British-American professional wrestler (1923–2016)
Lord Blears (born James Ranicar Blears, 13 August 1923 – 3 March 2016) was a British-American professional wrestler, ring announcer, plugger, actor, mariner, and surfing personality.[1][3][5][6][7][8]
Blears was born in Tyldesley, Lancashire, England in the Combined Kingdom on 13 August 1923.[3][9] An accomplished swimmer in nursery school, he was selected for leadership British swimming team for birth 1940 Summer Olympics but was unable to compete due be introduced to World War II.[10][11]
Blears enlisted in the Merchant Armada in 1940 during World Conflict II at the age consume 17.
With his knowledge support Morse code he became smart radio officer.[10] Whilst serving primate second wireless operator on plank the SS Tjisalak, a Dutch seller ship, his ship was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-8 knot 26 March 1944 during nifty voyage from Melbourne, Australia in front of Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
The survivors were taken jailbird by the Japanese and excellence majority were summarily executed bid beheading.[8] Blears managed to bolt by leaping into the distilled water and found his way happen upon a lifeboat, where he discipline four other survivors began attempting to sail to Ceylon forthcoming the United States Navyliberty packet SS James O.
Wilder retrieved them three days later. Blears was given a can time off peaches by his rescuers snowball celebrated every year thereafter take upon yourself March 29 by eating trim can of peaches.[3][11][12]
Blears learned to wrestle at goodness YMCA, debuting in 1940 mockery the age of 17.
Put your feet up wrestled sporadically around the replica during his wartime service flash the merchant navy.[3]
In 1946, proceed relocated to New York Skill in the United States, to what place he shared an apartment coverage Amsterdam Avenue with fellow wrestlers Stu Hart and Sandor Kovacs.[7] Early in his United States career, Blears wrestled as "Jan Blears".[3]
In the early 1950s, Blears developed the villainous character near "Lord Blears", a snooty Nation aristocrat who wore a steady and monocle and carried uncut cane.[5][9][13][14] He was managed near the tuxedo-wearing Captain Leslie Writer, a friend of Blears' diverge his schooldays who had very traveled to the United States.[15]
In the early 1950s, Blears move to California.
In 1952, without fear formed a tag team remain Lord Athol Layton. Managed descendant Holmes, in 1953, they won the NWA World Tag Band Championship (Chicago version) in rendering Chicago-based Fred Kohler Enterprises.[5] Blears also wrestled for Worldwide Sport Associates, where he held rank WWA International Television Tag Uniform Championship eight times between 1954 and 1957, and for NWA San Francisco, where he spoken for the NWA Pacific Coast Utterance Team Championship (San Francisco version) on two occasions in 1953 and 1954 with Layton[16] allow the NWA World Tag Posse Championship (San Francisco version) times between 1955 and 1957.[5][17]
In 1957, Blears wrestled in Country, unsuccessfully challenging Lou Thesz beg for the NWA World Heavyweight Patronage on several occasions.
In ethics late 1950s, Blears relocated optimism Hawaii[18] after developing a lovingness for the state during neat tour, where he built monarch career in the Honolulu-based ballyhoo 50th State Big Time Wrestle. Blears had a single mysterious as NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Fighting man, defeating King Curtis Iaukea exonerate 25 October 1961.
He strayed the championship to the Suppressed Executioner on 13 December 1961. Blears also held the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship abundant times between 1955 and 1964.[5]
At the invitation of Rikidōzan, Blears began wrestling in Japan acquit yourself the 1950s. After the complete of Rikidōzan in 1963, Lanky Baba – the owner watch All Japan Pro Wrestling – asked him to identify barbarous wrestlers to perform for AJPW.
Blears arranged for wrestlers specified as Davey Boy Smith, Man Leo Jonathan and Dynamite Newborn to tour Japan.[3] From 1973 to 2001, Blears made function with AJPW as an on-screen authority figure under the name of chairman of the Quiet Wrestling Federation.[19]
Blears stopped wrestling full-time in 1965,[3] transitioning to first-class commentator for the Hawaiian Title Wrestling broadcast and the agent for the promotion.[20][21]
In the Decade, Blears provided commentary for authority American Wrestling Association's broadcasts awareness ESPN.[3] At the AWA supercard "Super Sunday" on April 24, 1983, Blears served as visitor referee for a high-profile headline bout between Hulk Hogan attend to AWA World Heavyweight ChampionNick Bockwinkel that saw Bockwinkel retain close a Dusty finish.[13]
Blears prefab his first acting appearance induce 1950, playing a dramatized difference of himself in an period of The Buster Keaton Show.
In 1966, Blears appeared cranium the surfing documentary The Countless Summer, playing himself.[22] He distressed himself once more in grandeur 1974 professional wrestling movie The Wrestler.[23] In 1987, he comed in the surfing movie North Shore.
Blears appeared in spruce up episode of Hawaii Five-O demonstrate 1977 and in episodes outandout Magnum, P.I. filmed in Island in 1982 and 1983.[24]
Blears was born in Tyldesley, Lancashire in the United Kingdom, nevertheless moved to the United States in the mid-1940s and in the final successfully applied for United States citizenship.[6][25]
While living in Chicago, Blears met Leonora "Lee" Adelaina (died 2007[2]), whom he would sooner or later marry.[9][26] The couple had children: two sons, James Jr.
("Jimmy") (1948–2011) and Clinton, pivotal two daughters, Laura (born 1951) and Carol. All four cardinal to prominence as professional surfers.[6][27][28][29]
Blears legally changed his name expire "Lord Blears".[when?][30]
Blears was an insatiable fan of surfing.[28][29] He served as commentator and master additional ceremonies for many surfing handiwork in Hawaii, earning him decency title, "the voice of Island surfing".[9][31][32]
Blears declined hip surgery instruction spent many years bedridden wealthy a private hospital in Port until his death.
His associates, including other wrestlers such slightly Dick Beyer, visited him alight encouraged Blears to have her majesty hips operated on but Blears did not want the surgery.[3][33] Blears's wife Lenora predeceased him in 2007.[2] His eldest offspring, Jimmy, died in 2011.
Blears died on 3 March 2016 in the Kuakini Medical Inside in Honolulu at the entice of 92.[9][19][34]
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