Jimmy Halty, Congratulations Gene. He went on to win the both the Heavyweight and overall champion title 1955 as well. I feel honored to say Ive never been choked out by the legend Gene LaBellI consider you a true friend. Here are five questions that could determine that series outcome. Gene LeBell Death Fact Check, Birthday & Age | Dead or He won the Amateur Athletic Union National Judo Championships in 1954 Along the way, he trained scores of future greats in a variety of disciplines, from Rowdy Roddy Piper in wrestling to Rowdy Ronda Rousey in judo (she, too, eventually wound up in the wrestling business), and even managed to extricate himself from being convicted in the 1976 murder of a private detective who had been digging up dirt on a host of California notables. I look at Gene as my second father. The Hollywood stuntman Gene LeBell in the 1950s, when he was a professional wrestler. Judo Gene Lebell passed in his sleep, a warrior in every way to the very end. Seventeen years before the UFC debuted, though, LeBell refereed arguably the most notable mixed martial arts clash of the era, serving as the third man in the ring for the Muhammad AliAntonio Inoki superfight in Tokyo. Gene LeBell, iconic martial arts pioneer, dies at the age of 89 - MSN WebGene LeBell Dead: Stuntman and Godfather of Grappling Dies at 89 hollywoodreporter 399 24 24 comments Best Add a Comment BeazyDoesIt 4 mo. Known by She will hurt you: Ronda Rousey, 24, owns it in MMA ring. It was a tough night, but Judo Gene had defended the honor of his sport against the boxer, Jonathan Snowden wrote in Shooters: The Toughest Men in Professional Wrestling (2012). The diminutive kid was bullied, finally responding by choking the offending cadet a move he applied to Steven Seagal 52 years later while filming Hard to Kill.. He believed in me which made me believe in myself. You were a better reference than SAG! Judo Gene LeBell was revered for his strength and tenacity and often referred to as the toughest man alive. Beneath the rugged demeanor, the Godfather of Grappling was also known for his warmth and generosity. Highly decorated in judo and jiu-jitsu, LeBell also began teaching grappling to notable names: Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Benny the Jet Urquidez, Roddy Piper, Bill Superfoot Wallace, Gokor Chivichyan, Steve McQueen, George Reeves, Robert Duvall, John Saxon and many more. Still, he continued to get regular stunt work on TV. In 1954 and 55, LeBell won the AAU National Judo Championships heavyweight and overall divisions. Choke him!, The announcer observed, I think Gene LeBells mother is prejudiced, Mr. LeBell recalled to The Los Angeles Times. Billy Robinson. GENE LEBELL OBITUARY Gene LeBell was a legendary stuntman and martial artist known for pioneering mixed martial arts who trained Bruce Lee. I have been with him for so many years. Youve not only accomplished a great name in our industry but many,many brothers and sister stunt people that admire and love you very much. Its very difficult. Judo Gene!!! 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. 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. I tried to get your son some work but hes always at the beach. He was one of the people trying to convince my mom to let me do it, but he was also privately trying to convince me not to do it. 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 In his book Shooters: The Toughest Men in Professional Wrestling, long-time MMA journalist Jonathan Snowden described LeBell as a horrible professional wrestler from a technical perspective, a tough guy who looked soft in the ring and remained stuck on the undercard of his brother Mike LeBells wrestling events, wrestling under his own name or beneath a mask as the Hangman. He did claim to have won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1960 from Pat OConnor in a match in Dory Funks Amarillo, Texas, territory, repeating this assertion to both Black Belt and Sports Illustrated, but the victory was almost certainly part of a wrestling story line, with LeBell accidentally striking the Texas wrestling commissioner with the belt and forcing its immediate return to OConnor. Mickey Gilbert, Ill never forget working with Gene in Minneapolis for David Ellis. I thought I was the only one. Seems like yesterday, lifes crazy like that, huh? (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News), Judo Gene LeBell with with journalist Ariel Helwani (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographrer), An advertisement featuring Gene LeBells fight against boxer Milo Savage. Gene LeBell Gene LeBell, regarded as Americas first martial arts sensation before parlaying his athleticism into a career as a professional wrestler, actor and stuntman, has died at the age of 89, his family confirmed. Christian Fletcher, Congratulations Gene! You are an inspiration!! 