| Skandor Akbar | |
|---|---|
.png) Skandor Akbar,c. 1983 | |
| Birth name | Jimmy Saied Wehba |
| Born | (1934-09-29)September 29, 1934 Vernon, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | August 19, 2010(2010-08-19) (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 |
Jimmy Saied Wehba (September 29, 1934 – August 19, 2010) was an Americanprofessional wrestler andprofessional wrestling manager better known by hisring nameSkandor Akbar (which translates as "Alexander the Great"). Akbar led thevillainous stable Devastation, Inc. inBill Watts'sUniversal Wrestling Federation during the promotion's heyday in the 1980s, as well as other regional territories, includingWorld Class Championship Wrestling and theGlobal Wrestling Federation.[2][1]
Wehba 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 ofSyrian 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]
Wehba started out as a professional wrestler in 1963, under his real name. He adopted the ring nameSkandor Akbar (Arabic:اسكندر اكبر), literally meaningAlexander the Great, at the suggestion ofFritz Von Erich in 1966 in order to sound more Arabic. Akbar teamed withDanny Hodge and eventually turned on him, starting afeud. Akbar joined theWorld Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) for a brief run in the late 1970s and was managed byFreddie Blassie. Akbar also worked as a face in the Australian World Championship Wrestling territory for a season in the mid 1970s feuding mainly withThe Great Mephisto. He wrestled his last match as a wrestler in 1996.
Akbar retired from active wrestling in 1977 and became a villainous manager in theTexas area territory. He called hisstables "Akbar's Army" inMid-South Wrestling forBill Watts before it became UWF and "Devastation, Inc." inWorld Class Championship Wrestling forFritz Von Erich and in 1991 appeared in theWorld 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 managedKevin Von Erich as afan favorite in theGlobal Wrestling Federation. Eventually, though, he turned on Von Erich only weeks before Von Erich decided to retire for good. Akbar also managedToni Adams for a short time in the GWF. In 2007, he managed Kareem Sadat for All-Ammeircan Championship Wrestling in Oklahoma.
After his semi-retirement, Akbar still made frequent appearances on theindependent circuit, while also training wrestlers. He appeared on both theHeroes of World Class andTriumph 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]
Often billed fromEgypt,Lebanon,Syria orSaudi 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]
Wehba died on August 19, 2010, in Texas, reportedly due to complications from a fall[1] or after a long battle withprostate cancer.[8]
,Internet Wrestling Database