Career
Competing in the heavyweight division, LeBell won the AAU National Judo Championships (both heavyweight and overall) both in 1954 and 1955. On December 2, 1963 in Salt Lake City, Utah, LeBell participated in a match with former top ranked middleweight boxer Milo Savage in a special challenge match. The bout came about after a writer named Jim Beck made a challenge to any judoka that if they could defeat a boxer he would award them $1000 of his own money.
The match was set for five three-minute rounds. The rules allowed Savage to use any type of punch, while LeBell could use any judo or karate techniques except kicks. Savage was allowed to wear a pair of special speed bag gloves. The fight lasted four rounds until LeBell executed a left sided harai goshi on Savage before landing on his opponent and then choking him out. Within seconds Savage was unconscious and LeBell was declared the winner. With the hometown favorite Savage having lost, the crowd began to throw bottles, other debris and chairs into the ring. To prevent a full blown riot hometown hero and rated professional boxer Jay Fullmer (brother of boxers Gene Fullmer and Don Fullmer) entered the ring to congratulate LeBell.
Following his combat sports career, LeBell, along with his brother Mike, ran the National Wrestling Alliance's Los Angeles territory, NWA Hollywood Wrestling from 1968 to 1982.
In June 1976, LeBell refereed the infamous boxing-versus-wrestling contest between Muhammad Ali and Antonio Inoki in Tokyo, Japan. LeBell was selected over 200 other applicants to referee that bout.
Along with the awards he has received for his feats in Judo and grappling, he received the 2005 Frank Gotch Award to celebrate the positive recognition he has brought to the sport of wrestling. The award was presented by the Cauliflower Alley Club. On March 18, 1995 he was awarded the Cauliflower Alley Club's "Iron Mike Mazurki" award; awarded by one of his teachers, professional wrestling champion Lou Thesz.
In his final fight, LeBell lost a boxing match to the infamous Jon North but not before LeBell's sidekick Andy Blevins knocked North out with one boxing glove. He also has a wrestling technique named after him, Daniel Bryan's (wrestler) finishing move, the LeBell Lock (which was later renamed to the NO! lock).
Read more about this topic: Gene Le Bell
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