News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. 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. He was now hooked, and he decided that pro wrestling was his destiny and not his backbreaking work in the meatpacking plant. Hed adopt a bleach-blond look, start biting his opponents in the ring, and would often be seen filing down his teeth to better sink his teeth in his opponent. When Gene Okerlund confronted Blassie in an interview after the match, Blassie said, "what cane, I didn't have no cane!". His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. egomaniac then known as Cassius Clay. [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. [9][6], On June 2, 2003, Blassie died of heart and kidney failure at the age of 85. Still claiming to be the West Coast Champion, entered into a feud with Bruno Sammartino to unify the titles. He bleached his hair and quickly became a heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the book. [8] His final wrestling appearance was May 12, 2003 in Philadelphia on Raw, three weeks before his death. "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. In 1961, he defeated Eduoard Carpentier for the WWA World Heavyweight Championship, a title that held prominence in the pro-wrestling world, since WWA was an outlaw territory outside the realm of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). 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. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". [6] One of his most famous feuds took place in southern California in 1971, against Tolos. The defendants had a duty to provide reasonably safe conditions for its customers, the suit charges. He became less the focal point of WWA, and soon began working more NWA territories, as he spread his wings into enemy territory. Even more important than that, Blassie would make a change that would make him an icon. 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. is 6'(1.83m) . 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? 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. 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. Born: 1921. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 8 February. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. So, how much is Freddie Blassie worth at the age of 85 years old? 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. (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. Lanny approached Blassie, who always had three girls with him, saying he "needed some relief. Of course, these mobsters thought he was putting them down for real. 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. [21] His final words on WWE television were "D-Von, get the table! Blassie , money, salary, income, and assets. . Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie. [7], His career continued as he was hired by more established promoters, including Tom Packs in St. Louis and George Simpson in Kansas City. As much as governing body politics held back minorities, the wrestlers themselves had even more power. 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. heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the One of Blassie's gimmicks was to file his teeth, and draw blood from his opponents by biting their foreheads. He achieved the rank of Petty Officer (Second Class) before he was discharged. Inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. Tolos moved first to Vancouver, where he married his wife Ingrid in 1967 (they later divorced), then worked his way south until he reached Los Angeles. His father was an abusive alcoholic, prompting Frederick to stay with his grandparents whenever Jacob beat Anna. 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. On top of that, hed take on English legend Billy Robinson, WWE Champion Superstar Billy Graham, and legendary masked heel wrestler Destroyer. Frederick was an only child. 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. [2] He was given a commentary tryout in 1986 and 1987 for WWF Wrestling Challenge, calling a few matches with Gorilla Monsoon. 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. Freddie Blassie's net worth Sadly, the gimmick was a bomb, and Blassie jumped around territories, including working in New York City for Jess McMahon (grandfather of Vince McMahon Jr.). [16] In 1999, he was shown making the opening narration of WrestleMania XV. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. [6] Afterwards he became a manager in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) and its subsequent incarnation the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. Blassie died in Hartsdale, N.Y., Jeff Walton, a former wrestling publicist, told The Los Angeles Times. @megantheevalium. In 1950, he had his first challenge for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, facing championLou Theszin Kentucky. 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.. This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. [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. 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. So when I saw this book I had to get it and read it. Because of his close relationship with Vince McMahon, Sr. and his family, Blassie remained on the WWF payroll until the day he died. [20] Because of this, Blassie is one of, if not the only man to have worked with all four generations of the McMahon family. KyleEnjoysWrestling wrote on 30.07.2019: [ 9.0] "People mostly know Blassie for his manager roles, but he was also a pro in the ring. [8] His death was announced by Jim Ross, 20 minutes into that same day's episode of Raw. The widow of pro-wrestling villain "Classy" Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. [9], In 1968, Blassie returned to Japan and was reunited with Miyako. Blassie claims that he made Regis Philbin into the celebrity he is today. [22] In the demonstration of the dance, Blassie picked up Rob Petrie and twirled him over his head. 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. The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. 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). While there, he feuded with Soulman Rocky Johnson, The Sheik, and "The Golden Greek" John Tolos. in their 1992 song about Kaufman, "Man on the Moon". The Legends of Wrestling - "Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks (Wwe S) Paperback - February 1, 2004 by Keith Elliot Greenberg (Author) 115 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle $13.99 Read with Our Free App Hardcover $18.99 13 Used from $4.06 2 New from $38.98 1 Collectible from $15.00 Paperback In Now is [3] As an adult, Frederick was a teetotaler. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. But while his US in-ring career ended (while still working for WWWF), he remained employed by WWWF and became a manager instead. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. His ex-manager would turn out to be an enemy, representing The Iron Sheik in the match where Hulk Hogan won the WWE Championship and held it for a shade over four years. Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff | WWE Greenberg would add that Jerry Grahams drinking issues may have been combined with mental illness. He won the World Wrestling Association world heavyweight championship from the Frenchman douard Carpentier at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1961. He heard Blassie say that and whipped out a gun saying, "Ill kill that sonuvabitch! 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. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. 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.. Blassie, Murray wrote, has dedicated his life to wrapping up as much hate as one man can safely carry in a lifetime. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! Download 100+ Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Images & 500,000+ Wallpapers for Free. "No. 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 also told Greenberg that women used to come up to him on the street and gawk at him because he was God's gift to women! 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. 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. My Breakfast with Blassie was conceived of by Linda Lautrec and Johnny Legend as a satire on My Dinner with Andre. [6] Blassie described this performer as "having a neck like a stack of dimes and a real pencil-neck geek". He retired from competition in the late 1970s to manage a new generation of gladiators such as Hulk Hogan. His first public wrestling match was a shoot fight which he accepted hoping to impress a girl he brought to the show. Gross tubs? 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. 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. [3], Blassie returned to WWA in 1968 just as promoter Mike LeBell decided to rejoin the NWA. Take Linda McMahon, for instance. 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. During this time, he went to New York City to work for promoter Jess McMahon. 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. The series began at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, with Blassie winning on a technicality, but not a pin. That revolution -- making the villain the hero -- put fans in the seats and money in Blassies pocket. Hed also regularly tag with Gorilla Monsoon, another wrestler better known for his non-wrestling roles. . Keith Elliot Greenberg has been doing his part to preserve professional wrestling history for the past few decades. His first match with Blassie had actually. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Recommended:10 Wrestling Book Must Reads and 5 You Dont Want To Waste Your Time On. He worked for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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), ? 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. His career began in earnest after his service in the United States Navy during World War II. 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. 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. A wildly popular villain in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, he later managed other wrestlers, including then-bad guy Hulk Hogan and the ever-evil Iron Sheik. Blassie was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994 by Shane McMahon. Blassie would turn heel during this period, developing a lot of the characteristics that hed become known for.
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