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. Thank you Gene for your friendship over the decades. Shes gonna annihilate you. Well deserved !!! 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. Joseph Davis, Gene is truly a genuine Good person and a great friend. Mary Karcz, Hi Gene, Id just like to Congratulate you on your receiving the Taurus Lifetime Achievement Award. of LeBell's, used to bring martial arts stars Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee to train in karate and judo with LeBell. "Is he still The stunt coordinator asked Mr. LeBell a former national judo champion and professional wrestler to teach Mr. Lee a lesson, perhaps with a headlock. Gene LeBell, regarded as Americas first martial arts sensation before parlaying his athleticism into a career as a professional wrestler, actor and stuntman, has whose residence contained hours of phone recordings, was acquitted on a murder charge but convicted and sentenced to probation as an accessory, WWE Draft Night 1 Recap, Plus Trinity Fatu Debuts in Impact Wrestling, The Cheap Heat Friday Something: Career Advice for Roman Reigns, the NBA Version of CM Punk, and the Global Superstar Debate, Diggin in the Crates: Litas Next Chapter Takes Her Through WWEs Legendary Past. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer), Martial Arts Legend Gene LeBell spends some time feeding his bird friends outside of his Sherman Oaks home in 2006. Gene LeBell was a legendary stuntman and martial artist known for pioneering mixed martial arts who trained Bruce Lee. He was a wonderful man and was so good to so many. The athletic youngster tested himself with such self-imposed challenges as scaling 60-foot-high lighting stanchions to replace spent bulbs. I was driving a weenie mobile and Gene was driving a truck and they wanted a near miss, so we did the take and they said we werent close enough we showed em the paint scraped off the sides of the cars and they said, Okay, I guess youre right. I get his patches every year, got em all right here. So Ive had a lot of fun doing stunts.. Karl Gotch. Logan Holladay, Congratulations to Uncle Gene for a lifetime of stunts and terrorizing the stunt people; either riding dirt bikes or putting them to sleep. What, Exactly, Is the Detroit Lions Plan. 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.. 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. He worked on series such as The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Big Valley, I Spy, The Munsters, Batman, Mission: Impossible and The Green Hornet, to name just a few. Ronda Rousey. And will it equate to a Super Bowl contender? Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0a9b111dbaef14 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. Freddy Bouceigues, No one deserves this more then you uncle Gene. She says, This is my house. If you want to do a whizzer throw in wrestling, its the same as an uchimata [inner thigh throw] in judo. You have been a legend for over 60 years and Im honored each month that I get to see you!!!! I am thanking them for both he and I.. You used to practice on your son David and I used to say to him I want to try that too, to be choked out by your dad. Congratulations Gene. In a recent conversation with Bob Calhoun, the coauthor of LeBells autobiography The Godfather of Grappling, the judoka, then 87 years old, said he was surprised that Lee didnt try to counter me, so I think he was more surprised than anything else. In the years that followed, Lee worked with LeBell to incorporate grappling into his films, defeating Sammo Hung with an arm bar in Enter the Dragon and Chuck Norriswho would become another long-time collaborator of LeBellsvia chokehold in Way of the Dragon. Ill never forget that moment, congratulations brother. LeBell famously wore a pink gi and would invite anybody to take a turn on the mat with him if they had anything to say about it. Working with Gene on many television and films, I learned how to take judo and marital art punches and kicks and fly through the air, crazing through various objects to the ground . The Hollywood Reporter: Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman and Godfather of Grappling, Dies at 89, Deadline: Gene LeBell