Gene LeBell

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Gene LeBell was born in Los Angeles, California. He started training in catch wrestling and boxing from early childhood, influenced by his mother, "Red Head" Aileen Eaton, a promoter who owned the Olympic Auditorium and was the first woman inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. LeBell took up catch wrestling under Ed "Strangler" Lewis at age 7, later moved to train in judo, and after getting his black belt went to Japan to train at the Kodokan. Returning to the U.S., he competed as a heavyweight and in 1954 and 1955, while only 22, captured both the heavyweight and overall Amateur Athletic Union National Judo Championships. His first match was against John Osako, one of the highest ranked judokas nationally, and LeBell earned an upset win via osaekomi. He then transitioned to professional wrestling, eventually adopting the role as "policeman" for the promotion and also wrestling under a black mask as The Hangman, teaming with Roy Staggs. In 1963, LeBell accepted a challenge from boxer and writer Jim Beck, who claimed a boxer could defeat any martial artist and offered $1000. Encouraged by Ed Parker, LeBell traveled to Salt Lake City and learned his opponent would be journeyman boxer Milo Savage. Stipulations allowed Savage any punch while LeBell could not kick or tackle below the waist; Savage wore a karategi instead of a judogi. LeBell alleged Savage's gloves contained brass knuckles and his gi was greased with vaseline. The match took place December 2, 1963. After a cautious start, LeBell took Savage down, got mount, and in the fourth round executed a left harai goshi followed by a rear naked choke, rendering Savage unconscious. The crowd reacted violently, throwing bottles and chairs; hometown boxer Jay Fullmer entered the ring to congratulate LeBell. LeBell claimed he helped revive Savage using kappo, but Dewey Lewes Falcone's round-by-round recap for Black Belt magazine made no mention of these events, and Black Belt noted LeBell was known to fabricate stories.

Reader's Guide

After his combat sports career, LeBell and his brother Mike ran NWA Hollywood Wrestling from 1968 to 1982. In June 1976, he refereed the boxing-versus-wrestling contest between Muhammad Ali and Antonio Inoki in Tokyo, selected from over 200 applicants. He wrestled his final match on August 29, 1981, against Peter Maivia for NWA Hollywood Wrestling. LeBell opened two martial art schools and touted his 1963 match with Milo Savage as the first televised MMA fight in America. In 1994, he counted Benny Urquidez and the Machado brothers among his training partners. According to Royce Gracie, LeBell was invited to compete in the UFC in early 1995 but declined at age 63, instead suggesting a match against Hélio Gracie; nothing came of it. LeBell received the Frank Gotch Award in 2005 from the Cauliflower Alley Club, and on March 18, 1995, the Club presented him with the "Iron Mike Mazurki" award, presented by Lou Thesz. In 2000, the USJJF promoted him to 9th dan in jujitsu and taihojutsu; on August 7, 2004, the World Martial Arts Masters Association promoted him to 10th degree; in February 2005, the USJJF made him 9th dan in judo. LeBell worked on over 1,000 films, TV shows and commercials as a stuntman or actor. He appeared in three Elvis Presley movies as a minor character who starts a fight with Presley's character. He worked on the set of The Green Hornet and developed a friendship with Bruce Lee, though no one else has corroborated LeBell's story about exchanging ideas. He guest-starred on a 1964 episode of The Munsters as professional wrestler "Tarzan McGirk." He appeared in the 1982 home video "The World of Martial Arts – Budojujitsu," introduced by Chuck Norris and narrated by John Saxon, playing a car thief and mugger. On March 23, 1991, LeBell was awarded the Honorary "Reel" Membership by the Ring of Friendship of the Cauliflower Alley Club. He has been reported as the inspiration for Cliff Booth in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, though Tarantino disputes this. While serving as stunt coordinator for Out for Justice, LeBell allegedly choked Steven Seagal unconscious after Seagal claimed he was immune to being choked; the popularity of this story led LeBell to be counted in 1992 as a potential additional member of Robert Wall's controversial "Dirty" group.

Did You Know?

