Jimmy Saied Wehba (September 29, 1934 – August 19, 2010) was an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager better known by his ring name Skandor Akbar (which translates as "Alexander the Great"). Akbar led the villainous stable Devastation, Inc. in Bill Watts's Universal Wrestling Federation during the promotion's heyday in the 1980s, as well as other regional territories, including World Class Championship Wrestling and the Global Wrestling Federation.[2][1]
| Skandor Akbar | |
|---|---|
.png) Skandor Akbar, c. 1983 | |
| Birth name | Jimmy Saied Wehba |
| Born | September 29, 1934 Vernon, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | August 19, 2010 (aged 75)[1] Garland, Texas, U.S.[1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Jimmy Wehba Skandor Akbar Wildman Wehba |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Billed weight | 232 lb (105 kg) |
| Billed from | Egypt Lebanon Saudi Arabia Syria |
| Trained by | Jimmy Young |
| Debut | 1963 |
| Retired | 1996 |
Early life
editWehba was born on September 29, 1934, in Wichita Falls, Texas, and grew up in Vernon, Texas. His father was from Lebanon, and his mother, Mary, was of Syrian descent, though she too was born in Texas.[3][4] With two older sisters, Jimmy was the baby of the family. As a preteen, he started weightlifting (at one point he reportedly bench pressed 500 pounds) as his cousin had a gym. He also worked as a bouncer.[5]
Professional wrestling career
editWrestler
editWehba started out as a professional wrestler in 1963, under his real name. He adopted the ring name Skandor Akbar (Arabic: اسكندر اكبر), literally meaning Alexander the Great, at the suggestion of Fritz Von Erich in 1966 in order to sound more Arabic. Akbar teamed with Danny Hodge and eventually turned on him, starting a feud. Akbar joined the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) for a brief run in the late 1970s and was managed by Freddie Blassie. Akbar also worked as a face in the Australian World Championship Wrestling territory for a season in the mid 1970s feuding mainly with The Great Mephisto. He wrestled his last match as a wrestler in 1996.
Manager
editAkbar retired from active wrestling in 1977 and became a villainous manager in the Texas area territory. He called his stables "Akbar's Army" in Mid-South Wrestling for Bill Watts before it became UWF and "Devastation, Inc." in World Class Championship Wrestling for Fritz Von Erich and in 1991 appeared in the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico. Akbar smoked cigars at ringside, harassed the fans during his protégés' matches, and occasionally threw fireballs at unsuspecting opponents. In 1994, Akbar briefly managed Kevin Von Erich as a fan favorite in the Global Wrestling Federation. Eventually, though, he turned on Von Erich only weeks before Von Erich decided to retire for good. Akbar also managed Toni Adams for a short time in the GWF. In 2007, he managed Kareem Sadat for All-Ammeircan Championship Wrestling in Oklahoma.
Retirement
editAfter his semi-retirement, Akbar still made frequent appearances on the independent circuit, while also training wrestlers. He appeared on both the Heroes of World Class and Triumph and Tragedies of World Class retrospective documentaries, released in 2005 and 2007, respectively. From 2008 to 2010, he appeared as a manager in the Dallas-based Wrecking Ball Wrestling promotion. He also operated a countertop business.[6]
Personal life
editOften billed from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria or Saudi Arabia, his father actually was from Lebanon, and his mother, Mary, had Arab roots as well, though she too was born in Texas. With two older sisters, he was the youngest of the family.[7]
Death
editWehba died on August 19, 2010, in Texas, reportedly due to complications from a fall[1] or after a long battle with prostate cancer.[8]
Championships and accomplishments
edit- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Gulf Coast/CAC Honoree (2006)
- Mid-South Sports
- NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Ox Baker
- NWA Macon Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Buddy Colt (1 time) and Rocket Monroe (1 time)
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- Class of 2021[9]
- Southern Wrestling Hall of Fame
- 2011 inductee
- World Championship Wrestling
- NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Austra-Asian Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with George Gouliovas
- Wrecking Ball Wrestling
- Manager of the Year (2009–2010)[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Simnacher, Joe (November 26, 2010). "Jimmy Saied Wehba, wrestler who ruled the ring as 'Skandor Akbar,' dies at 75". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
- ^ Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter, August 30, 2010
- ^ Writers, JIMMIE TRAMEL and BILL HAISTEN World Sports (July 13, 2008). "Skandor Akbar: The bad guy with a soft heart". Tulsa World. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Mac, The Notorious Eddie (August 20, 2015). "Milkamania!". Cageside Seats. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Greg Oliver (August 20, 2010). "The celebrated career of the late Skandor Akbar". Slam Wrestling.
- ^ Ojst, Javier (December 7, 2021). "50 Greatest Fans Meeting Wrestlers Stories". Pro Wrestling Stories. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ "CANOE -- SLAM! Sports - Wrestling - The celebrated career of the late Skandor Akbar". slam.canoe.ca. August 20, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
- ^ Pringle, Percy (August 20, 2010). "God only takes the best..." Percy's Posts. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011.
- ^ "Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Announced". Se Scoops | Wrestling News, Results & Interviews. January 15, 2021.
- ^ "Year End Awards". Wrecking Ball Wrestling. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
External links
edit
- Championship wrestling from Florida: Skandor Akbar, a collection of flyers between Sept. 21 – Oct. 8, 1971.
- Skandor Akbar's profile at Cagematch.net , Internet Wrestling Database