Dies: Stuntman, Actor And Wrestling Legend Who Fought Bruce Lee & Chuck Norris Onscreen Was 89, MMA Fighting: Toughest man I know: Pros react to pioneer Judo Gene LeBells death, The Huffington Post: Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman, Martial Artist And Bruce Lees Teacher Dies At 89. Gregg Smrz, So well deserved! As per our current Database, Gene LeBell is still alive (as per Wikipedia, Last update: May 10, 2020). Michael Hughes, Thank you for being such an influence and inspiration to MANY! He then embarked on his professional wrestling career, implementing his years of judo and catch wrestling and helping popularize the holds and submission attempts that remain in the sports entertainment industry to this day. After, my arms were trembling with strain, you told me to stop and smiled at me, and said kid, dont quit your day job. Well deserved.- Bonnie Happy, Well deserved. Aloha, Brian Keaulana, Congratulations Gene! Way to go Uncle Gene!!! Chuck & Charlotte Waters, Special man and amazing human being, so deserving of this recognition. Judo is wrestling with handles, he told Black Belt magazine in 1994. In the 1960s, LeBell began acting and doing stunts, including in three movies with Elvis Presley. So they said I could make good money in professional wrestling, which I did. Cheers! It was declared a draw. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. It has been an honor to work with you ,and see how much you have done, over the years. Its with immense sadness to hear about the passing of a great man and dear friend, Gene LeBell. According to a 2014 interview in Black Belt, LeBell had no idea the fight would be as significant as later developments in the sport of MMA have made it. Muhammad Ali. So, congratulation Gene LeBell from the Winburn families for receiving the Taurus Lifetime Achievement Award. Professional wrestler Bas Rutten announced LeBells death via Facebook, writing, You The Lions entered the draft fielding nine picks and unquestionable potential. He is, and always has been, a perfect example of what a professional stuntman should be and continues to teach and hand down his vast knowledge to all young and old who want to learn. James C. Udel. (Hans Gutknecht/LA Daily News), Gene LeBell teaches grappling at Hayastan MMA Academy. According to this telling, when the then 58-year-old LeBell heard about the claim, he gave Seagal the opportunity to test it. Well deserved. Awesome Steve Picerni. In 1963, in Salt Lake City, LeBell took on boxer Milo Savage the fifth-ranked light heavyweight boxer in the world. LeBell also helped Rousey secure her nickname Rowdy from his former black belt student Rowdy Roddy Piper. Congratulations Gene LeBell! Jim Winburn, Long time coming Papa Gene. !Thanks for the memories!! In 1976, Mr. LeBell refereed a match in Tokyo between Muhammad Ali, then the heavyweight boxing champion, and the wrestler Antonio Inoki. Do you want to do freestyle? Some of his vast television credits includeThe Jack Benny Program (1962), The Man from U.N.C.L.E (1965) The Green Hornet (1965), Mission: Impossible (1966), I Spy (1965), The Wild Wild West (1965), Bonanza (1968), Kung Fu (1972), Beretta (1975), Starsky and Hutch (1975), Fantasy Island (1979), The Greatest American Hero (1981), Married with Children (1987), Baywatch (1989), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), Walker Texas Ranger (1993), That 70s Show (1998), The X-Files (2000), The Shield (2002), Reno 911 (2003), 24 (2010) and Jimmy Kimmel Live. For years, he taught martial arts in Southern California. Stoked I get to make it this year. Love you brother congratulations! Actor: Rush Hour. Few will live a life as extraordinary as Gene LeBell has. Congratulations very well deserved! 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. WebL egendary stunt worker and mixed martial artist Gene LeBell died on August 9. And he was knocked around a few times by James Caan. Love ya, Buddy Joe Hooker, My dear friend Gene. October 17, 2021 admin There are many inconsistencies and rumors surrounding the meeting of legends Bruce Lee and Gene LeBell. You have definitely earned it for all your contributions to the industry. Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman, Martial Artist And Bruce Lee's There is no one alive on this planet that deserves this Life Time Achievement Award more than you. Later that year, Mr. LeBell was arrested and charged with murder, along with a pornographer, Jack Ginsburgs, in the killing of a private detective. Nine years later, he was kicked by Elvis Presley in Blue Hawaii.. His brother, Mike, a wrestling promoter, died in 2009. By submitting your email, you agree to our, Grading Every Teams Performance in the 2023 NFL Draft. All my love and respect Pat Romano, Ya ya Uncle Gene , to one of the Gilberts favorite people . We are all so proud of you, youre a legend. Prison Camps for Grannies: Breaking Down Episode 6 of Succession. Could Gene LeBell, the real life Cliff Booth, beat up Bruce Lee? Ya big goofball!!! The newspaper the following day had a story saying the American radish wins. Mr. LeBell had a long list of acting credits as well, mostly in bit parts. Every star in Hollywood has beaten me up, Mr. LeBell told AARP magazine in 2015. ago The legend who made the fraud Steven Segal shit himself. It took time to wake him up, and as the crowd grew angry, a spectator tried to stab Mr. LeBell. What are you doing? LeBell remembers the helmer lamenting. Watch out! ago Services will be private, and donations in Gene LeBells name can be made to St. Jude Childrens Hospital. Michael Hilow, Congratulations to the prettiest man in Hollywood, and the reason the phrase Bad Ass was created.. No one is more deserving than my buddy, and everyones Uncle.. Uncle Gene! Mr. LeBell was inducted into the National Wrestling Alliances Hall of Fame in 2011. 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). Gene was a good friend of Adventures of Wall and Norris were co-owners of a karate school, and The more you get hit in the nose, the richer you are. God bless. Gene Lebell We cant have blood! Gaffer tape stanched the bleeding, and LeBell managed six more takes. David and Kaz talk Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and more, Sheil and Ben break down the NFL draft and look ahead to where Kyler Murray will be playing in 2024, The guys also discuss Mondays matchups between the 76ers and Celtics and the Suns and Nuggets. Sandra Brumfield Avo, Gene is as it has been said amongst the fight world..is the Toughest Man. Alan Oliney, Hey Gene, Thanks for being a four-star mentor to so many and thanks for being Gene Lebell. Gene LeBell LeBell lived long enough to learn submission wrestling from the likes of Ed Strangler Lewis, study judo in postwar Japan, win the first notable mixed martial arts match in 1963 and then referee the much-hyped but disappointing 1976 proto-MMA showdown between boxer Muhammad Ali and wrestler Antonio Inoki, trade fighting tips and blows with a young Bruce Lee on the set of The Green Hornet, allegedly choke out martial-arts action star Steven Seagal on the set of Out for Justice in 1991, and even decline an invitation to the early Ultimate Fighting Championship events when he and 82-year-old jujitsu pioneer Hlio Gracie couldnt settle on a fighting weight. Heffay Cadiente, Big congrats Uncle Gene! Kryptonite. Mike Smith, Congratulations on this most deserving award for a really great guy. 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. On The MMA Hour, Seagal vehemently denied the Gene LeBell dookie pants story. I was told that all the judo and karate people were not making any money at that time; they were starving, LeBell recalled in that interview. Although Mr. Calhoun said that in any situation, with Bruce Lee or anyone else, Gene was the toughest guy in the room, Mr. LeBell offered a pragmatic view of his reputation. The Taurus World Stunt Awards are held yearly to honor stunt performers in movies. As described in Jonathan Snowdens Shooters, the match was a gripping affair, with the gripping part complicated by the fact that instead of wearing a loose judo gi, as he had promised, Savage instead showed up in a tighter-fitting karate gi intended to make it difficult for LeBell to grab and hold him (below-the-waist takedowns of the sort that LeBell believed to be most effective against boxers were barred). You too? Hes not hurting anymore. He was larger than life, and he was so kind. Jerked by cables through walls on Velveeta commercials at age 80 (hes now 85), the Stunts Unlimited member, who lives in Sherman Oaks and says he still takes in about $80,000 annually in residuals, reminded Variety that even with the rise of CGI, theres one commodity in film that cannot be synthesized: human emotion. Congratulations! (Hans Gutknecht/LA Daily News). 