Chicago Sun-Times: Blassie's an example worth following

Seems to me terms like legend and icon get thrown around quite freely. Winning a championship or becoming a fan favorite automatically makes someone a superstar and a legend of the business.

Perhaps some of these new icons should brush up on their wrestling history and see just what it takes to become an all-time great. These wrestlers need only to look at the career and contributions of Classy Freddie Blassie to understand what a legend should be. Blassie--a man I can proudly say was one of my closest friends--passed away Monday night and left behind a trail of memories that modern-day wrestlers can only dream of.

Blassie, who was most famous for his catchphrase Pencil Neck Geek," had been part of professional wrestling since 1935 and will forever be remembered as the most enduring character in sports entertainment. Unlike the heels of today, Blassie's character was a true villain. He lost the vision in his right eye when he was hit with a hard-boiled egg, fans soaked him with acid and he suffered 21 stabbings.

Blassie's run of fighting and biting drew millions of fans to arenas until 1973, when Freddie donned the sequins and became one of the most famous managers in the business. The Fashion Plate," as he was known, went on to manage stars such as Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, George The Animal" Steele, Nikolai Volkoff and most notably the Iron Sheik. Blassie remained with the WWE up to his death, appearing on Raw" just three weeks ago, assisting the Dudley Boys in a tag match. Fred Blassie will be dearly missed by his family, friends, wrestlers, wrestling fans, and this reporter. Blassie is survived by his wife, Miyako, and children, Ron, Gary and Cheryl.

HEARD AROUND THE RING: Kurt Angle proved a lot of people wrong last week when he returned from neck surgery just under two months after his WrestleMania match with Brock Lesner. Angle looks to be in tremendous physical condition and will get a shot at the championship, likely at the Ven-geance PPV.

HOTLINE: I have the inside word on heat between Roddy Piper and Vince McMahon, and I will reveal who Stone Cold called to be the guest referee for Bad Blood. I have all the scoop on the hotline: (900) 990-SLAM, $2 per minute.