Freddie 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 . Renowned as " The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling " , He was also a one - time NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion ( later known as the NWA Wildside Heavyweight Championship ) , and a one - time NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion . Childhood . Blassie ' s parents , Jacob and Anna ( née Sind ) , immigrated to the United States from Germany prior to the start of World War I , settling in St . Louis . Fred was an only child , which he claimed was because he weighed 15 pounds when he was born and his mother didn ' t want to go through childbirth again . His father was abusive and an alcoholic , and Fred often had to take refuge with his grandparents whenever Jacob would beat his mother . His parents continually separated , then reunited . At the age of 13 , after his father hit his mother again , Fred threatened to attack his father with a baseball bat , but didn ' t do it and stayed with his aunt for six months until his mother asked him to return home . Throughout his life , Fred didn ' t touch alcohol after seeing what kind of person it turned his father into . As a teenager , Blassie went to McKinley High School ; after graduating he got a job at a meatpacking plant , which his family hoped he would turn into a lucrative meat cutting job with the local trade union . However , he started boxing at Seward Community Center and won the heavyweight championship . He was more interested in wrestling , though , and would sneak into the matches whenever he could . He would often go to matches at Harry Cook ' s Gym to watch the hookers of the day lock up . As they began to recognize him , the wrestlers would teach him a hold here and there . His first wrestling match was actually a shoot fight which he accepted in order to impress a girl he brought to the show . Later , he began to get regular work wrestling at local carnivals . His cousin John Frank Holaus would often referee his matches . Early career . Blassie came up with his famous " pencil - neck geek " catchphrase early in his career to describe a fellow carnival performer known as " The Geek " , who bit the heads off chickens and snakes . Blassie described this geek as having a neck like a stack of dimes , and that he was a real pencil - neck geek . He soon got work from more established promoters : Tom Packs in St . Louis and George Simpson in Kansas City . The more he worked in the business , the more the veterans were willing to let him learn about the wrestling business . Military service . After the US entered World War II , Blassie enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater for 42 months . The war was a trying time for his family back home because of his parents ' German heritage . They were often accused of being unpatriotic . He married a Jewish girl named Nettie Needles in California while on shore leave . He achieved the rank of Petty Officer Second Class before he was discharged . Career . 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 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 . NWA Los Angeles / North American Wrestling Alliance . In 1952 , Blassie moved to Los Angeles , California to work for Jules Strongbow . He grew to love California , and frequently returned there throughout his career to wrestle . He teamed with Billy McDaniel as the McDaniel Brothers , but when they went east , they were known as the Blassie Brothers . Georgia territory . In 1953 , he worked in the Atlanta , Georgia , territory for Paul Jones ( the wrestler of the 1930s , not the wrestler of the 1980s ) . 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 . It was also during this period of his career when he dropped his babyface gimmick and became a full - fledged heel . The fans consistently booed him because he was considered a " Yankee " . 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 . He was often billed as " The Vampire " during this time for biting his opponents and filing his teeth during interviews and promos . Worldwide Wrestling Associates . In 1960 , Blassie returned to Strongbow ' s promotion in Los Angeles where he was a big star for Worldwide Wrestling Associates in southern California , drawing many fans to the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles . 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 . He had main event - level feuds against stars such as The Destroyer On June 12 , 1961 , Blassie defeated the " Flying Frenchman " Édouard Carpentier in a best - of - three - falls match for his first WWA Championship title . On July 7 , Blassie successfully defended his title against the former NWA Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz . During that same title reign , in a match against Lord James Blears a fan threw acid on his back , and he had to return immediately to the locker room to wash it off . Blassie claims that he made Regis Philbin into the celebrity he is today . 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 . In later years , Blassie also appeared on " The Mike Douglas Show " when Philbin was a guest host . After regaining the WWA Championship from Rikidōzan , Blassie lost the title two days later to the " Masked Destroyer " Dick Beyer . 