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"I learned the [LeBell Lock] from a guy named Neil Melanson," Danielson told the WWE website in 2010. Gene LeBell, iconic martial arts pioneer, dies at the age of 89 - Daily God Bless you Gene and your lovely wife and thanks you for all the things you taught me. 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. LeBell has also worked on over 1,000 films and TV shows and has authored 12 books. August 10, 2022 1:24pm. Plus, does starting Tyrese Maxey versus DeAnthony Melton make a difference on the defensive end? 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. Lou Thesz. Mickey Gilbert, Ill never forget working with Gene in Minneapolis for David Ellis. He worked in. The Savage camp claimed they did not know the difference. Being 63 years old, LeBell declined to compete or to send a representative, instead suggesting a match against Royce's 82-year-old father, the renowned Hlio Gracie. Christian Fletcher, Congratulations Gene! And later on, there is discussion of whether or not double-dipping is an acceptable way to eat! judo. Ronda Rousey, Bryan Danielson, and many more idolized the . I have always been inspired by this quality in you Uncle Gene and I cherish the memories of the many great experiences we have had together. UFC 285 Preview: Can Jon Jones Turn Back the Clock? Judo Gene LeBell the Godfather of Grappling was both a renowned ex-world champion in both wrestling/judo, and one of Hollywoods busiest stuntmen. Ronnie and Mary Rondell, Congratulations Uncle Gene! (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Former UFC Champion and WWE star Ronda Rousey talks about her friend and mentor Judo Gene LeBell during a celebration of his life on what would have been his 90th birthday at Hayastan MMA Academy in North Hollywood Sunday, October 9, 2022. Seagal has later flatly denied the claim and LeBell has not gone as far to 100% confirm, though his student and long time friend Ronda Rousey has stood up for LeBell's honor in interviews. To his surprise, he learned his opponent would not be Beck but a higher regarded boxer, Milo Savage, who also had a background in amateur wrestling. 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. Love ya !!! The late 'Judo' Gene LeBell's 90th birthday is celebrated by 200 [citation needed], On March 23, 1991, LeBell was awarded the Honorary "Reel" Membership by the Ring of Friendship of the Cauliflower Alley Club. Ill toast you from Texas! LeBell, preferring to let others do the talking for him, told MMA journalist Ariel Helwani in 2012 that if thirty people are watching, let them talk about it.. It has been an honor to work with you ,and see how much you have done, over the years. Scott Wilder, Thank you Sensei for paving the way for martial artists in this biz! He is the author of 12 martial arts books. Erik Stabenau, Congratulations Gene. Bruce Lee - Wikipedia LeBell established himself as a martial artist long before he moved to Hollywood. Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman and "Godfather of Grappling," Dies at 89 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. Hans Gutknecht has been a photojournalist at the Los Angeles Daily News since 1992. (James C. Udel, Variety, 2018). Derek spoke with Matthew Biel of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital about rising teenage unhappiness and what we can do to fix it, All You Touch and All You See: Dark Side of the Moon at 50. [25], LeBell has earned himself the nicknames "Judo" Gene LeBell, "the Godfather of Grappling" and also "the toughest man alive" for his participation in combat sports. He was set to compete the following day and being a Saturday evening when he received the now colored uniform, he had to compete in the pink uniform. Interview with Gene LeBell. Inside Hall's residence police discovered hours of wire-tapped recordings, some of which led to the resignation of the Beverly Hills police department chief of police. Sugar Ray Robinson. Nicknamed "The Godfather of Grappling", he popularized grappling in professional fighting circles, serving as a precursor to modern mixed martial arts. He will always be my Stunt Senei. [20], LeBell also appeared in "The World of Martial Arts Budojujitsu". 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. Martial Art: Take a wild guess.Notable Achievements: "Judo" Gene LeBell has arguably the most impressive MMA resume of anyone on this list, and For LeBell, one martial art naturally flowed into another; they were already mixing together in his curious mind. Challenge coins, decorated with an image of LeBell, were sold for donations, which raised more than $2,000. ", "Gene LeBell and Ronda Rousey's golden lineage", "Killer's Impending Parole Scuttled by Extortion Plot", "Los Angeles Stirred by Detective's Mysterious Death", "Judo legend Gene LeBell passes away aged 89 years old", "Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman and "Godfather of Grappling," Dies at 89", "NWA Hall of Fame Class for 2011 announced", "North American Heavyweight Title (W. Texas)", Seagal vs LeBell resolved Fact, Fiction & Eye-Witness Testimony on the Urban Legend, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gene_LeBell&oldid=1141444745, NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Champions, Articles lacking reliable references from May 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from May 2021, All articles needing additional references, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 02:59. LeBell later mentored world-class athletes and silver screen legends. In return, the boxer's camp agreed that he would wear a Judo Gi or uniform, although he ultimately wore a Karate Gi which fit much tighter and was more difficult to grab onto. [7][8], Following his combat sports career, LeBell, along with his brother Mike, ran the National Wrestling Alliance's Los Angeles territory, NWA Hollywood Wrestling, from 1968 to 1982. 