Adnan Bin Abdulkareem Ahmed Alkaissy El Farthie (born March 1, 1939), better known professionally as Adnan Al-Kaissie, is a former Iraqi professional wrestler and manager best known as Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissy, Billy White Wolf, or General Adnan. In 1971 he defeated Andre the Giant in Al-Shaab Stadium in Baghdad, under the auspices of his former friend at high school Saddam Hussein.^[2] He competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF).On December 7, 1976 he won the WWWF world Tag Team Championship with Jay Strongbow.^[3]

In 1981 he joined the American Wrestling Association (AWA), in 1990 he joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF formerly WWWF), where he managed Sgt. Slaughter under the name "General Adnan". He competed at SummerSlam 1991 with his partners Sgt. Slaughter and Col. Mustafa in a Handicap match with Sid Justice as special guest referee against Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior. .^[1]

Career[link]

Adnan Al-Kaissy was born Adnan Bin Abdulkareem Ahmed Al-kaissy El Farthie in Baghdad, Iraq. According to his autobiography, he came from a fairly distinguished family, with his father being an imam (Muslim preacher). One of his high school classmates was Saddam Hussein (again according to the autobiography). He had an amateur wrestling career in Iraq and attended Oklahoma State University; he began wrestling in the state of Oklahoma in 1959, under the name "Adnan Kaissey".

Kassey wrestled for Pacific Northwest Wrestling in the 1960s and in the World Wide Wrestling Federation in the 1970s under the Native American gimmick Billy White Wolf and won the World Tag Team Titles with Chief Jay Strongbow. Needing neck surgery, Kassey agreed to work an injury angle where he had his neck broken by Ken Patera via the Swinging Neckbreaker on TV. After he left the territory for his neck surgery, the 'Indians' were stripped of their titles. He wouldn't return until the early 90's, using his real name, as a manager.

During the 1970s, he took professional wrestling to Iraq under the direction of Saddam Hussein. In one such match, he defeated André the Giant in Baghdad and he defeated the Scottish Ian Campbell and the Canadian champion George Gordienko in Baghdad. In 1978, he wrestled in Hawaii and was the master of the "Indian Death Match" until his arch-rival, Tor Kamata, defeated him. Not long after, he returned briefly to Iraq with the intent of introducing pro wrestling. By this time, his old classmate Saddam was ruler of the country. By his own account, it was a difficult time, for although Kaissey was very popular and had some success introducing professional wrestling to Iraq, Hussein was already becoming paranoid about potential rivals, and he saw Kaissey in this light. Kaissey fled back to the US and never returned, though he kept contact with his family in Baghdad.

New Japan Pro Wrestling[link]

In 1974, Adnan debuted in New Japan Pro Wrestling as the Sheik of Sheiks of Baghdad, he teamed with Nikolai Volkoff and they tried to win the NWA North American Tag Team but they failed after losing the Best Two Out Of Three Falls match against Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Aichi, Jaban. later he feud with likes Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi and Kantaro Hoshino, Osamu Kido, Haruka Eigen. after he left NJPW adnan returned to the United States, where he wrestled in Eddie Graham's promotion Championship Wrestling from Florida CWF under his real name.

American Wrestling Association[link]

In 1981, with tensions between the US and Middle East running high, he debuted in the American Wrestling Association as "Sheik Adnan El Kaissey," where his stated goal was to win the AWA title from champion Nick Bockwinkel. He failed at that task, so he then enlisted Jerry Blackwell, now wearing a Sheik's outfit and renamed Sheik Ayatollah Jerry Blackwell, to team with him to try to win the AWA tag team titles. That failed, too, so Adnan bought Ken Patera from manager Bobby Heenan to team with Blackwell, and Adnan would act as Blackwell and Patera's manager. The team of Blackwell and Patera captured the AWA tag team titles from Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell. Adnan had to quit wrestling when he was injured, which is the real reason Patera was brought in to team with Blackwell, in 1982 at the AWA SuperSunday he teamed with blackwell in a tag team match against Vern Gagne and Mad Dog Vachon and they lost it, in 1986 at the AWA WrestleRock he lost to Vern Gagne in a steel cage, the sheik teamed with Boris Zuchov in tag team match against the The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels), he stayed in the AWA until the late 1990 as the top heel manager. Among the other wrestlers he managed after Blackwell and Patera were King Kong Brody, Nord The Barbarian, Boris Zuchov, Kokina, King Tonga, and The Mongolian Stomper.

Al-Kassie with Saddam Hussein in the early 1970s

World Wrestling Federation[link]

In the WWF in 1991, he allied with Sgt. Slaughter and the Iron Sheik as General Adnan and managed them during their pro-Iraqi gimmick in a feud with Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. During this feud, Slaughter won the WWF title from the Warrior at the 1991 Royal Rumble and lost it a couple of months later to Hogan at the 1991 WrestleMania. Adnan also headlined Summerslam 1991 with Slaughter and the Iron Sheik against Hogan and Warrior. According to some, he was brought in because, with a mustache, he bore a striking resemblance to Saddam Hussein. During the build up to the 1990 Survivor Series, the WWF showed what they claimed were "classified top secret photos released by the Pentagon/CIA" that featured General Adnan with Saddam Hussein, After Slaughter turned face, he Continued to manage Col. Mustafa until leaving the WWF shortly after Royal Rumble 1992.

