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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. He married his first wife Nettie Needles while on shore leave during the war. 500,000+ HD Wallpapers & Freddie Blassie Wallpaper 100% Free to Use High Quality Wallpapers Personalise for all Screen & Devices. Freddie Blassie, the silver-maned . He bleached his hair and quickly became a comes a time when every man must fight for that he believes in. In the early 1970s, Blassie "turned face", or became a good guy, since so many fans were cheering his famous antics. 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. With Andy Kaufman, Freddie Blassie, Laurie Burton, Linda Hirsch. ", "Heres some money," Blassie would say. his service in the United States Navy during World War II. 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. Of course, these mobsters thought he was putting them down for real. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? [7], After the US entered World War II, Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months. Stats: 6' 0" 220 lbs. After managing Sheik through a brief feud with Andre the Giant, he also became the manager of Nikolai Volkoff, with Sheik and Volkoff later becoming a tag team. Professional wrestler Freddie Blassie, who became a cult figure for fans by playing the villain inside the ring during the 1950s and 1960s, has died. Funeral services will be held at noon Friday at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church in Scarsdale, N.Y. Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. 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"). 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. Bruno had gotten so famous that he couldnt always pick the boneheads from the rest. A child of two German immigrants, Freddie Blassie was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918. 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. His father was an abusive alcoholic, prompting Frederick to stay with his grandparents whenever Jacob beat Anna. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. 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. Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. I think Dick Lane was as good as Gordon Solie in his day. 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. 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). [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. 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. When he asked for her parents' blessing, they were hesitant because of his reputation with Rikidzan and because he was 28 years older than she. You hit a guy in the neck. Linda's dual role (as director and actress) was scripted as an irritating fan who requests Andy's autograph after he washes his hands. 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. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans. It made Japanese wrestling a commodity on the West Coast and had given Rikidozan the credibility of conquering America. Also featured is Bob Zmuda, who plays a nosy fan. Take Linda McMahon, for instance. 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 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. [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. He triggered heart attack-related deaths in Japan, was stabbed by angry fans 21 times and was once doused with acid! Freddie had been estranged from his children for the majority of their lives. Lanny was only 12 or 13-years-old at the time. [7] Later, he received regular work wrestling at local carnivals. RELATED: 10 All-Time Greats You Forgot Had Managers. Blassie would turn heel during this period, developing a lot of the characteristics that hed become known for. Lynne Margulies, who would later become Kaufman's girlfriend, plays a role; in fact, she and Kaufman met for the first time on camera. 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. [6] His cousin John Frank Holaus often refereed his matches. 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. 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. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. [4] In 1998, Blassie was the winner at the fourth annual Cauliflower Alley Club East Coast Banquet. Some wrestlers choose to play a villain as a way of promoting their career, while others are forced to by their promoters. 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. In that storyline, he is menaced by Eric Bischoff and his henchmen, before calling on the Dudley Brothers to "Get the tables!" Before The Client List is an extension of our ongoing series, Before They Were Famous, which looks at wrestlers before they became internationally famous. 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.". 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 His matches with Freddie Blassie were legendary. He achieved the rank of Petty Officer (Second Class) before he was discharged. He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. Managed by "Loud", Countless World Wrestling Federation TV and Pay Per View Ads. Linda Lautrec and Andy Kaufman loosely scripted the film over several months late at night on the telephone. 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. He won the World Wrestling Association world heavyweight championship from the Frenchman douard Carpentier at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1961. A nice man, with a lovely wife and it was great having him there to cut a wonderful promo during my show. for the WWF. It is a mostly improvised parody of the art film My Dinner with Andre and is set in a Sambo's restaurant where Kaufman and Blassie have a discussion over breakfast. If they refused to drop a title, it didnt matter what the bookers thought. , money, salary, income, and assets. In the 1970s, Blassie recorded a number of novelty songs, including Pencil Neck Geek, which became a cult favorite via Dr. Dementos radio show, which specializes in sharing wacky tracks. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. 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. 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." Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. 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. Inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. After the war, Blassie returned to the Midwest and continued wrestling professionally. In 1964, Dick the Bruiser defeated Blassie to become champion, and Blassie headed east to work for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. "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. Blassie, Murray wrote, has dedicated his life to wrapping up as much hate as one man can safely carry in a lifetime. For a brief period of time after World War Two, he was billed as "Sailor" Freddie Blassie in matches, a gimmick that did not prove successful. This story has been shared 104,709 times. 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. After Blassie lost the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rikidzan in Los Angeles, the two had a rematch on live Japanese television. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. 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. 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. Miyako Blassie, 68, says in court papers that she was shopping for groceries when she tripped near the entrance to a Pathmark in Westchester. And more wrestling fans definite need to know about the. It was not until he moved to the West Coast that fans began supporting him. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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After four decades, trainer Ed Moger gets his first Triple Crown starter, An exclusive look at details of Chip Kellys two-year contract extension from UCLA, His shoe game is pretty tight. Why Dodgers hope Miguel Rojas play matches his swag, Rats in the laundry? After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he [8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. [9], In 1968, Blassie returned to Japan and was reunited with Miyako. [8] He teamed with Billy McDaniel as the McDaniel Brothers, but when they went east, they were known as the Blassie Brothers. My Breakfast with Blassie was conceived of by Linda Lautrec and Johnny Legend as a satire on My Dinner with Andre. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie. 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. While there, he feuded with Soulman Rocky Johnson, The Sheik, and "The Golden Greek" John Tolos. [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. He was popular in Japan as well. [9] During this stint with the company, Blassie was managed by his future nemesis, "Captain" Lou Albano.[3]. Blassie also resented "Superstar" Billy Graham, at first, due to his association with Dr. Jerry Graham, who in kayfabe was Billys older brother. "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. 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. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. [8] The fans consistently booed him because he was considered a "Yankee". [8] His death was announced by Jim Ross, 20 minutes into that same day's episode of Raw. 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. Hed also regularly tag with Gorilla Monsoon, another wrestler better known for his non-wrestling roles. [3], In 1953, he worked in the Atlanta, territory for Paul Jones (the wrestler of the 1930s, not the wrestler/manager of the 1980s). 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. [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. As a result he has wrought something of a revolution in the unmanly art of exhibition wrestling.. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. 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. Blassie. His first public wrestling match was a shoot fight which he accepted hoping to impress a girl he brought to the show. 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 story has been shared 143,593 times.