When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". 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! Greenberg would add that Jerry Grahams drinking issues may have been combined with mental illness. By this time, Blassie has acquired a cult following, leading to appearances in several feature films. My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. Zach Eflin And Wife On Yacht Wallpaper. One of Blassie's gimmicks was to file his teeth, and draw blood from his opponents by biting their foreheads. He spent his time in the Missouri territory, working mainly in St. Louis and Kansas City, but when the U.S. entered the Second World War, he enlisted in 1942 and joined the U.S. Navy, where he spent four years (42 months) in combat in the U.S. battles in the Pacific. 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. 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. So, how much is Freddie Blassie worth at the age of 85 years old? One of the 100 Greatest Wrestlers of the 20th Century (Inside Wrestling Presents, Summer 2000). As a German descent American, he was often faced with questions of loyalty, despite marrying a Jewish woman. Blassie, Murray wrote, has dedicated his life to wrapping up as much hate as one man can safely carry in a lifetime. Download 100+ Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Images & 500,000+ Wallpapers for Free. * 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! 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. He was now hooked, and he decided that pro wrestling was his destiny and not his backbreaking work in the meatpacking plant. Some of the guys were businessmen, some were political types, and some others Im sure were mobsters. [15] Blassie led Shiek to the WWF World Heavyweight Championship over Bob Backlund on December 26, 1983, in Madison Square Garden. Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.. . [6] Blassie lost the title to Rikidzan on March 28, 1962.[9]. 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. [spoken to the WWF wrestlers during Invasion 2001] Gentleman, there Born Fred Blassman in St. Louis, Blassie played baseball and football in high school. In order to impress a girl, he entered a carnival show match in a shoot fight and won. Funeral services will be held at noon Friday at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church in Scarsdale, N.Y. Despite being a 7-year pro before his duty in World War II, Blassie was still a journeyman. 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. 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 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). September 30, 1968 - June 2, 2003 (his death), Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. 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), ? 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. Of course, these mobsters thought he was putting them down for real. Also learn how He earned most of Freddie Blassie networth? 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. He bleached his hair and quickly became a heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the book. [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. 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. is 6'(1.83m) . Freddie Blassies income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. [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. switched to professional wrestling. On a mid-July 2001 episode of Raw, the Invasion storyline was in full swing, and Blassie was brought in to motivate the WWE in the face of their ongoing war with the WCW/ECW Alliance. During this time, he went to New York City to work for promoter Jess McMahon. Blassie died of heart failure Monday Feb 27. Blassie claims that he made Regis Philbin into the celebrity he is today. [8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. A fierce competitor in the ring known for unorthodox methods and a penchant for bloodletting, Blassie was verbose and boastful. 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. Comedian Andy Kaufman & professional wrestler Classy Freddie Blassie eat breakfast & discuss life. The terminology would follow him for the rest of his career. (bad guys) got better pay. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). 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. The series began at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, with Blassie winning on a technicality, but not a pin. 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. [8] The fans consistently booed him because he was considered a "Yankee". He bleached his hair and quickly became a 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. 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. Blassie worked for the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, which presented him with its lifetime achievement award in 1996. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Blassie would show Greenberg dozens of notebooks with "beautiful cursive handwriting." By doing this, he saved Freddie Blassies life. 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. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie.[1]. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. "Bruno always had a huge entourage hanging around him," Greenberg wrote in "Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling. A child of two German immigrants, Freddie Blassie was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans on the other side of the ropes. 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. Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. [7] Later, he received regular work wrestling at local carnivals. 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. [6] On July 7, Blassie successfully defended his title against the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz. His career began in earnest after his service in the United States Navy during World War II. In the 1950s, Fred Blassie was hands down the most hated wrestler in the southeastern territory. He held his WWA World title for 289 days and thanks to WWAs alliance with Japan, in particular the Japan Wrestling Alliance (JWA) headed by puroresu icon Rikidozan, Blassie would not only help introduce Japanese pro wrestling to the U.S. market but help validate it in Japan as well. In that storyline, he is menaced by Eric Bischoff and his henchmen, before calling on the Dudley Brothers to "Get the tables!" [9] During this stint with the company, Blassie was managed by his future nemesis, "Captain" Lou Albano.[3]. [8], Blassie appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show that featured a new dance craze called The Twizzle. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. [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. She . 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. He was popular in Japan as well. As a result, fans may be aware of Classy Freddie Blassie for his appearances during WWEs Golden Era and beyond but that only scratches the surface of his career. He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. [3], One of Blassie's most famous proteges was The Iron Sheik. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. 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. 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. 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)). After handing over ME duties to Alex Richards, he remains a frequent contributor to the site. Blassie retired from wrestling in 1986, turning over his stable of heels to another manager called Slick. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. If you're not from the midwest you're not allowed to have an opinion on this. 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. Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! 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. 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. 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 . . 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. This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. "Classy" Freddie Blassie lead an interesting life as one of . 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. 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). Vampire". After Blassie lost the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rikidzan in Los Angeles, the two had a rematch on live Japanese television. 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. 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. He began wrestling professionally in 1935 and it was soon after that he came up with his famous pencil neck geek insult. 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.