American Wrestling Federation[link]

After WWF he the joined American Wrestling Federation (AWF) Where he managed "The Rat Pack" Bob Orton Jr, Mr. Hughes & Manny Fernandez

He formerly managed his own company, the World All-Star Wrestling Alliance, which he co-owned with Ken Patera.

On November 22, 2006, he appeared on Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes describing his encounters with a young Saddam Hussein.

He currently resides in Hopkins, Minnesota.

Autobiography[link]

On June 30, 2005 Triumph Books published his memoirs in The Sheik of Baghdad: Tales of Celebrity and Terror from Pro Wrestling's General Adnan.

In wrestling[link]

Finishing moves

• Indian deathlock
• Sleeper hold

Wrestlers managed^[1]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• NWA Mid-Pacific Promotions
  • NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Hawaii version) (1 time)^[4]
  • NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Peter Maivia^[5]

• Pacific Northwest Wrestling
  • NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[6]
  • NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Shag Thomas (1), Pepper Martin (1), Bearcat Wright (1), and Johnny War Eagle (1)^[7]

• Southwest Sports, Inc.
  • NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[8]
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version) (1 time) - with Hogan Wharton^[7]

• World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
  • IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[9]
  • IWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Mario Milano (1) and Tex McKenzie (1)^[10]

• World Wide Wrestling Federation
  • WWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jay Strongbow^[3]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him # 410 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

References[link]

Adnan (Arabic: عدنان‎) is the traditional ancestor of the Adnanite Arabs of northern, central and western Arabia, as opposed to the Qahtani of southern and south eastern Arabia who descend from Qahtan.

Origin[link]

Adnan is the father of the Adnanite Arabs who are the northern Adahoe tribes that occupied Hijaz, Yamama regions as well as most parts of northern Arabia.

Descent from Adnan to Muhammad[link]

According to Islamic tradition, the Islamic prophet Muhammad was descended from Adnan. Tradition records the genealogy from Adnan to Muhammad comprises 21 generations. "The following is the list of chiefs who are said to have ruled the Hejaz and to have been the patrilineal ancestors of Muhammad."^[1]

• 122 BC – Adnan (عدنان)
•   89 BC – Ma'add (معد)
•   56 BC – Nizar (نزار)
•   23 BC – Mudar (مضر)
•   10 AD – Elias (إلياس)
•   43 AD – Mudrikah (مدركة)
•   76 AD – Khuzaimah (خزيمة)
• 109 AD – Kinanah (كنانة)
• 142 AD – al-Nadr (النضر)
• 175 AD – Malik (مالك)
• 208 AD – Fihr (فهر)
• 241 AD – Ghalib (غالب)
• 274 AD – Luwaiy (لؤي)
• 307 AD – Ka'ab (كعب)
• 340 AD – Murrah (مرة)
• 373 AD – Kilab (كلاب)
• 406 AD – Qusai (قصي)
• 439 AD – Abd Manaf (عبد مناف)
• 472 AD – Hashim (هاشم)
• 505 AD – Abd al-Muttalib (عبد المطلب)
• 538 AD – Abd Allah (عبد الله)
• 570 AD – Muhammad (محمد)

See also[link]

• Ahl al-Bayt
• Family tree of Muhammad
• Family tree of Shaiba ibn Hashim
• Ancestry of Qusai ibn Kilab
• Banu Hashim
• Banu Quraysh
• Banu Kinanah
• Banu Mudhar

References[link]

The Iron Sheik
Ring name(s)	Ali Vasari[1] Col. Mustafa[1] Great Hossein Arab[1] The Iron Sheik[2]
Billed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2][1]
Billed weight	258 lb (117 kg)[1]
Born	(1943-03-15) March 15, 1943 (age 69)[1] Tehran, Iran[2][3]
Resides	Fayetteville, Georgia, USA[4]
Billed from	Tehran, Iran
Trained by	Verne Gagne[2] Billy Robinson
Debut	1972[1]

Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri (Persian:حسین خسرو علی وزیری) (born March 15, 1943)^[1] is a semi-retired Iranian professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name The Iron Sheik. He is known for ending the near six-year World Wrestling Federation Championship reign of Bob Backlund, and for being the man Hulk Hogan defeated for his first WWF Championship.

A heel throughout the 1980s, he later gained popularity on Opie and Anthony, Kidd Chris, The Howard Stern Show, and on the internet due to his shoot interviews and outbursts on the wrestling industry and the hatred he expressed for various wrestlers.

