Hollywood stuntman, martial artist and former professional wrestler Gene LeBell has passed away at the age of 89.
LeBell’s death was announced on Facebook by pro wrestler Bas Rutten. Rutten praised the wrestler as the “toughest man I know.”
“So freaking awesome, what a man, what a (man’s) man, everybody loved/loves Gene! We all heard the crazy stories, about Seagal, and that he was the first guy to fight MMA in a match against the Boxer Milo Savage in 1963 (I wasn’t even born), still pulling wheelies on his motorcycle when he was like 84 years old and if you go online, you find thousand more stories. I have always loved Gene, every single person I know loves Gene, and I am proud to say that we always had fun when we met, always cracking jokes. … You will be greatly missed Gene, I love you my friend, till we meet again!”
LeBell was in 250 films and series in his heyday, including Blue Hawaii with Elvis Presley, the TV series The Green Hornet with Bruce Lee and The Incredible Hulk. LeBell, in a piece for Black Belt Magazine, praised Lee and his skills.
“He was the best martial artist of his time. Bruce and I had a bond with the martial arts, and we would get together frequently. We worked out about 10 to 12 times at his place in Los Angeles’ Chinatown and at my place. At first, Bruce Lee was not particularly receptive to the grappling art that I practiced, but he eventually warmed up to it somewhat. I thought that was great.”
LeBell is survived by his wife Midge and children David LeBell, Monica LeBell Pandis and Danny Martindale, according to Variety.
The WWE Head of Talent Relations and Head of Creative, Triple H, wrote a touching tribute on Twitter to the wrestling and Hollywood legend.
“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 WWE to this day. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time.”
One of the LeBell legends also floating around is that he choked out Steven Seagal on the set of the 1991 film Out For Justice after Seagal claimed he could not be choked. The story continues predictably: Seagal is rendered unconscious and also voids into his pants in the process.
Others shared some fun video clips, like one from the Chris Tucker Jackie Chan movie Rush Hour.
He also played the announcer in the Martin Scorsese classic Raging Bull.