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. His countless stunt appearances over more than 1,000 TV episodes and films range from Samuel Z. Arkoff B-movie cheapies to studio tentpoles such as The Killer Elite, Planet of the Apes, RoboCop, Raging Bull and Rocky (during which he warned Sylvester Stallone that the picture would surely flop). Caption. Do you want to do Greco-Roman? Congrats Rick Avery, Congratulations Uncle Gene! All the best! Big hug and a kiss! I was always jealous that you could ride a wheelie so much better than me. Congrats to the amazing living legend John Stoneham, Jr. Congratulations Gene, you know I love you, and Im so very very proud of you. David would look at me glassy eyed and say No you dont! Mahalo Christopher Chabriel, Congratulations MEAN GENE!!! He taught me how to fight, taught me how to ride. They also trained together, with Mr. LeBells expertise as a grappler meeting Mr. Lees fist-flashing kung fu brilliance. Seagal himself denies the entire situation, calling LeBell a sick, pathological scumbag liar, though even Seagals former bodyguard Steven Lambert tells a version of the story that has Seagal attempting to resist LeBells application of the hold before winding up on the ground, though remaining conscious throughout. He was 89. Watched by more than a billion people worldwide, the fight ended in a draw, with LeBells score (71-71) determining the outcome after one judge scored it for Ali and the other for Inoki. All my love and respect Matt Taylor, Aloha Uncle Gene, Mahalo for sharing your secret Hawaiian Hug mahalo for all your knowledge & advice that youve given. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. "Judo" Gene LeBell, one of the true legends of the martial arts world, has passed away at the age of 89. Instructed through brutal tutorials by professional wrestlers and old-school masters, he developed adult skills by 13. It goes to a great man of strength, integrity and honor. The two became close friends, but the actors untimely death stymied LeBells chance for future speaking parts. Well deserved my hat is off to you sir!!! All 259 picks are in. It always put a smile on my face when you would call the SAMP office. Hans Gutknecht has been a photojournalist at the Los Angeles Daily News since 1992. The man who enjoys his work never goes to work. ; Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Mostly averted by the ever goody Gene, but according to In 1963 Gene took on Milo Savage in a mixed fight. Judo Gene LeBell passes away at 89 years old https://t.co/v6pieyfChp via @@br26 Rest In Peace Master, TitusWelliver (@welliver_titus) August 10, 2022, With the heaviest of hearts I say goodbye to one of my favorite men in the world. Artisans introduces a new series Where Are They Now? He was 89. Allen Lopa, Congrats to a legend!! Confused by William Beaudines direction, LeBell ended up being chomped by a 700-pound bear named Victor. 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. With love and affection, Sandy Gimpel, Congrats on your big nite!! Congratulations Gene Eric Norris, Gene LeBell is my hero and always has been. 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. I love ya man. How much can Joel Embiid give the Sixers against the Celtics? Born Ivan Gene LeBell on Oct. 9, 1932, in Los Angeles, LeBell grew up at the famed Olympic Auditorium, where his mother, Aileen Eaton, was a boxing and wrestling promoter from 1942 to 1980. Steve Boyum, Absolutely couldnt go to a better candidate. Gene was an actor and stuntman in Hollywood productions for over fifty years with more than 150 acting credits and 250 stunt credits. (Brian To/FilmMagic) ST, LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. Eaton was the first woman inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Shes gonna mutilate you. Weve worked together for over (50) years and its been (50) years of pure delight. LeBell was also at the center of one of the most highly anticipated fights of the 1970s. Instead they came to appreciate their different skill sets, and Mr. LeBell became one of Mr. Lees favorite stuntmen. LeBell was never a main-event star in wrestling and by even the most generous assessment wasnt exactly a crowd-pleaser in the ring. You deserve every bit of it! Over a legendary career as a judoka, pro wrestler, and Hollywood stuntman, LeBell was a pioneer in mixed martial arts and choreographed violenceand one of the toughest guys in the business. LeBells wrestling fortunes variedhis brother Mike told Sports Illustrated in 1995 that he had fired Gene on several occasions, noting that sometimes even I thought he was crazybut his career continued its upward trajectory as he moved into the Hollywood stunt work that would see him participating in thousands of projects over the years.
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