(Use code PWS for a nice surprise). He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. That year, Blassie was forced to retire from in-ring competition, as a California by-law forbade wrestling licenses for anyone upon reaching 55 years old. 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.
'The Destroyer' Dick Beyer story archive | Slam Wrestling In the summer of 1986, Blassie started to slowly phase himself out of the WWF and into retirement. After the war, Blassie returned to the Midwest and continued wrestling professionally. [6] On July 7, Blassie successfully defended his title against the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz. 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. [8] His death was announced by Jim Ross, 20 minutes into that same day's episode of Raw. Because of his close relationship with Vince McMahon, Sr. and his family, Blassie remained on the WWF payroll until the day he died. 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 began wrestling professionally in 1935 and it was soon after that he came up with his famous pencil neck geek insult. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. In the early 1970s, Blassie "turned face", or became a good guy, since so many fans were cheering his famous antics.
Freddie Blassie - Wikipedia He married his first wife Nettie Needles while on shore leave during the war. 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. Born: 1921. in their 1992 song about Kaufman, "Man on the Moon". "That's why he was 'Classy' Freddie Blassie." His father was an abusive alcoholic, prompting Frederick to stay with his grandparents whenever Jacob beat Anna. "No. With Andy Kaufman, Freddie Blassie, Laurie Burton, Linda Hirsch.
My Breakfast with Blassie - Wikipedia "CLASSY" FRED BLASSIE on Twitter: "Your trad wife, sir. https://t.co [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. Blassie also was seen with the comedian Andy Kaufman in ''My Breakfast With Blassie,'' a 1983 spoof of ''My Dinner With Andre.''. 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 You hit a guy in the neck. 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. Freddie accomplished that goal and did so in grand style, as only he could. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. 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 retired from competition in the late 1970s to manage a new generation of gladiators such as Hulk Hogan. Patrick Stewart In A Checkered Coat Wallpaper. 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. 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. Despite Blassie not actually holding any titles to unify, his feud with Sammartino saw Bruno become a national hero, but in the process, Blassie became lifelong friends with another WWWF employee, Gorilla Monsoon. Miyako Blassie, 68, says in court papers that she was shopping for groceries. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. [3], In 1952, Blassie moved to Los Angeles to work for Jules Strongbow. He heard Blassie say that and whipped out a gun saying, "Ill kill that sonuvabitch! 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. Hed also regularly tag with Gorilla Monsoon, another wrestler better known for his non-wrestling roles. It was not until he moved to the West Coast that fans began supporting him. [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. Recommended:10 Wrestling Book Must Reads and 5 You Dont Want To Waste Your Time On. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. But while his US in-ring career ended (while still working for WWWF), he remained employed by WWWF and became a manager instead. Who Is Freddie Blassie's Wife? 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. My wife joined Toastmasters International in October of last year. (1965 - 1968) ( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964) ( divorced) ( 3 children) Freddie Blassie Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. 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. Most recently, he co-authored the 2016 edition of the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. [3] As an adult, Frederick was a teetotaler. [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. [7], After the US entered World War II, Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 8 February. This movie got together because the man who produced wrestling manager and former wrestling champion Fred Blassie's novelty song, "Pencil-Neck Geek", Johnny Legend, wanted to film a very cheap parody of the awful art movie My Dinner with Andre, and decided that Blassie's young friend and protege, the eccentric comedian Andy Kaufman would be the . In order to impress a girl, he entered a carnival show match in a shoot fight and won. Blassie, Murray wrote, has dedicated his life to wrapping up as much hate as one man can safely carry in a lifetime. This story has been shared 104,709 times. [5], Blassie was born Frederick Kenneth Blassman in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1918. for the WWF.
10 Wrestlers Managed By Classy Freddie Blassie Fans Should Know About 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. 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.
The Life and Times of Classy Freddie Blassie Quiz He was 85. 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. 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. [8] Blassie also appeared in a segment at the Vengeance pay-per-view event in December 2001, where an "undisputed" champion would be crowned. Download 100+ Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Images & 500,000+ Wallpapers for Free. Blassie worked for the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, which presented him with its lifetime achievement award in 1996. 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. Greenberg would add that Jerry Grahams drinking issues may have been combined with mental illness. Let me take care of him in the ring.". the late 1960s, he moved to the East Coast and the World-Wide Wrestling 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. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. 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.
Freddie Blassie - Biography - IMDb Freddie Blassie | WWE [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986. his service in the United States Navy during World War II. His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September1968 - 2 June2003)( his death), ? Deiveson Figueiredo Tattoo Wallpaper. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans.
