He won the WWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship from French star Edouard Carpentier at the L.A. Sports Arena in 1961. [8], Blassie appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show that featured a new dance craze called The Twizzle. Classy Freddie Blassie knew how to get heat and anger fans. Lanny approached Blassie, who always had three girls with him, saying he "needed some relief. When he asked for her parents' blessing, they were hesitant because of his reputation with Rikidzan and because he was 28 years older than she. He won the World Wrestling Association world heavyweight championship from the Frenchman douard Carpentier at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1961. [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. [9][6], On June 2, 2003, Blassie died of heart and kidney failure at the age of 85. Feb 27. 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. She . One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United 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. . It made Japanese wrestling a commodity on the West Coast and had given Rikidozan the credibility of conquering America. The widow of pro-wrestling villain Classy Freddie Blassie got thrown for a fall by a supermarket floor mat. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! Blassie unsuccessfully campaigned along with the other managers to manage "Macho Man" Randy Savage when Savage first entered the WWF in June 1985. As a result he has wrought something of a revolution in the unmanly art of exhibition wrestling.. [9] While recuperating in 1966, he worked as a car salesman and married a second time to a woman whose name Blassie later claimed not to remember. (1965 - 1968) ( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964) ( divorced) ( 3 children) Freddie Blassie Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Frederick was an only child. 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. Blassie also mastered the television interview, boasting his superiority over other wrestlers he liked to call ''pencil-neck geeks.'' Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? [7] Later, he received regular work wrestling at local carnivals. Lanny was only 12 or 13-years-old at the time. A nice man, with a lovely wife and it was great having him there to cut a wonderful promo during my show. Patrick Stewart In A Checkered Coat Wallpaper. [9] However, they eventually consented and Miyako returned with Blassie to the United States; they were married on September 30, 1968. The nastier he was in the ring, the more popular he became to fans on the other side of the ropes. He felt this was his chance to tell his life story before moving on. After Blassie lost the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rikidzan in Los Angeles, the two had a rematch on live Japanese television. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". It was not until he moved to the West Coast that fans began supporting him. . Fred Blassie had a shocking heel turn during his stint in Georgia, which led to him becoming an extremely hated wrestler! Those colorful interviews helped make him a celebrity in the newly expanding medium of television. His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. 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. 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. Blassie later challenged Morales for the WWWF Championship, but came up short. Miyako Blassie, 68, says in court papers that she was shopping for groceries when she tripped near the entrance to a Pathmark in Westchester. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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". Towards the end of Freddie Blassies life, he began to realize that it all may be coming to an end soon. RELATED: 10 Performers Who Were Great As Both A Wrestler & Manager. [6] Blassie described this performer as "having a neck like a stack of dimes and a real pencil-neck geek". This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. My Breakfast with Blassie was conceived of by Linda Lautrec and Johnny Legend as a satire on My Dinner with Andre. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. A child of two German immigrants, Freddie Blassie was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918. ", to a monstrous applause. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. )[8] The movies title and premise are parodies of the 1981 art-house classic My Dinner with Andre.[23]. 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. [4] In 1998, Blassie was the winner at the fourth annual Cauliflower Alley Club East Coast Banquet. Blassie would turn heel during this period, developing a lot of the characteristics that hed become known for. And more wrestling fans definite need to know about the. RELATED: 10 Managers With The Best Claim To Be On A Wrestling Mount Rushmore. After a move to the West Coast, he tried a different promotional scheme -- that of a villain. 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. His wife is Miyako Morozumi (30 September1968 - 2 June2003)( his death), ? "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. Greenbergs memoir on Freddie Blassie was released just three weeks before he died in 2003. For example, in the 1970s, he took on Cowboy Bill Watts, whod become a promoter and booker for Mid-South Wrestling and WCW. [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. [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. Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. [6] He also began boxing at a local community center and won a heavyweight championship title. Anyone can read what you share. Outside of being an award-winning television producer, the New York Times best-selling author began writing about professional wrestling for several newspapers and magazines in the 90s. He began wrestling professionally in 1935 and it was soon after that he came up with his famous pencil neck geek insult. We have estimated Blassie did not just fade away after he left the ring. [9], In 1968, Blassie returned to Japan and was reunited with Miyako. Blassie. Frederick Kenneth Blassie (February 8, 1918 - June 2, 2003), better known as "Classy" Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestling villain and manager born in St. Louis, Missouri. Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff | WWE [7], After the US entered World War II, Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months. 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. [3], Blassie's famous "pencil-neck geek" catchphrase originated early in his career while describing a fellow carnival performer who appeared in a geek show. Born: 1921. Freddie Blassie's net worth Blassie would eventually come to be known as a manager (see below) in WWE, but in the 1960s and 1970s, he actually wrestled for the promotion, back then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation. In 1976 he managed Muhammad Ali during his shoot match. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. That revolution -- making the villain the hero -- put fans in the seats and money in Blassies pocket. Recommended:10 Wrestling Book Must Reads and 5 You Dont Want To Waste Your Time On. In 1950, he had his first challenge for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, facing championLou Theszin Kentucky. "That's why he was 'Classy' Freddie Blassie." 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