NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Ed Farhat

Edward George Farhat (June 7, 1924 - January 18, 2003) was a professional wrestler best known as The Sheik (or The Original Sheik to distinguish him from the wrestler the Iron Sheik of the 1980s). He was the owner and operator of Big Time Wrestling, one of the most successful promotions during the 1960s. He is also one of the originators of what would eventually become the Hardcore wrestling style, and the uncle of ECW wrestler Sabu. A older and bloodied Sheik locks in the Camel Clutch on a young Terry Funk. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Location in Ingham County, Michigan1 Coordinates: Country United States State Michigan County Ingham, Eaton Settled 1835 Incorporation 1859 Government - Type Strong Mayor-Council - Mayor Virg Bernero (D) Area - City 35. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Syrian Desert is a combination of steppe and true desert that is located in parts of the nations of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) is a professional wrestling brand of World Wrestling Entertainment, based on the independent promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling that lasted from 1992 to 2001. ... Terry Michael Brunk (born December 12, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sabu. ...

Career

Edward Farhat was born to a family of Lebanese immigrants in Michigan. He was a star football player in high school and college for the University of Michigan and served in the army during World War II before he became a foreign heel as "The Sheik of Araby" or later, just "The Sheik." He started out wrestling in the Midwest and later in Texas but his biggest match was one he didn't wrestle in. He was set to face NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz in Chicago for his title but Thesz had a reputation for exposing and embarrassing "gimmick" wrestlers so Farhat bailed from the ring and hid under a bus. The publicity from the event helped push the Sheik character to a more prominent level. He went to New York for Vincent J. McMahon where he teamed with Johnny Valentine and Bull Curry in feuds against Mark Lewin and Don Curtis as well as the team of Antonino Rocca and Miguel Pérez in Madison Square Garden. He would return when McMahon formed the World Wide Wrestling Federation to feud with Bruno Sammartino in the WWF's major markets in the late 1960s. Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area Ranked 11th - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 kmÂ²) - Width 239 miles (385 km) - Length 491 miles (790 km) - % water 41. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Main article: Secondary education High school is a name used in some parts of the world, and particularly in North America, to describe the last segment of compulsory education, which is otherwise known as secondary education. ... The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (UM, U of M or U-M) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Michigan. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character who is portrayed as behaving in an immoral manner, breaking rules or otherwise taking advantage of their opponents outside of the bounds of the rules of the match. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight Championship is the primary professional wrestling title in the NWA. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidts 1905 title and Frank Gotchs 1908 version. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country United States State Illinois County Cook & DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area - City 234. ... In professional wrestling, a gimmick is a wrestlers personality, behavior, attire and/or other distinguishing traits while performing. ... NY redirects here. ... Vincent J. McMahon Vincent J. McMahon (July 6, 1914 â€“ May 24, 1984) was a U.S. professional wrestling promoter. ... Johnny Valentine (born John Wisniski, September 29, 1929 â€“ April 24, 2001) was a professional wrestler with a career spannig almost three decades, ending prematurely due to an airplane accident in 1975 which left him crippled. ... Fred Thomas Koury, Sr. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Antonino Rocca Antonino Rocca (born Antonino Biasetton) was a professional wrestler from Argentina of Italian descent. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (born October 6, 1935), is a former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), holding the title across two reigns for over 12 years in total, as well as the longest world championship reign in professional...

The Sheik's wrestling was centered around his character of a rich wild man from Syria. He would lock on normally mundane holds and refuse to break them, leading to submission. He used hidden pencils to cut open his opponent's faces. Often, the tactic would backfire and the opponent would get the pencil, leading to the extensive scarring on Farhat's forehead. The other illegal move was his fireball that he threw into his opponents faces and they would sell as if their face was burnt severely. He didn't speak on camera and had two different managers during his career to cut promos on his behalf. His first manager was Abdullah Farouk but when he managed full-time in WWWF, Eddie Creatchman became his manager. He kept in character even around his own family, only breaking character around business partners. The character was very easy to go from territory to territory with and Farhat was often brought in as a special attraction for big shows or by NWA promoters who were fighting opposition promotions. This article is about the handwriting instrument. ... Attacking maneuvers in the kayfabe of professional wrestling are mainly used to wear down an opponent for a submission hold or as a set up for a throw. ... In professional wrestling, the sell is the element of making the action appear to be at least somewhat realistic to the crowd, or at least the marks within the crowd. ... In professional wrestling, a manager is a character who is paired with a wrestler. ... In professional wrestling, a promo is short for promotional interview, a dialogue or monologue used to advance a storyline. ... Ernie Roth (born June 7, 1929 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, died October 12, 1983), best known as The Grand Wizard of Wrestling, also well known as Abdullah Farouk, was a professional wrestling manager of many infamous heels. ... Eddie Creatchman (b. ... National Wrestling Alliance logo The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is the governing body for a group of independent professional wrestling promotions and sanctions various NWA championships. ...

