freddie blassie wife freddie blassie wife

Greenberg would add that Jerry Grahams drinking issues may have been combined with mental illness. As a wrestling manager, wore shirts and trousers of the exact same color, sometimes with a matching jacket. Blassie retired from active wrestling in 1974, due to a California law that prohibited anyone over 55 from getting a wrestling license. In order to impress a girl, he entered a carnival show match in a shoot fight and won. Let me take care of him in the ring.". Blassie for the WWF. [8] The fans consistently booed him because he was considered a "Yankee". 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. Inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. Why FREDDIE BLASSIE Was So Great f/ WRESTLINGBIOS - YouTube DAVE KNOWS that Classy Freddie Blassie is a Pro Wrestling legend. 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. 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. Lynne Margulies, who would later become Kaufman's girlfriend, plays a role; in fact, she and Kaufman met for the first time on camera. [4] In 1998, Blassie was the winner at the fourth annual Cauliflower Alley Club East Coast Banquet. 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. ", to a monstrous applause. heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 85 years old group. 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. Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. [8] His death was announced by Jim Ross, 20 minutes into that same day's episode of Raw. And more wrestling fans definite need to know about the. the time, get up, stand up and fight. Blassie also wanted to clarify through his final memoir that he was an absentee father as he was on the road for most of his sons life growing up. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. [3] Blassie also publicly represented Ali for media events and interviews for a period in the mid-1970s. Recommended:The Time WWE Hall of Famer DR. JERRY GRAHAM Kidnapped His Mothers Dead Body. "Bruno always had a huge entourage hanging around him," Greenberg wrote in "Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling. 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. [3][23] (The film was referenced by American rock band R.E.M. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. 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 . He did an advice segment on the Tuesday Night Titans TV program, made personal appearances and did radio interviews. With Andy Kaufman, Freddie Blassie, Laurie Burton, Linda Hirsch. "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. were too short. is 6'(1.83m) . 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. Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". 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). He was feuding with a wrestler known as The Geek who had a neck like a stack of dimes, making him a literal pencil neck geek. Lanny would state that Jerry Graham "had no business living the last 15 years of his life" due to his drinking problems. This story has been shared 104,709 times. Some wrestlers choose to play a villain as a way of promoting their career, while others are forced to by their promoters. 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. [6] Blassie described this performer as "having a neck like a stack of dimes and a real pencil-neck geek". 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. Managed by "Loud", Countless World Wrestling Federation TV and Pay Per View Ads. However, he became increasingly interested in wrestling. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. [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. 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. 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. [2] He was given a commentary tryout in 1986 and 1987 for WWF Wrestling Challenge, calling a few matches with Gorilla Monsoon. 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. In 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. The two of them had a great relationship off-camera, but because kayfabe was well and truly protected during this time in the business unless you were on the inside, you never were to know that a heel and face got along in real life. The evocative turn of phrase stuck and became Blassies catchphrase to the point where it inspired the name of his autobiography and a novelty single (see below). Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. 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"). This film article about a 1980s comedy is a stub. He won the World Wrestling Association world heavyweight championship from the Frenchman douard Carpentier at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1961. He became less the focal point of WWA, and soon began working more NWA territories, as he spread his wings into enemy territory. Blassie retired from wrestling in 1986, turning over his stable of heels to another manager called Slick. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. "Classy" Freddie Blassie WWE Hall of Fame Induction Speech [1994]June 9, 1994 [17] In 2000, Blassie made an appearance at the Royal Rumble as a judge in the Miss Rumble 2000 Swimsuit contest, which was won by Mae Young. Recommended:10 Wrestling Book Must Reads and 5 You Dont Want To Waste Your Time On. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! [10] He was so hated there that uniformed police officers were regularly brought in to protect him as he made his way to and from the ring. [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. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. 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. Blassie would show Greenberg dozens of notebooks with "beautiful cursive handwriting." One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Frederick Kenneth Blassie (February 8, 1918 - June 2, 2003), better known as "Classy" Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestling villain and manager born in St. Louis, Missouri. Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! 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. 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. 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. Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff | WWE Born Fred Blassman in St. Louis, Blassie played baseball and football in high school. Blassie was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994 by Shane McMahon. Blassie got involved when he threw his cane into the ring, with Sheik and Volkoff using it to their advantage to gain the victory. It was not until he moved to the West Coast that fans began supporting him. Greenbergs memoir on Freddie Blassie was released just three weeks before he died in 2003. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. Blassie died of heart failure Monday 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. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. 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 [9], In 1968, Blassie returned to Japan and was reunited with Miyako. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. Of course, these mobsters thought he was putting them down for real. 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. 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. [8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. [20] Because of this, Blassie is one of, if not the only man to have worked with all four generations of the McMahon family. 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. ", Bruno kayfabed him. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Freddie Blassie, 85, died of heart failure on June 2, 2003. However, Blassie said he would toss his drink in the sand if he didnt drink it, so Lanny took the offer. )[8] The movies title and premise are parodies of the 1981 art-house classic My Dinner with Andre.[23]. Outside of being an award-winning television producer, the New York Times best-selling author began writing about professional wrestling for several newspapers and magazines in the 90s. Blassie was a contemporary of six-time NWA world champion Thesz, who died in 2002 at the age of 86. 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. His matches with Freddie Blassie were legendary. 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. his service in the United States Navy during World War II. 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. For Freddie Blassie, there was no question why he took on a villian's persona - he loved it. Discover Freddie Blassie's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Sportswriter Jim Murray called him the worst villain since Hitler in a 1961 column in The Times. While there, he feuded with Soulman Rocky Johnson, The Sheik, and "The Golden Greek" John Tolos. However, sadly, Freddie passed away before he could ever speak to his son again.