Description
“Classy” Freddie Blassie is one of the most memorable Superstars to ever set foot inside the squared circle. Whether as a wrestler, a manager or a fashion plate, Blassie’s legacy all comes down to having one important trait: He could make anyone hate him in an instant. While one would think that frequent death threats, 21 stab wounds and an acid dousing by irate fans would encourage an individual to change vocations, for Blassie the experiences did not deter him from his passion — competing in the ring and gaining incredible attention for doing so. He officially began his career in 1935, working his way up from the preliminary ranks in Missouri. Blassie joined the Navy during World War II, which interrupted his career only briefly; upon his discharge from the military in 1946, he returned to his chosen profession, one he would leave his mark on for the next 40 years. Throughout the 1950s, Blassie dominated the southeastern United States, racking up numerous regional championships. Although he never claimed a World Championship, he gave some of the greatest World Champions of all time — including Lou Thesz and Pat O’Connor — a run for their money. Moving out west in the 1960s, Blassie continued his dominance. He was so hated in California at the time that he frequently needed full security from uniformed police officers just to get to the arenas. In that decade, however, Blassie once again racked up numerous regional titles on the West Coast, and if he wasn’t hated enough already, he became truly reviled after a particularly brutal attack on Japanese Superstar Rikidozan in 1962. Allegedly, the sight of one of their national heroes covered in his own blood caused many Japanese fans to suffer heart attacks. Upon returning to the United States, Blassie made his way to WWE. He had previously spent a short time in WWE in the mid-1960s — challenging Bruno Sammartino for the WWE Championship on numerous occasions — but it became his permanent home in 1970. Managed by Captain Lou Albano, Blassie once again challenged for the WWE Championship but couldn’t unseat Pedro Morales for the gold. In 1974, Blassie ended his in-ring career and became one of the most successful managers of his time. It was at this point in his career that he became known as the “Hollywood Fashion Plate,” renowned for going to ringside dressed in the loudest of outfits and using his equally loud voice to mock others as “pencil-necked geeks.”
