 Roth (right) as "The Grand Wizard" withSgt. Slaughter, 1982 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Irwin Roth (1926-08-30)August 30, 1926[2][3] Canton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | October 12, 1983(1983-10-12) (aged 57) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart Attack |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Grand Wizard of Wrestling The Grand Wizard J. Wellington Radcliffe Mr. Clean Abdullah Farouk Armstrong K. |
| Billed height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 130 lb (59 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | Fort Lauderdale, Florida[1] |
| Debut | 1958 |
Irwin Jacob "Ernie"Roth (August 30, 1926 – October 12, 1983), known by thering namesThe Grand Wizard of Wrestling andAbdullah Farouk, was an Americanprofessional wrestling manager. Not a wrestler himself due to his small stature, he was noted for hisflamboyant outfit ofsequined jackets, wraparound sunglasses, and a brightly coloredturban decorated with jewels and feathers.[1] He was inducted into theWWF Hall of Fame in1995.
Ernie Roth got his start in the entertainment business as a disc jockey.[1] He was discovered by Jim Barnett who helped Roth get into the wrestling industry.[4] He became involved in professional wrestling as a manager in the 1960s in Detroit-based territories.[1] Roth first worked under the names "Mr. Clean" and "J. Wellington Radcliffe."[5]
Roth portrayed "Abdullah Farouk", the heel (villainous) manager ofThe Sheik.[1] He frequently appeared on the Toronto and Detroit wrestling circuit, where local announcer Lord Athol Layton would usually refer to him as "The weasel, Abdullah Farouk".
Sporting afez, Farouk took great pains in trying to control his madman protégé.[2] But he also carved a niche for himself as a deceitful, underhanded character who insulted US fans whenever he had a chance.[2] Farouk was a pioneer of "manager interference", as he physically would attempt to alter a match's outcome in the Sheik's favor.[1] This sort of interference was rare at the time.[3]
Roth began a stint with theWorld Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in the 1970s, where he became known as The Grand Wizard.[1][6] Roth, who was Jewish,[3] reportedly took the name "The Grand Wizard" as a snub to thewhite supremacy organization theKu Klux Klan, whose leaders were calledGrand Wizard.[7] He also replaced his fez with aturban.
Almost immediately after arrival in 1971, the Wizard managed Black Jack Mulligan and "Beautiful Bobby" Harmon. He later ledMr. Fuji andProf. Toru Tanaka to two reigns with theWWWF World Tag Team Championship.[3] A year later, the Wizard ledStan Stasiak to victory overPedro Morales for theWWF Championship in Philadelphia on December 1, 1973.[1][2] The Wizard guided a second protégé,Superstar Billy Graham, to the very same championship on April 30, 1977, when Graham overcameBruno Sammartino in Baltimore.[1][2] On February 20, 1978,Bob Backlund dethroned Graham atMadison Square Garden. The Wizard made it his duty to gain revenge on Backlund, sending charges such asDon Muraco,Ken Patera andGreg Valentine after him.
The Wizard managed the firstIntercontinental ChampionPat Patterson, and later Patera (who defeated Patterson for the title in April 1980 after the Wizard and Patterson parted ways) and Muraco to the same championship.[1] Other protégés of the Wizard included "Beautiful Bobby" Harmon,[8]Killer Kowalski,[9]"Crazy Luke" Graham,Sgt. Slaughter,[10] "Big Cat"Ernie Ladd,[11]Ox Baker,"Cowboy" Bob Orton[1] and The Masked Superstar, or Masked Demon from parts unknown.[12]
Roth on many occasions (when out of character and greasepaint mustache) co-hosted the syndicatedBig Time Wrestling show with fellow announcer Bob Finnegan until 1969 when the hosting duties went toLord Athol Layton.
Roth was revealed posthumously to be homosexual, although some claim they were aware of his sexual orientation during his lifetime.[13][14] He was the godfather of protégéDon Muraco's daughter. His parents were Evrum (Edward) Roth and Rizel (Rose) Stern.[15] According to the autobiography of former WWE referee and wrestlerDangerous Danny Davis, Roth was also in charge of helping get the ring to all shows. The position was eventually taken over by Davis himself after Roth's death.
On October 12, 1983, Roth died of aheart attack at his Fort Lauderdale, Florida home at the age of 57.[1][2] In 1995, Roth was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fameclass of 1995 by his friend and protégéSgt. Slaughter.[1]
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