freddie blassie wife

Greenberg would add that Jerry Grahams drinking issues may have been combined with mental illness. [8] He was often billed as "The Vampire" during this time for biting his opponents and filing his teeth during interviews and promos. Managed by "Loud", Countless World Wrestling Federation TV and Pay Per View Ads. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Blassie retired from wrestling in 1986, turning over his stable of heels to another manager called Slick. He claimed to file his teeth to draw blood from opponents, and among his nicknames was the Vampire. [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. For Freddie Blassie, there was no question why he took on a villian's persona - he loved it. 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. He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. 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. Blassie also resented "Superstar" Billy Graham, at first, due to his association with Dr. Jerry Graham, who in kayfabe was Billys older brother. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say, New era of football begins at Mater Dei under coach Frank McManus. 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. 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. Recommended:10 Wrestling Book Must Reads and 5 You Dont Want To Waste Your Time On. 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. The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. We've received your submission. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. "No. My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. According to Greenberg, Gorgeous George, towards the end of his career, wanted to form a tag team with Blassie. 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.". Why FREDDIE BLASSIE Was So Great f/ WRESTLINGBIOS - YouTube DAVE KNOWS that Classy Freddie Blassie is a Pro Wrestling legend. By the 1970s, Blassie had relocated to the East Coast where he successfully pursued his mat career. At 85 years old, Freddie Blassie height "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. "Classy" Freddie Blassie appeared in a live-action segment of the cartoon "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling." Most recently, he co-authored the 2016 edition of the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. 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. Bruno had gotten so famous that he couldnt always pick the boneheads from the rest. All the while, he reveled in his role as being one of professional wrestlings most despised villains. American professional wrestler and manager, Worldwide Wrestling Associates (19601968), World Wide Wrestling Federation (1964; 1971). 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. This story has been shared 143,593 times. 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. He even managed Muhammad Ali going into his legendary match with Antonio Inoki. [12], In 1962, Blassie had a feud with Japanese wrestling icon Rikidzan that established his reputation in Japan. After regaining the WWA Championship from Rikidzan on July 25, 1962, Blassie lost the title two days later to the "Masked Destroyer" Dick Beyer. 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. 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 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. [21] The segment featured Blassie, his wife, and Raw co-General Manager Eric Bischoff, who was about to allow 3 Minute Warning to attack him, until Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Dudley Boyz stepped in. However, Blassie said he would toss his drink in the sand if he didnt drink it, so Lanny took the offer. switched to professional wrestling. 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. 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. "Bruno always had a huge entourage hanging around him," Greenberg wrote in "Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling. The widow of pro-wrestling villain Classy Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. [21] His book, Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks, was released on May 13, 2003. She . After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff | WWE Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. [3] As an adult, Frederick was a teetotaler. Freddie Blassie, 85, died of heart failure on June 2, 2003. 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. 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. [8] Blassie also appeared in a segment at the Vengeance pay-per-view event in December 2001, where an "undisputed" champion would be crowned. It was in the latter that he decided to embrace his villainous side, bleaching his hair blonde like Gorgeous George. 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. [3] Blassie also publicly represented Ali for media events and interviews for a period in the mid-1970s. He won the WWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship from French star Edouard Carpentier at the L.A. Sports Arena in 1961. "I want you to get four Orange Juliuses for me, the girls, and you.". Greenbergs memoir on Freddie Blassie was released just three weeks before he died in 2003. As a result he has wrought something of a revolution in the unmanly art of exhibition wrestling.. (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. ", In this particular story, Blassie won a match by count-out in Roosevelt Stadium when he kicked Sammartino in the breadbasket while the referee was distracted. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. [15] Blassie led Shiek to the WWF World Heavyweight Championship over Bob Backlund on December 26, 1983, in Madison Square Garden. 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. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. On top of that, hed take on English legend Billy Robinson, WWE Champion Superstar Billy Graham, and legendary masked heel wrestler Destroyer. In 1964, the legendary "Classy" Freddie Blassie was still an in-ring competitor when he took on local hero Bruno Sammartino in front of a hostile New Jersey crowd, where he cheated for a cheap countout victory over the champ. With Andy Kaufman, Freddie Blassie, Laurie Burton, Linda Hirsch. Blassie did not just fade away after he left the ring. Some wrestlers choose to play a villain as a way of promoting their career, while others are forced to by their promoters. [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. [8] His final wrestling appearance was May 12, 2003 in Philadelphia on Raw, three weeks before his death. [6] His knees were also in terrible condition, which also contributed to his retirement. It was not until he moved to the West Coast that fans began supporting him. 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. 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. 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. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United [8] The fans consistently booed him because he was considered a "Yankee". [6] One of his most famous feuds took place in southern California in 1971, against Tolos. Blassie unsuccessfully campaigned along with the other managers to manage "Macho Man" Randy Savage when Savage first entered the WWF in June 1985. Lanny would state that Jerry Graham "had no business living the last 15 years of his life" due to his drinking problems. