since so many fans were cheering his famous antics. If they refused to drop a title, it didnt matter what the bookers thought. If you're not from the midwest you're not allowed to have an opinion on this. 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. 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 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. 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. When Gene Okerlund confronted Blassie in an interview after the match, Blassie said, "what cane, I didn't have no cane!". This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. Blassie also was seen with the comedian Andy Kaufman in ''My Breakfast With Blassie,'' a 1983 spoof of ''My Dinner With Andre.''. RELATED: 10 All-Time Greats You Forgot Had Managers. Blassie died of heart failure Monday The professional wrestler Freddie Blassie, who became a cult figure to fans by playing the villain inside the ring during the 1950's and 1960's, died Monday. Lanny approached Blassie, who always had three girls with him, saying he "needed some relief. "Everything had to be the best with him," Miyako told WWE.com. [8] His final wrestling appearance was May 12, 2003 in Philadelphia on Raw, three weeks before his death. Also featured is Bob Zmuda, who plays a nosy fan. 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. 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"). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Despite that, Blassie ended the year by leaving WWWF and returning to Los Angeles and the WWA. 500,000+ HD Wallpapers & Freddie Blassie Wallpaper 100% Free to Use High Quality Wallpapers Personalise for all Screen & Devices. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie.[1]. A nice man, with a lovely wife and it was great having him there to cut a wonderful promo during my show. . View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. 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. After a move to the West Coast, he tried a different promotional scheme -- that of a villain. [8] The fans consistently booed him because he was considered a "Yankee". He started a second career as a manager in the WWWF. [4] 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. 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. That revolution -- making the villain the hero -- put fans in the seats and money in Blassies pocket. So, how much is Freddie Blassie worth at the age of 85 years old? He retired from competition in the late 1970s to manage a new generation of gladiators such as Hulk Hogan. Blassie got involved when he threw his cane into the ring, with Sheik and Volkoff using it to their advantage to gain the victory. Hear Keith Elliot Greenbergs share stories about "Classy" Freddie Blassie on The Genius Cast below: Over his 22-year wrestling career, Freddie Blassie had many notable feuds. He even managed Muhammad Ali going into his legendary match with Antonio Inoki. 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. [6] In later years, Blassie also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when Philbin was a guest host. 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. Back in the dressing room, Blassie realized he was in the wrong one. Bruno had gotten so famous that he couldnt always pick the boneheads from the rest. However, sadly, Freddie passed away before he could ever speak to his son again. He was 85. 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). [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. 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.. His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September 1968 - 2 June 2003) ( his death), ? 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. "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. 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. Blassie did not just fade away after he left the ring. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. 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 continued to interfere from ringside in matches, especially during Volkoff's feud with Corporal Kirchner. 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. [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. With Andy Kaufman, Freddie Blassie, Laurie Burton, Linda Hirsch. [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. heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The One of the 100 Greatest Wrestlers of the 20th Century (Inside Wrestling Presents, Summer 2000). Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Lakers playoff hopes take another hit after comeback fades vs. Minnesota, Ducks strike with a pair of late power-play goals to defeat Canadiens, With Norman Powell out, Clippers are edged at Sacramento for fifth loss in a row, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, 15 arrested across L.A. 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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. Federation (WWWF, later the World Wresting Federation (WWF) and now Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". By this time, Blassie has acquired a cult following, leading to appearances in several feature films. [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986. His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. [21] His final words on WWE television were "D-Von, get the table! The two spoke the same dialect of German, their parents had mutual friends, and . Born Fred Blassman in St. Louis, Blassie played baseball and football in high school. He bleached his hair and quickly became a Blassie also resented "Superstar" Billy Graham, at first, due to his association with Dr. Jerry Graham, who in kayfabe was Billys older brother. 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. The series began at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, with Blassie winning on a technicality, but not a pin. [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. Blassie would gain even more gold when Volkoff and Sheik defeated The US Express for the WWF Tag Team Championship at the first ever Wrestlemania. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. Comedian Andy Kaufman & professional wrestler Classy Freddie Blassie eat breakfast & discuss life. 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. You can watch him on Autopsy: The Last Hours of on Reelz in the United States and Channel 5 in Great Britain. 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. Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. 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). Freddie Blassie decided to stop being a fixture of wrestling in 1986 but was no stranger to making the odd guest appearance. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. 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. Originally from Chicago, he has called London home since 2008. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. 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. switched to professional wrestling. Lanny would state that Jerry Graham "had no business living the last 15 years of his life" due to his drinking problems. 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. 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. My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. September 30, 1968 - June 2, 2003 (his death), Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. Some of the guys were businessmen, some were political types, and some others Im sure were mobsters. (bad guys) got better pay. *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! 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. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on theWWE NetworkandPeacock. Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.. 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". He kept track of all of his matches during his career, including personal anecdotes. [11], On June 12, 1961, Blassie defeated the "Flying Frenchman" douard Carpentier in a best-of-three-falls match for his first WWA World Heavyweight Championship. As much as governing body politics held back minorities, the wrestlers themselves had even more power. Hell, the article is entitled "Freddie Blassie - The Truth (and Somewhere In-Between)" for crying out loud. 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. "The Fashion Plate of Wrestling" Freddie Blassie calls his interviewer and the fans "pencil neck geeks" and shows why he will always be remembered as one of the greatest managers in WWE history. 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. 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. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). In the summer of 1986, Blassie started to slowly phase himself out of the WWF and into retirement. ", "Heres some money," Blassie would say. Blassie claims that he made Regis Philbin into the celebrity he is today. 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. A child of two German immigrants, Freddie Blassie was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918. 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.