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. Freddie Blassie Also known as Fred Blassie, Fred McDaniel Overview Career Career highlights Titles Matches Match Statistics Matchguide Feuds Promos Tournaments Tag Teams & Stables Entourage Awards Books Wrestling Games Movies Commentary Career Ratings Comments Matches Displaying items 1 to 100 of total 1631 items that match the search parameters. switched to professional wrestling. 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. wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" He has written several wrestling biographies including Freddie Blassies The Legends of Wrestling, Ric Flairs To Be The Man, "Superstar" Billy Grahams Tangled Ropes,and the unreleased biography of The Iron Sheik which, despite being chockful of stories that would be sure to make your jaw drop, will never see the light of day. [12], In 1962, Blassie had a feud with Japanese wrestling icon Rikidzan that established his reputation in Japan. 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)). Replying to. Blassie A fierce competitor in the ring known for unorthodox methods and a penchant for bloodletting, Blassie was verbose and boastful. Freddie Blassie's net worth 3 Saving Freddie Blassie Thanks To Kayfabe. His parents, Anna (ne Sind) and Jacob Blassman, were German immigrants who arrived in the United States prior to World War I.[3]. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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), ? It was also during this period of his career when he dropped his babyface gimmick and became a full-fledged heel. His parents repeatedly separated, only to reconcile. She . 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. His career began in earnest after his service in the United States Navy during World War II. Linda's dual role (as director and actress) was scripted as an irritating fan who requests Andy's autograph after he washes his hands. [6] Blassie described this performer as "having a neck like a stack of dimes and a real pencil-neck geek". Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. 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.. 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. However, Blassie said he would toss his drink in the sand if he didnt drink it, so Lanny took the offer. After a move to the West Coast, he tried a different promotional scheme -- that of a villain. 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. 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. 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. 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. [21] His final words on WWE television were "D-Von, get the table! However, later that year Blassie suffered from kidney stones and had surgery to remove them. comes a time when every man must fight for that he believes in. His father was an abusive alcoholic, prompting Frederick to stay with his grandparents whenever Jacob beat Anna. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. Blassie retired from active wrestling in 1974, due to a California law that prohibited anyone over 55 from getting a wrestling license. Gross tubs? 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. He was 85.Mr. 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. [24], In the early 1990s, the wrestler starred in a documentary directed by Jeff Krulik, titled Mr. Blassie Goes To Washington. [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986. Blassie was more than willing to let the talented Bearcat Wright take the gold and make history. Blassie retired from wrestling in 1986, turning over his stable of heels to another manager called Slick. 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). Managed by "Loud", Countless World Wrestling Federation TV and Pay Per View Ads. [20] Because of this, Blassie is one of, if not the only man to have worked with all four generations of the McMahon family. [6] Blassie lost the title to Rikidzan on March 28, 1962.[9]. For the first installment, we look at one of the most iconic villains in pro wrestling history as both a wrestler and a manager in Classy Freddie Blassie. He would become a frequent foe of Morales throughout the rest of his in-ring career in WWWF. The "Shakespeare of WWE" made an appearance on our podcast The Genius Cast in 2018, and he certainly had a few good stories up his sleeves! 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. Greenberg would add that Jerry Grahams drinking issues may have been combined with mental illness. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). ", to a monstrous applause. In order to impress a girl, he entered a carnival show match in a shoot fight and won. [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. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. 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 continued to manage Sheik and Volkoff even after they lost the tag team titles. Blassie's interference at Wrestlemania 2 cost Volkoff his match with Kirchner, when the cane was grabbed by Kirchner instead of Volkoff. Why FREDDIE BLASSIE Was So Great f/ WRESTLINGBIOS - YouTube DAVE KNOWS that Classy Freddie Blassie is a Pro Wrestling legend. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say, New era of football begins at Mater Dei under coach Frank McManus. "Classy" Freddie Blassie WWE Hall of Fame Induction Speech [1994]June 9, 1994 JP Zarka created Pro Wrestling Stories in May 2015. My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. . Over the course of his in-ring career, Classy Freddie Blassie would wrestle a number of legends, many of whom have either become legendary wrestlers or became famous in the following decades for non-competitive roles. 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. 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. Frederick Kenneth Blassie (Classy Freddy Blassie, The Vampire, Sailor Fred Blassie, The Hollywood Fashion Plate, The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling) was born on 8 February, 1918 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, is an Actor. In the early 1970s, Blassie "turned face", or became a good guy, since so many fans were cheering his famous antics. He retired from competition in the late 1970s to manage a new generation of gladiators such as Hulk Hogan. 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 . Blassie also mastered the television interview, boasting his superiority over other wrestlers he liked to call ''pencil-neck geeks.'' Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! *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! Blassie continued to interfere from ringside in matches, especially during Volkoff's feud with Corporal Kirchner. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans on the other side of the ropes. Freddie Blassies income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. "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. We have estimated One of the men was Jilly Rizzo, Frank Sinatras number one sidekick and the owner of his own saloon. He felt this was his chance to tell his life story before moving on. His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. [6] One of his most famous feuds took place in southern California in 1971, against Tolos. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. According to Walton, Blassies biggest achievement came Aug. 27, 1971, when he met and defeated Canadian wrestler Golden Greek John Tolos at the Coliseum before 25,000 wrestling fans. [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. 