Early life and amateur wrestling[link]

Khosrow was born in Tehran, Iran. He made a name for himself as an amateur wrestler, and also worked as a bodyguard for Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his family for several years.^[3]

Khosrow competed to become part of the Iranian Olympic Greco Roman team for the 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico.^[3]

After this, he moved to the United States and became the assistant coach of two US Olympic squads in the 1970s. In 1971, he was the Amateur Athletic Union Greco-Roman wrestling champion at 183.5 pounds.^[5] He was assistant coach to the USA team for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

Pro wrestling career[link]

Beginnings (1972–1983)[link]

In 1972, Khosrow was invited into becoming a professional wrestler by promoter Verne Gagne. Khosrow trained at Gagne's wrestling camp under trainer Billy Robinson (in the same class as Ric Flair) and then wrestled for Gagne's American Wrestling Association. He also worked as a trainer, teaching Ricky Steamboat, Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell.^[6]

Khosrow first wrestled as a face in preliminary matches before a promoter suggested that he adopt a heel gimmick similar to that of the notorious Sheik.^[6]

Khosrow obliged and adopted what came to be his signature look: he shaved his head bald, grew a traditional "buffo" style mustache, added wrestling boots with the toe curled up (a nod to his ethnic background which, according to Khosrow, was an idea from Jimmy Snuka^{[citation needed]}). He also introduced the Persian clubs, a sport in his native Iran, and challenged wrestlers to do as many swings as him.^[7] His Iranian gimmick received attention due the events of the Iranian revolution.^[6]

Taking the name The Great Hossein Arab, he won his first title, the Canadian Tag Team Championship, with partner the Texas Outlaw.

He caught the eye of the WWF where he made his debut in 1979 and won the first-ever Battle Royal in Madison Square Garden, New York City. This earned him a title shot at then-champion Bob Backlund, who pinned him later that night in a 30-minute battle.^[8] He later feuded with Chief Jay Strongbow and Bruno Sammartino before leaving in 1980.^[9]

Khosrow would resurface as The Iron Sheik in the NWA territories. Playing on real-life political matters (notably the Iran hostage crisis) and the animosity Americans had for the country of Iran, he moved on to the Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic territories, capturing the Mid-Atlantic title from Jim Brunzell before moving to Georgia Championship Wrestling. There, he had notable matches with Dusty Rhodes, Dick Murdoch, and Tommy Rich, and traded the National TV title with Ron Garvin.^[10]

World Wrestling Federation (1983–1987, 1988)[link]

Sheik with Freddie Blassie and Nikolai Volkoff.

Khosrow would return to the WWF in 1983 as The Iron Sheik and challenged Backlund once again; he defeated him on December 26, 1983 at Madison Square Garden for the WWF World championship. Sheik had supposedly injured Backlund during a "Persian club challenge" prior to this title match.^[11]

During his brief title reign, The Iron Sheik wrestled against Backlund, Chief Jay Strongbow, Pat Patterson, and Tito Santana before dropping the belt just four weeks later to Hulk Hogan.^[12] He would then engage in a bitter feud with Sgt. Slaughter, to whom he would eventually lose a "Boot Camp Rules" match. As a tag team partner with Nikolai Volkoff, and under the management of "Classy" Freddie Blassie, the newly-dubbed "Foreign Legion" won the WWF World tag team title from the U.S. Express at the first WrestleMania.^[13] Part of the pair's regular entrance consisted of waving the Iranian and Russian flags, then demanding that the crowd be quiet and "show respect" while Volkoff sang a throaty version of the Soviet national anthem, a demand that was usually only attracted boos from the crowd. Sheik then usually grabbed the mic and said "Iran number 1, Russia number 1, USA (followed by a simulated spitting act). It was all designed to get major heat from the crowd. During his stint in the WWF, he appeared in the music video for Cyndi Lauper's "Goonies 'R' Good Enough" as a part of the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection.^[14]

In May 1987, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (an on-screen rival) and Khosrow were pulled over by New Jersey police after a WWF event, suspecting Duggan of DUI. After a search of the vehicle and the persons, police discovered that Duggan was under the influence of marijuana while the Sheik was high on cocaine. Small amounts of cocaine were also found in the vehicle. Duggan received a conditional release while the Sheik was placed on probation for a year. The mini-scandal that erupted after two in-ring enemies were found drinking and doing drugs together led to the end of the angle, the Sheik's release, and Duggan's temporary departure from the WWF.^{[1][6][15][16][17]} In 1988, The Iron Sheik returned to the WWF but the return was short-lived.^[18]

Other national promotions (1987–1990)[link]

In 1987, the Iron Sheik competed in Dallas' World Class Championship Wrestling where he feuded with Matt Borne over the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship.^[19] He stayed with that organization for only a few months, followed by brief stints with the AWA, where he attacked Sgt. Slaughter during a match, and Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council. In addition to reigniting his feud with Slaughter and teaming with Col. Debeers, his main opponent during this time period was Tony Atlas, who he feuded with in both WCCW and WWC.^[20]