His biggest feud was his seemingly career long feud with Bobo Brazil in the Sheik's main territory, which he would later become the owner of, Detroit, Michigan. The two feuded over Sheik's version of the United States Championship, frequently selling out the Cobo Arena. This is seen briefly on the "documentary" movie, I Like to Hurt People. The two would take the feud to several markets, most notably Memphis, Tennessee and Los Angeles, California. His other major opponent in Los Angeles was Fred Blassie. Sheik and Blassie faced off several times, including cage matches in the Grand Olympic Auditorium. Houston Harris (July 10, 1924 in Little Rock, Arkansas â€” January 20, 1998), known professionally as Bobo Brazil, was an African-American professional wrestler who was known for breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling. ... Nickname: Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates: Country United States State Michigan County Wayne County Settled 1701 Incorporation 1806 Government - Type Strong Mayor-Council - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Area - City 143. ... Cobo Arena Cobo Arena is an indoor arena in Detroit, Michigan adjacent to the Cobo Conference Center. ... For other uses, see Memphis (disambiguation). ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State California County Los Angeles County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government - Type Mayor-Council - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo - Governing body City Council Area - City 498. ... Fred Blassie (February 8, 1918 â€“ June 2, 2003), better known as Classy Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestler and manager born in St. ... The Grand Olympic Auditorium is located at 1801 S. Grand Avenue in Los Angeles, California. ...

Starting in 1969, he also wrestled regularly in Toronto, where he was undefeated for 127 matches at Maple Leaf Gardens. He defeated the likes of Whipper Billy Watson, Lou Thesz, Gene Kiniski, Bruno Sammartino, Édouard Carpentier, Ernie Ladd, Jay Strongbow and even André the Giant during Andre's first extensive tour of North America in 1974. It was Andre who put an end to the Sheik's Toronto winning streak in August 1974. Sheik continued to headline most shows in Toronto until 1977, but business dropped off significantly over the last three years. Maple Leaf Gardens, 2006 Exterior signage as of 2006, with letters missing Maple Leaf Gardens was an indoor arena in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street. ... Whipper Billy Watson (1917 July 25- 1990 February 4), born William Potts, was a Canadian heavyweight wrestler and a five-time world wrestling champion. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Gene Kiniski was a professional wrestler. ... Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (born October 6, 1935), is a former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), holding the title across two reigns for over 12 years in total, as well as the longest world championship reign in professional... Edouard Carpentier was a French-Canadian professional wrestler who garnered several world championships in a career that spanned the 1950s into the 1970s. ... Ernest Ladd (November 28, 1938 - March 10, 2007), nicknamed The Big Cat, was an American collegiate and professional football player and a professional wrestler. ... Chief Jay Strongbow. ... AndrÃ© the Giant was the stage name of AndrÃ© RenÃ© Roussimoff, (May 19, 1946 â€“ January 27, 1993) a French professional wrestler and actor. ...

He was brought to Japan by the Japan Pro Wrestling Association to help put over Seiji Sakaguchi after Shohei Baba and Antonio Inoki jumped to start their own promotions. His run was successful but management squandered all the money so when the company went bankrupt, Sheik jumped to Baba's All Japan Pro Wrestling. He jumped a year later to Inoki's New Japan Pro Wrestling but had a falling out and left Japan to work full time in Detroit. He returned in 1977 for All Japan, teaming and feuding with Abdullah the Butcher. His match with Abdullah the Butcher against Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk where Terry fought off Butcher and Sheik with his arm in a sling is credited for turning the foreign Funks into faces in Japan. Seiji Sakaguchi (b. ... Shohei Baba (Baba ShÅhei, 1938â€“1999) was a professional wrestler and co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling. ... Antonio Inoki (ã‚¢ãƒ³ãƒˆãƒ‹ã‚ªçŒªæœ¨), real name Kanji Inoki (çŒªæœ¨å¯›è‡³ Inoki Kanji, born February 20, 1943) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides in New York City. ... All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) (å…¨æ—¥æœ¬ãƒ—ãƒãƒ¬ã‚¹, zen nihon puroresu) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. ... New Japan Pro Wrestling (æ–°æ—¥æœ¬ãƒ—ãƒãƒ¬ã‚¹, shin nihon puroresu) is a major professional wrestling federation in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in 1972. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

