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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. 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. In 1976 he managed Muhammad Ali during his shoot match. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? switched to professional wrestling. He started a second career as a manager in the WWWF. [7], His career continued as he was hired by more established promoters, including Tom Packs in St. Louis and George Simpson in Kansas City. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. His last name is slightly easier to pronounce than it looks. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). The suit, filed in federal court in White Plains, accuses the supermarket chain of negligence and recklessness and seeks more than $1 million in damages from corporate parent A&P and mat supplier G&K Services. "Bruno always had a huge entourage hanging around him," Greenberg wrote in "Classy" Freddie Blassie The Legends of Wrestling. He triggered heart attack-related deaths in Japan, was stabbed by angry fans 21 times and was once doused with acid! Freddie Blassie, the silver-maned wrestler with a voice from the depths of the earth who made himself a hero to mat fans in the 1950s and 60s by playing the villain, has died. [4] He is regarded as one of the greatest wrestling heels, or villains, of all time. )[8] The movies title and premise are parodies of the 1981 art-house classic My Dinner with Andre.[23]. Feb 27. 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. [7] As the wrestlers became familiar with him, they began teaching him holds. In this match Hogan was once again victorious. Freddie Blassies income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. Miyako Blassie, 68, says in court papers that she was shopping for groceries. 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). However, he became increasingly interested in wrestling. 500,000+ HD Wallpapers & Freddie Blassie Wallpaper 100% Free to Use High Quality Wallpapers Personalise for all Screen & Devices. Frederick Kenneth Blassie (Classy Freddy Blassie, The Vampire, Sailor Fred Blassie, The Hollywood Fashion Plate, The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling) was born on 8 February, 1918 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, is an Actor. Vince McMahon interviews "Classy" Freddie Blassie & Nikolai Volkoff | WWE Some of the guys were businessmen, some were political types, and some others Im sure were mobsters. Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! In 1964, Blassie once again captured the WWA World title for the third time (again from Carpentier), but upon losing to Dick The Bruiser in April, he headed to the newly minted World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). Around 1980, he adopted a new moniker: "Ayatollah Blassie." 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. [4] Lynne Margulies, who would later become Kaufman's girlfriend, plays a role; in fact, she and Kaufman met for the first time on camera. In addition to his pro wrestling notoriety, Classy Freddie Blassie also has some amusing notability in wider pop culture. Patrick Stewart In A Checkered Coat Wallpaper. is 6'(1.83m) . 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. A fierce competitor in the ring known for unorthodox methods and a penchant for bloodletting, Blassie was verbose and boastful. 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. A wildly popular villain in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, he later managed other wrestlers, including then-bad guy Hulk Hogan and the ever-evil Iron Sheik. [8], Blassie appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show that featured a new dance craze called The Twizzle. 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. WWE Confidential presents a feature on the life and times of the fashion plate of professional wrestling, "Classy" Freddie Blassie. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. (and of course, Bubba Ray and D-Von take care of Bischoff and his cronies). @megantheevalium. June 8, 2003 The professional wrestler Freddie Blassie, who became a cult figure to fans by playing the villain inside the ring during the 1950's and 1960's, died Monday. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. It made Japanese wrestling a commodity on the West Coast and had given Rikidozan the credibility of conquering America. 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. 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. At 85 years old, Freddie Blassie height After a move to the West Coast, he tried a different promotional scheme -- that of a villain. Hed continue being a heel, managing a number of bad guys like George The Animal Steele, Hercules, and Blackjack Mulligan. [18][19] Blassie also appeared in the SummerSlam opening video. Blassie began portraying himself as a villain, and it worked. This is in reference . Freddie had been estranged from his children for the majority of their lives. Funeral services will be held at noon Friday at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church in Scarsdale, N.Y. During this time, he went to New York City to work for promoter Jess McMahon. Fred Blassie was born and raised in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. He felt this was his chance to tell his life story before moving on. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. 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Miyako Blassie, 68, says in court papers that she was shopping for groceries when she tripped near the entrance to a Pathmark in Westchester. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. [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. Occasionally, he would get too close to the action and get beaten up himself, much to the crowd's delight. [6] He also began boxing at a local community center and won a heavyweight championship title. [6] One of his most famous feuds took place in southern California in 1971, against Tolos. Also learn how He earned most of Freddie Blassie networth? The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Sammartino winning out. 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. 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. One of Blassie's gimmicks was to file his teeth, and draw blood from his opponents by biting their foreheads. 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. 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!". 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. 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. 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), ? Because of his close relationship with Vince McMahon, Sr. and his family, Blassie remained on the WWF payroll until the day he died. One of the 100 Greatest Wrestlers of the 20th Century (Inside Wrestling Presents, Summer 2000). (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. 