In 1989, he had a stint in the National Wrestling Alliance, where he feuded with Sting over the NWA World Television Championship. He left in 1990.^[21]

Return to the WWF (1991–1992)[link]

He returned to the WWF again in 1991, making his re-debut on Wrestling Challenge as Colonel Mustafa, and was aligned with former enemy Sgt. Slaughter. Along with Iraqi, General Adnan, Slaughter and Mustafa were portrayed as Iraqi sympathizers during the first Gulf War and feuded with Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. Following Slaughter's face turn after SummerSlam 1991, he teamed with General Adnan until the middle of 1992, when he left the promotion again.^[22]

Return to the independent circuit (1993–1994)[link]

The Iron Sheik wrestled independently afterward, and went on a wrestling tour to Nigeria in 1994, promoted by Chris Adams and co-sponsored by Pepsi, and featuring former WWF stars Jimmy Snuka, Greg Valentine, Demolition Ax, and World Class wrestler/owner Kevin Von Erich.

The Sheik was the second champion of "Boston Bad Boy" Tony Rumble's Century Wrestling Alliance, originally winning the title from Tommy Dreamer in Burlington, Vermont on March 21, and dropping the championship to Vic Steamboat on October 23, 1993 in Wakefield, Massachusetts.

In 1994, the Sheik tried his hand at strong style professional wrestling in the UWFi in Japan. He lost by tap-out to Yoji Anjoh in about 5:30 (the in-ring action of the UWFi, though tailored to resemble an actual competitive bout, was in fact made up of predetermined outcomes).

Sporadic appearances (1996–present)[link]

In late 1996, the Sheik would team up with his old nemesis Bob Backlund to manage WWF wrestler The Sultan, who had a Middle Eastern gimmick, however he once again failed a drug test (he refers to this as a "medicine test" in various shoot videos) and was excluded from the federation.

On April 1, 2001, at WrestleMania X-Seven, the Iron Sheik was the victor of the Gimmick Battle Royal, a match between other popular or outlandish wrestlers from the 1980s and 1990s. Reportedly the Iron Sheik was chosen to be the winner because he was physically unable to take the "over the top rope" move that eliminated each competitor.^{[citation needed]} Rather than being booed for winning, the villainous Sheik was cheered as a fan favorite. He went on to wrestle in various independent promotions for several years afterwards and he still appears at independent events today.^[23]

In 2005, the Iron Sheik was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his old rival, Sgt. Slaughter.^[24] On the June 11, 2007 episode of Raw, he along with Jimmy Snuka appeared in a taped segment showing their appreciation of WWE owner Vince McMahon. On the June 18 episode of Raw, he approached McMahon's executive assistant Jonathan Coachman about having his own interview show on Raw. Coach replied saying, "I like the idea and I will really take some time to consider it."^[25] On August 13, he appeared on an episode of Raw held at Madison Square Garden for a WWE version of American Idol. Sheik came out with Nikolai Volkoff while Volkoff sang the Soviet anthem. The March 10, 2008 edition of Raw featured rematches from previous WrestleManias. Iron Sheik appeared with Nikolai Volkoff to face off against the U.S. Express in a rematch from the first WrestleMania. Before the bout could begin, they were interrupted by Jillian Hall, who came out to sing the Bruce Springsteen song "Born in the USA."

In 2004, his MWF Studio Shoot Interview DVD made him a star to a whole new generation of fans, talking about his hatred for Brian Blair, Hulk Hogan, Jake Roberts and others. The interview led to his appearing on the Howard Stern Show and has been viewed by over one million people online.

On October 2, 2009, on the 10th anniversary of Smackdown, he appeared backstage arguing with Sgt. Slaughter, choking on a shrimp, then helped by Hurricane Helms.

He made an appearance on WWE Monday Night Raw on November 16, 2009 in the opening of the show, with Rowdy Roddy Piper and Luis Guzmán, going nuts on Hulk Hogan and proving his dominance with a LJN WWF action figure of himself and Hulk Hogan.

The Iron Sheik's final match took place at MWF Soul Survivor VI April 24, 2010 in Melrose, Massachusetts, teaming with TNA star "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal to defeat "Stalker" Dylan Kage (with Paul Bearer) by making Kage submit to the camel clutch. The Sheik remains active in the MWF as a manager.

On the November 15, 2010, edition of Raw, as part of the Old School theme, Iron Sheik appeared with Nikolai Volkoff, singing the Soviet national anthem before being interrupted by Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov, the latter of whom then sung a duet with Volkoff of the Russian National anthem. He then proceeded to rant on Hulk Hogan until his microphone was cut off.

He recently underwent an ankle operation to repair his damaged left ankle, which is one of the many injuries he has sustained over his long professional and amateur wrestling career. The operation lasted 9 hours. In an interview, Khosrow stated that, although he found a big improvement, he felt like he had another 50 percent to fully recover, and he is currently doing training therapy to improve his walking skills.

