Jeff Smith, better known as Izzy Slapawitz, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator, best known for his time with International Championship Wrestling.
21 Facts About Izzy Slapawitz
1.
2.
Izzy Slapawitz had brief stints in Georgia Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, Maple Leaf Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation.
3.
Izzy Slapawitz became a wrestling fan in the late 1950s.
4.
Izzy Slapawitz eventually met Norvell Austin at a Southeastern Championship Wrestling.
5.
Izzy Slapawitz spent the next two years wrestling for "outlaw" promotions as "Pretty Smitty from New York City" in Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.
6.
Izzy Slapawitz was pelted with Coke cans and other items by unruly fans while paramedics loaded him into the ambulance.
7.
Izzy Slapawitz's introduction elicited some mild controversy at the time and that aspect of the character was quickly dropped.
8.
Izzy Slapawitz formed the first version of the Slapawitz Syndicate with Rip Rogers and The Japanese Wrecking Crew.
9.
One of the first targets of the Izzy Slapawitz Syndicate was Joey Rossi who was harassed by the group, and Smith in particular, for several weeks while the Culkins were running shows in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
10.
Izzy Slapawitz remained with the promotion until the Culkins rejoined Bill Watts at the end of 1979.
11.
Izzy Slapawitz carried a whistle which he used to annoy fans at ringside.
12.
Izzy Slapawitz quickly put the items back inside and returned backstage.
13.
Izzy Slapawitz threw a fireball to help his team win the tag team title.
14.
Izzy Slapawitz mentioned a letter from "his cousin overseas" and suddenly displayed a picture of Ayatollah Khomeini.
15.
Izzy Slapawitz mainly appeared in a "wrestling manager" role for Mulligan's shows in the Knoxville end of the territory and wrestled for the co-promotional shows with Crockett's side of the territory in Central Virginia area.
16.
Izzy Slapawitz's first GCW television appearance was a tag team match with Dave Forrester against George Wells and Steve O on the September 12th 1981 edition of Georgia Championship Wrestling.
17.
The local promoter had booked Smith to wrestle Doug Vines apparently unaware that "Izzy Slapawitz Slapowitz" was managing Vines in Knoxville.
18.
Izzy Slapawitz began scaling back his wrestling schedule during the mid-to-late 1980s.
19.
Izzy Slapawitz returned to New York and worked as an insurance salesman until the mid-2000s due to health problems.
20.
Izzy Slapawitz expressed concerns that younger wrestlers no longer had access to the unique training environment the NWA territory system provided to learn the craft of pro wrestling.
21.
Izzy Slapawitz revived his "Izzy Slapawitz" character for a series of YouTube videos between June 2011 and September 2012 discussing the debt ceiling crisis, free speech, right-to-work legislation, support for Israel, and US foreign policy in the Middle East.