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. 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. He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. It was also during this period of his career when he dropped his babyface gimmick and became a full-fledged heel. He heard Blassie say that and whipped out a gun saying, "Ill kill that sonuvabitch! *The 100 deaths claim was an exaggerated myth that Blassie used. By doing this, he saved Freddie Blassies life. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The 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. "Typical Italian stunt! 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.". [3], In 1953, he worked in the Atlanta, territory for Paul Jones (the wrestler of the 1930s, not the wrestler/manager of the 1980s). [8] He was often billed as "The Vampire" during this time for biting his opponents and filing his teeth during interviews and promos. 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. 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. Had some great matches with Rikidozan & even back in the late 60s he was over bigtime as a heel. While there, he feuded with Soulman Rocky Johnson, The Sheik, and "The Golden Greek" John Tolos. 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). 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. 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)). 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. The two of them had a great relationship off-camera, but because kayfabe was well and truly protected during this time in the business unless you were on the inside, you never were to know that a heel and face got along in real life. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. 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. 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. However, sadly, Freddie passed away before he could ever speak to his son again. "Classy" Freddie Blassie is a legendary wrestling personality, both as a wrestler and a manager. [21] His book, Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks, was released on May 13, 2003. Now is As much as governing body politics held back minorities, the wrestlers themselves had even more power. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. [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. [2] He was given a commentary tryout in 1986 and 1987 for WWF Wrestling Challenge, calling a few matches with Gorilla Monsoon. Blassie did not just fade away after he left the ring. In 1950, he had his first challenge for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, facing championLou Theszin Kentucky. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The defendants had a duty to provide reasonably safe conditions for its customers, the suit charges. "Classy" Freddie Blassie lead an interesting life as one of . Federation (WWWF, later the World Wresting Federation (WWF) and now Back in the dressing room, Blassie realized he was in the wrong one. But while his US in-ring career ended (while still working for WWWF), he remained employed by WWWF and became a manager instead. Given that Hogan was the top babyface in the 1980s, this iteration of The Hulkster was actually a heel and would depart in 1981 after a dispute with Vince McMahon Sr. over Hogans taking a role in Rocky III. 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. [15] Blassie led Shiek to the WWF World Heavyweight Championship over Bob Backlund on December 26, 1983, in Madison Square Garden. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and three children. [2][14] Blassie also managed Muhammad Ali in his boxer vs. wrestler match in 1976 against Antonio Inoki. On an episode of WWF Championship Wrestling, Blassie barged into the announcer booth to proclaim that he had sold half of the contracts of Sheik and Volkoff to a mysterious benefactor for a large sum of money. Some wrestlers choose to play a villain as a way of promoting their career, while others are forced to by their promoters. The closest I ever saw him to loosing the mask was against Cowboy Bob Ellis, I believe in the mid 60's. I can still remember old Dick Lane calling the action. [6] On July 7, Blassie successfully defended his title against the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz. Managed by "Loud", Countless World Wrestling Federation TV and Pay Per View Ads. . G&K did not respond to calls for comment. Blassie originally wrestled 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. Between matches, he gave loud and boastful interviews, making . Credited with bringing a young Hulk Hogan into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in late 1979. 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". Freddie Blassie. 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. The professional wrestler Freddie Blassie, who became a cult figure to fans by playing the villain inside the ring during the 1950's and 1960's, died Monday. Without further ado, lets do an overview of Blassies career for fans who may not know much about him. mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. His penchant for biting opponents earned him the nickname "The Vampire". [3], In 1952, Blassie moved to Los Angeles to work for Jules Strongbow. ", to a monstrous applause. Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. Freddie accomplished that goal and did so in grand style, as only he could. ", Bruno kayfabed him. The Rock for the WWF Title)", "TJR Retro: WWE Royal Rumble 2000 Review (The Rock wins Rumble, Triple H vs. Cactus Jack)", "Freddie Blassie - Dick Van Dyke Show - 1962", "My Breakfast with Blassie: An appreciation", NWA North American Heavyweight Title (Hawaii version) history, NWA Southern Heavyweight Title (Florida) history, NWA World Tag Team Title (Florida) history, NWA International Tag Team Title (Georgia) history, NWA Southern Heavyweight Title (Georgia) history, NWA World Tag Team Title (Georgia) history, "NWA Hall of Fame Class for 2011 announced", WWA International Television Tag Team Title history, NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Title history, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Inductees, 1853 Shepherd Circle SW, Blassie's Atlanta home (1960), 1950 Campbellton Road SW, Blassies Atlanta home (1966), WWE Hall of Fame Profile of Freddie Blassie, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freddie_Blassie&oldid=1142698000, NWA World Tag Team Champions (Florida version), Professional wrestling managers and valets, United States Navy personnel of World War II, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox military person with embed, Articles with disputed statements from February 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The Mysterious Medics (Mysterious Medic #1 and Mysterious Medic #2), This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 22:16. [20] Images from his WrestleMania XV promo were also included in the opening of the 2001 Survivor Series. (1965 - 1968)( divorced), Nettie Needles (September 1942 - 1964)( divorced)( 3 children). "That's why he was 'Classy' Freddie Blassie." Blassies father was a heavy alcoholic and was abusive towards his beloved mother. [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. 