Acting career[link]

The Iron Sheik made his film debut in The Tale of the 3 Mohammads in 2005. He then appeared alongside Daniel Baldwin and Corey Feldman in Operation Belvis Bash in 2011. Sheik also made an appearance on the Canadian show Kenny vs. Spenny on the "Who is a better pro wrestler?" episode where the Iron Sheik attempted to sodomize a naked Spenny with a beer bottle. He also appeared in Maz Jobrani's 2009 stand-up comedy special Brown & Friendly, and in the Cyndi Lauper movie "Goonies" with other wrestlers.

Personal life[link]

Iron Sheik was a former soldier in the Iranian Army.^[26] He married Caryl Peterson in 1974. They have three grown daughters as well as three grandchildren together. Vaziri's eldest daughter, Marissa Jeanne Vaziri, was found strangled to death in her apartment on May 5, 2003, at the age of 27. Marissa's live-in boyfriend, Charles Warren Reynolds, 38, confessed to the crime and was charged with murder.^[27]

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Camel clutch^[2][1][3]
  • Iranian Drop (Two-handed chokeslam)

• Signature moves
  • Boston crab, sometimes while rocking the opponent back and forth^[1]
  • Multiple suplex variations^[1]
    • Belly to back
    • Belly to belly
    • Gutwrench
  • Short-arm clothesline

• Managers
  • The Grand Wizard
  • Freddie Blassie
  • Jimmy Hart^[28]
  • Slick
  • Daryl Van Horne
  • General Adnan

• Entrance themes
  • "Shieka" by Jim Johnston (WWF 1983-1987-1988)

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• All-California Championship Wrestling
  • ACCW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[29]

• Century Wrestling Alliance
  • CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • NWA National Television Championship (1 time)

• International Association of Wrestling
  • IAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • IAW Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Brian Costello

• International Wrestling Association
  • IWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[29]

• Maple Leaf Wrestling
  • NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (2 times)

• Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• NWA All-Star Wrestling
  • NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with The Texas Outlaw

• National Wrestling Alliance
  • NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2008)

• NWA New Zealand
  • NWA New Zealand British Commonwealth Championship (1 time)

• NWA 2000
  • NWA 2000 American Heritage Championship (1 time)

• Pacific Northwest Wrestling
  • NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bull Ramos

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #134 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
  • PWI ranked him #96 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with the Nikolai Volkoff in 2003

• World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWF Championship (1 time)
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Nikolai Volkoff
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Most Underrated Wrestler (1980)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Flair, Ric & Greenberg, Keith Elliot. Ric Flair: To Be the Man. New York: Pocket Books, 2004.
• Meltzer, Dave. The Wrestling Observer's Who's Who in Pro Wrestling. Turlock: Pro Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 1986.
• Greatest Wrestling Stars of the 1980s, WWE Home Video, 2005.

External links[link]

Professional wrestling portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Iron Sheik

• Official website
• WWE Hall of Fame Profile of The Iron Sheik
• The Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster – The Iron Sheik
• Interview with Iron Sheik – Pars Times
• Iron Sheik still in the game
• The Iron Sheik

This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality. Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (February 2012)

Abdullah the Butcher
Shreve devastating Andy Ellison in 2004.
Ring name(s)	Abdullah the Butcher Madman from the Sudan[1] Saladin Pikens[1] Zeras Amala[1] Kuroi Jujutsushi[1]
Billed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1]
Billed weight	360 lb (160 kg)[1]
Born	(1941-01-11) January 11, 1941 (age 71)[1] Windsor, Ontario[1]
Resides	Atlanta, Georgia
Billed from	The Sudan[1]
Debut	1958[1]

Lawrence Robert "Larry" Shreve^[1] (born on January 11, 1941^[1]) best known as Abdullah the Butcher, and also at times The Madman from the Sudan, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler known as one of the most brutal or "hardcore" professional wrestlers of all-time.

The scars on his forehead are the result of frequent blading. According to Mick Foley, Shreve used to put gambling chips into the deep divots in his head to entertain (or scare) people at casinos. However, New Jack claimed in his RF Video shoot interview that the grooves in Shreve's head were surgically implemented.^[2]

An amateur martial artist, Shreve also has knowledge of judo and karate, often including this knowledge in his professional wrestling matches. This knowledge was mainly displayed by him using judo style throws, and karate chops.

Career[link]

Shreve grew up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada as part of a family of ten people in a deeply impoverished household.^[3] He learned karate and judo as a youth and, teaching fellow children in the backyard, claims to have eventually earned the title of seventh-degree grandmaster.^[3]

Standing 6 feet tall and weighing a robust 260 pounds, Shreve caught the attention of Montreal promoter Jack Britton,^[3] and he soon made his professional wrestling debut at age 17 in 1958. He initially competed in numerous independent territories north of the border under such various monikers as Pussycat Pickens, Kuroi Jujutsushi (The Black Wizard) and Zelis Amara. However, he ultimately created his legendary gimmick of an evil Arabian sadist; and in a match against Gino Brito^[3] (Jack Britton’s real-life son), Abdullah the Butcher first distinguished himself as one of the world’s most feared rule breakers when he broke a chair over Brito’s head and then beat him senseless with the leg.

