freddie blassie wife

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). Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. 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.. 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. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. [6] Blassie lost the title to Rikidzan on March 28, 1962.[9]. The evocative turn of phrase stuck and became Blassies catchphrase to the point where it inspired the name of his autobiography and a novelty single (see below). his service in the United States Navy during World War II. 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. ", Bruno kayfabed him. "That's why he was 'Classy' Freddie Blassie." [21] His book, Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks, was released on May 13, 2003. In this match Hogan was once again victorious. Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". He was feuding with a wrestler known as The Geek who had a neck like a stack of dimes, making him a literal pencil neck geek. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! During this time, he went to New York City to work for promoter Jess McMahon. 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. American professional wrestler and manager, Worldwide Wrestling Associates (19601968), World Wide Wrestling Federation (1964; 1971). His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". 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. Lanny said that if a wrestler had a bottle of cologne in their bag, or even rubbing alcohol, Jerry Graham would take it out and drink it. 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. [15] Blassie led Shiek to the WWF World Heavyweight Championship over Bob Backlund on December 26, 1983, in Madison Square Garden. the late 1960s, he moved to the East Coast and the World-Wide Wrestling [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. 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. Blassie was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994 by Shane McMahon. 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. 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. He delivered a rousing speech, dramatically standing up from his wheelchair to get the WWE-loyal wrestlers pumped up for the next battle. Blassie also mastered the television interview, boasting his superiority over other wrestlers he liked to call ''pencil-neck geeks.'' While there, he feuded with Soulman Rocky Johnson, The Sheik, and "The Golden Greek" John Tolos. 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. [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. 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. 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! [8] His death was announced by Jim Ross, 20 minutes into that same day's episode of Raw. [20] Images from his WrestleMania XV promo were also included in the opening of the 2001 Survivor Series. He won the World Wrestling Association world heavyweight championship from the Frenchman douard Carpentier at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1961. 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. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. [3] Blassie also publicly represented Ali for media events and interviews for a period in the mid-1970s. [1] 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. He bleached his hair and quickly became a [2][14] Blassie also managed Muhammad Ali in his boxer vs. wrestler match in 1976 against Antonio Inoki. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. By this time, Blassie has acquired a cult following, leading to appearances in several feature films. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. 3 Saving Freddie Blassie Thanks To Kayfabe. Blassie claims that he made Regis Philbin into the celebrity he is today. 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. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. Funeral services will be held at noon Friday at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church in Scarsdale, N.Y. Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. 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? According to Greenberg, Gorgeous George, towards the end of his career, wanted to form a tag team with Blassie. comes a time when every man must fight for that he believes in. WWE Confidential presents a feature on the life and times of the fashion plate of professional wrestling, "Classy" Freddie Blassie. The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. The two spoke the same dialect of German, their parents had mutual friends, and . "Classy" Freddie Blassie with Keith Elliot Greenberg, NWA Georgia Southern Heavyweight Championship, WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship, NWA North American Heavyweight Championship, NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship, North American Wrestling Alliance/Worldwide Wrestling Associates/ NWA Hollywood Wrestling, WWA International Television Tag Team Championship, NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, "Classy Freddie Blassie was pro wrestling's 'Fashion Plate', "Before The Client List: "Classy" Freddie Blassie", "Blassie toast of Cauliflower Alley Club", "WWF WrestleMania XV Results - 3/28/99 (Stone Cold vs. He claimed to file his teeth to draw blood from opponents, and among his nicknames was the Vampire. Freddie Blassie decided to stop being a fixture of wrestling in 1986 but was no stranger to making the odd guest appearance. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. 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. 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. 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. "Everything had to be the best with him," Miyako told WWE.com. [9] During this stint with the company, Blassie was managed by his future nemesis, "Captain" Lou Albano.[3]. 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"). Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie. Hed continue being a heel, managing a number of bad guys like George The Animal Steele, Hercules, and Blackjack Mulligan. After the war, Blassie returned to the Midwest and continued wrestling professionally. Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie." "Bruno always had a huge entourage hanging around him," Greenberg wrote in "Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling. 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. Freddie Blassie's net worth Why FREDDIE BLASSIE Was So Great f/ WRESTLINGBIOS - YouTube DAVE KNOWS that Classy Freddie Blassie is a Pro Wrestling legend. Towards the end of Freddie Blassies life, he began to realize that it all may be coming to an end soon. [4] 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. My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. switched to professional wrestling. However, Miyako Blassie, surviving wife of the legendary "Classy" Freddie Blassie, is offering that chance as the WWE Hall of Famer's Lincoln Town Car becomes available on WWE Auction. Inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. 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. Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? [5], Blassie was born Frederick Kenneth Blassman in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1918. 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. Classy Freddie Blassie knew how to get heat and anger fans. . After the war, he continued to wrestle professionally in the Midwest. 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. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). "I want you to get four Orange Juliuses for me, the girls, and you.". In it, Blassie is picked up at the Washington, D.C., airport by a limo full of young women, escorted around the nation's capital, gives his opinions and confronts tourists. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. Blassie unsuccessfully campaigned along with the other managers to manage "Macho Man" Randy Savage when Savage first entered the WWF in June 1985. 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. He began wrestling professionally in 1935 and it was soon after that he came up with his famous pencil neck geek insult. Some of the guys were businessmen, some were political types, and some others Im sure were mobsters. Originally from Chicago, he has called London home since 2008. Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. 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. He would become a frequent foe of Morales throughout the rest of his in-ring career in WWWF. One of the men was Jilly Rizzo, Frank Sinatras number one sidekick and the owner of his own saloon. Hear Keith Elliot Greenbergs share stories about "Classy" Freddie Blassie on The Genius Cast below: Over his 22-year wrestling career, Freddie Blassie had many notable feuds. By the 1970s, Blassie had relocated to the East Coast where he successfully pursued his mat career. * 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! [spoken to the WWF wrestlers during Invasion 2001] Gentleman, there Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Hell, the article is entitled "Freddie Blassie - The Truth (and Somewhere In-Between)" for crying out loud. Blassie. [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. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Freddie never held a true world title but he was still one of the greatest of the 50s through the 60s". [3], In 1964, Blassie feuded with Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil. . Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. He was 85.Mr. [9][6], On June 2, 2003, Blassie died of heart and kidney failure at the age of 85. Feb 27. 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). [6] In later years, Blassie also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when Philbin was a guest host. 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. Freddie accomplished that goal and did so in grand style, as only he could. [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. Blassie also resented "Superstar" Billy Graham, at first, due to his association with Dr. Jerry Graham, who in kayfabe was Billys older brother. 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. Also learn how He earned most of Freddie Blassie networth? After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. [8] He was often billed as "The Vampire" during this time for biting his opponents and filing his teeth during interviews and promos. This film article about a 1980s comedy is a stub. Frederick Kenneth Blassie (February 8, 1918 - June 2, 2003), better known as "Classy" Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestling villain and manager born in St. Louis, Missouri. Still a motormouth, he gave interviews in which he bragged about himself and his protgs and denounced anybody he didn't like as a "pencil necked geek". [10] He had main event-level feuds against stars such as The Destroyer. Blassie also was seen with the comedian Andy Kaufman in ''My Breakfast With Blassie,'' a 1983 spoof of ''My Dinner With Andre.''. [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986. [22] In the demonstration of the dance, Blassie picked up Rob Petrie and twirled him over his head. 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. were too short. 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. 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). [12], In 1962, Blassie had a feud with Japanese wrestling icon Rikidzan that established his reputation in Japan. [17] In 2000, Blassie made an appearance at the Royal Rumble as a judge in the Miss Rumble 2000 Swimsuit contest, which was won by Mae Young. States. [7] Later, he received regular work wrestling at local carnivals. [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff | WWE This is in reference . 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. Despite that, Blassie ended the year by leaving WWWF and returning to Los Angeles and the WWA. is 6'(1.83m) . Blassie continued to manage Sheik and Volkoff even after they lost the tag team titles. "Classy" Freddie Blassie WWE Hall of Fame Induction Speech [1994]June 9, 1994 However, later that year Blassie suffered from kidney stones and had surgery to remove them. [3], Upon Blassie's return from the war, he was billed as "Sailor" Fred Blassie to capitalize on the wave of war-time patriotism sweeping the country, but that gimmick was unsuccessful.

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