The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. "Typical Italian stunt! [3], In 1952, Blassie moved to Los Angeles to work for Jules Strongbow. *The 100 deaths claim was an exaggerated myth that Blassie used. With Andy Kaufman, Freddie Blassie, Laurie Burton, Linda Hirsch. 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. 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. One of Blassie's gimmicks was to file his teeth, and draw blood from his opponents by biting their foreheads. .
One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United However, sadly, Freddie passed away before he could ever speak to his son again. 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. [3], Upon Blassie's return from the war, he was billed as "Sailor" Fred Blassie to capitalize on the wave of war-time patriotism sweeping the country, but that gimmick was unsuccessful. He started a second career as a manager in the WWWF. [16] In 1999, he was shown making the opening narration of WrestleMania XV. He graduated from McKinley High School and began work at a meatpacking plant. Blassie retired from wrestling in 1986, turning over his stable of heels to another manager called Slick. I think Dick Lane was as good as Gordon Solie in his day. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. He briefly turned face in 1989, making an appearance on Prime Time Wrestling angry with Bobby Heenan over money Heenan hadn't paid him back. 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. Even more important than that, Blassie would make a change that would make him an icon. Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked.
Freddie Blassie | WWE Lynne Margulies, who would later become Kaufman's girlfriend, plays a role; in fact, she and Kaufman met for the first time on camera. On top of that, hed take on English legend Billy Robinson, WWE Champion Superstar Billy Graham, and legendary masked heel wrestler Destroyer. 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. So when I saw this book I had to get it and read it. He achieved the rank of Petty Officer (Second Class) before he was discharged. The "Shakespeare of WWE" made an appearance on our podcast The Genius Cast in 2018, and he certainly had a few good stories up his sleeves! The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans. [3], In 1953, he worked in the Atlanta, territory for Paul Jones (the wrestler of the 1930s, not the wrestler/manager of the 1980s). 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. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. "That's why he was 'Classy' Freddie Blassie." In 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. 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. When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". He hated his father for it.
Freddie Blassie, Pro Wrestler Popular as Villain, Dies at 85 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. his service in the United States Navy during World War II. 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. Linda Lautrec and Andy Kaufman loosely scripted the film over several months late at night on the telephone. 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. in their 1992 song about Kaufman, "Man on the Moon". Despite that, Blassie ended the year by leaving WWWF and returning to Los Angeles and the WWA. [8], In 1975, Blassie recorded voiceovers for the songs "Blassie, King of Men" and "Pencil Neck Geek", which were performed by Johnny Legend, featuring Billy Zoom on guitar, Jay Phillips on guitar, Lon Osgood on bass and Steve Clark on drums.
The Life and Times of Classy Freddie Blassie Quiz Some wrestlers choose to play a villain as a way of promoting their career, while others are forced to by their promoters.
The Dudleyz get the tables with "Classy" Freddie Blassie's help: Raw A child of two German immigrants, Freddie Blassie was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918. 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. He also reportedly excelled as a boxer.
Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Let me take care of him in the ring.". Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. 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. Blassie got involved when he threw his cane into the ring, with Sheik and Volkoff using it to their advantage to gain the victory. In the 1950s, Fred Blassie was hands down the most hated wrestler in the southeastern territory.
Why FREDDIE BLASSIE Was So Great f/ WRESTLINGBIOS - YouTube His matches with Freddie Blassie were legendary. The two spoke the same dialect of German, their parents had mutual friends, and . For example, in the 1970s, he took on Cowboy Bill Watts, whod become a promoter and booker for Mid-South Wrestling and WCW. [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. 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. Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! Blassie later challenged Morales for the WWWF Championship, but came up short. 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. Freddie Blassie retired as an active wrestler in 1974 in part because of the difficulty of securing a wrestling license . [24], In the early 1990s, the wrestler starred in a documentary directed by Jeff Krulik, titled Mr. Blassie Goes To Washington. As a result, fans may be aware of Classy Freddie Blassie for his appearances during WWEs Golden Era and beyond but that only scratches the surface of his career. Freddie Blassie decided to stop being a fixture of wrestling in 1986 but was no stranger to making the odd guest appearance.
Classy Freddie Blassie was pro wrestling's 'Fashion Plate' 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 even managed Muhammad Ali going into his legendary match with Antonio Inoki. 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. 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." 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. In addition to his pro wrestling notoriety, Classy Freddie Blassie also has some amusing notability in wider pop culture. 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. [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. 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. Blassie also mastered the television interview, boasting his superiority over other wrestlers he liked to call ''pencil-neck geeks.'' Hed also regularly tag with Gorilla Monsoon, another wrestler better known for his non-wrestling roles. book. [21] His book, Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks, was released on May 13, 2003. [13][6][dubious discuss], While touring Japan in 1965, and by this point divorced, Blassie met the woman who would eventually become his third wife, Miyako Morozumi, at a train station. 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. 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. "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. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. "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. "Classy" Freddie Blassie appeared in a live-action segment of the cartoon "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling." [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986.
