Adnan Al-Kaissie

Adnan bin Abdul Kareem Ahmed Alkaissy El Farthie (عدنان بن عبدالكريم أحمد القيسي ألفرث; March 1, 1939 – September 6, 2023), better known professionally as Adnan Al-Kaissie, was an Iraqi-American professional wrestler and manager best known as Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey, Billy White Wolf, or General Adnan.

Al-Kaissy began wrestling in the state of Oklahoma in 1959 under the ring name Billy White Wolf, a Native American character.

Kassey wrestled for Pacific Northwest Wrestling in the 1960s.

In 1964, Adnan, who had married an American woman, became a United States citizen.

He also wrestled for Joint Promotions in the United Kingdom, appearing on ITV in December 1969 as White Wolf, facing Jim Hussey, (father of Mark Rocco).

During the 1970s, he took professional wrestling to Iraq under the direction of Saddam Hussein.

In 1971 he defeated André the Giant in Al-Shaab Stadium in Baghdad, under the auspices of his high school classmate, Ba'ath Party leader Saddam Hussein.

He competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF).

In one such match, he defeated André the Giant in Baghdad in 1971 and he defeated the Scottish Ian Campbell, Frenchman Jean Ferre and the Canadian champion George Gordienko in Baghdad.

He also wrestled Bob Roop there in 1972.

Al-Kaissy became enormously popular in his home country, being gifted palaces, a fleet of Mercedes-Benz cars, and money from the government.

He began to fear for his safety after overhearing conversations from his nephews in the Republican Guard and later felt he was being used by Saddam.

In 1974, Adnan debuted in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as the Sheik of Sheiks of Baghdad, he teamed with Nikolai Volkoff and they tried to win the NWA North American Tag Team but they failed after losing the Best Two Out Of Three Falls match against Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan.

Later he feuded with the likes of Antonio Inoki, Seiji Sakaguchi, Kantaro Hoshino, Osamu Kido, Haruka Eigen.

After he left NJPW, Adnan returned to the United States, where he wrestled in Eddie Graham's promotion Championship Wrestling from Florida under his real name.

On December 7, 1976, he won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship with Chief Jay Strongbow.

In the World Wide Wrestling Federation, in 1976, under the Native American gimmick Billy White Wolf, he won the World Tag Team Championship with Chief Jay Strongbow.

Needing neck surgery, Kassey agreed to work an injury angle where he had his neck broken by Ken Patera via the Swinging Neckbreaker on television.

After he left the territory for his neck surgery in 1977, the "Indians" were stripped of the title.

In 1978, he wrestled in Hawaii and was the master of the "Indian Death Match" until his arch-rival, Tor Kamata, defeated him.

He also returned to the United Kingdom in late 1979, billed as "The Sheik", making another appearance on ITV, this time on the World of Sport TV show, battling Lenny Hurst to an "open verdict" for using a possibly illegal sleeperhold.

Not long after, he returned briefly to Iraq with the intent of introducing pro wrestling.

By this time, his old classmate Saddam was ruler of the country.

By his own account, it was a difficult time, for although Kaissey was very popular and had some success introducing professional wrestling to Iraq, Saddam was already becoming paranoid about potential rivals, and he saw Kaissey in this light.

Kaissey fled back to the US and never returned, though he kept contact with his family in Baghdad.

He left Iraq for the last time in 1980.

In 1981, Adnan Al-Kaissie joined the American Wrestling Association (AWA).

In 1981, with tensions between the US and Middle East running high, he debuted in the American Wrestling Association as "Sheik Adnan El Kaissey," where his stated goal was to win the AWA title from champion Nick Bockwinkel.

He failed at that task, so he then enlisted Jerry Blackwell, now wearing a sheik's outfit and renamed Sheik Ayatollah Jerry Blackwell, to team with him to try to win the AWA Tag Team Championship.

That failed, too, so Adnan bought Ken Patera from manager Bobby Heenan to team with Blackwell, and Adnan would act as Blackwell and Patera's manager.

The team of Blackwell and Patera captured the AWA World tag team title from Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell.

In 1990 he joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF formerly WWWF, now known as the WWE), where he managed Sgt. Slaughter under the name "General Adnan".

He competed at SummerSlam 1991 with his partners Sgt. Slaughter and Col. Mustafa in a Handicap match with Sid Justice as special guest referee against Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior.

Al-Kaissie became the first Iraqi and the first Arab to compete in a WWF/WWE ring.

Adnan Al-Kaissy was born Adnan Bin Abdulkareem Ahmed Al-Kaissy El Farthie in Baghdad, Iraq.

According to his autobiography, he came from a fairly distinguished family, with his father being an imam.

One of his high school classmates was Saddam Hussein.

Al-Kaissy played association football and was an amateur wrestler in Iraq.

He received a scholarship to play American football at the University of Houston, transferring to Oklahoma State University, emerging as a wrestler.

He almost qualified for the U.S. Olympic team but was not an American citizen.