Such acts of violence were only the beginning for the terrifying Abdullah the Butcher, whose menacing figure, excessive violence, and complete disregard for the safety of himself or his opponents quickly established his reputation for ruthless brutality. Abdullah’s matches almost always turned into bloodbaths, and he was infamous for stabbing his opponent’s wounds with his trademark fork (or any other foreign weapon that he could get his hands on). In addition to his hardcore style, Abdullah the Butcher was revolutionary with his habit of never staying in any one territory for too long, to avoid wearing out the novelty, and maintaining the notoriety, of his character. Constantly roaming from region to region, Abdullah propagated his reputation as the most violent wrestler in the world. Consequently, he was often brought into a territory as a hired gun to destroy a popular fan favorite, and his appearances usually sparked local interest.

Since his gimmick required that he speak no English (though it was in actuality his native tongue), he possessed an extraordinary number of managers over the course of his long career, including Gary Hart, Paul Jones, Eddie Creatchman, Black Baron, the Grand Wizard, J.J. Dillon, Damien Kane, Larry Sharpe, Oliver Humperdink, Buddy Colt, George Cannon, Bearcat Wright, Big Bad John, Gentleman Jim Holiday, and Rock Hunter, who were all portrayed as “handlers” commissioned to control the Sudanese madman, while also doing most of the talking in promos and interviews. He has, however, spoken for himself in promos while in Japan.

As a result of his frequent traveling, Abdullah the Butcher usually served as more of a special attraction than as a consistent championship contender. Accordingly, Abdullah never did win a World Heavyweight Championship, though he would capture a myriad of regional titles during his career. He won his first major championship on October 23, 1967 when he teamed with Dr. Jerry Graham to defeat John & Carlos Tolos for the NWA Canadian Tag Team Titles in Vancouver. A few years later, he ventured to the Montreal region, where he had three reigns as the IWA International Heavyweight Champion between 1969 and 1972, feuding against Ivan Koloff and Johnny Rougeau. He later served as one of the premier rule breakers in Calgary’s Stampede territory, capturing the NWA Canadian Championship, as well as having six North American Heavyweight Title reigns during the early 1970s. On June 24, 1972, he defeated Ernie Ladd in Akron, Ohio to capture his first of two NWF World Heavyweight Titles. During the mid-1970s, he frequently performed in Detroit, Michigan’s Big-Time Wrestling territory, where he engaged in a classic rivalry against local legend, The Sheik. He teamed with “Killer” Tim Brooks to win the region’s version of the NWA World Tag Team Titles before defeating Bobo Brazil on February 8, 1975 for the NWA United States Championship.

In addition to his successes in North America, Abdullah the Butcher would also become a true international superstar by performing in the Far East, Europe, the Caribbean, Australia, and Africa. On March 12, 1974, he traveled all the way to New Zealand, where he captured the prestigious British Empire Commonwealth Title by defeating the nation’s legendary champion John DaSilva. Abdullah would also establish himself as one of the premier attractions in Japan, where he competed as part of the round-robin tournament that ultimately crowned Giant Baba as All-Japan’s inaugural PWF Heavyweight Champion in February 1973. On October 18, 1978, Abdullah won that same prestigious PWF belt when he defeated European legend and former AWA champion Billy Robinson; and then on October 13, 1980, he also beat Jumbo Tsuruta to capture the NWA United National Heavyweight Title. His feud with Terry Funk is still considered one of the hottest feuds in Japan, and Funk claims to have had one of his top 3 all time greatest matches with Abdullah the Butcher.

He arrived in World Class Championship Wrestling in 1986, where he defeated The Great Kabuki for the Texas Brass Knuckles Title and waged war against the equally wild Bruiser Brody. However, perhaps Abby’s most memorable encounters occurred in Puerto Rico, where he was declared the very first WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion in July 1982 following three reigns as the Puerto Rican Champion between 1978-81. His violent battles against Carlos Colón and Hercules Ayala are legendary; and he long after remained one of the area’s top attractions, more recently defeating Carly Colón for his fifth Universal Title on January 3, 2004.

He was introduced in World Championship Wrestling in a giant, gift-wrapped box.^[4] This giant box was to be Sting's birthday gift from Cactus Jack.^[4] Sting unwrapped his gift and Abdullah attacked him, leading to both Abdullah and Cactus feuding with Sting after the incident. The feud culminated in a "Chamber of Horrors" match at Halloween Havoc 1991, in which Cactus accidentally electrocuted Abdullah in an electric chair, leading to a brief feud between the former allies.

In 1993, Abdullah arrived in ECW, where he participated in a storyline with Kevin Sullivan, Terry Funk and Stan Hansen, and wrestled at Ultra Clash and Bloodfest.

In late 2002, Abdullah made a one night appearance in Ring of Honor as Homicide's partner, facing the Carnage Crew in a bloody Bunkhouse Brawl at ROH's Night of the Butcher.

