Ed Farhat
| Ed Farhat | |
|---|---|
The Sheik applying the camel clutch on Terry Funk. Longtime All Japan Pro Wrestling referee Joe Higuchi (on the left,) checking for a submission from Funk.
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| Birth name | Edward George Farhat |
| Born |
June 9, 1924 Lansing, Michigan, United States |
| Died | January 18, 2003 (aged 78) Williamston, Michigan, United States |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Sheik The Sheik of Araby The Original Sheik |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Billed weight | 242 lb (110 kg) |
| Billed from | The Syrian Desert |
| Debut | 1949 |
| Retired | 1998 |
Edward George ("Ed") Farhat (June 9, 1924 – January 18, 2003) was an American professional wrestler best known as by his ring name The Sheik. (he was sometimes called The Original Sheik to distinguish him from The Iron Sheik, a wrestler who debuted in 1972.) He is also one of the originators of what became the hardcore wrestling style, and the uncle of ECW legend Sabu.
He started out wrestling in the Chicago area as The Sheik of Araby after having served in the U.S. Army. He often teamed with Gypsy Joe. Later on he went to Texas. During his early career, his biggest match was one he didn't even wrestle in. He was set to face NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz in Chicago for his title but Thesz had a reputation for embarrassing "gimmick" wrestlers so The Sheik 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 Dick The Bruiser 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 returned when McMahon formed the World Wide Wrestling Federation to feud with Bruno Sammartino in the WWWF's major markets in the late 1960s.
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