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. 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. [9] The sight of the Japanese legend covered in his own blood gave several viewers heart attacks, and some reportedly died. 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)). My wife joined Toastmasters International in October of last year. Still claiming to be the West Coast Champion, entered into a feud with Bruno Sammartino to unify the titles. The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. "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. his service in the United States Navy during World War II. He kept track of all of his matches during his career, including personal anecdotes. 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. Feb 27. The two spoke the same dialect of German, their parents had mutual friends, and . Stats: 6' 0" 220 lbs. Bruno had gotten so famous that he couldnt always pick the boneheads from the rest. Lanny approached Blassie, who always had three girls with him, saying he "needed some relief. Blassie was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994 by Shane McMahon. And more wrestling fans definite need to know about the. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Discover Freddie Blassie's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he The terminology would follow him for the rest of his career. "Classy" Freddie Blassie appeared in a live-action segment of the cartoon "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling." [3], In 1953, he worked in the Atlanta, territory for Paul Jones (the wrestler of the 1930s, not the wrestler/manager of the 1980s). Blassie got involved when he threw his cane into the ring, with Sheik and Volkoff using it to their advantage to gain the victory. Funeral services will be held at noon Friday at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church in Scarsdale, N.Y. [6] In later years, Blassie also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when Philbin was a guest host. By the 1970s, Blassie had relocated to the East Coast where he successfully pursued his mat career. However, Miyako Blassie, surviving wife of the legendary "Classy" Freddie Blassie, is offering that chance as the WWE Hall of Famer's Lincoln Town Car becomes available on WWE Auction. Let me take care of him in the ring.". Notable Title Wins Include: NWA Southern Heavyweight title (14); WWA (Los Angeles) World Heavyweight title (4); WWA World Tag Team title (2 times w/Mr. Blassie claims that he made Regis Philbin into the celebrity he is today. [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. 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. As a German descent American, he was often faced with questions of loyalty, despite marrying a Jewish woman. By 1968, WWA rejoined the NWA, becoming NWA Hollywood, but in 1971, Blassie returned to WWWF and challenged new WWWF World Champion Pedro Morales, to no avail. [3] Blassie, Lou Albano, and The Grand Wizard were named "The Three Wise Men of the East", as the top three heel managers in the company. 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. During this time, he went to New York City to work for promoter Jess McMahon. Let's learn more about this classic heel! (and of course, Bubba Ray and D-Von take care of Bischoff and his cronies). Lynne Margulies, who would later become Kaufman's girlfriend, plays a role; in fact, she and Kaufman met for the first time on camera. [22], Filmed in 1982, My Breakfast with Blassie featured Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie eating at a Sambo's in Los Angeles. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. [8] His death was announced by Jim Ross, 20 minutes into that same day's episode of Raw. As a result he has wrought something of a revolution in the unmanly art of exhibition wrestling.. Federation (WWWF, later the World Wresting Federation (WWF) and now Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. 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. [18][19] Blassie also appeared in the SummerSlam opening video. Who Is Freddie Blassie's Wife? Frederick was an only child. He briefly turned face in 1989, making an appearance on Prime Time Wrestling angry with Bobby Heenan over money Heenan hadn't paid him back. 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? It made Japanese wrestling a commodity on the West Coast and had given Rikidozan the credibility of conquering America. [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. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! In 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. [15] Blassie led Shiek to the WWF World Heavyweight Championship over Bob Backlund on December 26, 1983, in Madison Square Garden. He married his first wife Nettie Needles while on shore leave during the war. Blassie would turn heel during this period, developing a lot of the characteristics that hed become known for. 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 began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. 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"). 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. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". One of the 100 Greatest Wrestlers of the 20th Century (Inside Wrestling Presents, Summer 2000). For example, in the 1970s, he took on Cowboy Bill Watts, whod become a promoter and booker for Mid-South Wrestling and WCW. He worked for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. him a favorite of talk shows and reportedly influencing a fellow "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. [8] Blassie also appeared in a segment at the Vengeance pay-per-view event in December 2001, where an "undisputed" champion would be crowned. He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. [2] He sporadically returned to make brief appearances following his retirement in 1986, mostly in produced video packages hyping the "new generation" of wrestling. I think Dick Lane was as good as Gordon Solie in his day. All the while, he reveled in his role as being one of professional wrestlings most despised villains. In this match Hogan was once again victorious. [3] Blassie also publicly represented Ali for media events and interviews for a period in the mid-1970s. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). Also featured is Bob Zmuda, who plays a nosy fan. Since his retirement, he has occasionally worked as a "goodwill ambassador" (!) After regaining the WWA Championship from Rikidzan on July 25, 1962, Blassie lost the title two days later to the "Masked Destroyer" Dick Beyer. 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. 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. "Everything had to be the best with him," Miyako told WWE.com. Keith Elliot Greenberg has been doing his part to preserve professional wrestling history for the past few decades. 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. RELATED: 10 All-Time Greats You Forgot Had Managers. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. Recommended:The Time WWE Hall of Famer DR. JERRY GRAHAM Kidnapped His Mothers Dead Body. Lanny was only 12 or 13-years-old at the time. 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. [3], One of Blassie's most famous proteges was The Iron Sheik. The series began at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, with Blassie winning on a technicality, but not a pin.