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词条 Lord James Blears
释义

  1. Early life

  2. Merchant navy career

  3. Professional wrestling career

  4. Acting career

  5. Personal life

  6. Death

  7. Filmography

      Film    Television  

  8. Championships and accomplishments

  9. References

  10. External links

{{Infobox professional wrestler
| name = Lord James Blears
| image = File:James Blears 1949.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Blears in 1949
| birthname = James Ranicar Blears[1]
| alma_mater =
| birth_date = August 13, 1923
| birth_place = Tyldesley, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
| death_date = {{death date and age|2016|3|3|1923|8|13}}
| death_place = Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
| resides =
| family = 4; including Jimmy Blears and Laura Lee Ching
| spouse = Lenora Adelaina (her death)[2]
| names = Jan Blears[3]
Lord James Blears[3]
| height =
| weight = {{convert|190|lb|kg|abbr=on}}[5]
| billed =
| trainer = YMCA[3]
| debut =
| retired =
}}Lord Blears (born James Ranicar Blears, August 13, 1923 – March 3, 2016) was a British-American professional wrestler, ring announcer, promoter, actor, mariner, and surfing personality.[1][2][3][10][11][4]

Early life

Blears was born in Tyldesley, Lancashire, England in the United Kingdom on August 13, 1923.[2][14] A successful swimmer in school, he was selected for the British swimming team for the 1940 Summer Olympics but was unable to compete due to World War II.[15][16]

Merchant navy career

Blears enlisted in the Merchant Navy in 1940 during World War II, with his knowledge of Morse code leading to him being made a radio officer.[5] Whilst serving as second wireless operator on board the SS Tjisalak, a Dutch merchant ship, his ship was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-8 on March 26, 1944 during a voyage from Melbourne, Australia to Colombo, Ceylon. The survivors were taken prisoner by the Japanese and the majority were summarily executed by beheading.[4] Blears managed to escape by leaping into the water and found his way into a lifeboat, where he and four other survivors began attempting to sail to Ceylon until the United States Navy liberty ship SS James O. Wilder retrieved them three days later. Blears was given a can of peaches by his rescuers and celebrated every year thereafter on March 29 by eating a can of peaches.[2][6][7]

Professional wrestling career

Blears learned to wrestle at the YMCA, debuting in 1940 at the age of 17. He wrestled sporadically around the world during his wartime service in the merchant navy.[2]

In 1946, he relocated to New York City in the United States, where he shared an apartment on Amsterdam Avenue with fellow wrestlers Stu Hart and Sandor Kovacs.[8] Early in his United States career, Blears wrestled as "Jan Blears".[2]

In the early 1950s, Blears developed the villainous character of "Lord Blears", a snooty British aristocrat who wore a cape and monocle and carried a cane.[3][14][9][10] He was managed by the tuxedo-wearing Captain Leslie Holmes, a friend of Blears' from his schooldays who had also traveled to the United States.[11]

In the early 1950s, Blears relocated to California. In 1952, he formed a tag team with Lord Athol Layton. Managed by Holmes, in 1953, they won the NWA World Tag Team Championship (Chicago version) in the Chicago-based Fred Kohler Enterprises.[3] Blears also wrestled for Worldwide Wrestling Associates, where he held the WWA International Television Tag Team Championship eight times between 1954 and 1957, and for NWA San Francisco, where he held the NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) on two occasions in 1953 and 1954 with Layton[31] and the NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) four times between 1955 and 1957.[3][12]

In 1957, Blears wrestled in Australia, unsuccessfully challenging Lou Thesz for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on several occasions.

