Gene LeBell
American professional wrestler and judoka
吉恩·勒貝爾 · イヴァン・ジン・ラベール
- Born
- 9 October 1932, Los Angeles
- Died
- 9 August 2022, Sherman Oaks
- Citizenship
- United States
- Sport
- judo
- Occupation
- judoka, professional wrestler, stunt performer
Ivan Gene LeBell (October 9, 1932 – August 9, 2022) was an American actor, judoka, stuntman and professional wrestler. Nicknamed "Judo Gene" and "The Godfather of Grappling", he is credited with popularizing grappling in professional fighting circles, serving as a precursor to modern mixed martial arts. He worked on over 1,000 films and TV shows and authored 12 books.
Films
| Film | Year | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Every Which Way but Loose | 1978 | cast |
| Raging Bull | 1980 | cast |
Students
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q5531312 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.