(Use code PWS for a nice surprise). WWE Confidential presents a feature on the life and times of the fashion plate of professional wrestling, "Classy" Freddie Blassie. This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. Still claiming to be the West Coast Champion, entered into a feud with Bruno Sammartino to unify the titles. In this match Hogan was once again victorious. In this series, we will look at some of pro wrestlings greatest and most well-known managers and/or valets, but explore their prior career as an in-ring professional wrestler. 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. [3], In 1964, Blassie feuded with Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil. 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. 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. book. His parents repeatedly separated, only to reconcile. . My wife joined Toastmasters International in October of last year. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! 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. "Classy" Freddie Blassie appeared in a live-action segment of the cartoon "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling." [16] In 1999, he was shown making the opening narration of WrestleMania XV. He retired from competition in the late 1970s to manage a new generation of gladiators such as Hulk Hogan. for the WWF. He was 85. Frederick was an only child. By this time, Blassie has acquired a cult following, leading to appearances in several feature films. Freddie Blassie, the silver-maned . He even managed Muhammad Ali going into his legendary match with Antonio Inoki. Before The Client List is an extension of our ongoing series, Before They Were Famous, which looks at wrestlers before they became internationally famous. Blassie died in Hartsdale, N.Y., Jeff Walton, a former wrestling publicist, told The Los Angeles Times. Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. . He claimed to file his teeth to draw blood from opponents, and among his nicknames was the Vampire. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. In that storyline, he is menaced by Eric Bischoff and his henchmen, before calling on the Dudley Brothers to "Get the tables!" [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. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. He won the WWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship from French star Edouard Carpentier at the L.A. Sports Arena in 1961. 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. comes a time when every man must fight for that he believes in. 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 late 1960s, he moved to the East Coast and the World-Wide Wrestling Accounts about his early athletic career do not quite agree, but he his service in the United States Navy during World War II. * 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! Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. the time, get up, stand up and fight. heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the 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 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. [12], In 1962, Blassie had a feud with Japanese wrestling icon Rikidzan that established his reputation in Japan. He was 85. [6] In later years, Blassie also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when Philbin was a guest host. )[8] The movies title and premise are parodies of the 1981 art-house classic My Dinner with Andre.[23]. Federation (WWWF, later the World Wresting Federation (WWF) and now The widow of pro-wrestling villain Classy Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. Freddie Blassies income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. Blassie was a contemporary of six-time NWA world champion Thesz, who died in 2002 at the age of 86. 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. him a favorite of talk shows and reportedly influencing a fellow 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. He also reportedly excelled as a boxer. 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! My Breakfast with Blassie was conceived of by Linda Lautrec and Johnny Legend as a satire on My Dinner with Andre. Real Name: Fred Blassie. Towards the end of Freddie Blassies life, he began to realize that it all may be coming to an end soon. [22], Filmed in 1982, My Breakfast with Blassie featured Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie eating at a Sambo's in Los Angeles. Let me take care of him in the ring.". If they refused to drop a title, it didnt matter what the bookers thought. One of Blassies most notable clients during his run with WWE, however, was Hulk Hogan, who he managed as soon as Hogan debuted in the company in 1979. [2] In 1963, Bearcat Wright defeated him to become champion, and it was quite a statement during the fight for civil rights that an African-American had won such a title. Blassie, Murray wrote, has dedicated his life to wrapping up as much hate as one man can safely carry in a lifetime. 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. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). [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 bleached his hair and quickly became a heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the book. Many of the viewers were horrified by Blassie's treatment of their hero. [4] 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. Blassie retired from wrestling in 1986, turning over his stable of heels to another manager called Slick. 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. ", Bruno kayfabed him. You can watch him on Autopsy: The Last Hours of on Reelz in the United States and Channel 5 in Great Britain. [8] He teamed with Billy McDaniel as the McDaniel Brothers, but when they went east, they were known as the Blassie Brothers. His father was an abusive alcoholic, prompting Frederick to stay with his grandparents whenever Jacob beat Anna. [4] He is regarded as one of the greatest wrestling heels, or villains, of all time. Blassie It was not until he moved to the West Coast that fans began supporting him. 10 Wrestling Book Must Reads and 5 You Dont Want To Waste Your Time On, Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling, The Night Bruno Sammartino Saved Freddie Blassies Life, The Time WWE Hall of Famer DR. JERRY GRAHAM Kidnapped His Mothers Dead Body, Freddie Blassie, Lou Albano, and "The Fossil Jostle" Atrocity in 85, Roddy Piper: From The Streets to the Big Time, Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers The 1963 WWWF Title Screwjob, Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. 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. 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. mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. (and of course, Bubba Ray and D-Von take care of Bischoff and his cronies). [15] Blassie led Shiek to the WWF World Heavyweight Championship over Bob Backlund on December 26, 1983, in Madison Square Garden. 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. 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. 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. [8] He married a girl in California while on shore leave. 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. Hell, the article is entitled "Freddie Blassie - The Truth (and Somewhere In-Between)" for crying out loud. The widow of pro-wrestling villain "Classy" Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. *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! He was popular in Japan as well. [3] Blassie also publicly represented Ali for media events and interviews for a period in the mid-1970s. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. Gross tubs? [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. Managed by "Loud", Countless World Wrestling Federation TV and Pay Per View Ads. Blassie died of heart failure Monday [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. 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. 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. 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. This film article about a 1980s comedy is a stub. In the 1950s, Fred Blassie was hands down the most hated wrestler in the southeastern territory. 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..
Who Did Emma Sophocleous Play In Eastenders,
Is Port Charles A Real Place,
Ticketmaster Box Office Phone Number,
Coinbase Product Manager Interview,
Nighthawk Luxury Wheels,
Articles F
