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. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Blassie would turn heel during this period, developing a lot of the characteristics that hed become known for. [4] From there, he moved on to become a regular writer, contributor, and reporter for WWE. Download 100+ Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Images & 500,000+ Wallpapers for Free. Lanny would state that Jerry Graham "had no business living the last 15 years of his life" due to his drinking problems. It was in the latter that he decided to embrace his villainous side, bleaching his hair blonde like Gorgeous George. The widow of pro-wrestling villain "Classy" Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. 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. 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. 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. [22], Filmed in 1982, My Breakfast with Blassie featured Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie eating at a Sambo's in Los Angeles. Born: 1921. 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. [2][14] Blassie also managed Muhammad Ali in his boxer vs. wrestler match in 1976 against Antonio Inoki. 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. Blassie continued to interfere from ringside in matches, especially during Volkoff's feud with Corporal Kirchner. 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. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. 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. 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 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. My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. 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. He bleached his hair and quickly became a heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the book. heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the . 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. Keith Elliot Greenberg has been doing his part to preserve professional wrestling history for the past few decades. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. Deiveson Figueiredo Tattoo Wallpaper. In the 1950s, Fred Blassie was hands down the most hated wrestler in the southeastern territory. [8] His death was announced by Jim Ross, 20 minutes into that same day's episode of Raw. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. 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. On top of that, hed take on English legend Billy Robinson, WWE Champion Superstar Billy Graham, and legendary masked heel wrestler Destroyer. But while his US in-ring career ended (while still working for WWWF), he remained employed by WWWF and became a manager instead. In one memorable instance, Blassie, playing up the heel character, would berate Brunos followers backstage with promos, calling them derogatory names such as "grease ball" and "spaghetti bender." After the war, Blassie returned to the Midwest and continued wrestling professionally. Zach Eflin And Wife On Yacht Wallpaper. You hit a guy in the neck. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans on the other side of the ropes. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! He also began filing his teeth, transitioning from Sailor to The Vampire, as his spiked teeth became effective tools in biting his opponents, creating a macabre presentation and early influence on the hardcore side of pro-wrestling. A gifted gabber and a splashy dresser, Blassie guided The Iron Shiek to the WWF World Heavyweight title in 1983, Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff to the WWF World Tag Team titles, as well as managing such clients as Adrian Adonis, Jesse The Body Ventura, Kamala, Hercules Hernandez, and even Hulk Hogan during his first stint in the WWF. 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. With Andy Kaufman, Freddie Blassie, Laurie Burton, Linda Hirsch. Still claiming to be the West Coast Champion, entered into a feud with Bruno Sammartino to unify the titles. He retired from competition in the late 1970s to manage a new generation of gladiators such as Hulk Hogan. )[8] The movies title and premise are parodies of the 1981 art-house classic My Dinner with Andre.[23]. 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. 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. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on theWWE NetworkandPeacock. Because of his close relationship with Vince McMahon, Sr. and his family, Blassie remained on the WWF payroll until the day he died. 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. During this time, he went to New York City to work for promoter Jess McMahon. Poffo, at first, played it small and declined. She . In Blassie's interference at Wrestlemania 2 cost Volkoff his match with Kirchner, when the cane was grabbed by Kirchner instead of Volkoff. Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie." Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie. 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). "No. [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. He was popular in Japan as well. 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. 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. 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. Classy Freddie Blassie knew how to get heat and anger fans. 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.. 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. 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). This film article about a 1980s comedy is a stub. "Typical Italian stunt! 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. He bleached his hair and quickly became a heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the book. In order to impress a girl, he entered a carnival show match in a shoot fight and won. 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 . By this time, Blassie has acquired a cult following, leading to appearances in several feature films. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. [8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. Also featured is Bob Zmuda, who plays a nosy fan. Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. He won the World Wrestling Association world heavyweight championship from the Frenchman douard Carpentier at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1961. [21] His final words on WWE television were "D-Von, get the table! Some of the guys were businessmen, some were political types, and some others Im sure were mobsters. 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. [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. Gross tubs? 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. He felt this was his chance to tell his life story before moving on. In 1950, he had his first challenge for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, facing championLou Theszin Kentucky. He also bleached his hair at this time, as many of the other stars of the era did, such as Gorgeous George, Johnny Valentine, and "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. For Freddie Blassie, there was no question why he took on a villian's persona - he loved it. He won the WWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship from French star Edouard Carpentier at the L.A. Sports Arena in 1961. 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. 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. 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. [spoken to the WWF wrestlers during Invasion 2001] Gentleman, there By the 1970s, Blassie had relocated to the East Coast where he successfully pursued his mat career. He was 85.Mr. ", "Heres some money," Blassie would say. If they refused to drop a title, it didnt matter what the bookers thought. Replying to. G&K did not respond to calls for comment. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. 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. If you're not from the midwest you're not allowed to have an opinion on this. Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.. Who Is Freddie Blassie's Wife? [4] In 1998, Blassie was the winner at the fourth annual Cauliflower Alley Club East Coast Banquet. After handing over ME duties to Alex Richards, he remains a frequent contributor to the site. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. 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.
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