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 . In 1964 , " Dick The Bruiser " Richard Afflis defeated Blassie to become champion , and Blassie headed east to work for the World Wide Wrestling Federation . Blassie returned to WWA in 1968 just as promoter Mike LeBell decided to rejoin the NWA ( which led to the renaming of WWA as NWA Hollywood Wrestling ) . In the early 1970s , Blassie " turned face " , or became a good guy , since so many fans were cheering his famous antics . While there , he feuded with Soulman Rocky Johnson , The Sheik , and " The Golden Greek " John Tolos . One of his most famous feuds took place in southern California in 1971 , against Tolos . The final match of their series took place in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum , and set new California records for both attendance and gate . Japan . In 1962 , Blassie had a feud with Japanese wrestling icon Rikidōzan that established his reputation in Japan . After Blassie lost the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rikidōzan in Los Angeles , the two had a rematch on live Japanese television . Many of the viewers were horrified by Blassie ' s treatment of their hero . One of Blassie ' s gimmicks was to file his teeth , and draw blood from his opponents by biting their foreheads . The sight of the Japanese legend covered in his own blood gave several viewers heart attacks , and some reportedly even died . Blassie divorced his wife after leaving on Christmas to wrestle in Knoxville . He claimed he wasn ' t sure if she knew of his philandering ways , but Blassie had repeatedly bragged of his infidelity to his ex - wife Nettie . As a result , of his three children Gary , Cheryl , and Ron , only Ron ever spoke to Blassie on a regular basis . While touring Japan in 1965 , Blassie met the woman who would later become his third wife , Miyako Morozumi , at a train station . However , later that year Blassie suffered from kidney stones and had surgery to remove them . While recuperating the following year , he sold cars and married a second time to a woman whose name Blassie claimed not to remember . In 1968 , Blassie returned to Japan and was reunited with Miyako . When he asked for her parents ' blessing , they were unsure of Blassie because of his reputation with Rikidōzan and because he was 28 years older than she . However , he eventually got their blessing and took her home to the United States . They were married on September 30 , 1968 . World Wide Wrestling Federation . In 1964 , Blassie feuded with Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil . Blassie came in to 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 , NJ in 1964 , with Blassie winning on a technicality , but not a pin . The rematches were held at Madison Square Garden in New York , with Sammartino winning out . Behind the scenes , Blassie befriended Gorilla Monsoon . He returned to the company in 1971 to challenge Pedro Morales for the WWWF Championship . During this stint with the company , Blassie was managed by his future nemesis , " Captain " Lou Albano . Management career and death . Blassie retired from active wrestling in 1974 , due to a California law that prohibited anyone over 55 from getting a wrestling license . Afterwards he became a manager in the World Wide Wrestling Federation and its subsequent incarnation the World Wrestling Federation . He performed for that promotion until his full retirement from professional wrestling in 1986 . Among the men he managed were Nikolai Volkoff , Blackjack Mulligan , High Chief Peter Maivia , " The Crippler " Ray Stevens , Adrian Adonis , Jesse Ventura , Dick Murdoch , The Iron Sheik , Swede Hanson , Killer Khan , George ' The Animal ' Steele , Professor Tanaka , Mr . Fuji , Victor Rivera and Hulk Hogan . Blassie also managed Muhammad Ali in his boxer vs . wrestler match in 1976 against Antonio Inoki . Because of his close relationship with Vince McMahon , Sr . and his family , Blassie remained on the WWF roster until the day he died . He would sporadically return to make brief appearances following his retirement in 1986 , mostly in produced video packages hyping the " new generation " of wrestling . He was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994 . His final wrestling appearance was May 12 , 2003 in Philadelphia , PA on " Monday Night Raw " , three weeks before his death . The segment featured Blassie , his wife , Raw GM Eric Bischoff , who was about to allow 3 Minute Warning to attack him , until Austin and the Dudley Boyz stepped in . His final words on WWE television were " D - Von , Get the tables " , to a monstrous applause . On June 2 , 2003 , Blassie died of heart and kidney failure at the age of 85 . Music career . In 1975 , Blassie recorded voiceovers for the songs " Blassie , King of Men " and " Pencil Neck Geek " , which were performed by Johnny Legend , featuring Billy Zoom on guitar , Jay Phillips on guitar and Steve Clark on drums . They received acclaim on the Dr . Demento Radio Show , and the latter song was featured on several albums , including Dr . Demento ' s 20th Anniversary Collection , " The Very Best Of Dr . Demento " , and " Dr . Demento Presents the Greatest Novelty CDs of All Time " . In 1983 , Rhino Records released a 14 track album by Blassie , titled " I Bite the Songs " . Film career . Blassie appeared in an episode of " The Dick Van Dyke Show " that featured a new dance craze called The Twizzle . Rose Marie ' s character Sally Rogers brought him on at the end of the episode claiming to have discovered another new dance sensation . In the demonstration of the dance Blassie picked up Rob Petrie and twirled him over his head . Andy Kaufman was enamored with Freddie Blassie and constantly hounded him to get him a spot on the wrestling card . Eventually , a movie of the two was filmed in 1982 at a Sambo ' s in Los Angeles called " My Breakfast With Blassie " . Kaufman , Blassie , and the film itself were name - checked by American rock band R . E . M . in their song " Man on the Moon " from their 1992 album " Automatic for the People " . The song is a tribute to Kaufman , and makes reference to " Mr . Fred Blassie in a breakfast mess . " " Classy " Freddie Blassie appeared in a live - action segment of the cartoon " Hulk Hogan ' s Rock ' n ' Wrestling . " 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 . " 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 . In the early 1990s , the wrestler starred in a documentary directed by Jeff Krulik , titled " Mr . Blassie Goes To Washington " . 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 . 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 ! "