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. Federation (WWWF, later the World Wresting Federation (WWF) and now [22] In the demonstration of the dance, Blassie picked up Rob Petrie and twirled him over his head. Feb 27. 10 Things Fans Should Know About Classy Freddie Blassie, 10 Managers With The Best Claim To Be On A Wrestling Mount Rushmore, 10 Performers Who Were Great As Both A Wrestler & Manager, 10 All-Time Greats You Forgot Had Managers. Wrestler's widow goes to the mat - New York Post . The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The 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. 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. 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 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. "Classy" Freddie Blassie WWE Hall of Fame Induction Speech [1994]June 9, 1994 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.). (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). 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). 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. . 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. 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. 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! As time goes on, many older wrestlers begin to fade out of the collective memory of wrestling, especially if their primary in-ring work happened before WWE began its takeover of the sport in the 1980s. Many people close to him actually had no idea that he had children in the first place. Freddie Blassie's net worth 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. 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 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. [6] Afterwards he became a manager in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) and its subsequent incarnation the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Keith Elliot Greenberg has been doing his part to preserve professional wrestling history for the past few decades. His career began in earnest after his service in the United States Navy during World War II. "Classy" Freddie Blassie appeared in a live-action segment of the cartoon "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling." Freddie Blassie Wrestlers Database CAGEMATCH - The Internet Classy car for a class act | WWE His ex-manager would turn out to be an enemy, representing The Iron Sheik in the match where Hulk Hogan won the WWE Championship and held it for a shade over four years. A child of two German immigrants, Freddie Blassie was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918. 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. 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. [7] Later, he received regular work wrestling at local carnivals. He did an advice segment on the Tuesday Night Titans TV program, made personal appearances and did radio interviews. 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. [9] The sight of the Japanese legend covered in his own blood gave several viewers heart attacks, and some reportedly died. [8], Blassie appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show that featured a new dance craze called The Twizzle. Hed also regularly tag with Gorilla Monsoon, another wrestler better known for his non-wrestling roles. In the 1950s, Fred Blassie was hands down the most hated wrestler in the southeastern territory. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. )[8] The movies title and premise are parodies of the 1981 art-house classic My Dinner with Andre.[23]. In that storyline, he is menaced by Eric Bischoff and his henchmen, before calling on the Dudley Brothers to "Get the tables!" [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. 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 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. 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)). [18][19] Blassie also appeared in the SummerSlam opening video. [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. [10] He had main event-level feuds against stars such as The Destroyer. Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. 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". "That's why he was 'Classy' Freddie Blassie." Lanny would state that Jerry Graham "had no business living the last 15 years of his life" due to his drinking problems. While there, he feuded with Soulman Rocky Johnson, The Sheik, and "The Golden Greek" John Tolos. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. One of the 100 Greatest Wrestlers of the 20th Century (Inside Wrestling Presents, Summer 2000). [20] Because of this, Blassie is one of, if not the only man to have worked with all four generations of the McMahon family. 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. Miyako Blassie, 68, says in court papers that she was shopping for groceries. He was 85. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. 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. During this time, he went to New York City to work for promoter Jess McMahon. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans. 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. 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." His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. for the WWF. Blassie later challenged Morales for the WWWF Championship, but came up short. Blassie would show Greenberg dozens of notebooks with "beautiful cursive handwriting." Why FREDDIE BLASSIE Was So Great f/ WRESTLINGBIOS - YouTube DAVE KNOWS that Classy Freddie Blassie is a Pro Wrestling legend. According to Walton, Blassies biggest achievement came Aug. 27, 1971, when he met and defeated Canadian wrestler Golden Greek John Tolos at the Coliseum before 25,000 wrestling fans. 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). "Everything had to be the best with him," Miyako told WWE.com. 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. However, sadly, Freddie passed away before he could ever speak to his son again. [4] In 1998, Blassie was the winner at the fourth annual Cauliflower Alley Club East Coast Banquet. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). "Bruno always had a huge entourage hanging around him," Greenberg wrote in "Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling. Blassie continued to interfere from ringside in matches, especially during Volkoff's feud with Corporal Kirchner. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie.[1]. [6] Blassie lost the title to Rikidzan on March 28, 1962.[9]. *The 100 deaths claim was an exaggerated myth that Blassie used. 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. [8] His final wrestling appearance was May 12, 2003 in Philadelphia on Raw, three weeks before his death. 1 One of the great legends of pro wrestling albeit one whose in-ring career predated the 1980s Golden Era wrestling boom Classy Freddie Blassie was a successful heel who wrestled all over. 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. * 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! Most recently, he co-authored the 2016 edition of the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. Freddie Blassie - Biography - IMDb "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. 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. [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. Freddie Blassie. Freddie Blassie, 85; Became a Cult Figure in Professional Wrestling by Freddie Blassie retired as an active wrestler in 1974 in part because of the difficulty of securing a wrestling license . This film article about a 1980s comedy is a stub. After the war, Blassie returned to the Midwest and continued wrestling professionally. . By doing this, he saved Freddie Blassies life. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. 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. Born Fred Blassman in St. Louis, Blassie played baseball and football in high school. I think Dick Lane was as good as Gordon Solie in his day. [3][23] (The film was referenced by American rock band R.E.M. 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. Even more important than that, Blassie would make a change that would make him an icon. him a favorite of talk shows and reportedly influencing a fellow The Legends of Wrestling - "Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say, New era of football begins at Mater Dei under coach Frank McManus. [21] His book, Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks, was released on May 13, 2003. 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. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. 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. Of course, these mobsters thought he was putting them down for real. If they refused to drop a title, it didnt matter what the bookers thought. Blassie, who became a cult figure outside the ring and starred with comedian Andy Kaufman in My Breakfast With Blassie, died of heart failure June 2 in Hartsdale, N.Y., according to Jeff Walton, a onetime wrestling publicist in Los Angeles who knew Blassie well. Ironically, during his WWWF stint, he was managed by another former wrestler who had recently become a manager, in the form of Captain Lou Albano. Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. Also featured is Bob Zmuda, who plays a nosy fan. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. Freddie Blassie - IMDb 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. For example, in the 1970s, he took on Cowboy Bill Watts, whod become a promoter and booker for Mid-South Wrestling and WCW. After regaining the WWA Championship from Rikidzan on July 25, 1962, Blassie lost the title two days later to the "Masked Destroyer" Dick Beyer. Bruno had gotten so famous that he couldnt always pick the boneheads from the rest. 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. In 1950, he had his first challenge for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, facing championLou Theszin Kentucky. Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". ", to a monstrous applause. He is from USA. 3 Saving Freddie Blassie Thanks To Kayfabe. The Legends of Wrestling - "Classy" Freddie Blassie 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). In the early 1970s, Blassie "turned face", or became a good guy, since so many fans were cheering his famous antics. Real Name: Fred Blassie. 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. 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. [7], After the US entered World War II, Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months. "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. 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. 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). 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. After the war, he continued to wrestle professionally in the Midwest. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 8 February. [12], In 1962, Blassie had a feud with Japanese wrestling icon Rikidzan that established his reputation in Japan. Blassies father was a heavy alcoholic and was abusive towards his beloved mother. Hell, the article is entitled "Freddie Blassie - The Truth (and Somewhere In-Between)" for crying out loud. His career began in earnest after As a result he has wrought something of a revolution in the unmanly art of exhibition wrestling.. The Life and Times of Classy Freddie Blassie Quiz Those colorful interviews helped make him a celebrity in the newly expanding medium of television. [4] He is regarded as one of the greatest wrestling heels, or villains, of all time. He felt this was his chance to tell his life story before moving on. His parents repeatedly separated, only to reconcile. 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. The widow of pro-wrestling villain "Classy" Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. [8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. National Merit Scholarship Finalists 2021 List, Rachel Pritzker Md Husband, Forsythia Vs Honeysuckle, Articles F
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