", Bruno kayfabed him. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. In that storyline, he is menaced by Eric Bischoff and his henchmen, before calling on the Dudley Brothers to "Get the tables!" 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". 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. 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!". Freddie had been estranged from his children for the majority of their lives. Accounts about his early athletic career do not quite agree, but he He was 85.Mr. 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. After a move to the West Coast, he tried a different promotional scheme -- that of a villain. switched to professional wrestling. Many people close to him actually had no idea that he had children in the first place. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. "Everything had to be the best with him," Miyako told WWE.com. Lanny would state that Jerry Graham "had no business living the last 15 years of his life" due to his drinking problems. Blassie died in Hartsdale, N.Y., Jeff Walton, a former wrestling publicist, told The Los Angeles Times. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Freddie Blassies income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. In 1976 he managed Muhammad Ali during his shoot match. Blassie, well-known for exaggerating a story or two, stated that when he was wrestling Rikidozan in Japan, 100 Japanese wrestling fans dropped dead of heart attacks because the matches were so gory. [8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. States. 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. [6] He also began boxing at a local community center and won a heavyweight championship title. Blassie's interference at Wrestlemania 2 cost Volkoff his match with Kirchner, when the cane was grabbed by Kirchner instead of Volkoff. Blassie also resented "Superstar" Billy Graham, at first, due to his association with Dr. Jerry Graham, who in kayfabe was Billys older brother. 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. 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. He was 85. The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. 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. County in crackdown on fraudulent benefit cards, UCLAs senior trio has persevered in restoring the Bruins to national prominence, UCLA stuns top-seeded Stanford in Pac-12 womens basketball tournament semifinals, Harvard-Westlakes Bryce Rainer fires out 92-mph fastballs in first start since 2021, Hes taken the next step: How Boogie Ellis found his game as USCs point guard, Even after Gavin Lux injury, Andrew Friedman hints at patient approach with roster, Elliott: After trading away Jonathan Quick, Kings make more deals ahead of trade deadline, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. Hogan would return in late 1983, turning face almost immediately after and thus separating from Freddie Blassie. Freddie Blassie's net worth The widow of pro-wrestling villain Classy Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. He delivered a rousing speech, dramatically standing up from his wheelchair to get the WWE-loyal wrestlers pumped up for the next battle. 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. 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. Recommended:The Time WWE Hall of Famer DR. JERRY GRAHAM Kidnapped His Mothers Dead Body. [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 felt this was his chance to tell his life story before moving on. Hed continue being a heel, managing a number of bad guys like George The Animal Steele, Hercules, and Blackjack Mulligan. 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. 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. Anyone can read what you share.
Freddie Blassie - IMDb He would become a frequent foe of Morales throughout the rest of his in-ring career in WWWF. [8] He teamed with Billy McDaniel as the McDaniel Brothers, but when they went east, they were known as the Blassie Brothers. 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. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. If they refused to drop a title, it didnt matter what the bookers thought. He triggered heart attack-related deaths in Japan, was stabbed by angry fans 21 times and was once doused with acid! We have estimated [3], Blassie's famous "pencil-neck geek" catchphrase originated early in his career while describing a fellow carnival performer who appeared in a geek show. Lanny approached Blassie, who always had three girls with him, saying he "needed some relief. 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. RELATED: 10 All-Time Greats You Forgot Had Managers. 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. Originally from Chicago, he has called London home since 2008. After the war, he continued to wrestle professionally in the Midwest. According to Greenberg, Gorgeous George, towards the end of his career, wanted to form a tag team with Blassie. One of Blassie's gimmicks was to file his teeth, and draw blood from his opponents by biting their foreheads. (and of course, Bubba Ray and D-Von take care of Bischoff and his cronies). 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.. Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Blassie would show Greenberg dozens of notebooks with "beautiful cursive handwriting."
Matches Freddie Blassie Wrestlers Database - CAGEMATCH Before The Client List is an extension of our ongoing series, Before They Were Famous, which looks at wrestlers before they became internationally famous. 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)). 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! *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! 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. One of the 100 Greatest Wrestlers of the 20th Century (Inside Wrestling Presents, Summer 2000). [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. ", "Heres some money," Blassie would say.
Freddie Blassie - The Truth (and Somewhere In-Between) [2][14] Blassie also managed Muhammad Ali in his boxer vs. wrestler match in 1976 against Antonio Inoki. 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. [6] One of his most famous feuds took place in southern California in 1971, against Tolos. 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. He claimed to file his teeth to draw blood from opponents, and among his nicknames was the Vampire. Fred Blassie had a shocking heel turn during his stint in Georgia, which led to him becoming an extremely hated wrestler! 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. He finally defeated Rikidozan and won back his title at a WWA event in Los Angeles but it had served his purpose.
"Classy" Freddie Blassie WWE Hall of Fame Induction Speech [1994] [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. , money, salary, income, and assets. "I want you to get four Orange Juliuses for me, the girls, and you.". 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] Images from his WrestleMania XV promo were also included in the opening of the 2001 Survivor Series. Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! 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. His first public wrestling match was a shoot fight which he accepted hoping to impress a girl he brought to the show. Lanny stated that though Freddie Blassie never knew how to save his money well, he always had enough since he was never a drinker and saved a lot of money in that regard. "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. 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.
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