Gene LeBell

2022 - 8 - 11

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Image courtesy of "MMA Fighting"

Martial arts legend 'Judo' Gene LeBell dies at 89 (MMA Fighting)

Martial arts legend "Judo" Gene LeBell, who worked with a number of prominent mixed martial artists over the years, has died at the age of 89.

He befriended Bruce Lee on the set of his series The Green Hornet and LeBell’s initial interactions with him served as part of the inspiration for a character in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood. From there, LeBell ended up as a pro wrestling promoter for many years running the NWA territory for 14 years. “The great Gene Lebell, toughest man I know, has passed away and left us at the age of 89,” Rutten wrote.

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Image courtesy of "Hollywood Reporter"

Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman and “Godfather of Grappling,” Dies at ... (Hollywood Reporter)

A martial artist and judo champion, he taught Bruce Lee, fought in an early mixed martial arts fight and served as an inspiration for a Tarantino character.

In Raging Bull (1980), he had a speaking role as the ring announcer for one of Jake LaMotta’s ( Robert De Niro) fights. LeBell was acquitted of that charge, and his conviction as an accessory to the crime was later overturned. The bout lasted four rounds and ended when LeBell submitted Savage to a rear naked chokehold. By his own admission, “every star in Hollywood beat me up” when he was a stuntman and actor. I never said I was doing only judo or karate or kenpo,” he said. Four years earlier, he was in another ring, as the referee in the wacky Muhammad Ali vs. in the 2000s. “I taught him judo and wrestling and … finishing holds that he later worked into some movies. To LeBell, the altercation revealed that Lee’s repertoire was without submission maneuvers, armbars and takedowns. Ivan Gene LeBell was born in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, 1932. Later, he taught his masterful submission techniques to Lee, Chuck Norris, pro wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, MMA fighter Ronda Rousey and many, many others. He was 89.

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Image courtesy of "MMA Junkie"

'Judo' Gene LeBell dead at 89; Ronda Rousey and MMA community ... (MMA Junkie)

LeBell, whom many credit for bringing judo into the MMA space, served as a mentor to former UFC champion Ronda Rousey throughout her MMA run, but his roots run ...

LeBell even has an officially recorded MMA fight. He defeated boxer Milo Savage in a mixed-rules contest in December 1963 in what some consider to be the first legitimate MMA fight. Although his notoriety was partially racked out by his work as a trainer and motivator, LeBell had a decorated run as a top-tier amateur judoka in the 1950s.

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Image courtesy of "Variety"

Gene LeBell, Hollywood Stuntman and Martial Artist, Dies at 89 (Variety)

Professional wrestler Bas Rutten announced LeBell's death via Facebook, writing, “You will be greatly missed Gene, I love you my friend, till we meet again!”.

His talent in his field was known worldwide and those that got to know him knew he had a heart that matched that talent. The Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures sent a statement to Variety that said, “It is with a heavy heart that we recognize our past member and friend, Mr. Gene LeBell, has passed on. Writing for Black Belt Magazine, LeBell recalled, “He was the best martial artist of his time.

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Image courtesy of "TMZ"

Legendary Martial Artist and Stuntman Gene LeBell Dead At 89 (TMZ)

Gene LeBell, legendary stuntman, actor, wrestler and martial artist, has died at 89. Lebell worked with everyone from Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris to Ronda ...

"Gene LeBell remained a towering figure in the history and expansion of mixed martial arts and sports entertainment," HHH wrote. On Wednesday, Ronda posted a photo of her and Gene together ... captioning the pic, "Legend." Gene trained Rousey (a former Judo star) ... and he also worked with WWE legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, the inspiration for the "Rowdy Ronda" character. The legendary "Judo" Gene LeBell -- possibly the most badass man to ever walk the earth -- has died at the age of 89, and some of the biggest sports stars in the world are showing love in light of his passing. Gene and Bruce first met during filming of the TV show "The Green Hornet" ... and became friends, often training together. Legendary Martial Artist and Stuntman Gene LeBell Dead At 89

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Image courtesy of "Deadline"

Gene LeBell Dies: Stuntman, Actor And Wrestling Legend Who ... (Deadline)

Dubbed "The Godfather of Grappling," LeBell faced off onscreen against Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bruce Lee.