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. I thought I was the only one. Seems like yesterday, lifes crazy like that, huh? [8] Gene also wrestled under a black mask as The Hangman, teaming up with Roy Staggs. He was born in Los Angeles, California. Ross Clay, Gene is the most unselfish and most giving person I know. For a time, he took on a role as "policeman" for the organization, helping to maintain order. Muhammad Ali. You have definitely earned it for all your contributions to the industry. Gene LeBell has three children Monica, Danny, and David. LeBell's students included AnnMaria De Mars, the first American to ever win a gold medal at the World Judo Championships in 1984, and De Mars' daughter, Ronda Rousey, who became the first. Weve worked together for over (50) years and its been (50) years of pure delight. Then consider checking: 100 Cummings Ctr. Congratulations very well deserved! Congratulations brother Gene!!! A pioneer of martial arts, he lived a long and fascinating life. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. The promoters were looking for karate and judo bumsvery distinct striking and grappling specialties, though LeBell knew the basics of karateto fight a boxer, whom LeBell assumed would be Jim Beck, a highly regarded amateur who had called out the practitioners of those sports. 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. The tributes for "Judo" Gene LeBell, who died on August 9, 2022, at age 89, poured in after news of his passing starting circulating. Over the course of this six-decade career, LeBell had a hand in training many prominent players in the entertainment, wrestling, and MMA worlds. His first match would be against the highly ranked judoka John Osako. The combatants were initially cautious, with LeBell being the first in pressing the action by attempting to throw Savage down. Legend Gene LeBell's Life Is Set To Be Made Into A Book And Film [6], Ivan Gene LeBell was born in Los Angeles, California. 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. LeBell, who spent much of his later years overseeing the National Wrestling Alliance in Los Angeles, was even charged with murder when private investigator Robert Duke Hall was killed in 1976. So may you rest in power, Gene.. 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. At Hayastan MMA Academy, the focus is to teach our students a variety of Martial Art disciplines - We specialize in Judo, Sambo, Wrestling, Gi and No Gi Grappling, Boxing, Kickboxing and MMA. Previously, he was married to Eleanor Martindale between 1975 and 1976, Eileen Murillo (1960), Olga Allen between 1957 until 1959, and Midge LeBell before that. After an illustrious judo career, Gene tried his hand at professional wrestling, and actually won the heavyweight title in Amarillo, Texas. You are an inspiration!! UFC news: 'Judo' Gene LeBell dead at 89; MMA community mourns A celebration of his life will be held on his 90thBirthday October 9th, 2022 at the Hayastan Academy led by his student, Black Belt Hall of Fame Member - Gokor Chivichyan. [7][9] The unusual stipulations convinced LeBell the Savage camp, far from being ignorant about martial arts, had trained Savage in judo in order to defend against LeBell's throws. RIP Gene LeBell - Part II. At the insistence of friend and martial artist, Ed Parker, Gene LeBell accepted the challenge match and travelled to Utah to fight Beck. Still, he continued to get regular stunt work on TV. A brief google of you name brings up pages and pages of awesome stories about what youve really accomplished in so many fields. Confidential (1997) Batman & Robin (1997), Rush Hour (1998), The Man on the Moon (1999) Men in Black II (2002), Spiderman 2 (2004), Starsky & Hutch (2004), 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. Congratulations & we all love you. And Thank You for all those Decals and Patches you sent Charlotte and I each Christmas. In June 1976, LeBell refereed the infamous boxing-versus-wrestling contest between Muhammad Ali and Antonio Inoki in Tokyo, Japan. A long overdue, but well deserved award. Bruce Lee. Gene was an actor and stuntman in Hollywood productions for over fifty years with more than 150 acting credits and 250 stunt credits. 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. We worked out about 10 to 12 times at his place in Los Angeles Chinatown and at my place.. This award is only given to a select few. Chris Pellitteri, Mr. Gene LeBell ; Thank you for your kindness and wisdom over the years. Blessed if you know him, crazy fun guy. Gene LeBell heard about the proclamation and decided to take Seagal up on the challenge. The Toughest Man Alive: Gene LeBell: 9780953176670: Amazon.com: Books As soon as he landed, LeBell used a foot sweep to sweep Seagal off the floor, with Seagal landing on his back. 