In the late 1950s, Blears relocated to Hawaii[13] after developing a fondness for the state during a tour, where he built his career in the Honolulu-based promotion 50th State Big Time Wrestling. Blears had a single reign as NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Champion, defeating King Curtis Iaukea on October 25, 1961. He lost the championship to the Masked Executioner on December 13, 1961. Blears also held the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship numerous times between 1955 and 1964.[3]

At the invitation of Rikidōzan, Blears began wrestling in Japan in the 1950s. After the death of Rikidōzan in 1963, Giant Baba – the owner of All Japan Pro Wrestling – asked him to identify foreign wrestlers to perform for AJPW. Blears arranged for wrestlers such as Davey Boy Smith, Don Leo Jonathan and Dynamite Kid to tour Japan.[2] From 1973 to 2001, Blears made appearances with AJPW as an on-screen authority figure under the title of chairman of the Pacific Wrestling Federation.[37]

Blears stopped wrestling full-time in 1965,[2] transitioning to a commentator for the Hawaiian Championship Wrestling broadcast and the booker for the promotion.[14][15]

In the 1980s, Blears provided commentary for the American Wrestling Association's broadcasts on ESPN.[2] At the AWA supercard "Super Sunday" on April 24, 1983, Blears served as guest referee for a high-profile title bout between Hulk Hogan and AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel that saw Bockwinkel retain via a Dusty finish.[9]

Acting career

Blears made his first acting appearance in 1950, playing a dramatized version of himself in an episode of The Buster Keaton Show.

In 1966, Blears appeared in the surfing documentary The Endless Summer, playing himself.[16] He played himself once more in the 1974 professional wrestling documentary The Wrestler.[17] In 1987, he appeared in the surfing movie North Shore.

Blears appeared in an episode of Hawaii Five-O in 1977 and in episodes of Magnum, P.I. filmed in Hawaii in 1982 and 1983.[18]

Personal life

Blears was born in Tyldesley, Lancashire in the United Kingdom, but moved to the United States in the mid-1940s and ultimately successfully applied for United States citizenship.[10][19]

While living in Chicago, Blears met Leonora "Lee" Adelaina (died 2007[2]), who he would ultimately marry.[14][20] The couple had four children: two sons, James Jr. ("Jimmy") (1948–2011) and Clinton, and two daughters, Laura (born 1951) and Carol. All four rose to prominence as professional surfers.[21][22][23][54]

Blears legally changed his name to "Lord Blears".[24]

Blears was an avid fan of surfing.[23][25] He served as commentator and master of ceremonies for many surfing events in Hawaii, earning him the title, "the voice of Hawaiian surfing".[26][27][28]

Death

Blears' wife Lenora predeceased him in 2007.[29] His eldest child, Jimmy, died in 2011. Blears spent the final years of his life in a nursing home in Honolulu.[2][30]

Blears died on March 3, 2016 in the Kuakini Medical Center in Honolulu at the age of 92.[26][31][32]

Filmography

Film

Year Title RoleNotes
1966The Endless SummerHimself
1974The WrestlerHimself
1987North ShoreContest director

Television

Year Title RoleNotes
1950The Buster Keaton ShowHimselfEpisode: "Buster in Training"
1977Hawaii Five-OArfie LoudermilkEpisode: "You Don't See Many Pirates These Days"
1982Magnum, P.I.Ring announcerEpisode: "Mr. White Death"
1983Magnum, P.I.BartenderEpisode: "Squeeze Play "

Championships and accomplishments

  • 50th State Big Time Wrestling
    • NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[3]
    • NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (9 times) – with Gene Kiniski (1 time), Joe Blanchard (2 times), Jerry Gordet (1 time), Herb Freeman (1 time), and Neff Maiava (4 times)[3]
  • Fred Kohler Enterprises
    • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Chicago version) (1 time) – with Lord Athol Layton[3]
  • NWA San Francisco
    • NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (2 times) – with Lord Athol Layton[3][33]
    • NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (4 times) – with Gene Kiniski (3 times)[34] and Ben Sharpe (1 time)
  • Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
    • Class of 2019
  • Worldwide Wrestling Associates
    • WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (8 times) – with Lord Athol Layton (2 times), Joe Pazandak (1 time), Sandor Kovacs (1 time), Lord Leslie Carlton (2 times), Henry Lenz (1 time), and Nick Bockwinkel (1 time)