In 2007, the WWE and Jakks Pacific released an Abdullah The Butcher "WWE Classic Superstars" figure complete with the famous blade marks on top of his head. A DVD was also released named "The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Wrestling" which included a bloody cage match between Abdullah and his famous rival Bruiser Brody.

The 2007 WWC's Anniversary show was dedicated to Abdullah the Butcher's legacy and contributions to WWC. On December 13, 2008 Shreve wrestled against Balls Mahoney in Bayamon Puerto Rico during the annual event WWC Lockout.

Abdullah says "I will be active throughout my life in Japan." During July 2009, he wrestled in Dragon Gate and Hustle. He also wrestled at the New Japan Pro Wrestling supershow Wrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2010, as well as wrestling for Japanese independent promotion Osaka Pro Wrestling.

His entrance music in Japan is Pink Floyd's instrumental track "One of These Days" from their 1971 album Meddle.

Butcher at WrestleMania XXVII, as a Hall of Famer.

In 2009, Abdullah made an appearance at the Decatur Book Festival, facing off against author Michael Muhammad Knight, marking the first pro wrestling match ever held at a book festival. Abdullah pummeled Knight with chairs, forks, and a water cooler, not even stepping into the ring. Knight was taken from the festival in an ambulance and received 46 stitches. It was Right After Wrestling in March 2011, hosted by Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas, that Abdullah admitted his favorite wrestler to face was actually Lou Thesz^[5]

On April 2, 2011 Abdullah The Butcher was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in Atlanta. Subsequent to Abdullah's induction, 'Superstar' Billy Graham requested his name to be removed from the Hall, saying "It is a shameless organization to induct a bloodthirsty animal such as Abdullah The Butcher into their worthless and embarrassing Hall of Fame and I want the name of Superstar Billy Graham to be no part of it." ^[6] (Graham's outrage was due to the longstanding accusations that Abdullah was infecting wrestlers with Hepatitis C through sharing a blade and/or cutting wrestlers without their knowledge.)^[7] Abdullah responded, mentioning his previous friendship with Graham and questioning his outburst.^[8] Also in 2011, Abduallh returned to Georgia Championship Wrestling as a mentor/advisor to a local wrestler known as The Congo Warrior.

On January 2, 2012 Abdullah hinted that he would be retiring soon.^[9] The current plan is to do a 3/20 Abdullah the Butcher retirement show at Sumo Hall.^[9]

Legacy[link]

In addition to his hardcore style, his dietary habits have also become infamous in the wrestling world. He has been shown to eat announcers' ties, whole raw fish, he once even appeared to bite the head off a live chicken before a shocked crowd. Abdullah's appearances on the NWA's Georgia Championship Wrestling television broadcasts frequently highlighted his gustatory mayhem. While on camera he was shown eating reams of paper, cardboard boxes, the announcer's script, and even half of Gordon Solie's microphone. Prior to a match with local favorite Bob Armstrong he ate an entire live toad in front of Armstrong and his son as an act of intimidation. His unpredictable, ultra-violent style served as inspiration for other wrestlers, including “Maniac” Mark Lewin, Kevin Sullivan, Cactus Jack, Kamala, and Sabu, among others; and he still continues to compete on the independent circuit in a career that has now spanned five decades.

Abdullah has worked in nearly every major wrestling promotion in the world, with the exception of TNA and WWE.

Outside of wrestling, Shreve owns two restaurants (one in southwest Atlanta, the other in Japan) called "Abdullah the Butcher's House of Ribs and Chinese Food." Reviews of the Atlanta restaurant have been mixed. Most diners claim the Chinese portion of the menu is pretty scary, but that the ribs are better than average.^[10][11] Shreve is often on hand to meet fans and sign autographs. Shreve and his restaurant make a cameo appearance in the music video for the song "Damn!" by Atlanta recording artists Youngbloodz. Shreve's restaurant was also referenced in the 2006 Film "ATL" during a scene where the character Ant (played by Evan Ross) and two friends argue over a local barbecue.

WWE had been promoting Abdullah The Butcher more than ever since his Hall of Fame induction. He now has a profile and videos on their website and he is also featured on their "Best Steel Cage Matches" DVD.

