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. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. 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. [16] In 1999, he was shown making the opening narration of WrestleMania XV. WWE Confidential: The life and times of "Classy" Freddie Blassie Blassie also mastered the television interview, boasting his superiority over other wrestlers he liked to call ''pencil-neck geeks.'' [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. 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. Freddie Blassie, Pro Wrestler Popular as Villain, Dies at 85 He heard Blassie say that and whipped out a gun saying, "Ill kill that sonuvabitch! We've received your submission. 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. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! According to Greenberg, Gorgeous George, towards the end of his career, wanted to form a tag team with Blassie. 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. 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. [3], One of Blassie's most famous proteges was The Iron Sheik. Let's learn more about this classic heel! 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), ? He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. 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. Frederick was an only child. Sportswriter Jim Murray called him the worst villain since Hitler in a 1961 column in The Times. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [9] During this stint with the company, Blassie was managed by his future nemesis, "Captain" Lou Albano.[3]. 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. 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. 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. 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. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans on the other side of the ropes. book. 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. Greenbergs memoir on Freddie Blassie was released just three weeks before he died in 2003. him a favorite of talk shows and reportedly influencing a fellow He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. One of Blassie's gimmicks was to file his teeth, and draw blood from his opponents by biting their foreheads. In 1950, he had his first challenge for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, facing championLou Theszin Kentucky. 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. [6] On July 7, Blassie successfully defended his title against the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz. One of the men was Jilly Rizzo, Frank Sinatras number one sidekick and the owner of his own saloon. This story has been shared 143,593 times. He felt this was his chance to tell his life story before moving on. Blassie retired from active wrestling in 1974, due to a California law that prohibited anyone over 55 from getting a wrestling license. 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 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. 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. He would become a frequent foe of Morales throughout the rest of his in-ring career in WWWF. (bad guys) got better pay. Fans might recall his interviews with local announcer Dick Lane in which he would proclaim his vast superiority over a number of lesser opponents, branding them all pencil-neck geeks. Those colorful interviews helped make him a celebrity in the newly expanding medium of television. He bleached his hair and quickly became a Linda Lautrec and Andy Kaufman loosely scripted the film over several months late at night on the telephone. A fierce competitor in the ring known for unorthodox methods and a penchant for bloodletting, Blassie was verbose and boastful. Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.. His parents repeatedly separated, only to reconcile. 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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. Blassie also wanted to clarify through his final memoir that he was an absentee father as he was on the road for most of his sons life growing up. He started a second career as a manager in the WWWF. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Blassie got involved when he threw his cane into the ring, with Sheik and Volkoff using it to their advantage to gain the victory. Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff | WWE [3] As an adult, Frederick was a teetotaler. Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. That year, Blassie was forced to retire from in-ring competition, as a California by-law forbade wrestling licenses for anyone upon reaching 55 years old. [6] The final match of their series took place in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and set new California records for both attendance and gate. Blassie's interference at Wrestlemania 2 cost Volkoff his match with Kirchner, when the cane was grabbed by Kirchner instead of Volkoff. The Life and Times of Classy Freddie Blassie Quiz 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. Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! . Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. 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.). Blassie retired from wrestling in 1986, turning over his stable of heels to another manager called Slick. "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. "That's why he was 'Classy' Freddie Blassie." [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. Freddie Blassie, Pro Wrestler Popular as Villain, Dies at 85, https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/08/sports/freddie-blassie-pro-wrestler-popular-as-villain-dies-at-85.html. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! 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. In 1976 he managed Muhammad Ali during his shoot match. [18][19] Blassie also appeared in the SummerSlam opening video. 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. [7], After the US entered World War II, Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months. [7] When Philbin had a late-night weekend talk show in San Diego, Blassie would routinely show up to yell at the audience, throw furniture, and threaten Philbin; the confrontations were wholly kayfabe and both of them were friends when the cameras weren't rolling. After a 39-year in-ring career in the sport, Blassie retired as a wrestler as a 4x WWA World Heavyweight Champion, a 17x NWA Georgia Southern Heavyweight Champion, NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion, as well as dozens more regional titles in multiple NWA territories. 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. The defendants had a duty to provide reasonably safe conditions for its customers, the suit charges. He retired from competition in the late 1970's to manage a new generation of wrestlers, including Hulk Hogan and Jesse Ventura, the future governor of Minnesota. 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. first tried to make his mark as a boxer, despite warnings that his arms were too short. 