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Gene LeBell

Judo Gene LeBell: The Godfather of Grappling

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Gene LeBell

Tournasol7 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Born on October 9, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, Ivan Gene LeBell worked as an actor, judoka, stuntman, and professional wrestler.[1][2] "Judo Gene" and "The Godfather of Grappling" were monikers applied to LeBell, who is recognized for advancing grappling as a foundation for what became mixed martial arts.[1] More than one thousand films and TV shows featured LeBell's work, and he wrote twelve books.[1]

Life and work

LeBell started training in catch wrestling and boxing from early childhood, influenced by his mother, promoter Aileen Eaton.[2] LeBell transitioned to professional wrestling, attracted by better potential earnings and the family's legacy.[3] On December 2, 1963, LeBell fought boxer Milo Savage in a match that ended with LeBell choking Savage unconscious.[4][5] From 1968 through 1982, LeBell and his brother Mike operated NWA Hollywood Wrestling, the Los Angeles territory of the National Wrestling Alliance.[6]

The California Courts of Appeal later reversed LeBell's conviction for being an accessory.[7]

What the cited sources add

The Inside Kung Fu interview states LeBell appeared in over 350 films and television shows.[8] According to the Wilson account, author Jim Beck expressed contempt for martial arts, calling judo practitioners "sissies".[9] The Wilson account states that after the fight, a riot broke out.[9] According to the Jenness account, LeBell never publicly confirmed the story about choking Steven Seagal.[10]

The Jenness account quotes Seagal calling LeBell a "pathological, scumbag liar".[10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Gene LeBell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bartlett, "Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman and "Godfather of Grappling," Dies at 89", The Hollywood Reporter, 2022-08-10; Bartlett, "Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman and "Godfather of Grappling," Dies at 89", The Hollywood Reporter, 2022-08-10; "Roots of Fight Brings Us the Story of "Judo" Gene LeBell – MMA Pioneer and Terrifying Old Man", Fightland, December 3, 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Gene LeBell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thomas Nilsson, A Conversation with "The Toughest Man Alive": "Judo" Gene LeBell Has Seen and Done It All in a 50-Year Martial Arts Career, Black Belt magazine,; Gutknecht, "Gene LeBell, iconic martial arts pioneer, dies at the age of 89", Daily News, 11 August 2022 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Gene LeBell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thomas Nilsson, A Conversation with "The Toughest Man Alive": "Judo" Gene LeBell Has Seen and Done It All in a 50-Year Martial Arts Career, Black Belt magazine, (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Gene LeBell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dewey Lawes Falcone, Judo Versus Boxing , Black Belt Magazine May 1964. URL accessed on April 2, 2010.; Thomas Nilsson, A Conversation with "The Toughest Man Alive": "Judo" Gene LeBell Has Seen and Done It All in a 50-Year Martial Arts Career, Black Belt magazine,; Dewey Lawes Falcone, Judo Versus Boxing , Black Belt Magazine May 1964. URL accessed on April 2, 2010.; Dewey Lawes Falcone, Judo Versus Boxing , Black Belt Magazine May 1964. URL accessed on April 2, 2010.; Wilson, "Gene LeBell vs Milo Savage: Gene LeBell Saved Martial Arts", Ja en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Gene LeBell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dewey Lawes Falcone, Judo Versus Boxing , Black Belt Magazine May 1964. URL accessed on April 2, 2010. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Gene LeBell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dave Meltzer. Boxers in wrestling a rich tradition . March 27, 2008.; "Matches « Gene LeBell « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - the Internet Wrestling Database" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Gene LeBell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Farr, "Killer's Impending Parole Scuttled by Extortion Plot", Los Angeles Times, October 8, 1986 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. "Where Are They Now?", Inside Kung Fu. facts only, no text reused. insidekung-fu.com
  9. Wilson, "Gene LeBell vs Milo Savage: Gene LeBell Saved Martial Arts", January 1, 2013. facts only, no text reused. usadojo.com
  10. Jenness, "Gene LeBell talks Steven Seagal s----ing himself", mixedmartialarts.com MMA Underground. facts only, no text reused. mixedmartialarts.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Gene LeBell (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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