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Bottom rope splash
  • Jumping headbutt
  • The Freight Train / The Butcher's Axe (Australia) (Running pointed elbow drop to the throat)^[1]

• Signature moves
  • Diving double foot stomp
  • Dropkick^[1]
  • Throat thrust^[1]

• Entrance themes
  • "One of These Days" by Pink Floyd (Japan)

• Managers

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• All Japan Pro Wrestling

• NWA International Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ray Candy^[15]
• NWA United National Championship (1 time)^[16]
• PWF United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[17]
• PWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[18]
• Champion's Carnival (1976, 1979)^[19][20]
• January 4th Korakuen Hall Heavyweight Battle Royal Winner (2008)^[21]

• Big Japan Pro Wrestling

• BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[22]

• Central States Wrestling

• NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Roger Kirby

• Georgia Championship Wrestling

• NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[23]
• NWA Georgia Television Championship (1 time)^[24]

• International Wrestling Association

• IWA International Heavyweight Championship (3 times)

• Lutte Internationale (Montreal)

• Canadian International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[25]

• Midwest Wrestling Federation

• MWWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[26]

• NWA All-Star Wrestling

• NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (2 times) - with Dr. Jerry Graham (1) and Armand Hussein (1)^[27]
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) - with Dr. Jerry Graham^[28]

• NWA Detroit

• NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version) (1 time)
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (1 time) - with Killer Tim Brooks

• NWA New Zealand

• NWA New Zealand British Commonwealth Championship (1 time)

• NWA Southwest

• NWA Texas Hardcore Championship (1 time)^[29]

• National Wrestling Federation

• NWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[30]
• NWF International Championship (1 time)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him # 54 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[31]

• Stampede Wrestling

• NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version) (1 time)^[32]
• Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (6 times)^[33]

• Tokyo Pro Wrestling

• TPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Benkei

• World Class Wrestling Association

• WCWA Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)

• World Wrestling Council

• WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[34]
• WWC Hardcore Championship (1 time)
• WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[35]
• WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[36]
• WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[37]
• WWC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[37]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)^[38]

• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2011)

In popular culture[link]

• He is a superstar in Japan, where he appeared in some TV commercials.
  • Suntory/Daikin Industries/Denon/Sapporo Ichiban
• He starred with Hiroyuki Sanada in the kung fu action film Roaring Fire.
• Frequently, characters in Japanese anime or manga will be designed to resemble him, often with his signature scars. Examples include "Abdullah" from Kinnikuman and Mr. Heart from Fist of the North Star.
• The character of Butcher in Tiger Mask 2 is inspired by him.
• He also appeared in the Acclaim video game Legends of Wrestling II and it's sequel Showdown: Legends of Wrestling as well as Spike's King of Colosseum.
• He appears in the 1997 Nintendo 64 game WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, renamed as Saladin.
• The character and final boss, Grand Kong, from the Genesis game Wrestle War, is based on him.

References[link]

External links[link]

Professional wrestling portal

• Abdullah the Butcher on Twitter
• WWE Hall of Fame Profile
• Public Broadcasting Atlanta News article on Shreve (includes video)
• Abdullah the Butcher BIO from SLAM! Wrestling
• TRIBUTE PAGES for Abdullah The Butcher

Scott Michael Norton^[2] (born June 15, 1961) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling.^[1]

Before wrestling[link]

Scott Norton started out as a professional arm wrestler.^[2] He won over 30 championships during his days as an arm wrestler, including four U.S. National championships.^[4] His status in the arm wrestling world earned him a role in Sylvester Stallone's arm wrestling movie, Over the Top.^[5] While touring the arm wrestling circuit in Japan, Norton was approached by New Japan Pro Wrestling about becoming a professional wrestler, but he turned it down initially.^[4] Norton also toured with Prince in 1983 as his bodyguard.^[6]

Professional wrestling career[link]

After finally deciding to go the pro wrestling route, Norton was trained to wrestle by former Olympic wrestler Brad Rheingans. Verne Gagne decided to debut Norton before he was totally finished with his training, putting him on TV as a regular performer for the American Wrestling Association in 1989.^[4] He sometimes teamed with John Nord as the "Yukon Lumberjacks".^[1] Norton soon earned the nickname "Flash" for his quick arm wrestling victories. By the end of 1989, Norton left the AWA and went to the Pacific Northwest territory to further his career. In PNW, he started out as a fan favorite lumberjack known as "Flapjack" Scott Norton, and would team up with John Nord once more to reprise their lumberjack characters from the AWA.^[1] Norton became a heel in 1990 and broke away from Nord to become a singles competitor. He won the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship from Brian Adams on May 12, 1990,^[7] but was stripped of the title two weeks later after attacking several wrestlers.^[7]

New Japan Pro Wrestling[link]

In 1990, Norton signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Upon debuting for the promotion, Norton alternated between tag team and mid-card singles matches. Norton appeared at both the joint NJPW/World Championship Wrestling Starrcade in Egg Dome shows giving him exposure to WCW executives.^[8][9]

The working agreement between NJPW and WCW meant that The Steiner Brothers would tour Japan on a regular basis, often fighting against Scott Norton alongside a variety of partners. On November 5, 1991 Norton acted as a substitute for the injured Scott Steiner in an IWGP Tag Team Championship match.^[10] Norton and Rick Steiner were unsuccessful on the night and lost the tag-team titles to Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Mutoh.^[7] About a year after losing the title he never technically held, Norton won the tag-team titles properly when he and Tony Halme beat the Steiner Brothers for the gold on November 22, 1992.^[7] The power house team only held on to the titles for a little over three weeks before losing them to the Hell Raisers (Hawk Warrior and Power Warrior).^[7]