Muhammad Ali. Professional wrestler Bas Rutten announced LeBells death via Facebook, writing, You Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts! After his mom remarried, LeBell was raised near L.A.s old Olympic Auditorium. "Judo legend Gene LeBell passes away aged 89 years old". BudoDragon. Retrieved August 10, 2022. ^ "Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman and "Godfather of Grappling," Dies at 89". The Hollywood Reporter. With only one uniform, he wore it and beat the competition. Rouseys husband, Travis Browne, a former top-ranked UFC heavyweight fighter, met LeBell before meeting his future wife. Congratulations! Youre not only a legend to me but a great, great friend. LeBell is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren. He also appeared in movies like Planet of the Apes (1968), The Towering Inferno (1974) and the Steven Seagal crime drama Out for Justice (1991). Over the course of this six-decade career, LeBell had a hand in training many prominent players in the entertainment, wrestling, and MMA worlds. Known as the toughest man alive, real life Hollywood hard man, two-time national judo champion and master of grappling Gene LeBell worked with Lee as a Mr. LeBell was acquitted of the murder charge but convicted of being an accessory, for driving Mr. Ginsburgs to and from the murder scene. The It List: Menudo docuseries makes the case for Menendez brothers' innocence, new doc sheds light on early years of King Charles, Megan Fox goes blonde in 'Johnny & Clyde' and all the best in pop culture the week of May 1, 2023. Blessed if you know him, crazy fun guy. In a story in the L.A. Daily News in 2011 on Rouseys breakout potential in the sport, nearly a year and a half before she made her UFC debut, LeBell offered his assessment of his pupil. While not a star, Mr. LeBell was nonetheless honored in 1995 by a fraternal organization of wrestlers, the Cauliflower Alley Club, with its Iron Mike Mazurki Award, for achieving success in a field beyond wrestling, as the awards wrestler-turned-actor namesake did. Jim Winburn, Long time coming Papa Gene. Interviewed in May while luxuriating in his hot tub at home,LeBell teaches that fear and failure are essential components of his art: Without the possibility of failure, he says, theres no believability to the stunt on-screen., Event Technology Firm Helps U2 Take Spectacle on the Road, Pros Explain Intricacies of Emmy Sound Categories, Malta Makes Push for More Global Production Biz With New Soundstages. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Shes gonna mutilate you. Chris Pellitteri, Mr. Gene LeBell ; Thank you for your kindness and wisdom over the years. (James C. Udel, Variety, 2018), A fight scene on the sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet earned LeBell his SAG card. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. He subsequently dominated auditions for the role of Mr. Kryptonite in the Superman TV series, which ran from 1952 to 1958; actor George Reeves, who played the Man of Steel, hired him on the spot after seeing his high-flying judo rolls and flips. Proud to know you, much love Brent Fletcher, Very proud to have been your student for so many years There is no one prettier than you Sensai You are truly a legend and I can not think of anyone more deserving for this award!!! Gene would choke me out for saying wrestling was a performative art, Bob Calhoun, who collaborated with Mr. LeBell on his autobiography, The Godfather of Grappling (2005), said in a phone interview. My first match, the official time, and his time differed by two seconds, and I was like (expletive) the official time, Genes time is what matters, so I tattooed his time. Rousey and mother De Mars gifted LeBell a new stopwatch for his 80th birthday in 2012. As wellback in the day..i drove out to ride motos with Gene & some friends at his area in Frazier Park. Instructed through brutal tutorials by professional wrestlers and old-school masters, he developed adult skills by 13. When I first came to town in 1987, I remember trying to get my hands on one those Stunt Rate breakdown cards you used to make. LeBells Rolodex is not just one hall of fame roster, but multiple, as hes played integral roles in the worlds of boxing, judo, wrestling, and Hollywood stunt-work. He subsequently dominated auditions for the role of Mr. Kryptonite in the Superman TV series, which ran from 1952 to 1958; actor George Reeves, who played the Man of Steel, hired him on the spot after seeing his high-flying judo rolls and flips. Mr. LeBell never became a big name in the ring or even a great wrestler, either under his own name or in a mask as the Hangman. But he gained notice in his role as an enforcer, in which he compelled other wrestlers to stick to the script, even when they didnt want to. LeBell also helped Rousey secure her nickname Rowdy from his former black belt student Rowdy Roddy Piper. You have been a legend for over 60 years and Im honored each month that I get to see you!!!! Well deserved.