References

1. ^1 {{cite book|author=John Grasso|title=Historical Dictionary of Wrestling|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KUsJAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA343|date=6 March 2014|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-7926-3|pages=343}}
2. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 {{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2010/05/02/13796521.html|publisher=Quebecor Media|work=Canoe.ca|title=Lord James Blears dies|author=Oliver, Greg|date=March 2016|accessdate=March 18, 2016}}
3. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 {{cite book|author=Harris M. Lentz III|title=Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, 2nd ed.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JyiSCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA41|date=1 January 2003|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-1754-4|pages=41}}
4. ^1 {{citation |title=Lord James Blears |page=54 |newspaper=The Times |date=2 May 2016 |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lord-james-blears-tp8g0lt6j}}
5. ^1 {{cite web|url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2001/03/29/features/story1.html|publisher=Black Press|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|title=A meal of peaches serves as a reminder of life's sweetness|author=Berger, John|date=March 29, 2001|accessdate=March 21, 2016}}
6. ^1 {{cite book|author=Bernard Edwards|title=Blood and Bushido: Japanese Atrocities at Sea 1941-1945|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YUGxAAAAIAAJ|year=1997|publisher=Brick Tower Press|isbn=978-1-883283-18-6|pages=181}}
7. ^{{cite book|author=Raymond Lamont-Brown|title=Ships from Hell: Japanese War Crimes on the High Seas in World War II|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u687AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT75|date=31 March 2013|publisher=History Press|isbn=978-0-7524-9483-8|pages=75}}
8. ^1 {{cite book|author=Heath McCoy|title=Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling, Revised Edition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i_dGLlfvGJkC&pg=PT48|date=1 October 2007|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55490-299-6|pages=48}}
9. ^1 {{cite book|author=George Schire|title=Minnesota's Golden Age of Wrestling: From Verne Gagne to the Road Warriors|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r8PjMDAUwSAC&pg=PA96|year=2010|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|isbn=978-0-87351-620-4|pages=96, 139}}
10. ^{{cite book|title=Fortnight: The Newsmagazine of California|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ukc7AQAAIAAJ|year=1951|publisher=O.D. Keep|pages=44}}
11. ^{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-22/sports/sp-2414_1_wrestlers|publisher=Tribune Publishing|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Only in this group could Lord Blears be a guest of honor|author=Ostler, Scott|date=August 22, 1985|accessdate=March 21, 2016}}
12. ^{{cite book|author1=Greg Oliver|author2=Steven Johnson|title=The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H-6DoPuiRkEC&pg=PA73|year=2007|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55490-284-2|pages=73}}
13. ^{{cite book|author=Kristian Pope|title=Tuff Stuff Professional Wrestling Field Guide: Legend and Lore|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jcRlZN7dIP0C&pg=PA46|date=14 August 2005|publisher=Krause Publications|isbn=1-4402-2810-8|pages=46}}
14. ^{{cite book|author1=Bill Watts|author2=Scott Williams|title=The Cowboy and the Cross: The Bill Watts Story: Rebellion, Wrestling and Redemption|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AOTLLXwEBXkC&pg=PA86|date=January 2006|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55022-708-6|pages=86}}
15. ^{{cite book|author=Brian Solomon|title=Pro Wrestling FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the World's Most Entertaining Spectacle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A5DqCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT92|date=1 April 2015|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=978-1-61713-627-6|pages=92}}
16. ^{{cite book|author=Terry Rowan|title=Bikini, Surfing & Beach Party Movies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uTqyCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA36|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1-312-12047-1|pages=36}}
17. ^{{cite book|author=Bowker|title=Variety's Film Reviews: 1971-1974|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=62xZAAAAMAAJ|year=1983|publisher=Rr Bowker Llc|isbn=978-0-8352-2793-3}}
18. ^{{cite book|author=Karen Rhodes|title=Booking Hawaii Five-O: An Episode Guide and Critical History of the 1968-1980 Television Detective Series|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wC4bAQAAIAAJ|date=1 January 1997|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-0171-0}}
19. ^{{cite book|author=Jerome T. Hagen|title=War in the Pacific|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tHvzAAAAMAAJ|date=1 January 1996|publisher=Hawaii Pacific University|isbn=978-0-9653927-0-9|pages=120}}
