Judo Gene LeBell-dead at 89

[goose 5]

Condolences to his family and friends.

[AngryGoon38]

He lived a Good Length of a Life I think. Not Overly Long where one becomes Crippled and Blind.
I'm Sure that He Lived Life to the Fullest.
LeBell would've Definitely been a Force to be Reckoned with, in MMA, if he had been born in the 70's or 80's.
He still seemed Quite Active, well into his 80's. LeBell maintained a Good Quality of Life, well into Old-Age(65+).
On a side note, i Believe in an After-Life.
I Could only see him(His Soul) going to a Good Place and being turned into the prime version of himself again.

[Steveh583]

i always find it hilarious when bruce lee fans think he would of stood a chance vs gene. They try and dismiss the story about gene tying him into a pretzel and carrying around the set of green hornet to teach him a lesson after beating on the other stuntmen (the inspiration for that scene in once upon a time in hollywood). RIP.

[HomicideHenry]

i always find it hilarious when bruce lee fans think he would of stood a chance vs gene. They try and dismiss the story about gene tying him into a pretzel and carrying around the set of green hornet to teach him a lesson after beating on the other stuntmen (the inspiration for that scene in once upon a time in hollywood). RIP.

Gene LeBell is the single greatest piece of evidence that the mythology of Bruce Lee is largely just that. I would constantly see threads over the years of people insisting Bruce Lee could have beaten Brock Lesnar or Mike Tyson, etc--- but Bruce Lee was absolutely powerless in the hands of a 200 lb judo champion and professional wrestler.

Gene was the real deal who crossed trained in multiple sports long before it was fashionable. But my favorite stories of him was more in the wrestling business than the Steven Seagal stories that have grown to mythic proportions completely exaggerated.

Gene, who was taught by the legendary Ed Lewis, would occasionally be brought in as an enforcer when people refused to do business (lose). Probably the best example was when Ed Bearcat Wright refused to lose the title, I believe it was the NWA West Coast version of the championship because he was wrestling out in California which was basically its own territory.*

Needless to say the promoter changed his opponent at the last minute and in comes Gene. Bearcat took one look at him coming down the aisle and he left the ring and left the stadium because he knew that Gene could break every bone in his body effortlessly. Kind of funny too considering Bearcat was 6'6 and 260 lbs, and allegedly was 8 and 0 as a professional boxer before going into wrestling as he was the son of legendary black boxer Bearcat Wright Sr.

Of course he will be forever remembered for his match with Milo Savage which was the first televised match between a boxer and someone of martial arts background even though crossover matches had been going on for centuries. Milo had fought a couple of other judo competitors prior to this and beat them all, but since Gene had a background in boxing he knew what to do to deflect a boxer's method of attack. Savage was either number five in the world at that time or at one point was number five in the world as a middleweight.

But yeah, LeBell minced no words with his opinions as he often said Chuck Norris would have defeated Bruce Lee in a legitimate fight because after all Chuck Norris was legitimately a proven world class fighter and Bruce was just a practitioner.

*I was wrong it was for the WWA title not the NWA West Coast title

[goose 5]

What is your source for Milo Savage defeating judo competitors prior to his match with Lebell ?

[HomicideHenry]

What is your source for Milo Savage defeating judo competitors prior to his match with Lebell ?

I forget which video it was but it was an interview with Gene and he mentioned in passing concerning the Milo Savage fight that it wasn't the first time that Milo had fought martial artists.



@ 14:00 Gene talks about Jim Beck being substituted by Milo Savage and that Milo had defeated a few judo and karate guys before.