Frederick was an only child. Classy car for a class act | WWE 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. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! Greenberg would add that Jerry Grahams drinking issues may have been combined with mental illness. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. "The Fashion Plate of Wrestling" Freddie Blassie calls his interviewer and the fans "pencil neck geeks" and shows why he will always be remembered as one of the greatest managers in WWE history. "CLASSY" FRED BLASSIE on Twitter: "Your trad wife, sir. https://t.co Even more important than that, Blassie would make a change that would make him an icon. "Typical Italian stunt! Some wrestlers choose to play a villain as a way of promoting their career, while others are forced to by their promoters. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. After the war, he continued to wrestle professionally in the Midwest. 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". Blassie Inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. 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 first tried to make his mark as a boxer, despite warnings that his arms [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. In 1950, he had his first challenge for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, facing championLou Theszin Kentucky. 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. Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. It was in the latter that he decided to embrace his villainous side, bleaching his hair blonde like Gorgeous George. "When hed go to a town, the most powerful Italians would latch themselves onto him and decided they were his protectors, whether Bruno liked it or not. As a German descent American, he was often faced with questions of loyalty, despite marrying a Jewish woman. [22], Filmed in 1982, My Breakfast with Blassie featured Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie eating at a Sambo's in Los Angeles. Hell, the article is entitled "Freddie Blassie - The Truth (and Somewhere In-Between)" for crying out loud. In order to impress a girl, he entered a carnival show match in a shoot fight and won. That revolution -- making the villain the hero -- put fans in the seats and money in Blassies pocket. One that stands out was his rivalry with Bruno Sammartino in the early 1960s. 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)). Greenbergs memoir on Freddie Blassie was released just three weeks before he died in 2003. 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. [7], After the US entered World War II, Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months. Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks by Classy Freddie Blassie - Goodreads Lanny approached Blassie, who always had three girls with him, saying he "needed some relief. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie.[1]. Andy Kaufman on Letterman w/ "Classy" Freddie Blassie 02/23/1983 Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. Lanny was only 12 or 13-years-old at the time. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. "Classy" Freddie Blassie lead an interesting life as one of . One of Blassies most notable clients during his run with WWE, however, was Hulk Hogan, who he managed as soon as Hogan debuted in the company in 1979. If they refused to drop a title, it didnt matter what the bookers thought. His first public wrestling match was a shoot fight which he accepted hoping to impress a girl he brought to the show. 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. Anyone can read what you share. Renowned as "The Hollywood Fashion Plate",[3] he was a one-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, and was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994. 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. 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. 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. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie. Many people close to him actually had no idea that he had children in the first place. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 85 years old group. She . is 6'(1.83m) . 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. 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. 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. [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. [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. Blassie held various regional titles, Walton said, including the WWA World Title on five separate occasions, the Americas Heavyweight Title nine times and tag team belts with various partners over the years. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. 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. [16] In 1999, he was shown making the opening narration of WrestleMania XV. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans. Im not implying that Bruno would ever have any dealings with the mafia on his own. Freddie Blassie - Biography - IMDb [10] He had main event-level feuds against stars such as The Destroyer. 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. "Classy" Freddie Blassie WWE Hall of Fame Induction Speech [1994] Born Fred Blassman in St. Louis, Blassie played baseball and football in high school. He heard Blassie say that and whipped out a gun saying, "Ill kill that sonuvabitch! [9] The sight of the Japanese legend covered in his own blood gave several viewers heart attacks, and some reportedly died. Blassie retired from active wrestling in 1974, due to a California law that prohibited anyone over 55 from getting a wrestling license. A fierce competitor in the ring known for unorthodox methods and a penchant for bloodletting, Blassie was verbose and boastful. On top of that, hed take on English legend Billy Robinson, WWE Champion Superstar Billy Graham, and legendary masked heel wrestler Destroyer. By the 1970s, Blassie had relocated to the East Coast where he successfully pursued his mat career. Those colorful interviews helped make him a celebrity in the newly expanding medium of television. Towards the end of Freddie Blassies life, he began to realize that it all may be coming to an end soon. RELATED: 10 Managers With The Best Claim To Be On A Wrestling Mount Rushmore. Gross tubs? 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. 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. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. 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. 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. 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. As a result he has wrought something of a revolution in the unmanly art of exhibition wrestling.. He began wrestling professionally in 1935 and it was soon after that he came up with his famous pencil neck geek insult. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. 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)). 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. 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), ? Backstage, Jilly Rizzo club owner, Frank Sinatra's bodyguard, and . This benefactor was later revealed to be Slick. Freddie Blassie | Pro Wrestling | Fandom Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop.