Gene LeBell Please enter a valid email and try again. WebGene LeBell was born on October 9, 1932 and is 90 years old now. Mr. LeBell would later recall in many interviews that he went further: He picked Mr. Lee up, slung him over his back and ran around the set as Mr. Lee shouted, Put me down or Ill kill you! When Mr. LeBell relented, he was surprised that Mr. Lee didnt attack him. LeBell was victorious, choking out the boxer in the fourth round, sparking a riot in the auditorium. You have definitely earned it for all your contributions to the industry. It was LeBells first movieland lesson: Always let the star win. RIP Gene, I love ya pic.twitter.com/thoEZgHA0k, Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) August 10, 2022. LeBell is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren. During one of the bouts, he said, he heard his mothers voice above the din of the crowd shouting: Gene! LeBell transitioned from amateur to AAU national judo champ in 1954 and catapulted to national attention but as a pro wrestler, playing Hank the Hangman; he made a living by losing every match. Whether through his chokes or his jokes, Gene LeBell has been an inspiration for more people than he will ever realize. Kyler a Trade Chip? Mike Smith, Congratulations on this most deserving award for a really great guy. Extant fight footage shows a stocky LeBell, probably 60 to 70 pounds heavier than he was when he debuted in judo, cautiously circling and then struggling to throw the much smaller man, who exhibited sound wrestling defense. 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. Love ya, Buddy Joe Hooker, My dear friend Gene. (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 He also trained with wrestlers Lou Thesz, and Karl Gotch while growing up. A brief google of you name brings up pages and pages of awesome stories about what youve really accomplished in so many fields. (Hans Gutknecht/LA Daily News), Gene LeBell, Photo courtesy of Midge LeBell, Gene LeBell, Ronda Rousey and Midge LeBell during the Ronda Rousey Health Rocks After After Party at Paladinos in Tarzana Sunday, November 9, 2014.Proceeds from the event went to provide preventative medical treatment to musicians and entertainers with no insurance. He believed in me which made me believe in myself. Hey Gene which way to the Beach? Published 9 months ago on August 10, 2022 By FOX3 Now Staff Combat Sports Pioneer Judo Gene Lebell has passed at 89 Years Old. Muhammad Ali. Gene Lebell Gene LeBell 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. You are a true living legend! Gene LeBell, iconic martial arts pioneer, dies at the age of 89 - MSN Mr. LeBell, left, with George Reeves, who played the title role on the television series Adventures of Superman, and Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane. WebDoes Gene LeBell Dead or Alive? 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. Shes gonna annihilate you. Choke him!, The announcer observed, I think Gene LeBells mother is prejudiced, Mr. LeBell recalled to The Los Angeles Times. What are you doing? LeBell remembers the helmer lamenting. 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. Well deserved my friend, and sensei! You have given so much to our community and film business! Find out who should. 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. Love ya, Bax Craig Baxley, Sr. Gene LeBell: Bruce Lee in the UFC, Ronda Rousey, if anybody can beat her, Judo in MMA, Jimmy Kimmel, Congratulations Gene..its about time!!! Your positivity and generosity knows no limit. The fun motorcycle rides we used to go on out at the Pig Farm and at your mountain house. Congrats Rick Avery, Congratulations Uncle Gene! He once sparred with legendary boxer Sugar Ray Robinson as a teenager. We love him! Gene LeBell - IMDb I love ya man. Its very difficult. 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. Sammy Horowitz, Congratulations Gene, its about time you were acknowledged for your amazing contribution to the stunt world. 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. Can Phoenix generate enough easy offense to keep up with Denver? I have been with him for so many years. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? The Lions entered the draft fielding nine picks and unquestionable potential. Rick Seaman, Well Geno, they said it couldnt be done but youve done it again. Blessed if you know him, crazy fun guy. However, he had one last sports achievement on the horizon: an actual mixed martial arts boutsaid by some to be the first of its kind, though there were boxer-versus-wrestler antecedents in prior decadesin 1963 against middleweight boxing gatekeeper Milo Savage, whose lengthy career was winding down. Craig Hosking, Congratulations Gene you are a legend! If you want to do a whizzer throw in wrestling, its the same as an uchimata [inner thigh throw] in judo. Judo is wrestling with handles, he told Black Belt magazine in 1994. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Eaton was the first woman inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. You can hit em, eye-gouge em.. Stoked I get to make it this year. His roles went from such television series as Mission: Impossible, I Spy, The Wild Wild West, Baretta, Married with Children, and Baywatch to feature films Raging Bull, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins and Ed Wood. One of his last appearances was in Men In Black II in 2002. "Judo" Gene LeBell the "Godfather of Grappling" was both a renowned ex-world champion in both wrestling/judo, and one of Hollywood's busiest ; Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Mostly averted by the ever goody Gene, but according to Oops. Gene LeBell talks about Bruce Lee. I was always jealous that you could ride a wheelie so much better than me. 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. Hes not hurting anymore. Ill toast you from Texas! The remarkable Judo Gene LeBell was still teaching grappling Brandon Recor, Congratulations!!! Nick Plantico, Congrats Gene!! Well deserved !!! Ronda Rousey. For LeBell, one martial art naturally flowed into another; they were already mixing together in his curious mind. Actor: Rush Hour. They also trained together, with Mr. LeBells expertise as a grappler meeting Mr. Lees fist-flashing kung fu brilliance. the Rock, in 1999. 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. Best to You Gene !! Congratulations my brother!!! Mr. LeBell never became as famous as Mr. Lee, who died in 1973, but into his early 80s when he played, among other roles, a corpse falling from a coffin in an episode of the TV series Castle he remained busy as one of Hollywoods most sought-after stuntmen. I want to thank everybody in the world who has said such wonderful things about him and all the prayers that were said for him. Way to go Uncle Gene!!! I am devastated. Will the Ravens Be Contending for the AFC Crown? Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman, Martial Artist And Bruce Lee's Well deserved.- Bonnie Happy, Well deserved. Christian Fletcher, Congratulations Gene! 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. The Real Winners of the Ballon dOr, Past, Present, Future. Judo Gene LeBell the Godfather of Grappling was both a renowned ex-world champion in both wrestling/judo, and one of Hollywoods busiest stuntmen. (Hans Gutknecht/LA Daily News). Stuntman Gene LeBell might not have been around since Hollywoods first fist fight, but his skill has transformed the genre. Gene LeBell remained a towering figure in the history and expansion of mixed martial arts and sports entertainment. One undisputed fact is that they met for the first time on the set of The Green Hornet. After an illustrious judo career, Gene tried his hand at professional wrestling, and actually won the heavyweight title in Amarillo, Texas. He judged UFC 74 (Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga) plus he had a highly popular website visited by martial arts and film fans all over the globe. Gene LeBell had three children including stuntman son David LeBell and FBI agent daughter Monica LeBell Pandis. He also had 8 grandchildren. Gene LeBell, Hollywood Stuntman and Martial Artist, Dies at 89 Godfather of MMA and Wrestling Gene Lebell passes away at 89 TRIBUTES have poured in for the Godfather of mixed martial arts and wrestling Gene Lebell, who died aged 89. The Taurus World Stunt Awards are held yearly to honor stunt performers in movies. Here are our grades for all 32 squads. It was the long-running Lassie series that first tested LeBells mettle. 160 MulciberTenebras 4 mo. Congratulations Gene LeBell! Regular-Season Success Means Nothing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While men like Wagner and later Freddie Blassie and Dick the Destroyer Beyer would headline Eatons wrestling cards, the young LeBellbereft of a father figurestarted at the very bottom, learning the ropes in the hardest away imaginable, twisted into pretzels by grapplers like the aging Evan Strangler Lewis, from whom LeBell asked to learn the Stranglers signature headlock when LeBell was the tender age of 7. You have been a legend for over 60 years and Im honored each month that I get to see you!!!! Nine years later, he was kicked by Elvis Presley in Blue Hawaii.. Gene LeBell Rest in Peace. Gene, I appreciate the things youve accomplished in life, and acknowledge your generosity to those you have helped to achieve theirs. Mr. LeBell was inducted into the National Wrestling Alliances Hall of Fame in 2011. Mr. LeBell, right, wrestling Vic Christy, whom he considered a mentor, in Southern California in the mid-1950s. Do you want to do freestyle? Caption. An incredible life being rightfully recognized. 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. Lets get working, or Ill burn your houses down.. 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. So Ive had a lot of fun doing stunts.. A Black Belt hall of famer, LeBell may have had a significant influence upon the martial arts world through competition, teaching, writing books and appearing in films for a more extended period of time than anyone in history. 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. Steph Curry Snuffed Out the Beam. 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 LeBell was never a main-event star in wrestling and by even the most generous assessment wasnt exactly a crowd-pleaser in the ring. On the set of The Green Hornet, LeBell struck up a friendship with martial arts icon Bruce Lee, and they began cross-training, with LeBell showing Lee his pain-inflicting holds, locks and throws, and Lee demonstrating his lightning-quick kicks and strikes. Well deserved my hat is off to you sir!!! It was LeBells first movieland lesson: Always let the star win. Combat Sports Pioneer Judo Gene Lebell has passed at 89 Years Old. 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. He started learning judo at 12 (although his mother told The Los Angeles Times in 1955 that he had been inspired a little later, in high school, when he was beaten up by a smaller teenager who knew judo), and by 1954 his proficiency had grown to an elite level: He won both the heavyweight class and the overall title in that years national American Amateur Union championships. 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. God bless. 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). It wasnt exactly an elite-level boxer facing down a grappler, but it did offer a variation on the Ultimate Fighting Championship model that LeBells long-time acquaintances, the Gracie family, would partner with Bob Meyrowitz to launch in 1993right down to the initial audience confusion and cautious feeling-out process between the athletes. What is Detroit trying to build? He went on to win the both the Heavyweight and overall champion title 1955 as well. He was a good person, so I am sure he is doing well where he is at now. If you said you liked his shirt, he would take it off and give it to you, Midge LeBell said. Veteran Stuntman Gene LeBell, a.k.a. It took time to wake him up, and as the crowd grew angry, a spectator tried to stab Mr. LeBell. LeBell, who had been in declining health for the past eight months, died in his sleep at home in Sherman Oaks, with his loving wife of years, Midge, by his side on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. "He was larger than life, and he was so kind. If you said you liked his shirt, he would take it off and give it to you," Midge LeBell said. "I am devastated. 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). Gene LeBell talks Steven Seagal Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Savanah Dawn Lilley, The one and only Uncle Gene! A industry standard, and great human being! His death was announced by Kellie Cunningham, his trustee and business manager, who did not specify the cause. It has been an honor to work with you ,and see how much you have done, over the years. Congratulations very well deserved! In 1976, Mr. LeBell was the referee in a match between Muhammad Ali, then the heavyweight boxing champion, and the wrestler Antonio Inoki. He has fought, trained and performed with a dizzying array of some of the most prolific athletes and actors in the world. There is no one alive on this planet that deserves this Life Time Achievement Award more than you. All the best! It couldnt go to a better man. After, my arms were trembling with strain, you told me to stop and smiled at me, and said kid, dont quit your day job. 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.. Its great having such a role model to look up to. He told Rowdy Piper that he would stretch him if he didnt let me use it, Rousey said with a chuckle as she recounted the story. 