You truly are a one-off, a living legend. Norman Howell, Congratulations Gene LeBell an incredible Honor an so well deserved. 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. As in Seagal went out, and went #1 and #2, in his pants. He taught me how to fight, taught me how to ride. Something went wrong. Jimmy Roberts, Gene youve always told me Im the best but your THE GREATEST Love ya, Manny Perry, I owe everything to Gene. If you said you liked his shirt, he would take it off and give it to you, Midge LeBell said. 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. We are all so proud of you, youre a legend. Ed Lewis. LeBell!!! Known by He was a good man. Im proud to be a friend of yours for over 50 years. How much can Joel Embiid give the Sixers against the Celtics? I have grown up idolizing many of the SU members over the yearsGenes massive career and list of credits is insane. 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. Now Hell Face LeBron and the Lakers. who lives in Sherman Oaks and says he still takes in about Stuntman Gene LeBell might not have been around since Hollywoods first fist fight, but his skill has transformed the genre. For LeBell, one martial art naturally flowed into another; they were already mixing together in his curious mind. Gene LeBell remained a towering figure in the history and expansion of mixed martial arts and sports entertainment. LeBell is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren. Steph Curry Snuffed Out the Beam. 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. Gene started to learn to fight at 7, when his mother sent him to the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Well deserved.- Bonnie Happy, Well deserved. Hes not hurting anymore. Gene LeBell Long overdue! Aloha, Brian Keaulana, Congratulations Gene! 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. 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. Gene LeBell, iconic martial arts pioneer, dies at the age of 89 - MSN His mother later married Cal Eaton, with whom she promoted fights. Hollywood stuntman and martial artist Gene LeBell has died. 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. As wellback in the day..i drove out to ride motos with Gene & some friends at his area in Frazier Park. 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. You always got the cool moves to Choke em Out .. stay healthy my friend .. Love, Troy Gilbert, Unreal. He once sparred with legendary boxer Sugar Ray Robinson as a teenager. Outside of his film and television work, in 1963 he took part in a preview of todays mixed martial arts fights when he faced a middleweight boxer, Milo Savage, and defeated him in the fourth round with a choke hold that rendered Savage unconscious. Gene LeBell began his martial arts training at the age of 13 and went on to become the Godfather of Grappling and is considered by many to be the father of MMA. 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. Lou Thesz. After his mom remarried, LeBell was raised near L.A.s old Olympic Auditorium. Congratulations Uncle Gene! Kyler a Trade Chip? Aug. 11Gene LeBell, regarded as America's first martial arts sensation before parlaying his athleticism into a career as a professional wrestler, actor and The action you just performed triggered the security solution. You tell me which is better., Gene LeBell, 89, Judo Champion, Wrestler and Star Stuntman, Dies, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/19/movies/gene-lebell-dead.html. We are incredibly sad to report that our hero, dear friend and Stunts Unlimited brother passed away yesterday, August 9th, 2022 at the age of 89. Freddy Bouceigues, No one deserves this more then you uncle Gene. Born in Los Angeles in 1932, LeBell was shipped off to a military school at age 6 by his full-time working mom after his father died in a surfing accident. The two became close friends, but the actors untimely death stymied LeBells chance for future speaking parts. Gene LeBell - IMDb Michael Hughes, Thank you for being such an influence and inspiration to MANY! It was the long-running Lassie series that first tested LeBells mettle. With only one uniform, he wore it and beat the competition. The pink uniform originated from a trip to Japan where a pair of red socks, or shorts, made their way into the laundry, turning his white uniform to pink. If you want to do a whizzer throw in wrestling, its the same as an uchimata [inner thigh throw] in judo. Chuck & Charlotte Waters, Special man and amazing human being, so deserving of this recognition. More embellished versions include details about Seagal defecating himself. One undisputed fact is that they met for the first time on the set of The Green Hornet. This file is auto-generated */!function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(! 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. Fighters practically raised the young LeBell at the Main Street Gym where he started going at 7 years old, Midge LeBell said. Dear Abby: Am I overreacting to my European daughter-in-law's behavior? They also trained together, with Mr. LeBells expertise as a grappler meeting Mr. Lees fist-flashing kung fu brilliance. Way to go Uncle Gene!!! So Ive had a lot of fun doing stunts.. He put me over to my future husband before we ever met, Rousey said. 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. October 17, 2021 admin There are many inconsistencies and rumors surrounding the meeting of legends Bruce Lee and Gene LeBell. 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. Gene LeBell A lot of fighters are broke. You have definitely earned it for all your contributions to the industry. 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. LeBell was also a judo and grappling prodigy. A teacher to many of the sports greats, his influence is felt throughout @WWE to this day. 160 MulciberTenebras 4 mo. 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 also a Nevada and California Athletic Commission judge, including judging UFC 74 (Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga) and his website judogene.com is visited by martial arts and film fans all over the globe. and who wore nicknames like the toughest man alive with prideit is part of what made him such a legendary and colorful figure in Hollywood history. There is nothing bad you can really say about him. So they said I could make good money in professional wrestling, which I did. 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. But he was old school he wouldnt say wrestling wasnt on the up and up.. Proud to be your friend! 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. (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! Im honored to know you! I made very good money, and it led me into a career in stunt work.. Is Gene LeBell Still Alive Or Dead? - vimbuzz.com (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. Howard Beck on How Much Longer the Warriors Can Keep Winning, LeBron James Vs. Stephen Curry, and the 76ers Without Joel Embiid. "Judo" Gene LeBell the "Godfather of Grappling" was both a renowned ex-world champion in both wrestling/judo, and one of Hollywood's busiest 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). We love him! He is there to help you any time any where. Gene LeBell - Age, Bio, Faces and After an illustrious judo career, Gene tried his hand at professional wrestling, and actually won the heavyweight title in Amarillo, Texas. The newspaper the following day had a story saying the American radish wins. 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. You were a better reference than SAG! Gene LeBell, iconic martial arts pioneer, dies, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), First Republic Bank seized, sold to JPMorgan Chase, Gene LeBell, iconic martial arts pioneer, dies at the age of 89. LeBell wore a gi for the fight, and Savage had his body greased to make it difficult for LeBell to grab him. Lets get working, or Ill burn your houses down.. Its no wonder LeBell flocked to combat sports and martial arts. Ross Clay, Gene is the most unselfish and most giving person I know. He repeated this dominant performance in 1955, winning all but one of his 18 matches solely with standing throws. Karl Gotch. 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. 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. if thirty people are watching, let them talk about it. Its about time!! LeBells roots in combat sports ran deep. 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. Sammy Horowitz, Congratulations Gene, its about time you were acknowledged for your amazing contribution to the stunt world. 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