He briefly turned face in 1989, making an appearance on Prime Time Wrestling angry with Bobby Heenan over money Heenan hadn't paid him back. RELATED: 10 Managers With The Best Claim To Be On A Wrestling Mount Rushmore. [20] Images from his WrestleMania XV promo were also included in the opening of the 2001 Survivor Series. [12], In 1962, Blassie had a feud with Japanese wrestling icon Rikidzan that established his reputation in Japan. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. 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), ? [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. 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.". His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September1968 - 2 June2003)( his death), ? Freddie Blassie Height 5'10" Weight 220 lbs Hometown St. Louis Signature Move Stomach Claw Career Highlights 1994 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee Freddie Blassie: Bio "Classy" Freddie Blassie is one of the most memorable Superstars to ever set foot inside the squared circle. 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. . [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 felt this was his chance to tell his life story before moving on. 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. 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. [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. [20] Because of this, Blassie is one of, if not the only man to have worked with all four generations of the McMahon family. 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. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). During this time, he went to New York City to work for promoter Jess McMahon. The widow of pro-wrestling villain Classy Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. The series began at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, with Blassie winning on a technicality, but not a pin. Hed also regularly tag with Gorilla Monsoon, another wrestler better known for his non-wrestling roles. Let me take care of him in the ring.". So when I saw this book I had to get it and read it. [7], His career continued as he was hired by more established promoters, including Tom Packs in St. Louis and George Simpson in Kansas City. In 1964, Dick the Bruiser defeated Blassie to become champion, and Blassie headed east to work for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). Freddie Blassie. 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 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. [2] During that same title reign, in a match against Lord James Blears a fan threw acid on his back, and he had to return immediately to the locker room to wash it off; over the course of his career, he was also stabbed 21 times and lost vision in his right eye after being struck by a thrown hard-boiled egg. [9], In 1968, Blassie returned to Japan and was reunited with Miyako. Because of his close relationship with Vince McMahon, Sr. and his family, Blassie remained on the WWF payroll until the day he died. Recommended:The Time WWE Hall of Famer DR. JERRY GRAHAM Kidnapped His Mothers Dead Body. He even managed Muhammad Ali going into his legendary match with Antonio Inoki. 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)). Classy Freddie Blassie knew how to get heat and anger fans. 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. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Three injured in shooting outside Bronx funeral home, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, US home prices just did something they haven't done since 2012, How a retired detective snared his seventh 'Torso Killer' confession, It's insane that NYers can use but not buy pepper spray for self-defense: Change this now, Celeb-loved jewelry brand Dorsey drops dazzling new styles, White Lotus actor jokes about being hit on following shows success, Is this the couple behind the Worst Art Job Listing Ever?, Undertaker transforms coffin into barbecue grill, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. He was 85. My Breakfast with Blassie was conceived of by Linda Lautrec and Johnny Legend as a satire on My Dinner with Andre. Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. the time, get up, stand up and fight. Blassie continued to interfere from ringside in matches, especially during Volkoff's feud with Corporal Kirchner. egomaniac then known as Cassius Clay. This is in reference . Poffo, at first, played it small and declined. [21] His final words on WWE television were "D-Von, get the table! 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. [6] On July 7, Blassie successfully defended his title against the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. 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. This movie got together because the man who produced wrestling manager and former wrestling champion Fred Blassie's novelty song, "Pencil-Neck Geek", Johnny Legend, wanted to film a very cheap parody of the awful art movie My Dinner with Andre, and decided that Blassie's young friend and protege, the eccentric comedian Andy Kaufman would be the . He started a second career as a manager in the WWWF. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The [4] In 1998, Blassie was the winner at the fourth annual Cauliflower Alley Club East Coast Banquet. He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. You hit a guy in the neck. (bad guys) got better pay. September 30, 1968 - June 2, 2003 (his death), Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. 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. [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". (and of course, Bubba Ray and D-Von take care of Bischoff and his cronies). However, he became increasingly interested in wrestling. 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. June 8, 2003 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. After a move to the West Coast, he tried a different promotional scheme -- that of a villain. 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. Frederick was an only child. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans on the other side of the ropes. [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. The two spoke the same dialect of German, their parents had mutual friends, and . 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. 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. Freddie Blassie, the silver-maned . 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. were too short. One of the men was Jilly Rizzo, Frank Sinatras number one sidekick and the owner of his own saloon. 