Ivan Gene LeBell, a legendary figure across multiple industries, died at the age of 89 with the news breaking on Tuesday evening. Gene was a good friend of Adventures of Were previewing the conference semifinals by answering one burning question about every matchup. Gene LeBell of LeBell's, used to bring martial arts stars Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee to train in karate and judo with LeBell. Ronda Rousey. WebGene LeBell Dead: Stuntman and Godfather of Grappling Dies at 89 hollywoodreporter 399 24 24 comments Best Add a Comment BeazyDoesIt 4 mo. His mother, Aileen Eaton, was a promoter at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, where she promoted boxing and wrestling events and raised Gene and his brother Mike all by her lonesome. He repeated this dominant performance in 1955, winning all but one of his 18 matches solely with standing throws. Brandon Recor, Congratulations!!! 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. 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. 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. Gene LeBell, iconic martial arts pioneer, dies at the age of 89 - MSN Over the course of this six-decade career, LeBell had a hand in training many prominent players in the entertainment, wrestling, and MMA worlds. Caption. Some have pointed out that LeBell making easy work of Lee on set may have inspired the scene in Quentin Tarantinos Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in which Brad Pitt, playing veteran stuntman Cliff Booth, has his way with Bruce Lee (played by actor and martial artist Mike Moh) in an on-set sparring match. Congratulations my brother!!! 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. You have given so much to our community and film business! More recently the director Quentin Tarantino used Mr. LeBells initial encounter with Mr. Lee on the set of The Green Hornet as the basis for a scene in his 2019 film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, in which Brad Pitt, as a stuntman, threw the Lee character into a car. Known by Shes gonna annihilate you. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? Browne put a patch featuring Rousey and Lebell in his gym bag, and there it remained for five years before he met, fell in love with and married Rousey. David would look at me glassy eyed and say No you dont! TOUGH GUYS WEAR PINK IN ANY COLOR, JUDO MASTER AND Hans Gutknecht has been a photojournalist at the Los Angeles Daily News since 1992. Tim Gilbert, This tribute is well deserved. Birthday: October 9, 1932 How Old - Age: 90 Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. Do you want to do freestyle? In 1954 and 55, LeBell won the AAU National Judo Championships heavyweight and overall divisions. who lives in Sherman Oaks and says he still takes in about Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time. Gene was an actor and stuntman in Hollywood productions for over fifty years with more than 150 acting credits and 250 stunt credits. Present-day UFC fans probably best remember him from his time spent wielding a stopwatch in the corner of his protege, Ronda Rousey, while wrestling fans might know his name from when Daniel Bryan used to call his finisher the LeBell Lock. But despite that, the MMA pioneer isnt a household name, which is a shame, because if youre a fan of combat sports, he absolutely should be. As the story goes, LeBell set the choke up, Seagal said "Go" and Seagal promptly went. Ill be there to shake your hand tomorrow. 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. WWE Facing Lawsuit, RIP Jerry Springer, and Roderick Strong Is All Elite. David Burton, Congrats Gene LeBell great job well done Grover Gay, Congrats Gene LeBell! The simplest version of the tale has Seagal boasting that he couldnt be choked out, and LeBell, then in his 50s and significantly smaller than the 6-foot-4 actor, going behind the star, then taking him to the ground and choking him out. We are all so proud of you, youre a legend. 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. 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. Boston set plenty of records this season, including one for most wins in NHL history. 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. Stoked I get to make it this year. After, my arms were trembling with strain, you told me to stop and smiled at me, and said kid, dont quit your day job. 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. 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. 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. the Rock, in 1999. Choke him!, The announcer observed, I think Gene LeBells mother is prejudiced, Mr. LeBell recalled to The Los Angeles Times. Michael Hughes, Thank you for being such an influence and inspiration to MANY! He had earlier been an American Amateur Union judo champion. A tough guy who got beaten up by the likes of John Wayne, he had a bottom-line view of his job: The more you get hit in the nose, the richer you are.. It was the long-running Lassie series that first tested LeBells mettle. James Allcott is joined by Nubaid Haroon, host of No Ratings Pod, to discuss the past, present, and future of the Ballon dOr. Ivan Gene LeBell was born on Oct. 9, 1932, in Los Angeles. 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. Ed Lewis. All the best! 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. Instead they came to appreciate their different skill sets, and Mr. LeBell became one of Mr. Lees favorite stuntmen. You are a true living legend. Little Mo and Lou, Uncle Gene has been a trusted mentor, ardent Sensei and dear friend to me and countless other stunt people throughout the years. Well deserved. Gene LeBell talks about Bruce Lee. Gene LeBell One of the most colorful figures in the history of combat sports, who served as a bridge between Ed Strangler Lewis and Ronda Rousey, has died. 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. Jim Winburn, Long time coming Papa Gene. (Gene LeBell Biography). 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. Realizing that judo was no way to make a living, he shifted to professional wrestling later in 1955. Gene LeBell, 89, Judo Champion, Wrestler and Star Stuntman, Dies October 17, 2021 admin There are many inconsistencies and rumors surrounding the meeting of legends Bruce Lee and Gene LeBell. Ill always remember the special times we shared together. If you said you liked his shirt, he would take it off and give it to you, Midge LeBell said. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him, especially us. What are you doing? LeBell remembers the helmer lamenting. The Taurus World Stunt Awards are held yearly to honor stunt performers in movies. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. I love you. (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. 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. 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 . LeBell, known as the Godfather of Roddy Piper. He won the Amateur Athletic Union National Judo Championships in 1954 Known by Superman fans as Mr. The two became close friends, but the actors untimely death stymied LeBells chance for future speaking parts. I am devastated. Its with immense sadness to hear about the passing of a great man and dear friend, Gene LeBell. 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. LeBell established himself as a martial artist long before he moved to Hollywood.
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