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. 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. Born Fred Blassman in St. Louis, Blassie played baseball and football in high school. In that storyline, he is menaced by Eric Bischoff and his henchmen, before calling on the Dudley Brothers to "Get the tables!"
My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie.[1]. [8] He teamed with Billy McDaniel as the McDaniel Brothers, but when they went east, they were known as the Blassie Brothers. [7], After the US entered World War II, Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. [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 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, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. 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). [3] Blassie, Lou Albano, and The Grand Wizard were named "The Three Wise Men of the East", as the top three heel managers in the company. 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. 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. [22] In the demonstration of the dance, Blassie picked up Rob Petrie and twirled him over his head. 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!". Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". Born: 1921. A nice man, with a lovely wife and it was great having him there to cut a wonderful promo during my show. In it, Blassie is picked up at the Washington, D.C., airport by a limo full of young women, escorted around the nation's capital, gives his opinions and confronts tourists. Many of the viewers were horrified by Blassie's treatment of their hero.
WWE Confidential: The life and times of "Classy" Freddie Blassie [8] His death was announced by Jim Ross, 20 minutes into that same day's episode of Raw. Sportswriter Jim Murray called him the worst villain since Hitler in a 1961 column in The Times. wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" This story has been shared 104,709 times. Also learn how He earned most of Freddie Blassie networth? [3] Blassie also publicly represented Ali for media events and interviews for a period in the mid-1970s. He was 85.
"Classy" Freddie Blassie WWE Hall of Fame Induction Speech [1994] Of course, these mobsters thought he was putting them down for real. However, he became increasingly interested in wrestling.
Freddie Blassie, 85; Became a Cult Figure in Professional Wrestling by 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. When Gene Okerlund confronted Blassie in an interview after the match, Blassie said, "what cane, I didn't have no cane!". [8] The fans consistently booed him because he was considered a "Yankee". RELATED: 10 Managers With The Best Claim To Be On A Wrestling Mount Rushmore. [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Blassie. His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September 1968 - 2 June 2003) ( his death), ? "Bruno always had a huge entourage hanging around him," Greenberg wrote in "Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling.
After a move to the West Coast, he tried a different promotional scheme -- that of a villain. 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. During this time, he went to New York City to work for promoter Jess McMahon.
Before The Client List: "Classy" Freddie Blassie - Last Word on Pro [4] States. Im not implying that Bruno would ever have any dealings with the mafia on his own. His first public wrestling match was a shoot fight which he accepted hoping to impress a girl he brought to the show. @megantheevalium. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). Blassie did not just fade away after he left the ring. ", Bruno kayfabed him. [spoken to the WWF wrestlers during Invasion 2001] Gentleman, there [18][19] Blassie also appeared in the SummerSlam opening video. Blassie continued to manage Sheik and Volkoff even after they lost the tag team titles. 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.
'The Destroyer' Dick Beyer story archive | Slam Wrestling 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. 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. Fred Blassie had a shocking heel turn during his stint in Georgia, which led to him becoming an extremely hated wrestler! One of the 100 Greatest Wrestlers of the 20th Century (Inside Wrestling Presents, Summer 2000).
Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff *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! Lanny approached Blassie, who always had three girls with him, saying he "needed some relief. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. After the war, Blassie returned to the Midwest and continued wrestling professionally. Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. 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. He was 85.Mr. Some of the guys were businessmen, some were political types, and some others Im sure were mobsters.
Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Downloads, [100+] Freddie Blassie Freddie Blassie - IMDb 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. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. [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. Miyako Blassie, 68, says in court papers that she was shopping for groceries when she tripped near the entrance to a Pathmark in Westchester. He delivered a rousing speech, dramatically standing up from his wheelchair to get the WWE-loyal wrestlers pumped up for the next battle. 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. were too short. And more wrestling fans definite need to know about the. Real Name: Fred Blassie. In this match Hogan was once again victorious.
Freddie Blassie | Pro Wrestling | Fandom 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.. . He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. The film My Breakfast With Blassie, which came out in 1983, was a spoof of My Dinner With Andre. The camera followed Blassie and Kaufman as they ate and discussed life at a local restaurant that looked like a Dennys. [21] His final words on WWE television were "D-Von, get the table! 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. [6] Blassie lost the title to Rikidzan on March 28, 1962.[9]. 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. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. Freddie Blassie's net worth In the segment he is interviewed by "Mean" Gene Okerlund when the two are interrupted by a little old lady in a housekeeper outfit that Blassie claims to be his own mother.