I have grown up idolizing many of the SU members over the yearsGenes massive career and list of credits is insane. David would look at me glassy eyed and say No you dont! David Burton, Congrats Gene LeBell great job well done Grover Gay, Congrats Gene LeBell! Its no wonder LeBell flocked to combat sports and martial arts. Gene WebIvan Gene LeBell was an American martial artist, actor, stunt performer, and former professional wrestler born on October 9, 1932. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. He is the greatest!! 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. I feel honored to say Ive never been choked out by the legend Gene LaBellI consider you a true friend. 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. 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. Love ya !!! Now Hell Face LeBron and the Lakers. As in Seagal went out, and went #1 and #2, in his pants. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He deserves this award. It was the long-running Lassie series that first tested LeBells mettle. 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). 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. And will it equate to a Super Bowl contender? Awesome Steve Picerni. Few people know the amount of time, energy, dedication, innovation , and pure love you have graced us with in your illustrious career! Youre not only a legend to me but a great, great friend. Shes gonna annihilate 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!!! Anil Rai, Congratulations Mr. Mr. LeBell also worked over the years with many wrestlers, including Rowdy Roddy Piper and Ronda Rousey, and trained with Chuck Norris, the martial artist and actor. Hes not hurting anymore. One undisputed fact is that they met for the first time on the set of The Green Hornet. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him, especially us. Savanah Dawn Lilley, The one and only Uncle Gene! A industry standard, and great human being! Congratulations, Connie P Conrad Palmisano, Congratulations Uncle Gene for receiving the lifetime award. There is no one alive on this planet that deserves this Life Time Achievement Award more than you. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0a9b111dbaef14 Please enter a valid email and try again. (Hans Gutknecht/LA Daily News), Gene LeBell. She says, This is my house. cdn.vox-cdn.com. By submitting your email, you agree to our, Grading Every Teams Performance in the 2023 NFL Draft. (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. The man who enjoys his work never goes to work. ago The legend who made the fraud Steven Segal shit himself. Mr. LeBell was acquitted of the murder charge but convicted of being an accessory, for driving Mr. Ginsburgs to and from the murder scene. Gene LeBell, who died on August 9 at age 89, led a life so expansive that any mere retelling of it would come across like a tall tale, the stuff of Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyanif all of it werent true. I am devastated. If you want to do a whizzer throw in wrestling, its the same as an uchimata [inner thigh throw] in judo. 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. He was a wonderful man and was so good to so many. Boston set plenty of records this season, including one for most wins in NHL history. 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. All 259 picks are in. Steve Boyum, Absolutely couldnt go to a better candidate. Gary Davis, So awesome!!! of LeBell's, used to bring martial arts stars Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee to train in karate and judo with LeBell. 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. He was 89. Well deserved.- Bonnie Happy, Well deserved. All the best! 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. 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. We love him! After an illustrious judo career, Gene tried his hand at professional wrestling, and actually won the heavyweight title in Amarillo, Texas. Justin Timberlake shouldn't get credit for 'It's Gonna Be May' meme. Mahalo Christopher Chabriel, Congratulations MEAN GENE!!! Interviewed in May while luxuriating in his hot tub at home,LeBell teaches that fear and failure are essential components of his art: Without the possibility of failure, he says, theres no believability to the stunt on-screen., Event Technology Firm Helps U2 Take Spectacle on the Road, Pros Explain Intricacies of Emmy Sound Categories, Malta Makes Push for More Global Production Biz With New Soundstages. WebGene LeBell Dead: Stuntman and Godfather of Grappling Dies at 89 hollywoodreporter 399 24 24 comments Best Add a Comment BeazyDoesIt 4 mo. Services will be private, and donations in Gene LeBells name can be made to St. Jude Childrens Hospital. If you said you liked his shirt, he would take it off and give it to you, Midge LeBell said. Combat Sports Pioneer Judo Gene Lebell has passed at 89 Years Old. Way to go Uncle Gene!!! You have definitely earned it for all your contributions to the industry. Shes gonna assassinate you.. And he was knocked around a few times by James Caan. Norman Howell, Congratulations Gene LeBell an incredible Honor an so well deserved. Here are five questions that could determine that series outcome. Click to reveal 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. I love you Gene and I am very proud of your accomplishments in our business. You used to practice on your son David and I used to say to him I want to try that too, to be choked out by your dad. Michael Nesbitt, Congratulations, judo Gene LeBell Tony Epperson, Congratulations! So Ive had a lot of fun doing stunts.. 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. LeBell wore a gi for the fight, and Savage had his body greased to make it difficult for LeBell to grab him. The diminutive kid was bullied, finally responding by choking the offending cadet a move he applied to Steven Seagal 52 years later while filming Hard to Kill.. A lot of fighters are broke. ( Aubrey Sitterson, rondarousey.com, 2018). One day in 1966, the stuntman Gene LeBell was called to the set of the television series The Green Hornet to deal with Bruce Lee, the future martial arts superstar, who played Kato, the crime-fighting Hornets sidekick. Days later, they came out with more questions than answers. I was told that all the judo and karate people were not making any money at that time; they were starving, LeBell recalled in that interview. Few will live a life as extraordinary as Gene LeBell has. Gene LeBell, center, made his mark on the combat sports scene and in movies for decades. 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. Over the course of this six-decade career, LeBell had a hand in training many prominent players in the entertainment, wrestling, and MMA worlds. An incredible life being rightfully recognized. It was a tough night, but Judo Gene had defended the honor of his sport against the boxer, Jonathan Snowden wrote in Shooters: The Toughest Men in Professional Wrestling (2012). LeBell was also at the center of one of the most highly anticipated fights of the 1970s. Its about time. Gene, I appreciate the things youve accomplished in life, and acknowledge your generosity to those you have helped to achieve theirs. 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. With only one uniform, he wore it and beat the competition. 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. If I could get my arms around you I would hug you. 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. He is there to help you any time any where. 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. Gene LeBell was a legendary stuntman and martial artist known for pioneering mixed martial arts who trained Bruce Lee. 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.