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. Wrestler's widow goes to the mat - New York Post Given that Hogan was the top babyface in the 1980s, this iteration of The Hulkster was actually a heel and would depart in 1981 after a dispute with Vince McMahon Sr. over Hogans taking a role in Rocky III. *The 100 deaths claim was an exaggerated myth that Blassie used. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. 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 is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. ", to a monstrous applause. While writingThe Legends of Wrestling, Greenberg got to know Freddie Blassie quite well and mentioned in his appearance on The Genius Cast that Blassie really opened up to him. States. 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. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. RELATED: 10 All-Time Greats You Forgot Had Managers. For Freddie Blassie, there was no question why he took on a villian's persona - he loved it. He won the World Wrestling Association world heavyweight championship from the Frenchman douard Carpentier at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1961. 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. They had no connecting hallways, so he was stuck with a bunch of these people, kayfabing his gimmick as Bruno was being hauled in on a stretcher. [3], In 1964, Blassie feuded with Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil. His career began in earnest after his service in the United States Navy during World War II. She . This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. 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. [4] In 1998, Blassie was the winner at the fourth annual Cauliflower Alley Club East Coast Banquet. Freddie Blassie, 85, died of heart failure on June 2, 2003. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie. However, later that year Blassie suffered from kidney stones and had surgery to remove them. He returned to AJPW again in 1973, but the following year in 1974, he jumped to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) for his final tour of Japan. The Dudleyz get the tables with "Classy" Freddie Blassie's help: Raw My Breakfast with Blassie - Wikipedia "Classy" Freddie Blassie lead an interesting life as one of . [8] He was often billed as "The Vampire" during this time for biting his opponents and filing his teeth during interviews and promos. It was not until he moved to the West Coast that fans began supporting him. This is in reference . Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=My_Breakfast_with_Blassie&oldid=1107033235, Articles needing additional references from June 2021, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 August 2022, at 19:43. He bleached his hair and quickly became a heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the book. During his time on the West Coast, he was a frequent guest and/or interruption on a local show hosted by Regis Philben, and Blassies appearances thanks to his massive appeal as a wrestling draw helped push Philben into a national celebrity. [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. Blassie also resented "Superstar" Billy Graham, at first, due to his association with Dr. Jerry Graham, who in kayfabe was Billys older brother. [6] His knees were also in terrible condition, which also contributed to his retirement. He also reportedly excelled as a boxer. [7], His career continued as he was hired by more established promoters, including Tom Packs in St. Louis and George Simpson in Kansas City. If they refused to drop a title, it didnt matter what the bookers thought. 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. Professional Wrestling Online Museum - Spotlight on Freddie Blassie for the WWF. Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. . 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. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. Hed continue being a heel, managing a number of bad guys like George The Animal Steele, Hercules, and Blackjack Mulligan. [21] His final words on WWE television were "D-Von, get the table! Freddie Blassie's net worth [6] Blassie described this performer as "having a neck like a stack of dimes and a real pencil-neck geek". Blassie. [5], Blassie was born Frederick Kenneth Blassman in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1918. [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. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. 'The Destroyer' Dick Beyer story archive | Slam Wrestling Blassie continued to interfere from ringside in matches, especially during Volkoff's feud with Corporal Kirchner. [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. Blassie unsuccessfully campaigned along with the other managers to manage "Macho Man" Randy Savage when Savage first entered the WWF in June 1985. Hed also regularly tag with Gorilla Monsoon, another wrestler better known for his non-wrestling roles. Freddie Blassie decided to stop being a fixture of wrestling in 1986 but was no stranger to making the odd guest appearance. 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. Im not implying that Bruno would ever have any dealings with the mafia on his own. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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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"). On an episode of WWF Championship Wrestling, Blassie barged into the announcer booth to proclaim that he had sold half of the contracts of Sheik and Volkoff to a mysterious benefactor for a large sum of money. 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. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? 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. Freddie Blassie - IMDb All the while, he reveled in his role as being one of professional wrestlings most despised villains. For example, in the 1970s, he took on Cowboy Bill Watts, whod become a promoter and booker for Mid-South Wrestling and WCW. [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. He is from USA. Blassie died in Hartsdale, N.Y., Jeff Walton, a former wrestling publicist, told The Los Angeles Times. 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. 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). Freddie Blassie Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family Still claiming to be the West Coast Champion, entered into a feud with Bruno Sammartino to unify the titles. After the war, Blassie returned to the Midwest and continued wrestling professionally. Blassie was a contemporary of six-time NWA world champion Thesz, who died in 2002 at the age of 86. "Classy" Freddie Blassie is a legendary wrestling personality, both as a wrestler and a manager. ", In this particular story, Blassie won a match by count-out in Roosevelt Stadium when he kicked Sammartino in the breadbasket while the referee was distracted. The series began at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, with Blassie winning on a technicality, but not a pin. Classy car for a class act | WWE