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. For example, in the 1970s, he took on Cowboy Bill Watts, whod become a promoter and booker for Mid-South Wrestling and WCW. (bad guys) got better pay. [2] He was given a commentary tryout in 1986 and 1987 for WWF Wrestling Challenge, calling a few matches with Gorilla Monsoon. ", "Heres some money," Blassie would say. . 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. Freddie Blassie's net worth Blassie also mastered the television interview, boasting his superiority over other wrestlers he liked to call ''pencil-neck geeks.'' first tried to make his mark as a boxer, despite warnings that his arms This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. 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. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on theWWE NetworkandPeacock. [7], His career continued as he was hired by more established promoters, including Tom Packs in St. Louis and George Simpson in Kansas City. Blassie died of heart failure Monday After Blassie lost the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rikidzan in Los Angeles, the two had a rematch on live Japanese television. [7] Later, he received regular work wrestling at local carnivals. 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. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. Recommended:The Night Bruno Sammartino Saved Freddie Blassies Life, Lanny Poffo, speaking to his friend Keith Elliot Greenberg on The Genius Cast, shared the story of the time he and Freddie Blassie were in Hawaii in 1968. 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. [8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. 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!". Outside of being an award-winning television producer, the New York Times best-selling author began writing about professional wrestling for several newspapers and magazines in the 90s. This is in reference . Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie." 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. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie.[1]. Freddie Blassie. 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. 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. [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. My wife joined Toastmasters International in October of last year. His first public wrestling match was a shoot fight which he accepted hoping to impress a girl he brought to the show. "That's why he was 'Classy' Freddie Blassie." Im not implying that Bruno would ever have any dealings with the mafia on his own. [3], Blassie returned to WWA in 1968 just as promoter Mike LeBell decided to rejoin the NWA. His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September 1968 - 2 June 2003) ( his death), ? 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. 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. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. In this match Hogan was once again victorious. After Sheik lost the belt to Blassie's former managed wrestler Hulk Hogan, Blassie managed Sheik in various rematches around the country throughout the first half of 1984, culminating into another major televised rematch on December 28, 1984, once again in Madison Square Garden. A child of two German immigrants, Freddie Blassie was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918. 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. His career began in earnest after mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He returned to AJPW again in 1973, but the following year in 1974, he jumped to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) for his final tour of Japan. Since his retirement, he has occasionally worked as a "goodwill ambassador" (!) In the summer of 1986, Blassie started to slowly phase himself out of the WWF and into retirement. At Freddie Blassies wake, a family member came up to Keith Elliot Greenberg, saying that Freddies son had read the book and was ready to make peace with his father. 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. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. 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. Hogan would return in late 1983, turning face almost immediately after and thus separating from Freddie Blassie. 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. Freddie Blassie, the silver-maned . When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". 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. Discover Freddie Blassie's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Patrick Stewart In A Checkered Coat Wallpaper. [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. Download 100+ Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Images & 500,000+ Wallpapers for Free. So when I saw this book I had to get it and read it. . [2] He sporadically returned to make brief appearances following his retirement in 1986, mostly in produced video packages hyping the "new generation" of wrestling. 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. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). 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. *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! Moto-1964 and w/Buddy Austin-1967); NWA America's Heavyweight championships (5); Georgia Heavyweight title; "Beat The Champ" TV Title; NWA America's Brass Knuckles Title. Even more important than that, Blassie would make a change that would make him an icon. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. Frederick was an only child. 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. Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. [spoken to the WWF wrestlers during Invasion 2001] Gentleman, there "Classy" Freddie Blassie WWE Hall of Fame Induction Speech [1994]June 9, 1994 is 6'(1.83m) . 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. 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. [6] Blassie lost the title to Rikidzan on March 28, 1962.[9]. 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. Freddie accomplished that goal and did so in grand style, as only he could. Let's learn more about this classic heel! 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. 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. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. 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. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. 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. heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the him a favorite of talk shows and reportedly influencing a fellow Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Back in the dressing room, Blassie realized he was in the wrong one. [24], In the early 1990s, the wrestler starred in a documentary directed by Jeff Krulik, titled Mr. Blassie Goes To Washington. Replying to. Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". Blassie originally wrestled [22], Filmed in 1982, My Breakfast with Blassie featured Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie eating at a Sambo's in Los Angeles. 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 show Greenberg dozens of notebooks with "beautiful cursive handwriting." [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. 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.

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