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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). It made Japanese wrestling a commodity on the West Coast and had given Rikidozan the credibility of conquering America. He grabs his balls!" 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. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. In The Life and Times of Classy Freddie Blassie Quiz He bleached his hair and quickly became a heel's heel, outraging crowds by gleefully breaking every rule in the book. 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. This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. comes a time when every man must fight for that he believes in. Vampire". 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. 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. (bad guys) got better pay. Back in the dressing room, Blassie realized he was in the wrong one. 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. Blassie By this time, Blassie has acquired a cult following, leading to appearances in several feature films. him a favorite of talk shows and reportedly influencing a fellow RELATED: 10 Managers With The Best Claim To Be On A Wrestling Mount Rushmore. He worked for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment. This film article about a 1980s comedy is a stub. In the early 1970s, Blassie "turned face", or became a good guy, since so many fans were cheering his famous antics. . in their 1992 song about Kaufman, "Man on the Moon". 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. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" 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. 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. 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. My Breakfast with Blassie (1983) - IMDb Heres a look at Classy Freddie Blassies wrestling career, long before he decided to take on clients and become one of the most iconic managers of the 1970s and 1980s. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say, New era of football begins at Mater Dei under coach Frank McManus. Blassie also resented "Superstar" Billy Graham, at first, due to his association with Dr. Jerry Graham, who in kayfabe was Billys older brother. Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. 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. However, sadly, Freddie passed away before he could ever speak to his son again. Let me take care of him in the ring.". Also featured is Bob Zmuda, who plays a nosy fan. 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. Comedian Andy Kaufman & professional wrestler Classy Freddie Blassie eat breakfast & discuss life. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United After Blassie lost the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rikidzan in Los Angeles, the two had a rematch on live Japanese television. his service in the United States Navy during World War II. ", 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. He was now hooked, and he decided that pro wrestling was his destiny and not his backbreaking work in the meatpacking plant. 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. [6] Blassie lost the title to Rikidzan on March 28, 1962.[9]. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. G&K did not respond to calls for comment. His first public wrestling match was a shoot fight which he accepted hoping to impress a girl he brought to the show. 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. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie.[1]. Those colorful interviews helped make him a celebrity in the newly expanding medium of television. 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. Freddie Blassie decided to stop being a fixture of wrestling in 1986 but was no stranger to making the odd guest appearance. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The After handing over ME duties to Alex Richards, he remains a frequent contributor to the site. He had been in poor health for quite a while, and it was as if he wanted to wait to get his story out before he passed on. When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". Blassie, Murray wrote, has dedicated his life to wrapping up as much hate as one man can safely carry in a lifetime. Backstage, Jilly Rizzo club owner, Frank Sinatra's bodyguard, and . He kept track of all of his matches during his career, including personal anecdotes. 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. Freddie Blassie retired as an active wrestler in 1974 in part because of the difficulty of securing a wrestling license . 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. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. He was 85.Mr. He achieved the rank of Petty Officer (Second Class) before he was discharged. [6] In later years, Blassie also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when Philbin was a guest host. His parents, Anna (ne Sind) and Jacob Blassman, were German immigrants who arrived in the United States prior to World War I.[3]. His parents repeatedly separated, only to reconcile. A child of two German immigrants, Freddie Blassie was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918. 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. [2] He was given a commentary tryout in 1986 and 1987 for WWF Wrestling Challenge, calling a few matches with Gorilla Monsoon. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. [22], Filmed in 1982, My Breakfast with Blassie featured Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie eating at a Sambo's in Los Angeles. The Legends of Wrestling - "Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil Download 100+ Free Freddie Blassie Wallpaper Images & 500,000+ Wallpapers for Free. (and of course, Bubba Ray and D-Von take care of Bischoff and his cronies). Freddie Blassie - The Truth (and Somewhere In-Between) 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. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. "No. However, Blassie said he would toss his drink in the sand if he didnt drink it, so Lanny took the offer. He graduated from McKinley High School and began work at a meatpacking plant. In the 1950s, Fred Blassie was hands down the most hated wrestler in the southeastern territory. At Freddie Blassies wake, a family member came up to Keith Elliot Greenberg, saying that Freddies son had read the book and was ready to make peace with his father. 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. Blassie would turn heel during this period, developing a lot of the characteristics that hed become known for. 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. Born: 1921. World Wrestling Entertainment WWE)). Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. He triggered heart attack-related deaths in Japan, was stabbed by angry fans 21 times and was once doused with acid! His father was an abusive alcoholic, prompting Frederick to stay with his grandparents whenever Jacob beat Anna. I think Dick Lane was as good as Gordon Solie in his day. Blassie also mastered the television interview, boasting his superiority over other wrestlers he liked to call ''pencil-neck geeks.'' 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. [9] The sight of the Japanese legend covered in his own blood gave several viewers heart attacks, and some reportedly died. In 1964, Dick the Bruiser defeated Blassie to become champion, and Blassie headed east to work for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). Blassie claims that he made Regis Philbin into the celebrity he is today. 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. 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). RELATED: 10 All-Time Greats You Forgot Had Managers. 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. His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September 1968 - 2 June 2003) ( his death), ? Professional Wrestling Online Museum - Spotlight on Freddie Blassie . What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? Blassie's interference at Wrestlemania 2 cost Volkoff his match with Kirchner, when the cane was grabbed by Kirchner instead of Volkoff. . By the 1970s, Blassie had relocated to the East Coast where he successfully pursued his mat career. 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 "Classy" Freddie Blassie appeared in a live-action segment of the cartoon "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling." 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. Blassie worked for the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, which presented him with its lifetime achievement award in 1996. With Andy Kaufman, Freddie Blassie, Laurie Burton, Linda Hirsch.