[8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. [22][2] Rose Marie's character Sally Rogers brought him on at the end of the episode claiming to have discovered another new dance sensation. Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie." The Life and Times of Classy Freddie Blassie Quiz 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 . Freddie Blassie managed many heels to success, including the team of The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff, who would win the World Tag Team Titles from US Express thanks to Blassies delivering a strategic shot with his cane. [20] Because of this, Blassie is one of, if not the only man to have worked with all four generations of the McMahon family. [22], Filmed in 1982, My Breakfast with Blassie featured Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie eating at a Sambo's in Los Angeles. 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. RELATED: 10 Managers With The Best Claim To Be On A Wrestling Mount Rushmore. 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. "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. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. [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. [21] His book, Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks, was released on May 13, 2003. 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!". After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986. Hed also regularly tag with Gorilla Monsoon, another wrestler better known for his non-wrestling roles. ", "Heres some money," Blassie would say. According to Greenberg, Gorgeous George, towards the end of his career, wanted to form a tag team with Blassie. [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. Blassie would show Greenberg dozens of notebooks with "beautiful cursive handwriting." 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. He did an advice segment on the Tuesday Night Titans TV program, made personal appearances and did radio interviews. When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". [7] When Philbin had a late-night weekend talk show in San Diego, Blassie would routinely show up to yell at the audience, throw furniture, and threaten Philbin; the confrontations were wholly kayfabe and both of them were friends when the cameras weren't rolling. 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. In order to impress a girl, he entered a carnival show match in a shoot fight and won. Still claiming to be the West Coast Champion, entered into a feud with Bruno Sammartino to unify the titles. 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). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. [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. Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. 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. [2] He sporadically returned to make brief appearances following his retirement in 1986, mostly in produced video packages hyping the "new generation" of wrestling. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Despite that, Blassie ended the year by leaving WWWF and returning to Los Angeles and the WWA. 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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. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he On top of that, hed take on English legend Billy Robinson, WWE Champion Superstar Billy Graham, and legendary masked heel wrestler Destroyer. [3], In 1964, Blassie feuded with Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). 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. Download 100+ Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Images & 500,000+ Wallpapers for Free. When Gene Okerlund confronted Blassie in an interview after the match, Blassie said, "what cane, I didn't have no cane!". Blassie unsuccessfully campaigned along with the other managers to manage "Macho Man" Randy Savage when Savage first entered the WWF in June 1985. Poffo, at first, played it small and declined. Freddie Blassie, 85, died of heart failure on June 2, 2003. Vampire". By the mid-1970s, Freddie Blassie was in his 50s and began to settle into a role as a manager in WWE, though he would still occasionally wrestle a match. Blassie held various regional titles, Walton said, including the WWA World Title on five separate occasions, the Americas Heavyweight Title nine times and tag team belts with various partners over the years. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. [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. The series began at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, with Blassie winning on a technicality, but not a pin. Freddie Blassie - Wikipedia Lanny would state that Jerry Graham "had no business living the last 15 years of his life" due to his drinking problems. 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). 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). Before The Client List: "Classy" Freddie Blassie - Last Word on Pro [6] In later years, Blassie also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when Philbin was a guest host. Many of the viewers were horrified by Blassie's treatment of their hero. G&K did not respond to calls for comment. "CLASSY" FRED BLASSIE on Twitter: "Your trad wife, sir. https://t.co Blassie got involved when he threw his cane into the ring, with Sheik and Volkoff using it to their advantage to gain the victory. Anyone can read what you share. His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. [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. [24], In the early 1990s, the wrestler starred in a documentary directed by Jeff Krulik, titled Mr. Blassie Goes To Washington. 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. His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September 1968 - 2 June 2003) ( his death), ? @megantheevalium. [3], One of Blassie's most famous proteges was The Iron Sheik. [20] Images from his WrestleMania XV promo were also included in the opening of the 2001 Survivor Series. 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. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). . Zach Eflin And Wife On Yacht Wallpaper. [8] He teamed with Billy McDaniel as the McDaniel Brothers, but when they went east, they were known as the Blassie Brothers. Now is Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. Managed by "Loud", Countless World Wrestling Federation TV and Pay Per View Ads. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. 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.. The Legends of Wrestling - "Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil 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. 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. 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. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Deiveson Figueiredo Tattoo Wallpaper. Linda's dual role (as director and actress) was scripted as an irritating fan who requests Andy's autograph after he washes his hands. Frederick Kenneth Blassie (Classy Freddy Blassie, The Vampire, Sailor Fred Blassie, The Hollywood Fashion Plate, The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling), Miyako Morozumi (30 September1968 - 2 June2003)( his death), ? Blassie 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. After regaining the WWA Championship from Rikidzan on July 25, 1962, Blassie lost the title two days later to the "Masked Destroyer" Dick Beyer. He would become a frequent foe of Morales throughout the rest of his in-ring career in WWWF. After the war, he continued to wrestle professionally in the Midwest. 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. "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. "Bruno always had a huge entourage hanging around him," Greenberg wrote in "Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling. is 6'(1.83m) . 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 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. [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. One of the 100 Greatest Wrestlers of the 20th Century (Inside Wrestling Presents, Summer 2000). We've received your submission. He started a second career as a manager in the WWWF. 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. 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. )[8] The movies title and premise are parodies of the 1981 art-house classic My Dinner with Andre.[23]. egomaniac then known as Cassius Clay. He was 85. His parents repeatedly separated, only to reconcile. Greenbergs memoir on Freddie Blassie was released just three weeks before he died in 2003. Gross tubs? Accounts about his early athletic career do not quite agree, but he 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. [9] The sight of the Japanese legend covered in his own blood gave several viewers heart attacks, and some reportedly died. Following a stint in the California wrestling scene, Freddie Blassie headed southeast to the Georgia territories in the 1950s, where he would enjoy a whopping 17 reigns with the big title of the region, the NWA Georgia Southern Heavyweight Championship between 1954 and 1960. His first public wrestling match was a shoot fight which he accepted hoping to impress a girl he brought to the show. Replying to. 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. Real Name: Fred Blassie. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. 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. Since his retirement, he has occasionally worked as a "goodwill ambassador" (!) During these runs, hed take part in a couple of title feuds for the WWE Championship, challenging Bruno Sammartino in the 1960s and Pedro Morales in the 1970s, not to mention coming after Bobo Brazils US Heavyweight Title. As a German descent American, he was often faced with questions of loyalty, despite marrying a Jewish woman. [6] One of his most famous feuds took place in southern California in 1971, against Tolos. Worldwide star. Why FREDDIE BLASSIE Was So Great f/ WRESTLINGBIOS - YouTube DAVE KNOWS that Classy Freddie Blassie is a Pro Wrestling legend. One of Blassie's gimmicks was to file his teeth, and draw blood from his opponents by biting their foreheads. 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. In January 1962, Blassie and Mr. Moto defeated Hans Hermann and Jesus Ortega for the California version of the WWA International TV Tag Team title. Feb 27. 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. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. Freddie Blassie retired as an active wrestler in 1974 in part because of the difficulty of securing a wrestling license . Blassie came into the WWWF with his own world title belt, claiming to be the Pacific World Champion, and was coming to Sammartino's "back yard" to unify the world title. 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. 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. [6] The final match of their series took place in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and set new California records for both attendance and gate. He finally defeated Rikidozan and won back his title at a WWA event in Los Angeles but it had served his purpose. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". After the war, Blassie returned to the Midwest and continued wrestling professionally. 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. She . Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. 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)). Also learn how He earned most of Freddie Blassie networth? One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. 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. (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. Despite being a 7-year pro before his duty in World War II, Blassie was still a journeyman. (and of course, Bubba Ray and D-Von take care of Bischoff and his cronies). 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. 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)). You can watch him on Autopsy: The Last Hours of on Reelz in the United States and Channel 5 in Great Britain. He bleached his hair and quickly became a 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. He triggered heart attack-related deaths in Japan, was stabbed by angry fans 21 times and was once doused with acid! Towards the end of Freddie Blassies life, he began to realize that it all may be coming to an end soon. Freddie Blassie decided to stop being a fixture of wrestling in 1986 but was no stranger to making the odd guest appearance. He began wrestling professionally in 1935 and it was soon after that he came up with his famous pencil neck geek insult. 500,000+ HD Wallpapers & Freddie Blassie Wallpaper 100% Free to Use High Quality Wallpapers Personalise for all Screen & Devices. 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. "Everything had to be the best with him," Miyako told WWE.com. He was 85. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 85 years old group. [3], In 1952, Blassie moved to Los Angeles to work for Jules Strongbow. He won the World Wrestling Association world heavyweight championship from the Frenchman douard Carpentier at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1961. . 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. 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. In addition to his pro wrestling notoriety, Classy Freddie Blassie also has some amusing notability in wider pop culture. 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).
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