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. When meeting someone, he would ask where they were from, and no matter their response, he would reply with, "Oh, that's God's country!". My Breakfast with Blassie was conceived of by Linda Lautrec and Johnny Legend as a satire on My Dinner with Andre. 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. However, sadly, Freddie passed away before he could ever speak to his son again. 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. [9] The sight of the Japanese legend covered in his own blood gave several viewers heart attacks, and some reportedly died. 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. "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. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. WWE Confidential presents a feature on the life and times of the fashion plate of professional wrestling, "Classy" Freddie Blassie. [8] He worked for Jack Pfefer, who he claimed would only employ people who looked like sideshow freaks at his shows, and whose wrestlers included Tor Johnson, who made movies with director Ed Wood, and Lillian Ellison, the Fabulous Moolah. Hogan would return in late 1983, turning face almost immediately after and thus separating from Freddie Blassie. [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 parents repeatedly separated, only to reconcile. [6] One of his most famous feuds took place in southern California in 1971, against Tolos. 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)). [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. 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. [18][19] Blassie also appeared in the SummerSlam opening video. 10 Wrestling Book Must Reads and 5 You Dont Want To Waste Your Time On, Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling, The Night Bruno Sammartino Saved Freddie Blassies Life, The Time WWE Hall of Famer DR. JERRY GRAHAM Kidnapped His Mothers Dead Body, Freddie Blassie, Lou Albano, and "The Fossil Jostle" Atrocity in 85, Roddy Piper: From The Streets to the Big Time, Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers The 1963 WWWF Title Screwjob, Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. 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. When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". 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. This is in reference . A third-generation wrestling fan and senior writer for World Wrestling Entertainment publications, Greenberg is the author of more than thirty nonfiction children's books, and has written for The New York . . According to Greenberg, Gorgeous George, towards the end of his career, wanted to form a tag team with Blassie. If you're not from the midwest you're not allowed to have an opinion on this. [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. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. [8] He teamed with Billy McDaniel as the McDaniel Brothers, but when they went east, they were known as the Blassie Brothers. 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? 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. 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). 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 100 deaths claim was an exaggerated myth that Blassie used. 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 This story has been shared 143,593 times. 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). [11], On June 12, 1961, Blassie defeated the "Flying Frenchman" douard Carpentier in a best-of-three-falls match for his first WWA World Heavyweight Championship. RELATED: 10 Performers Who Were Great As Both A Wrestler & Manager. [2] He was given a commentary tryout in 1986 and 1987 for WWF Wrestling Challenge, calling a few matches with Gorilla Monsoon. , money, salary, income, and assets. 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. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. [4] In 1998, Blassie was the winner at the fourth annual Cauliflower Alley Club East Coast Banquet. 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. 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's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. 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. were too short. Let me take care of him in the ring.". JP Zarka created Pro Wrestling Stories in May 2015. She . Lynne Margulies, who would later become Kaufman's girlfriend, plays a role; in fact, she and Kaufman met for the first time on camera. his service in the United States Navy during World War II. 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. Accounts about his early athletic career do not quite agree, but he He bleached his hair and quickly became a Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. And more wrestling fans definite need to know about the. * 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! the late 1960s, he moved to the East Coast and the World-Wide Wrestling He married his first wife Nettie Needles while on shore leave during the war. After Blassie lost the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rikidzan in Los Angeles, the two had a rematch on live Japanese television. 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. The defendants had a duty to provide reasonably safe conditions for its customers, the suit charges. Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. 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. The series began at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, with Blassie winning on a technicality, but not a pin. 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. 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). So when I saw this book I had to get it and read it. [6] He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). In the 1970s, Blassie recorded a number of novelty songs, including Pencil Neck Geek, which became a cult favorite via Dr. Dementos radio show, which specializes in sharing wacky tracks. Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. in their 1992 song about Kaufman, "Man on the Moon". Blassies father was a heavy alcoholic and was abusive towards his beloved mother. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! He became less the focal point of WWA, and soon began working more NWA territories, as he spread his wings into enemy territory. 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. switched to professional wrestling. Those colorful interviews helped make him a celebrity in the newly expanding medium of television. Classy Freddie Blassie knew how to get heat and anger fans. Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. him a favorite of talk shows and reportedly influencing a fellow From there, he moved on to become a regular writer, contributor, and reporter for WWE. He graduated from McKinley High School and began work at a meatpacking plant. [3] Blassie also publicly represented Ali for media events and interviews for a period in the mid-1970s. Keith Elliot Greenberg coauthored Legends of Wrestling: Freddie Blassie -- Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks with wrestling icon "Classy" Freddie Blassie shortly before his death in 2003. Lanny stated that though Freddie Blassie never knew how to save his money well, he always had enough since he was never a drinker and saved a lot of money in that regard. My Breakfast with Blassie: Directed by Linda Lautrec, Johnny Legend, Mark Shepard. "I want you to get four Orange Juliuses for me, the girls, and you.". Feb 27. He started a second career as a manager in the WWWF. [6] He also began boxing at a local community center and won a heavyweight championship title. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on theWWE NetworkandPeacock. @megantheevalium. 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. Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie." Fred Blassie had a shocking heel turn during his stint in Georgia, which led to him becoming an extremely hated wrestler! 3 Saving Freddie Blassie Thanks To Kayfabe. Blassie's interference at Wrestlemania 2 cost Volkoff his match with Kirchner, when the cane was grabbed by Kirchner instead of Volkoff. He also began filing his teeth, transitioning from Sailor to The Vampire, as his spiked teeth became effective tools in biting his opponents, creating a macabre presentation and early influence on the hardcore side of pro-wrestling. He was popular in Japan as well. 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. My wife joined Toastmasters International in October of last year. American professional wrestler and manager, Worldwide Wrestling Associates (19601968), World Wide Wrestling Federation (1964; 1971). [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. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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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.". Freddie Blassie retired as an active wrestler in 1974 in part because of the difficulty of securing a wrestling license .