73
James Blears, a legendary wrestling champion, local promoter and World War II survivor who was nearly killed by his Japanese captors, has died.
Blears died of natural causes Thursday night at Kuakini Medical Center, his son Clinton Blears said. He was 92.
“He lived a good life,” Clinton Blears said. “He always told jokes. He gave us the gift of being able to tell stories because he was a story- and a joke teller.”
Blears, a professional wrestler known as Lord “Tally-Ho” Blears, told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in 2001 that he would eat a can of peaches every March 29 in homage to his fellow captives who perished and to remind himself of the preciousness of life and resilience. He said he ate peaches because it was the first food sailors gave him after they plucked him from the Indian Ocean, following his escape from his Japanese captors in 1944.
Blears was a 21-year-old radio officer on a Dutch merchant ship that had been sunk by a Japanese submarine near the end of World War II. The Japanese brought aboard the survivors and were shooting or decapitating many on the foredeck. Blears said he escaped by kicking a Japanese officer and pulling his hand out of a rope, then jumping overboard.
In Hawaii, Blears was an announcer for multiple sporting competitions including the Waikiki Rough Water Swim and the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau big-wave surf contest. He was also a skilled waterman, surfer and canoe paddler. He is the father of former professional surfer Laura Blears.
Services have not been set.
I remember him wrestling at the San Francisco Cow Palace.
I will always remember him talking to Johnny Barend on the black and white
TV.
Lord “Tally-Ho” Blears put up with a lot of crap on that local wrestling show.
LOL!
Yeah, what a great guy and showman he was. We’d stand in line to get in the studio on Saturday to sit in the audience. Once the show started, he’d come out in between matches to talk with us. I remember when the Handsome One “stayed in a cardboard box” for weeks with Lord Blears doing some of the interviews, and one time Barend came out barking like a dog. I went to school with Laura, and her dad was just as cool in person as he was on TV.
Does anyone remember when Laura Blears appeared in Playboy? Had to be in the ’70s.
And who could forget Ed Francis interviewing “The Missing Link” (“Ohh, yeeaaahhhhhh!”)? How about Ripper Collins (everyone hated that guy)? I remember him talking about wrestling in “High-Low” (Hilo). And Johnny Barand always smoking a cigar and wearing his shades when he was interviewed. Those were the days!
He will be missed. Loved his little kick he did in the ring. He was one of the best. RIP Lord.
He looked better on B&W tvs.
I’ll always remember those late-night, black-and-white TV broadcasts of 50th State All Star Wrestling, with Lord ‘Tallyho’ Blears doing the the locker room interviews and in-ring announcements/introductions. Hawaii was a better place because of him. He’s no doubt still conducting those interviews, doing the announcements and introductions, and surfing in that better place. RIP Lord Blears, you’ll be missed….
He appeared in the Endless Summer original movie. Blears and Gentleman Ed Francis, were part of wrestling’s golden era. Not the pay per view cr*p you see now. RIP.