Gene LeBell — The Toughest Man Alive
In a career spanning more than fifty years of high falls and fist fights, “Judo” Gene LeBell crashed cars, jumped motorcycles, wrestled bears, incited riots and fought some of the toughest men in the world. He was an AAU National Judo Champion and a professional wrestling World Heavyweight Champion at a time when wrestling was more about survival than show business. He was present during the golden years of martial arts growth in the United States and shares experiences with legends including Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley, Ed Parker, Bruce Lee, André the Giant, Lou Thesz, Hulk Hogan, George Reeves, Burt Reynolds and Chuck Norris.
The original recording of this interview is not currently available online. The record is published here so the interview remains part of the magazine’s documented archive; the audio will be restored to this page if the master is recovered.
This interview was conducted for Martial Arts Professional, the trade magazine the National Association of Professional Martial Artists has published since 1996, and appeared in the magazine’s interview series. It is republished here as part of the magazine’s archive. The original recording date is not stated in the surviving archive record.