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. You truly are a one-off, a living legend. One of the first martial artists to train in wrestling, judo, boxing, karate, and other combat arts, he blended the techniques into an efficient fighting style. Mr. LeBell had a long list of acting credits as well, mostly in bit parts. Rouseys husband, Travis Browne, a former top-ranked UFC heavyweight fighter, met LeBell before meeting his future wife. Gene choked him like he did me & everyone else. Jimmy Halty, Congratulations Gene. Ivan Gene LeBell was born on Oct. 9, 1932, in Los Angeles. His mother, Aileen (Goldstein) LeBell, promoted boxing and wrestling matches at the Olympic Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles; his father, Maurice, was an osteopath and diet doctor who died after being paralyzed in a swimming accident in 1941. He taught me how to fight, taught me how to ride. Shes gonna mutilate you. Alan Oliney, Hey Gene, Thanks for being a four-star mentor to so many and thanks for being Gene Lebell. Well done sir! Norman Howell, Congratulations Gene LeBell an incredible Honor an so well deserved. Proud to be your friend! People called him the Toughest Man Alive. Those were great times !! LeBell also helped Rousey secure her nickname Rowdy from his former black belt student Rowdy Roddy Piper. Gene LeBell The tributes for Judo Gene LeBell, who died on August 9, 2022, at age 89, poured in after news of his passing starting circulating. Gene LeBell, iconic martial arts pioneer, dies at the age of 89 - MSN Prison Camps for Grannies: Breaking Down Episode 6 of Succession. Congratulations Uncle Gene! Chuck Norris. Thank you for all you have done for those of us blessed to learn from you. You too? The only thing that is different is that judo has strangleholds, which arent done in pro wrestling., Although LeBell considered full-time careers as a boxer and a judoka, the lure of better money in pro wrestling and Hollywood stunt productionsas well as connections to both industriesled him into those fields. Later that year, Mr. LeBell was arrested and charged with murder, along with a pornographer, Jack Ginsburgs, in the killing of a private detective. Erik Stabenau, Congratulations Gene. Judo Gene Lebell passed in his sleep, a warrior in every way to the very end. 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. Sugar Ray Robinson. Congrats to the amazing living legend John Stoneham, Jr. Congratulations Gene, you know I love you, and Im so very very proud of you. LeBell turned 80-years-old on October 9, 2012. In what was billed a world martial arts championship, the two ended up kicking each other for 15 rounds Ali landed only two punches and the fight was ruled a draw. cdn.vox-cdn.com. It was the long-running Lassie series that first tested LeBells mettle. The athletic youngster tested himself with such self-imposed challenges as scaling 60-foot-high lighting stanchions to replace spent bulbs. Eventually, LeBell put Lee down, and the pair became friends. 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. You were a better reference than SAG! Ill always remember the special times we shared together. Gene LeBell 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. Gene LeBell, 89, Judo Champion, Wrestler and Star Stuntman, Dies The athletic youngster tested himself with such self-imposed challenges as scaling 60-foot-high lighting stanchions to replace spent bulbs. A teacher to many of the sports greats, his influence is felt throughout @WWE to this day. Latest on Nate Diaz Arrest, BKFC 41 Excitement Levels, and Francis Ngannou to ONE Championship? Into his 80s, LeBell was still working as a Nevada and California Athletic Commission MMA judge, scoring fights ringside with his ever-present bag of candy, which he always shared, tucked inside a larger bag resting at his feet. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time. 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. Gusty and gratifying: Big Sur International Marathon draws sellout crowd of 10,000, Ukraine set to boycott judo worlds after Russians allowed, With plans for sailing trek to Hawaii, Japanese explorer builds traditional reed boat on Bay Area waterfront, Renowned boxers visit Pajaro trailer park to lift spirits after flood. 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. of LeBell's, used to bring martial arts stars Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee to train in karate and judo with LeBell. Thank you, Mr. LeBell! 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 Death Fact Check, Birthday & Age | Dead or Mr. LeBell with the wrestler-turned-movie-star Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. 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. (Gene LeBell Biography), LeBell transitioned from amateur to AAU national judo champ in 1954 and catapulted to national attention but as a pro wrestler, playing Hank the Hangman; he made a living by losing every match. Its with immense sadness to hear about the passing of a great man and dear friend, Gene LeBell. I am sure he is happy now. pic.twitter.com/IqcuVDIu7O, Chuck Norris (@chucknorris) August 10, 2022. (Brian To/FilmMagic) ST, LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0a9b111dbaef14 So, congratulation Gene LeBell from the Winburn families for receiving the Taurus Lifetime Achievement Award.