Adnan Al-Kaissie was a professional wrestler and manager who debuted as Billy White Wolf and later adopted the stage name of General Adnan.
- Died: September 6, 2023 (Who else died on September 6?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 84.
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Adnan Al-Kaissie’s legacy
Born in Baghdad, Al-Kaissie quickly gained a reputation for his athletic talents. As a star athlete in Iraq, he earned a scholarship that enabled him to play football at the University of Houston. He later transferred to Oklahoma State University, where his talent as a wrestler almost landed him on the U.S. Olympic team. He fell short only because he wasn’t a U.S. citizen.
In 1959, Al-Kaissie made his professional wrestling entertainment debut as the Native American character Billy White Wolf. He wrestled throughout the Pacific Northwest in the 1960s, during which time he earned his American citizenship. In the 1970s, he helped popularize wrestling entertainment in Iraq, aided in part by his former high school classmate Saddam Hussein, who at the time was rising to power in the Ba’ath party. In 1976, still wrestling as Billy White Wolf, he joined what was then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). There, he paired up with an Italian American wrestler who also performed under a Native American persona, Chief Jay Strongbow, and together they won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship.
As tensions in the Middle East grew, in 1981 Al-Kaissie switched wrestling personas and became known as Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey, joining the American Wrestling Association. When he returned to what had become the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1990, he continued to riff on current events, now as General Adnan. This time, he teamed up with the wrestler Sgt. Slaughter during a pro-Iraq storyline where their feud with Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior mirrored relations between Iraq and the U.S. As the WWF transitioned to the World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE), Al-Kassie continued an on-and-off relationship with the organization, usually as a manager, until his retirement in 1998.
Tributes to Adnan Al-Kaissie
Full obituary: WWE.com
