* 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! [9][6], On June 2, 2003, Blassie died of heart and kidney failure at the age of 85. As a German descent American, he was often faced with questions of loyalty, despite marrying a Jewish woman. He began wrestling professionally in 1935 and it was soon after that he came up with his famous pencil neck geek insult. Many people close to him actually had no idea that he had children in the first place. 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. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. A nice man, with a lovely wife and it was great having him there to cut a wonderful promo during my show. 10 Wrestlers Managed By Classy Freddie Blassie Fans Should Know About 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. Since his retirement, he has occasionally worked as a "goodwill ambassador" (!) Freddie had been estranged from his children for the majority of their lives. Some wrestlers choose to play a villain as a way of promoting their career, while others are forced to by their promoters. Freddie Blassie was one of the most hated heels of his time. Death Despite Blassie not actually holding any titles to unify, his feud with Sammartino saw Bruno become a national hero, but in the process, Blassie became lifelong friends with another WWWF employee, Gorilla Monsoon. 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. [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986. "I want you to get four Orange Juliuses for me, the girls, and you.". 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. [8] He teamed with Billy McDaniel as the McDaniel Brothers, but when they went east, they were known as the Blassie Brothers. Blassie would gain even more gold when Volkoff and Sheik defeated The US Express for the WWF Tag Team Championship at the first ever Wrestlemania. [6] His knees were also in terrible condition, which also contributed to his retirement. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Lakers playoff hopes take another hit after comeback fades vs. Minnesota, Ducks strike with a pair of late power-play goals to defeat Canadiens, With Norman Powell out, Clippers are edged at Sacramento for fifth loss in a row, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, 15 arrested across L.A. County in crackdown on fraudulent benefit cards, UCLAs senior trio has persevered in restoring the Bruins to national prominence, UCLA stuns top-seeded Stanford in Pac-12 womens basketball tournament semifinals, Harvard-Westlakes Bryce Rainer fires out 92-mph fastballs in first start since 2021, Hes taken the next step: How Boogie Ellis found his game as USCs point guard, Even after Gavin Lux injury, Andrew Friedman hints at patient approach with roster, Elliott: After trading away Jonathan Quick, Kings make more deals ahead of trade deadline, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. It was not until he moved to the West Coast that fans began supporting him. In 1976 he managed Muhammad Ali during his shoot match. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. One of Blassie's gimmicks was to file his teeth, and draw blood from his opponents by biting their foreheads. G&K did not respond to calls for comment. For a brief period of time after World War Two, he was billed as "Sailor" Freddie Blassie in matches, a gimmick that did not prove successful. [6] Blassie described this performer as "having a neck like a stack of dimes and a real pencil-neck geek". Linda's dual role (as director and actress) was scripted as an irritating fan who requests Andy's autograph after he washes his hands. 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"). 3 Saving Freddie Blassie Thanks To Kayfabe. Classy Freddie Blassie was pro wrestling's 'Fashion Plate' Im not implying that Bruno would ever have any dealings with the mafia on his own. [3], In 1953, he worked in the Atlanta, territory for Paul Jones (the wrestler of the 1930s, not the wrestler/manager of the 1980s). He bleached his hair and quickly became a heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the book. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans on the other side of the ropes. He was 85. He returned to the company in 1971, reaching the final of a tournament in January for the vacant WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship before losing to Pedro Morales. In 1973, knee problems largely forced Blassie to stop wrestling personally, though he occasionally donned the tights to tag-team with one of his heels, as he did in Madison Square Garden in June 1974, teaming with the hulking Nikolai Volkoff to face then-champ Bruno Sammartino and Chief Jay Strongbow in a tag team match (Blassie was forced to submit for the final fall by a Bruno bearhug, and the fans almost tore the Garden's roof off). heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. Also featured is Bob Zmuda, who plays a nosy fan. Stats: 6' 0" 220 lbs. 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. States. Professional Wrestling Online Museum - Spotlight on Freddie Blassie While there, he feuded with Soulman Rocky Johnson, The Sheik, and "The Golden Greek" John Tolos. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. . A child of two German immigrants, Freddie Blassie was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918. 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 joined the Navy at the start of World War II and started wrestling under the name of Sailor Fred Blassie while stationed at Port Hueneme in California. 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. [21] His book, Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks, was released on May 13, 2003. (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. 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. [8] Blassie also appeared in a segment at the Vengeance pay-per-view event in December 2001, where an "undisputed" champion would be crowned. A child of two German immigrants, Freddie Blassie was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918. 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. In the segment he is interviewed by "Mean" Gene Okerlund when the two are interrupted by a little old lady in a housekeeper outfit that Blassie claims to be his own mother. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. He was 85. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he 304K views 6 years ago The Dudley Boyz put Rico through a table after getting the call from WWE Hall of Famer "Classy" Freddie Blassie at ringside. [3] As an adult, Frederick was a teetotaler. JP Zarka created Pro Wrestling Stories in May 2015. Freddie Blassie | Pro Wrestling | Fandom 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. [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. 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. 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. 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. [24], In the early 1990s, the wrestler starred in a documentary directed by Jeff Krulik, titled Mr. Blassie Goes To Washington. He did an advice segment on the ''Tuesday Night Titans'' TV program, made personal appearances and did radio interviews. As a result he has wrought something of a revolution in the unmanly art of exhibition wrestling.. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. 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. 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. Despite that, Blassie ended the year by leaving WWWF and returning to Los Angeles and the WWA. This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. 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? Bruno had gotten so famous that he couldnt always pick the boneheads from the rest. [6] Blassie lost the title to Rikidzan on March 28, 1962.[9]. 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. He retired from competition in the late 1970s to manage a new generation of gladiators such as Hulk Hogan. The terminology would follow him for the rest of his career. Backstage, Jilly Rizzo club owner, Frank Sinatra's bodyguard, and . That revolution -- making the villain the hero -- put fans in the seats and money in Blassies pocket. 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. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! I think Dick Lane was as good as Gordon Solie in his day. Download 100+ Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Images & 500,000+ Wallpapers for Free. 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. 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." 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. 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. switched to professional wrestling. Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. [6] His cousin John Frank Holaus often refereed his matches. Freddie Blassie - IMDb
Midsommar Sacrifices Explained, Articles F