Gene LeBell remained a towering figure in the history and expansion of mixed martial arts and sports entertainment. A teacher to many of the sport’s greats, his influence is felt throughout— Triple H (@TripleH) @WWEto this day. In the end, the ever-curious Lee had LeBell train him in various wrestling moves, which he incorporated into his style. The duo worked together on The Green Hornet in the mid-1960s when, the story goes, Lebell was brought in because Lee was beating up all the stuntmen. When talking about Cliff Booth, director Quentin Tarantino has been careful to both give LeBell his due credit and also stress that Booth is a fictional character unto himself. Dubbed “The Godfather of Grappling,” he faced off onscreen against Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bruce Lee. He refereed Muhammad Ali’s infamous fight against Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki. Holding a 10th degree red belt in Judo and a 9th degree black belt in Ju-jitsu, helped train everyone from Lee to Norris to “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Ronda Rousey.

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Image courtesy of "Bleeding Cool News"

Gene LeBell, "The Godfather Of Grappling", Has Passed Away At 89 (Bleeding Cool News)

The worlds of Hollywood, mixed martial arts, and wrestling are all in mourning today for the loss of the legendary Gene LeBell, who passed away today at the ...

In his 89 years on Earth, Gene LeBell lived an incredibly full and truly interesting life that most of us could only dream about. The worlds of Hollywood, mixed martial arts, and wrestling are all in mourning today for the loss of the legendary Gene LeBell, who passed away today at the age of 89. Along with his legendary status in wrestling and mixed martial arts, Gene LeBell was also a big figure for decades in Hollywood, having served as a stuntman, fight coordinator, and actor on projects starting in the early 1960s all the way up until 2018.

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Image courtesy of "Bleacher Report"

Gene LeBell, Legendary Martial Artist, Dies at Age 89 (Bleacher Report)

Former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten announced LeBell's death on Facebook amid a lengthy tribute to the titan, who also made his indelible mark in sports ...

"In pro wrestling, he ran NWA's Los Angeles territory, NWA Hollywood Wrestling, from 1968 through 1982. IMDB.com lists him as having 252 stunt credits and 156 acting credits. Heartbreaking, he was a friend and one of the best people I have ever known. #RipGeneLebell #GeneLebell pic.twitter.com/LpKMBj8uwT I enjoyed the times I got to chat and laugh with him over the years. I LOST every R-E-E-L fight I ever had and made millions” — Judo Gene trying to convince me to quit fighting and go into Hollywood stunt work.

I’m still calling it a double wrist lock, just so you know. “I won every R-E-A-L fight I ever had & was penniless. It is through those memories his legacy will become legendary and forever remembered. 🙏🏽 Judo Gene Lebell impacted so many lives through his kind, caring, and loving soul. From The Beverly Hillbillies & The Munsters to Taxi and Rush Hour, an insane side-legacy. Gene LeBell remained a towering figure in the history and expansion of mixed martial arts and sports entertainment. pic.twitter.com/93GL6QP0fw

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Image courtesy of "The A.V. Club"

R.I.P. legendary wrestler and stunt performer Gene LeBell (The A.V. Club)

Gene LeBell has died. A legend among martial artists and Hollywood stunt performers, LeBell reportedly worked on as many as 1,000 productions across his ...

(And here’s where we should probably, briefly, get into the other big similarity between him and Hollywood’s Cliff Booth: LeBell was tried for murder in 1979, for the death of private investigator Robert Duke Hall. He was acquitted of murder in the case, but convicted on being an accessory, with the latter charge ultimately overturned on appeal. Meanwhile, LeBell began making inroads into Hollywood. His first credited role was as a “hood” on The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet in 1961; his other on-camera roles would typically come with similarly non-descript and thug-adjacent names—although he also carved out a niche for himself as a go-to referee for TV shows and films going for a bit of verisimilitude when depicting wrestling matches. LeBell’s life was a colorful one, with many of the details gleaned from his own authorized autobiography, The Godfather Of Grappling, which he wrote with biographers Bob Calhoun, George Foon, and Noelle Kim and published in 2005.

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