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| Adnan Al-Kaissie | |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) | Adnan El Kaissie Adnon Kaissie Adnan El Kassey Shiek Adnan El Kassey Shiek Adnan El Kaissie General Adnan Billy White Wolf |
| Born | March 1, 1939 Baghdad, Iraq |
| Resides | Hopkins, Minnesota |
| Debut | 1959 |
Adnan Bin Abdulkareem Ahmed Alkaissy El Farthie (born March 1, 1939), better known professionally as Adnan Al-Kaissie, is a former professional wrestler and a manager best known as Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissy, Billy White Wolf, or General Adnan.
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Career
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 80'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. 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.
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, but he stayed in the AWA until it folded in early 1991 as the top heel manager. Among the other wrestlers he managed after Blackwell and Patera were King Kong Brody, The Barbarian and The Mongolian Stomper.
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.
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
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
Finishing moves
Wrestlers managed
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Championships and accomplishments
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- NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Shag Thomas (1), Pepper Martin (1), Bearcat Wright (1), and Johnny War Eagle (1)
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- NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version) (1 time) - with Hogan Wharton
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IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time )- IWA World Tag Team Championship (
2 times ) - with Mario Milano (1) and Tex McKenzie (1)
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- PWI ranked him # 410 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
References
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