• LeBell's mother, Aileen Eaton, was the first woman inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
• He began training in catch wrestling under Ed 'Strangler' Lewis at age 7.
• In 1954 and 1955, at age 22, he won both the heavyweight and overall Amateur Athletic Union National Judo Championships.
• He refereed the 1976 Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki match in Tokyo, selected from over 200 applicants.
• LeBell was promoted to 9th dan in judo by the USJJF in February 2005.

Early Life & Martial Arts Foundations

Ivan Gene LeBell came into the world on October 9, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, into a household already deeply embedded in combat sports. His mother, Aileen Eaton, known as "Red Head," was a promoter of both catch wrestling and boxing who owned the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles and became the first woman inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Under her direct influence, young Gene began training in catch wrestling and boxing from early childhood. At just seven years old, he started studying catch wrestling under Ed "Strangler" Lewis before eventually shifting his focus to judo. After earning his black belt, LeBell traveled to Japan to further his training at the Kodokan. This early immersion in multiple grappling disciplines, combined with the family's deep roots in the promotion world, laid the groundwork for a career that would span decades and touch nearly every corner of the combat sports landscape.

The Milo Savage Challenge, 1963

In 1963, boxer and writer Jim Beck issued a provocative public challenge to Japanese martial artists, claiming a boxer could beat any martial artist in a straight fight and offering a thousand dollars to anyone who could disprove him. Encouraged by Ed Parker, LeBell accepted. Upon arriving in Salt Lake City, however, he discovered his actual opponent would be journeyman boxer Milo Savage, not Beck himself. The stipulations were peculiar: Savage, at 39, could throw any punch while LeBell, at 31, was barred from kicking and from takedowns below the waist, apparently because the Savage camp mistook judo for karate. Savage was supposed to wear a judogi but showed up in a tighter karategi instead. LeBell alleged his gloves contained brass knuckles and his gi was greased with vaseline. On December 2, 1963, after several rounds of cautious exchanges, LeBell secured a rear naked choke in the fourth round, rendering Savage unconscious. The hometown crowd erupted in violence, throwing bottles and chairs into the ring, and LeBell claimed a man attempted to stab him on his way out. He and his team reportedly revived Savage using kappo, as neither the referee nor ring doctor knew how to resuscitate him.

Professional Wrestling & NWA Hollywood

After his competitive judo days, LeBell transitioned into professional wrestling, drawn by better financial prospects and the family's established presence in the industry. Despite his impressive pedigree, he did not immediately capture audiences' attention but gradually built recognition through his genuine martial arts background. He took on the role of a "policeman" figure in the promotion, maintaining order especially during matches involving his brother Mike LeBell, and also wrestled under a black mask as The Hangman alongside Roy Staggs. In 1954 and 1955, at just 22, he had captured both the heavyweight and overall Amateur Athletic Union National Judo Championships, with his first match being an upset osaekomi victory over the highly ranked John Osako. From 1968 to 1982, Gene and Mike co-ran the NWA's Los Angeles territory, NWA Hollywood Wrestling. In June 1976, LeBell was chosen from over 200 applicants to referee the Muhammad Ali versus Antonio Inoki bout in Tokyo. His final in-ring appearance came on August 29, 1981, when he faced Peter Maivia for NWA Hollywood Wrestling.

Legacy & The Godfather of Grappling

Nicknamed "Judo Gene" and "The Godfather of Grappling," LeBell is widely credited with popularizing grappling techniques within professional fighting and serving as a forerunner to modern mixed martial arts. He touted his 1963 bout with Milo Savage as the first televised MMA fight in America. Beyond the ring, his reach was enormous: he appeared in more than 1,000 films and television productions and authored 12 books. He opened two martial arts schools in partnership with others and continued training well into his later years. In 1994, his training partners included kickboxing champion Benny Urquidez and the Machado brothers, prominent Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners. According to fellow BJJ artist Royce Gracie, LeBell was even invited to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in early 1995, after Gracie himself stepped away from the tournaments. Ivan Gene LeBell passed away on August 9, 2022, leaving behind a legacy that bridged the gap between traditional martial arts and the hybrid combat sports that would define the next generation.

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