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. [3], In 1952, Blassie moved to Los Angeles to work for Jules Strongbow. So, how much is Freddie Blassie worth at the age of 85 years old? He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. At 85 years old, Freddie Blassie height He claimed to file his teeth to draw blood from opponents, and among his nicknames was the Vampire. . He grabs his balls!" Blassie was a contemporary of six-time NWA world champion Thesz, who died in 2002 at the age of 86. Between matches, he gave loud and boastful interviews, making He started a second career as a manager in the WWWF. "Classy" Freddie Blassie also made a cameo appearance as himself, along with "Wrestling's Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino, and Ric Flair in the 1986 film Body Slam starring Dirk Benedict, "Captain" Lou Albano, and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. In 1950, he had his first challenge for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, facing championLou Theszin Kentucky. ", "Heres some money," Blassie would say. In March of 1962, Blassie lost the WWA World title to Rikidozan, and for the next four months, Blassie competed in Japan, determined to regain his title from the Japanese wrestling innovator. "No. 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. Replying to. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United In He finally defeated Rikidozan and won back his title at a WWA event in Los Angeles but it had served his purpose. Blassie claims that he made Regis Philbin into the celebrity he is today. Born Fred Blassman in St. Louis, Blassie played baseball and football in high school. in their 1992 song about Kaufman, "Man on the Moon". Sadly, the gimmick was a bomb, and Blassie jumped around territories, including working in New York City for Jess McMahon (grandfather of Vince McMahon Jr.). Also featured is Bob Zmuda, who plays a nosy fan. 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. Blassie, who became a cult figure outside the ring and starred with comedian Andy Kaufman in My Breakfast With Blassie, died of heart failure June 2 in Hartsdale, N.Y., according to Jeff Walton, a onetime wrestling publicist in Los Angeles who knew Blassie well. He retired from competition in the late 1970s to manage a new generation of gladiators such as Hulk Hogan. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! 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. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. Let's learn more about this classic heel! 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. This film article about a 1980s comedy is a stub. 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. According to Greenberg, Gorgeous George, towards the end of his career, wanted to form a tag team with Blassie. . You can watch him on Autopsy: The Last Hours of on Reelz in the United States and Channel 5 in Great Britain. Linda's dual role (as director and actress) was scripted as an irritating fan who requests Andy's autograph after he washes his hands. His parents repeatedly separated, only to reconcile. 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. [2] He sporadically returned to make brief appearances following his retirement in 1986, mostly in produced video packages hyping the "new generation" of wrestling. "I want you to get four Orange Juliuses for me, the girls, and you.". [6] Blassie described this performer as "having a neck like a stack of dimes and a real pencil-neck geek". [3][8][9], In 1960, Blassie returned to Strongbow's promotion in Los Angeles, where he was a big star for Worldwide Wrestling Associates (WWA) of southern California, drawing many fans to the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. 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. 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. Blassie also resented "Superstar" Billy Graham, at first, due to his association with Dr. Jerry Graham, who in kayfabe was Billys older brother. switched to professional wrestling. It made Japanese wrestling a commodity on the West Coast and had given Rikidozan the credibility of conquering America. Fred McDaniel "Ayatollah" Blassie The Vampire The Hollywood Fashion Plate Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Weight 220 lbs (100 kg) Born February 8, 1918 Birth Place St. Louis, Missouri Died June 2, 2003 (aged 85) Death Place Hartsdale, New York Trainer Billy Longson Everett Marshall Warren Bockwinkle Billy Hanson Debut 1935 Retired 1986 He continued to outrage crowds by distracting referees so that his men could cheat and by getting in his own cheap shots when the refs weren't looking. He was 85. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. [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. [3][23] (The film was referenced by American rock band R.E.M. [9] The sight of the Japanese legend covered in his own blood gave several viewers heart attacks, and some reportedly died. Blassie did not just fade away after he left the ring. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. He hated his father for it. He was now hooked, and he decided that pro wrestling was his destiny and not his backbreaking work in the meatpacking plant. Blassie also was seen with the comedian Andy Kaufman in ''My Breakfast With Blassie,'' a 1983 spoof of ''My Dinner With Andre.''. As much as governing body politics held back minorities, the wrestlers themselves had even more power. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. [8] His death was announced by Jim Ross, 20 minutes into that same day's episode of Raw. "Everything had to be the best with him," Miyako told WWE.com. the late 1960s, he moved to the East Coast and the World-Wide Wrestling Born: 1921. [4] He is regarded as one of the greatest wrestling heels, or villains, of all time. He was popular in Japan as well. . [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. 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. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". This story has been shared 104,709 times. (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. ", Bruno kayfabed him. 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. *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! [3], In 1953, he worked in the Atlanta, territory for Paul Jones (the wrestler of the 1930s, not the wrestler/manager of the 1980s). 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! 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. One that stands out was his rivalry with Bruno Sammartino in the early 1960s. This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. He did an advice segment on the Tuesday Night Titans TV program, made personal appearances and did radio interviews. In order to impress a girl, he entered a carnival show match in a shoot fight and won. 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. Blassie died of heart failure Monday