The Sheik Represents The American Dream
Brian Solomon’s new book is the best pro wrestling biography.
“They call it the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.”
I love George Carlin. I was introduced to the legendary comedian as Mr. Conductor on Thomas the Tank Engine, but in my teens, I discovered his standup through my dad’s old VHS tapes. He came across like a prophet – I hung onto his every word about politics and American culture like it was gospel. When I woke up to his passing in the summer of 2008, it felt like a death in the family.
That line about the American Dream hits deep, especially considering the past two years. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting government-imposed restrictions, forced many small businesses to go belly up. Then, you had the racial tensions flaring up again after another incident of police brutality was in the spotlight. Now, escalating gas prices and historic inflation are decimating wallets. Meanwhile, corporations are posting record profits as the financial disparity in this country grows day by day.
The concept of the American Dream seems as hollow as Martin Luther King Jr. being Vince McMahon’s hero. You do well in school to get accepted to college, take out at least $40,000 in student loans, graduate with a degree that will hopefully get you an entry-level position so you can start paying those loans back (with interest) six months after graduation. At the same time, you’re hoping to save for an apartment that won’t cost an arm and a leg, or a house, if BlackRock doesn’t buy them all up.
As challenging as it may be, I still believe in the American Dream. At least I want to. In pop culture, though, the only program that seemingly still promotes the sentiment is Shark Tank. But recently, I learned of another self-made man, an unconventional entrepreneur who scratched and clawed his way to fame and fortune despite insurmountable odds.
The Sheik.
I spent February devouring “Blood and Fire: The Unbelievable Real-Life Story of Wrestling’s Original Sheik.” Before this latest publication from ECW Press, I only knew of The Sheik as Sabu’s uncle and trainer and had only seen a YouTube clip of the madman throwing a fireball at Mark Lewin. After Brian Solomon’s tour de force, I wish I lived in Detroit during the ‘70s.
Read more: 20 Best Wrestling Books Of Last 20 Years
Solomon, whose contributions to WWE Magazine influenced my career path and whose “Shut Up and Wrestle” podcast entertains me while walking the dog, did the unthinkable: he humanized The Sheik.
As Jim Cornette said, “the veil of secrecy the Sheik shrouded his life and career in has been lifted by Brian Solomon’s painstaking research. A book on pro wrestling’s most mysterious figure has never been attempted.” Even back then, The Sheik’s dedication to maintaining kayfabe was lauded. Few peers and family members knew the man behind the character, and as time passed, that distinction faded until The Sheik and Ed Farhat were one in the same.
I went into this book eager to learn about the former, but I finished with a far greater appreciation for the latter. In pursuit of the American Dream, and to avoid impending religious conflict, Farhat’s father migrated from a village in Lebanon to Ellis Island before connecting with his uncle in Michigan. Laying down roots, he traveled back and forth between his homeland and new horizon, eventually having his wife join him in 1913. More than a decade later, their 10th son joined the middle-class family, and he wouldn’t be satisfied until rings rattled on his fingers and gold wrapped around his waist.
The son of Arab immigrants, Farhat proudly served his country in World War II before transitioning to professional wrestling. After a couple years, he developed his notorious persona, leveraging his Middle Eastern background to create an over-the-top character tailor-made for television, an emerging technology at the time. Over the next two decades, he criss-crossed North America, stabbing foes, collecting championships and riling up audiences along the way. In 1964, Farhat’s entrepreneurial spirit fueled his purchase of Big Time Wrestling, also known as the Detroit territory, granting him a seat at the table of the most influential men in the business.
Of course, all good things must come to an end, but I’ll let you dive into the book for that. While The Sheik’s story certainly serves as a cautionary tale, it’s his journey to the top of his profession that inspires me. Through hard work, persistence, ingenuity and a never-ending (perhaps fatal) belief in himself, he achieved the American Dream. And almost 20 years after his death, he’s still leaving quite the impression on wrestling fans.
For its unprecedented coverage and gripping storytelling, “Blood and Fire: The Unbelievable Real-Life Story of Wrestling’s Original Sheik” is the best biography of a pro wrestler.
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