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. Wear this Award well my friend. [7], LeBell was requested to confirm the story publicly in an interview with Ariel Helwani in 2012, but he avoided answering the question, albeit implying that the incident was true. 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. Along with the awards received for feats in judo and grappling, LeBell was the 2005 recipient of the Frank Gotch Award in celebration of the positive recognition he brought to the sport of wrestling. His death was announced by Kellie Cunningham, his trustee and business manager, who did not. Andy Gill, Congratulations Gene !!! If I could get my arms around you I would hug you. 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!!! 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. I love you Gene and I am very proud of your accomplishments in our business. He was seen in Rousey's corner during matches and celebrated her victories with her. "Judo" Gene LeBell | The Godfather of Grappling It couldnt go to a better man. The back and forth match between the boxer and the grappler/judoka was an early precursor to the mixed martial arts battles that millions of fans enjoy today. He is the greatest!! [7] In 1954 and 1955, while only 22 years of age, he captured both the heavyweight and overall Amateur Athletic Union National Judo Championships. FLASH SALE - Buy 1 video get 40% OFF - COUPON40, Buy 2 videos get 43% OFF - COUPON43, Buy 3 or more videos get 45% OFF - COUPON45. You may have seen his name in the credits of countless movies and television shows dating back to the late 1960's. You may have caught the "Godfather of Grappling" in one of his matches in the world of professional wrestling, you may know him as the "toughest man on the . His mother, Aileen Eaton, promoted fights at the Olympic Auditorium and was the first woman inducted into the International Boxing Hall of . Gene LeBell (also called "Judo Gene" and "the Godfather of Grappling") went on to perform stunts in hundreds of movies, train martial artists like Chuck . The Life & Legend of "Judo" Gene LeBell - POST Wrestling This is very much deserved. Bruce and I had a bond with the martial arts, and we would get together frequently. Gary Goltz. 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, In Loving Memory of Judo Gene LeBell, 1932-2022. With a background in judo and jiu-jitsu, LeBell was the mastermind behind some of the greatest fighters in the world. An agreement was reached for the match to last five rounds, each lasting three minutes. LeBell!!! Ivan Gene LeBell (born October 9, 1932) is an American martial artist, instructor, stunt performer, and professional wrestler born in Los Angeles, California. Wrestling, MMA, movie worlds pay tribute to Judo Gene LeBell I feel honored to say Ive never been choked out by the legend Gene LaBellI consider you a true friend. LeBell was also a judo and grappling prodigy. BJJ Fanatics was started by a pair of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts who know that nothing is more important for a fellow fanatic than their time on the mat. Not long after, he began training judo. Gene LeBell - Biography - IMDb Gene LeBell, also known as 'Judo Gene LeBell' is best known for, you guessed it, judo. If I have seen further it has been by standing on the shoulders of giants like you!! Who's The Real "Father Of MMA"? 10 Fighters More Deserving Of The 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. His students in those fields included Roddy Piper, Ronda Rousey, and many others. So they said I could make good money in professional wrestling, which I did. 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. Love ya Gene. Gene LeBell has three children Monica, Danny, and David. LeBell also gained notoriety for the way he dealt with the notoriously eccentric and aggressive Steven Seagal on the set of the 1991 film Out for Justice. Those were great times !! R.I.P. legendary wrestler and stunt performer Gene LeBell - The A.V. Club 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. Black Belt EXCLUSIVE. Your positivity and generosity knows no limit. Even more appreciated by those of us choked out by you !!! Sometimes Steven has a tendency to cheese off the wrong people, and you can get hurt doing that. 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. 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. Beck claimed that a boxer could defeat any martial artist in a straight fight and offered $1000 to anyone who could prove otherwise. if thirty people are watching, let them talk about it. "Judo" Gene LeBell the "Godfather of Grappling" was both a renowned ex-world champion in both wrestling/judo, and one of Hollywood's busiest stuntmen. Its great having such a role model to look up to. The Bahamas Wrestling Association: Black Wrestling and the Birth of a Nation. Along the way, his list of big-name collaborators, students, and opponents became as packed as his CV; in addition to Lee, . It was a fascinating collection of people mourning too, from the world of pro wrestling, mixed martial arts, acting, and beyond. This is his wish, to do this, and I promised him that Im going to do this on his birthday, and I keep my promise today.. . It was the long-running Lassie series that first tested LeBells mettle. If you want to do a whizzer throw in wrestling, its the same as an uchimata [inner thigh throw] in judo. He deserves this award. He is currently the head grappling coach at Jaco Hybrid Training Center.He is the former head grappling coach at both .