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. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say, New era of football begins at Mater Dei under coach Frank McManus. [6] In later years, Blassie also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when Philbin was a guest host. 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] 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. Replying to. [3], In 1964, Blassie feuded with Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil. comes a time when every man must fight for that he believes in. My wife joined Toastmasters International in October of last year. Blassie continued to manage Sheik and Volkoff even after they lost the tag team titles. 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. I think Dick Lane was as good as Gordon Solie in his day. Blassie retired from wrestling in 1986, turning over his stable of heels to another manager called Slick. This resulted in a weak relationship between the two. [7] Later, he received regular work wrestling at local carnivals. Gross tubs? Those colorful interviews helped make him a celebrity in the newly expanding medium of television. egomaniac then known as Cassius Clay. Keith Elliot Greenberg has been doing his part to preserve professional wrestling history for the past few decades. He began wrestling professionally in 1935 and it was soon after that he came up with his famous pencil neck geek insult. 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. By the mid-1970s, Freddie Blassie was in his 50s and began to settle into a role as a manager in WWE, though he would still occasionally wrestle a match. You hit a guy in the neck. [10] He was so hated there that uniformed police officers were regularly brought in to protect him as he made his way to and from the ring. 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. His career began in earnest after his service in the United States Navy during World War II. [7], After the US entered World War II, Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months. 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. Since his retirement, he has occasionally worked as a "goodwill ambassador" (!) After Blassie lost the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rikidzan in Los Angeles, the two had a rematch on live Japanese television. Most recently, he co-authored the 2016 edition of the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. His heels were always a bit more exotic and meaner than most. 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. 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. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. One poll ranked him as the most hated wrestler in the United States. Stats: 6' 0" 220 lbs. Among the men he managed were Nikolai Volkoff,[2] The Iron Sheik,[2] Blackjack Mulligan,[2] High Chief Peter Maivia,[2] "The Crippler" Ray Stevens,[2] Adrian Adonis,[2] Jesse Ventura,[2] Dick Murdoch,[2] Swede Hanson,[2] Killer Khan,[2] George 'The Animal' Steele,[2] Professor Tanaka,[2] Mr. Fuji,[2] Ivan Koloff,[2] Tor Kamata,[2] Masa Saito,[2] Lou Albano,[2] Victor Rivera,[2] Kamala,[2] Hercules Hernandez,[2] and Hulk Hogan. . At the age of 13, after Jacob had beaten Anna again, Frederick threatened his father with a baseball bat; instead he lived with his aunt for six months until his mother asked him to return home. Im not implying that Bruno would ever have any dealings with the mafia on his own. [9][6], On June 2, 2003, Blassie died of heart and kidney failure at the age of 85. [9] During this stint with the company, Blassie was managed by his future nemesis, "Captain" Lou Albano.[3]. However, later that year Blassie suffered from kidney stones and had surgery to remove them. 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. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Managed by "Loud" Lou Albano, Blassie continued his winning ways, but never won the WWWF's championship. In one memorable instance, Blassie, playing up the heel character, would berate Brunos followers backstage with promos, calling them derogatory names such as "grease ball" and "spaghetti bender." Blassie's interference at Wrestlemania 2 cost Volkoff his match with Kirchner, when the cane was grabbed by Kirchner instead of Volkoff. 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. Blassie originally wrestled mainly in the Southeast and West Coast, winning many titles in both. [3], One of Blassie's most famous proteges was The Iron Sheik. [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 got involved when he threw his cane into the ring, with Sheik and Volkoff using it to their advantage to gain the victory. 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. It was in the latter that he decided to embrace his villainous side, bleaching his hair blonde like Gorgeous George. 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. 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. My Breakfast with Blassie is a 1983 film starring Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blassie. When the wife of WWEs Chairman and CEOhad heard about this, she accosted Blassie saying, "I didnt even realize you had any kids!". Fred McDaniel "Ayatollah" Blassie The Vampire The Hollywood Fashion Plate Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Weight 220 lbs (100 kg) Born February 8, 1918 Birth Place St. Louis, Missouri Died June 2, 2003 (aged 85) Death Place Hartsdale, New York Trainer Billy Longson Everett Marshall Warren Bockwinkle Billy Hanson Debut 1935 Retired 1986 Inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. Let me take care of him in the ring.". 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. As a result, fans may be aware of Classy Freddie Blassie for his appearances during WWEs Golden Era and beyond but that only scratches the surface of his career. Blassie also was seen with the comedian Andy Kaufman in ''My Breakfast With Blassie,'' a 1983 spoof of ''My Dinner With Andre.''. Blassie wrestled as a dark-haired good guy until he found out that the "heels" (bad guys) got better pay. Poffo, at first, played it small and declined. [8] Blassie also appeared in a segment at the Vengeance pay-per-view event in December 2001, where an "undisputed" champion would be crowned. In this series, we will look at some of pro wrestlings greatest and most well-known managers and/or valets, but explore their prior career as an in-ring professional wrestler. After being pounded by a longer-limbed opponent, he switched to professional wrestling. "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.