20. ^{{cite book|author=Bruce Boal|title=The Surfing Yearbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WPOF9Z51oGkC&pg=PA180|date=1 May 2009|publisher=Gibbs Smith|isbn=978-1-4236-0558-4|pages=180}}
21. ^1 2 {{cite book|author=Chad Dell|title=The Revenge of Hatpin Mary: Women, Professional Wrestling and Fan Culture in the 1950s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ml4HaM-c748C&pg=PA62|year=2006|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=978-0-8204-7270-6|pages=62}}
22. ^{{cite book|author=Stuart Holmes Coleman|title=Fierce Heart: The Story of Makaha and the Soul of Hawaiian Surfing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=erkTSFYCnakC&pg=PT81|date=28 April 2009|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-1-4299-3770-2|pages=81}}
23. ^1 {{cite book|author=William Finnegan|title=Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0fjWCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT31|date=6 August 2015|publisher=Little, Brown Book Group|isbn=978-1-4721-5140-7|pages=31–32}}
24. ^{{cite book|author=Adrian Room|title=Naming Names: Stories of Pseudonyms and Name Changes, with a Who's Who|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=55IsAAAAYAAJ|year=1981|publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul|isbn=978-0-7100-0920-3|pages=55}}
25. ^1 {{cite book|author=Ben Marcus|title=365 Surfboards: The Coolest, Raddest, Most Innovative Boards from Around the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qFL0AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA88|date=15 November 2013|publisher=MBI Publishing Company|isbn=978-1-61058-855-3|pages=88}}
26. ^1 2 3 4 {{cite web|url=http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/legendary-surfer-wrestler-and-surf-commentator-passes-at-92-lord-james-blears-1924-2016_136512/|work=Surfline|author=George, Sam|title=Lord James Blears: 1924-2016|date=March 8, 2016|accessdate=March 18, 2016}}
27. ^{{cite book|author=Gerry Lopez|title=Surf Is Where You Find It|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D_tECQAAQBAJ&pg=PT68|date=17 April 2015|publisher=Patagonia|isbn=978-1-938340-25-3|pages=68}}
28. ^{{cite book|author=Dan Cisco|title=Hawai'i Sports: History, Facts, and Statistics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s4QWvle-CR8C&pg=PA296|year=1999|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=978-0-8248-2121-0|pages=296}}
29. ^1 2 {{cite web|url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Dec/02/ln/hawaii712020368.html|publisher=Black Press|work=The Honolulu Advertiser|title=Obituaries|date=December 2, 2007|accessdate=March 18, 2016}}
30. ^{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2006/05/04/1564717.html|author=Oliver, Greg|title=Sam Steamboat was a Hawaiian legend|publisher=Quebecor Media|work=Canoe.ca|date=May 4, 2006|accessdate=March 19, 2016}}
31. ^1 {{cite journal|last=Meltzer|first=Dave|authorlink=Dave Meltzer|date=March 14, 2016|title=March 14, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Diaz defeats McGregor, Hayabusa passes away|journal=Wrestling Observer Newsletter|location=Campbell, California|issn=1083-9593|pages=20–25}}
32. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31410095/legendary-hawaiian-pro-wrestler-announcer-dies-at-92|publisher=Hawaii News Now|title=Legendary Hawaiian pro wrestler, announcer dies at 92|date=March 8, 2016|accessdate=March 19, 2016}}
33. ^1 {{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/n/nwa/sf-pc-t.html|publisher=Solie.org|title=NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Title [San Francisco]|accessdate=March 28, 2016}}
34. ^{{cite book|author=Harris M. Lentz III|title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2010|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UX_GCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA229|date=9 May 2011|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-8649-6|pages=229}}

External links

{{Portal|Professional wrestling}}
  • {{IMDb name|0088060|Lord James Blears}}
{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Buffalo Athletic Club version)}}{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Chicago version)}}{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (San Francisco version)}}{{authority control}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Blears, Lord James}}

22 : 1923 births|2016 deaths|20th-century American male actors|20th-century English male actors|50th State Big Time Wrestling|American male professional wrestlers|American surfers|British Merchant Navy personnel of World War II|British surfers|English emigrants to the United States|English expatriates in the United States|English male professional wrestlers|English male swimmers|Male actors from Greater Manchester|People from Honolulu|People from Tyldesley|Professional wrestlers from Hawaii|Professional wrestling announcers|Professional wrestling executives|Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum|Sportspeople from Greater Manchester|Surfing in Hawaii
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