The Legends of Wrestling - "Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks (Wwe S) Paperback - February 1, 2004 by Keith Elliot Greenberg (Author) 115 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle $13.99 Read with Our Free App Hardcover $18.99 13 Used from $4.06 2 New from $38.98 1 Collectible from $15.00 Paperback The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans on the other side of the ropes. [9] During this stint with the company, Blassie was managed by his future nemesis, "Captain" Lou Albano.[3]. 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. All the while, he reveled in his role as being one of professional wrestlings most despised villains. His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. "I want you to get four Orange Juliuses for me, the girls, and you.". 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. 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. 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 is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. 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. In him a favorite of talk shows and reportedly influencing a fellow 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? 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), ? Blassie also resented "Superstar" Billy Graham, at first, due to his association with Dr. Jerry Graham, who in kayfabe was Billys older brother. [6] On July 7, Blassie successfully defended his title against the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz. [9][6], On June 2, 2003, Blassie died of heart and kidney failure at the age of 85. It made Japanese wrestling a commodity on the West Coast and had given Rikidozan the credibility of conquering America. Federation (WWWF, later the World Wresting Federation (WWF) and now He was now hooked, and he decided that pro wrestling was his destiny and not his backbreaking work in the meatpacking plant. (and of course, Bubba Ray and D-Von take care of Bischoff and his cronies). Towards the end of Freddie Blassies life, he began to realize that it all may be coming to an end soon. Blassie originally wrestled Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United Classy Freddie Blassie knew how to get heat and anger fans. He came up with it back in his carnival days, when describing a literal carnival geek -- as in, a performer who bites the heads off of chickens -- who had a slender neck. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. He worked for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment. 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. Feb 27. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! Blassie came into the WWWF with his own world title belt, claiming to be the Pacific World Champion, and was coming to Sammartino's "back yard" to unify the world title. . Some of the guys were businessmen, some were political types, and some others Im sure were mobsters. 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. Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. [22], Filmed in 1982, My Breakfast with Blassie featured Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie eating at a Sambo's in Los Angeles. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. In 1972, ten years after his last match in Japan with Rikidozans JWA, he returned to Japan and began working for Giant Babas All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). first tried to make his mark as a boxer, despite warnings that his arms Miyako Blassie, 68, says in court papers that she was shopping for groceries when she tripped near the entrance to a Pathmark in Westchester. Because of his close relationship with Vince McMahon, Sr. and his family, Blassie remained on the WWF payroll until the day he died. He was 85. Following a stint in the California wrestling scene, Freddie Blassie headed southeast to the Georgia territories in the 1950s, where he would enjoy a whopping 17 reigns with the big title of the region, the NWA Georgia Southern Heavyweight Championship between 1954 and 1960. [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. [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. Originally from Chicago, he has called London home since 2008. 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. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. Blassie also mastered the television interview, boasting his superiority over other wrestlers he liked to call ''pencil-neck geeks.'' 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. 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 spent his time in the Missouri territory, working mainly in St. Louis and Kansas City, but when the U.S. entered the Second World War, he enlisted in 1942 and joined the U.S. Navy, where he spent four years (42 months) in combat in the U.S. battles in the Pacific. 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. Now is In the summer of 1986, Blassie started to slowly phase himself out of the WWF and into retirement. 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.). 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). [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. Greenberg would add that Jerry Grahams drinking issues may have been combined with mental illness. So when I saw this book I had to get it and read it. Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! He is from USA. He became less the focal point of WWA, and soon began working more NWA territories, as he spread his wings into enemy territory. 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. He heard Blassie say that and whipped out a gun saying, "Ill kill that sonuvabitch! Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. 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. 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! Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff | WWE At 85 years old, Freddie Blassie height He even managed Muhammad Ali going into his legendary match with Antonio Inoki. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 85 years old group. Despite being a 7-year pro before his duty in World War II, Blassie was still a journeyman. With Andy Kaufman, Freddie Blassie, Laurie Burton, Linda Hirsch. 