- Bonnie Happy, Well deserved. Alan Oliney, Hey Gene, Thanks for being a four-star mentor to so many and thanks for being Gene Lebell. I went up to Ed Strangler Lewis and said, I want to be a wrestler, Mr. LeBell was quoted as saying by the Slam Wrestling website in 2005. Eaton was the first woman inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer), Martial Arts Legend Gene LeBell spends some time feeding his bird friends outside of his Sherman Oaks home in 2006. Were previewing the conference semifinals by answering one burning question about every matchup. After an illustrious judo career, Gene tried his hand at professional wrestling, and actually won the heavyweight title in Amarillo, Texas. Seagal, a towering man who had a background in the Japanese martial art of aikido, has long battled with stunt choreographers and fight trainers on setin Shooters, Jonathan Snowden quotes Pride announcer Stephen Quadross story of engaging in an uncomfortable series of wristlock exchanges with Seagal on the set of the 2001 film Exit Woundsbut by most accounts (and there are many), his encounter with LeBell went poorly. Freddie Blassie. During one of the bouts, he said, he heard his mothers voice above the din of the crowd shouting: Gene! Gene choked him like he did me & everyone else. Latest on Nate Diaz Arrest, BKFC 41 Excitement Levels, and Francis Ngannou to ONE Championship? Please enter a valid email and try again. David would look at me glassy eyed and say No you dont! Ed Lewis. Brand-Exclusive PLEs Returning? Lets get working, or Ill burn your houses down.. Freddie Blassie, who starred for Aileen Eaton and Mike LeBell for decades, wrote in his autobiography Legends of Wrestling: Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks that LeBells believability in the ring wasnt what mattered to Mike and Aileenit was his credibility: When the family needed an enforcer to step into the ring with a wrestler who didnt want to go along with the program, all they had to do was open Genes bedroom door and tell him to get into his wrestling gear.. On The MMA Hour, Seagal vehemently denied the Gene LeBell dookie pants story. One day in 1966, the stuntman Gene LeBell was called to the set of the television series The Green Hornet to deal with Bruce Lee, the future martial arts superstar, who played Kato, the crime-fighting Hornets sidekick. What are you doing? LeBell remembers the helmer lamenting. This is my bedroom, my kitchen, my garage and my front room, LeBell continued. The athletic youngster tested himself with such self-imposed challenges as scaling 60-foot-high lighting stanchions to replace spent bulbs. thank you so much for all the encouragement over all these decades . By the time he transitioned to judo in the early 1950s, LeBell had already spent untold hours in submission holds and on the receiving end of punches from boxers like the great Sugar Ray Robinson at L.A.s famous Main Street Gym. Gene I am so glad I was there Live to see it ! Over his career, LeBell was bludgeoned, shot, run over, karate-chopped (he became friends with Bruce Lee) and drowned for $2,000 per week earning more than most lawyers during those days. The pictures above are from the TV show Fall Guy and I told Gene I didnt want to hit him on the bike and he said I dont want you to hit me eitheryou may hurt yourself. Congratulations Gene, you earned this award and no one in this world is taking it away from the Toughest man Alive. Jack Gill. Do you want to do freestyle? Known by the Toughest Man Alive. And will it equate to a Super Bowl contender? He will be missed by all who knew and loved him, especially us. By submitting your email, you agree to our, Grading Every Teams Performance in the 2023 NFL Draft. You were a better reference than SAG! /*! Jimmy Roberts, Gene youve always told me Im the best but your THE GREATEST Love ya, Manny Perry, I owe everything to Gene. Osu J.J. Perry, Gene, Ill never forget the time on set, when you let me try and choke you out. You too? Bob Debbie Hennessey, Congrats Gene. Despite this long legacy in the worlds of pro wrestling and MMA, LeBell, always chasing the smart money, never hung around too long on the mat in either sport: Theres only 1 in 1,000 MMA fighters who make money, he told Black Belt magazine in 2014. Birthday: October 9, 1932 How Old - Age: 90 Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. WebDoes Gene LeBell Dead or Alive? Best to You Gene !! I love you. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0a9b111dbaef14 (r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); In 2006, LeBell even welcomed an unsuspecting Daily News reporter to the Hayastan Academy for a lesson that went about as you would think when LeBell started it with his common non-serious threat: Alright, you bums! (Brian To/FilmMagic) ST, LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. LeBell thought it was because he had red hair before someone told him it was because of his pink attire. Allen Lopa, Congrats to a legend!! Love and Respect John C Meier, Gene, I first met you at the Olympic Auditorium many years ago, i cant believe how fast time has past, As a Great stuntman, Actor, Olympian and Teacher being Prolific to this Business you have planted many many seeds in Future Stunt men and stunt women, because of your thoughtful and kind hart this business will be Blessed with talent worthy of calling you Teacher and Friend, Your Long Lost, Brother From Another Mother, and Friend, Love You, Henry Kingi, Uncle GeneI can remember taking your class when I was a young stunt grunt. He was 89. Andy Gill, Congratulations Gene !!! Long overdue! James C. Udel. Lee and LeBell had a rocky start to their friendship after LeBell hoisted Lee on his back in a firemans carry without Lees cooperation. Gene was an actor and stuntman in Hollywood productions for over fifty years with more than 150 acting credits and 250 stunt credits. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. They all grew up to be great young men, James is a newspaper writer for various companies, David is a Federal Police Officer and Matthew is an accountant and they all, always talk about the days they train under Gene. LeBells career wasnt without controversy of its own, thoughnot long after refereeing the Ali-Inoki fight in 1976, he was arrested for his role in the murder of private investigator Robert Duke Hall, whose residence contained hours of phone recordings connected to powerful local figures and even the 1972 presidential campaign of Richard Nixon. If you want to do a whizzer throw in wrestling, its the same as an uchimata [inner thigh throw] in judo. He taught me how to fight, taught me how to ride. Wall and Norris were co-owners of a karate school, and WebGene LeBell Dead: Stuntman and Godfather of Grappling Dies at 89 hollywoodreporter 399 24 24 comments Best Add a Comment BeazyDoesIt 4 mo. You can hit em, eye-gouge em.. He totally supported me, he was telling my mom to let me do it, and he was telling me, Ive won every R-E-A-L fight and never made a penny and lost every R-E-E-L fight and I am comfortably retired, think about that kid. He said he would help me out with this MMA stuff, but he was always trying to get me stunt jobs and to meet the right people in the stunt works so I would have somewhere to go after fighting. Gene LeBell remained a towering figure in the history and expansion of mixed martial arts and sports entertainment. Karl Gotch. In 1976, Mr. LeBell refereed a match in Tokyo between Muhammad Ali, then the heavyweight boxing champion, and the wrestler Antonio Inoki. Here are five questions that could determine that series outcome. David Burton, Congrats Gene LeBell great job well done Grover Gay, Congrats Gene LeBell! It has been said that Brad Pitts character of stuntman Cliff Booth in the 2019 Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which included a memorable sequence with Lee, was an homage to LeBell. Its about time. Best Hugh Aodh OBrien, All Rights Reserved.Web design by My Life at Speed Digital Services, Stan Barrett, Paul Newman, and Breaking Land Speed Records, Annual Stunts Unlimited Directory Membership Payment, The Stunts Unlimited Directory Membership 20% Off Promotion, actor and stuntman in Hollywood productions, https://stuntsunlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Jon-Boucher-One-of-my-personal-favorite-Gene-Lebell-television-appearances-as-Tarzan-McGirk-taking-on-the-mysterious-Masked-Marvel-on-an-episode-of-The-Munsters..mp4, Pitcher Turned Stuntman, Jophery Brown (SU), How Fast & Furious Pull Off INSANE Car Stunts. With respect, Missy OMalley-Reynolds, Uncle Gene, Thanks for never burning our house down. (James C. Udel, Variety, 2018). It couldnt go to a better man. The damage inflicted definitely favored Inoki, who battered Alis legs sufficiently that the Greatest struggled with his mobility in a fight against Ken Norton later that year, but LeBellwho had Inoki slightly ahead on his own scorecard, per the account in journalist Josh Grosss book Ali vs. Inoki: The Forgotten Fight That Inspired Mixed Martial Arts and Launched Sports Entertainmentchose to deduct points for an illegal groin strike, thus affording Ali a split-decision draw that showcased how dull MMA could get without the appropriate rules in place. Mr. LeBell also worked over the years with many wrestlers, including Rowdy Roddy Piper and Ronda Rousey, and trained with Chuck Norris, the martial artist and actor. A true legend with a legacy of amazing stunt history. Freddy Bouceigues, No one deserves this more then you uncle Gene. who lives in Sherman Oaks and says he still takes in about He sparred with James Cagney while shooting Blood on the Sun in 1945, allowing the famous actor to dominate the 20-minute skirmish which garnered rave reviews. As the story goes, LeBell set the choke up, Seagal said "Go" and Seagal promptly went. All the best! Confused by William Beaudines direction, LeBell ended up being chomped by a 700-pound bear named Victor. His work as a stuntman began in earnest in the 1960s and continued on TV series like Route 66, I Spy, The Incredible Hulk and The Fall Guy, in which Lee Majors starred as a film stuntman. Erik Stabenau, Congratulations Gene. Still working on the Pro Wrestling Finishing Holds book techniques to this day! if thirty people are watching, let them talk about it. LeBell was a pioneer in the sport of MMA before there was MMA. Services will be private, and donations in Gene LeBells name can be made to St. Jude Childrens Hospital. Judo Gene!!! Tim Gilbert, This tribute is well deserved. He was already trying to get me out and convince me that I am more than just a fighter and capable of so much more, Rousey said of her longtime friend and mentor, LeBell. You are a true living legend. WWE Facing Lawsuit, RIP Jerry Springer, and Roderick Strong Is All Elite. However, in his excitement Gene swung the title belt around his head, which accidentally hit one of the wrestling commissioners on the head, causing a nasty gash. He believed in me which made me believe in myself. It was declared a draw. The three made a series of live appearances in the 1950s, with Mr. LeBell playing a villain. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? Sammy Horowitz, Congratulations Gene, its about time you were acknowledged for your amazing contribution to the stunt world. Very, very few people believed in me at the very beginning of my MMA career, you could literally count them on one hand. She will hurt you: Ronda Rousey, 24, owns it in MMA ring. Judo Gene Lebell passed in his sleep, a warrior in every way to the very end. The only thing I have against MMA is they dont have a retirement plan. He is there to help you any time any where. Although LeBell would remain undefeated in the sport for eight years, even traveling to Japan in 1955 to further his judo skillsand, following a laundry mishap, adopt the pink gi that became a signature piece of his in-ring lookhis interests were too varied to allow him to focus exclusively on one sport. Genes feature film appearances include Blue Hawaii (1965), Planet of the Apes (1968), Raging Bull (1980), Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), Bad Guys (1986), Hard to Kill (1990), Die Hard 2 (1990), Patriot Games (1992), Ed Wood (1994), L.A. If I could get my arms around you I would hug you. Mr. Lewis, he recalled, asked him: Do you want to roll? Lewis, Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another: What! In any case, LeBell was back to work in the movies almost immediately, adding to the movie residuals and Screen Actors Guildbacked retirement that sustained him in his later years. An incredible life being rightfully recognized. Now I get beat up by every wimp in Hollywood and make thousands of dollars. Hamstrung by rules barring takedowns, strikes on the ground, and submission holds, the fight devolved into a tedious 15-round affair in which Ali taunted and showboated while Inoki crab-walked along the mat, kicking Alis legs. You deserve every bit of it! It was the long-running Lassie series that first tested LeBells mettle. However, no context is provided for the encounterup until the fight, Booths martial arts credentials, unlike LeBells, are completely unknown, and he defeats Lee on the feet rather than with wrestling techniques. cdn.vox-cdn.com. Oops. It was a fascinating collection of people mourning too, from the world of pro wrestling, mixed martial arts, acting, and beyond. Web"The Toughest Tropes Alive": Alternate Company Equivalent: He could be the American version of Jon Bluming, or perhaps Jon Bluming could be the Dutch version of Gene LeBell. Lance Gilbert, Gene , you are surely deserving of this achievement even though your humility wont allow you to agree with us. He was highly respected by many martial artists all over the world, and has been considered a ground breaker in many aspects of the art of grappling. He was 89. He often played referees and sometimes a thug, a henchman, a bartender or, as in Raging Bull (1990), a ring announcer. A brief google of you name brings up pages and pages of awesome stories about what youve really accomplished in so many fields. In the end, LeBell had appeared in more than 1,000 films, shows and commercials. Days later, they came out with more questions than answers. Published 9 months ago on August 10, 2022 By FOX3 Now Staff Combat Sports Pioneer Judo Gene Lebell has passed at 89 Years Old. He had a big heart. The athletic youngster tested himself with such self-imposed challenges as scaling 60-foot-high lighting stanchions to replace spent bulbs. The belt was immediately seized from the shocked Gene, which in later years would cause him to comment, Well, at least I was the champ for 12 seconds and I retired as champion. (Gene LeBell Biography), Gene went on to fight numerous opponents over the years including practitioners from other fighting arts that scoffed at Genes prowess, however they learned the hard way that Genes superb grappling skills were the real deal. Justin Timberlake shouldn't get credit for 'It's Gonna Be May' meme. Congratulations Gene LeBell! People saying youre the toughest guy is great, he told Sports Illustrated in 1995, but it still doesnt add up to one car payment. 160 MulciberTenebras 4 mo. The stunt coordinator asked Mr. LeBell a former national judo champion and professional wrestler to teach Mr. Lee a lesson, perhaps with a headlock. When he entered the 1954 AAU National Judo championship as a lightly regarded 160-pound heavyweight, he pinned 1952 Pan American Games gold medalist Johnny Osako in his first match, then went on to win both his weight class as well as the overall tournament.
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