After his promotion went bankrupt in 1980, he wrestled for various independent promotions throughout the United States and Japan through the 1980s. In 1994, he had a brief run in Extreme Championship Wrestling where he teamed with Pat Tanaka against Kevin Sullivan and Taz. He wrestled his last match in Japan in 1998 at the age of 74. He retired to his own home and was in the process of writing his autobiography when he died on January 18, 2003 of heart failure at the age of 78. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Pat Tanaka Pat Tanaka (born Patrick Tanaka on August 5, 1963 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is a professional wrestler. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As a promoter, he was somewhat ahead of his time. He had a production truck travel with him to tape the main events in an era when arena shows were almost never taped. He also paid wrestlers while they were out due to injury which didn't come into common practice until recently. When business was bad however, he would get desperate going as far as having his son tell the boys that someone had robbed the ticket office of that nights gate. However, he never groomed a successor so when he stopped drawing crowds, there was no one to fall back on. He was one of professional wrestling's biggest box office attractions and he is seen as a pioneer of "hardcore wrestling" which would become a major part of professional wrestling in the 1990s. He also trained other popular wrestlers from Michigan such as Sabu, Rob Van Dam, Scott Steiner, Raven, and Greg Valentine. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Terry Michael Brunk (born December 12, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sabu. ... Robert Alexander Rob Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970), is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Rob Van Dam (abbreviated to RVD). ... Scott Carl Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by his ring name, Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Gregory Shane Wisniski (born September 10, 1950) is an American professional wrestler, better known as Greg The Hammer Valentine. ...

On the March 20, 2007 edition of ECW it was announced that Farhat would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the class of 2007. He was inducted by his nephew Sabu and former trainee Rob Van Dam. March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) is a professional wrestling brand of World Wrestling Entertainment, based on the independent promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling that lasted from 1992 to 2001. ... WWE Hall of Fame logo, 2004-present. ... Terry Michael Brunk (born December 12, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sabu. ... Robert Alexander Rob Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970), is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Rob Van Dam (abbreviated to RVD). ...

Finishing and signature moves

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Attacking maneuvers in the kayfabe of professional wrestling are mainly used to wear down an opponent for a submission hold or as a set up for a throw. ... This article is about the handwriting instrument. ...

Previous Managers

Ernie Roth (born June 7, 1929 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, died October 12, 1983), best known as The Grand Wizard of Wrestling, also well known as Abdullah Farouk, was a professional wrestling manager of many infamous heels. ... Eddie Creatchman (b. ... Ernie Roth (born June 7, 1929 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, died October 12, 1983), best known as The Grand Wizard of Wrestling, also well known as Abdullah Farouk, was a professional wrestling manager of many infamous heels. ...

Championships and accomplishments

All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) (å…¨æ—¥æœ¬ãƒ—ãƒãƒ¬ã‚¹, zen nihon puroresu) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Heart of America Sports Attractions (also known as Central States Wrestling) is an American professional wrestling promotion. ... The NWA Central States United States Championship was the version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship that was defended in the Central States territory around Missouri. ... The NWA Central States United States Championship was the version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship that was defended in the Central States territory around Missouri. ... Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, better known by its initials FMW, was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 1989 by Atsushi ÅŒnita (often spelled Ohnita). ... International Championship Wrestling was a short-lived independent professional wrestling promotion based in Lexington, Kentucky. ... The ICW United States Heavyweight Championship was a secondary singles championship in International Championship Wrestling. ... The ICW United States Heavyweight Championship was a secondary singles championship in International Championship Wrestling. ... Maple Leaf Wrestling was a celebrated NWA territory promoted out of Torontoâ€™s Maple Leaf Gardens for nearly 50 years and run by Frank Tunney, who incorporated Tunney Sports out of the Queensbury Athletic Club before serving as NWA President from 1960-61. ... The NWA Toronto United States Heavyweight Championship was the version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship that was defended in the Toronto, Ontario-based Maple Leaf Wrestling. ... The NWA Toronto United States Heavyweight Championship was the version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship that was defended in the Toronto, Ontario-based Maple Leaf Wrestling. ... The NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and is defended in the U.S. state of Hawaii. ... The NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and is defended in the U.S. state of Hawaii. ... The NWA Detroit United States Heavyweight Championship was a version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title. ... The NWA Detroit United States Heavyweight Championship was a version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title. ... The NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship in the National Wrestling Alliances Los Angeles territory (known officially as NWA Hollywood Wrestling) from 1968 until the promotion closed in 1982. ... The NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship in the National Wrestling Alliances Los Angeles territory (known officially as NWA Hollywood Wrestling) from 1968 until the promotion closed in 1982. ... Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) is a professional wrestling magazine. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), also called the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA), was a popular regional professional wrestling promotion run out of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. ... The NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a title that has existed since the 1930s and has had several different names. ... The NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a title that has existed since the 1930s and has had several different names. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... WWE Hall of Fame logo, 2004-present. ... WWE Hall of Fame logo, 2004-present. ... The WWWF United States Championship was a short-lived title in the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1970 until 1976. ... The WWWF United States Championship was a short-lived title in the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1970 until 1976. ...

Trivia

In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced KAY-fayb; IPA: ) refers to the portrayal of events within the industry as real, that is the portrayal of professional wrestling as not staged or worked. ...

Sources

Categories: Articles with trivia sections from July 2007 | 1924 births | 2003 deaths | Lebanese Americans | American professional wrestlers | Michigan Wolverines football players | People from Lansing, Michigan | Professional wrestling executives | Extreme Championship Wrestling alumni | Professional wrestling managers and valets | WWE Hall of Fame | United States Army soldiers | Arab Americans David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1961) is the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON), a newsletter for the world of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. ...

Contents