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WRESTLER OF THE DAY: THE SHEIK


RIPPA

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I think the Sheik is a great argument for how terrible Abdullah was, actually. They did the same basic stuff, but Sheik did it so much better. Abby came off like he was so selfish that he'd never sell or put anyone over in any situation where the office wasn't ordering him to; but Sheiky was willing to goof around and make his opponent look good. Yeah, he'd never job and that was unfortunate, but as a crazy brawler he was one of the best from his era.

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Are there any actual good for the sake of being good Sheik matches not involving buckets of blood and all his usual insanity? Like he was forced to wrestle a straight match with someone who he just happened to stab with a pencil.

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The truly excellent Chicago Film Archives youtube channel has a couple of his earlier matches from the 50s, before he'd turned into a total hardcore brawler. I dunno how "good" anyone would call it, psychology in the 50s was often very different and simplistic and repetitive compared to what we're used to now; but it's Sheik doing straight-up wrestling with no gimmicks, and being a fairly generic "evil foreigner" heel.

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Less is more.  The Sheik had like two moves but he wrote a novel in the ring with chicanery, international objects, and pure evil.

 

And lots and lots and lots of blood. 

 

Your imagination and the xenophobia and prejudice you refuse to admit that you have did his job for him.  You are a mark being worked.

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I think the Sheik is a great argument for how terrible Abdullah was, actually. They did the same basic stuff, but Sheik did it so much better. Abby came off like he was so selfish that he'd never sell or put anyone over in any situation where the office wasn't ordering him to; but Sheiky was willing to goof around and make his opponent look good. Yeah, he'd never job and that was unfortunate, but as a crazy brawler he was one of the best from his era.

 

Hey now, the Sheik didn't have Abby's magnificent elbow drop. And you wanna talk selfish, Sheik burned the Detroit crowd completely out with his gimmick. Abby worked like Andre as a special attraction around the globe and never wore out his welcome.

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