Ed Farhat

Edward George Farhat (June 11, 1924–January 18, 2003) was a professional wrestler best known as The Sheik (or The Original Sheik to distinguish him from the wrestler the Iron Sheik of the 1980s). He was the owner and operator of Big Time Wrestling, one of the most successful promotions during the 1960s.

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Edward Farhat was born to a family of Lebanese immigrants in Michigan. He was a star football player in high school and college for the University of Michigan and served in the army during World War II before he became a foreign heel as "The Sheik of Araby" or later, just "The Sheik." He started out wrestling in the Midwest and later in Texas but his biggest match was one he didn't wrestle in. He was set to face NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz in Chicago for his title but Thesz had a reputation for exposing and embarassing "gimmick" wrestlers so Farhat 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 Johnny Valentine and Bill Curry in feuds against Mark Lewin and Don Curtis as well as the team of Antonino Rocca and Miguel P?rez in Madison Square Garden. He would return when McMahon formed the World Wide Wrestling Federation to feud with Bruno Sammartino in the WWWF's major markets in the late 1960s.

June 11: June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining....

1924: 1924 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar)....

January 18: January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 347 days remaining (348 in leap years)...

Ed Farhat related Images and Photos (experimental)

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