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. [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. ", to a monstrous applause. ", "Heres some money," Blassie would say. [5], Blassie was born Frederick Kenneth Blassman in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1918. [3], In 1953, he worked in the Atlanta, territory for Paul Jones (the wrestler of the 1930s, not the wrestler/manager of the 1980s). His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. The series began at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, with Blassie winning on a technicality, but not a pin. [spoken to the WWF wrestlers during Invasion 2001] Gentleman, there My Breakfast with Blassie was conceived of by Linda Lautrec and Johnny Legend as a satire on My Dinner with Andre. [8], Blassie appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show that featured a new dance craze called The Twizzle. 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. 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. 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. 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". Between matches, he gave loud and boastful interviews, making 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. While there, he feuded with Soulman Rocky Johnson, The Sheik, and "The Golden Greek" John Tolos. He claimed to file his teeth to draw blood from opponents, and among his nicknames was the Vampire. WWE Confidential presents a feature on the life and times of the fashion plate of professional wrestling, "Classy" Freddie Blassie. 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.". 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. In reality, Blassie was a major on-screen figure in wrestling, both in competitive and managerial roles, and had a status in overall pop culture. 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)). 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. Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie. During these runs, hed take part in a couple of title feuds for the WWE Championship, challenging Bruno Sammartino in the 1960s and Pedro Morales in the 1970s, not to mention coming after Bobo Brazils US Heavyweight Title. )[8] The movies title and premise are parodies of the 1981 art-house classic My Dinner with Andre.[23]. *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! Deiveson Figueiredo Tattoo Wallpaper. ", 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. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". 2018 Remaster of Andy Kaufman on The Late Show w/ David Letterman w/ "Classy" Fred Blassie on February 23rd, 1983.More remastered Andy Kaufman - https://goo.. This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. RELATED: 10 Performers Who Were Great As Both A Wrestler & Manager. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. He did an advice segment on the Tuesday Night Titans TV program, made personal appearances and did radio interviews. The widow of pro-wrestling villain "Classy" Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. After Blassie lost the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rikidzan in Los Angeles, the two had a rematch on live Japanese television. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. [6] In later years, Blassie also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when Philbin was a guest host. He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. G&K did not respond to calls for comment. For example, in the 1970s, he took on Cowboy Bill Watts, whod become a promoter and booker for Mid-South Wrestling and WCW. This story has been shared 104,709 times. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! 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"). In 1960, he became a regular with World Wrestling Associates (WWA) in Los Angeles, a move that would cement his legacy in pro wrestling, long before he became a manager. [3], In 1964, Blassie feuded with Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil. The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. [3], In 1952, Blassie moved to Los Angeles to work for Jules Strongbow. [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. 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. [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 continued to interfere from ringside in matches, especially during Volkoff's feud with Corporal Kirchner. Linda's dual role (as director and actress) was scripted as an irritating fan who requests Andy's autograph after he washes his hands. Hed adopt a bleach-blond look, start biting his opponents in the ring, and would often be seen filing down his teeth to better sink his teeth in his opponent. "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. 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. Real Name: Fred Blassie. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. [4] By this time, Blassie has acquired a cult following, leading to appearances in several feature films. 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. [9], In 1968, Blassie returned to Japan and was reunited with Miyako. He, Albano, and "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" (Ernie Roth) formed the WWWF's "Evil Trinity" of heel managers. Hed continue being a heel, managing a number of bad guys like George The Animal Steele, Hercules, and Blackjack Mulligan. My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. Freddie accomplished that goal and did so in grand style, as only he could. 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). Ironically, during his WWWF stint, he was managed by another former wrestler who had recently become a manager, in the form of Captain Lou Albano. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. This story has been shared 143,593 times. However, Blassie wanted nothing to do with him because he too had a massive drinking problem and felt that it would "hit too close to home." . Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. 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. Some wrestlers choose to play a villain as a way of promoting their career, while others are forced to by their promoters. In January 1962, Blassie and Mr. Moto defeated Hans Hermann and Jesus Ortega for the California version of the WWA International TV Tag Team title. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure.

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