Veteran pro wrestler and manager General Adnan (Adnan El Farthie; aka Adnan Al-Kaissie, Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey, Billy White Wolf) has passed away at the age of 84.
There’s no word yet on Adnan’s cause of death, but former WWE/AWA announcer & interviewer Ken Resnick noted on Facebook that his good friend passed away this morning. He wrote, “So deeply saddened to learn that my friend of 40 years, the legendary Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey/Gen. Adnan passed away this morning. May you rest in peace ‘my brother’.”
Adnan, who made his wrestling debut in 1959, was high school friends with former Iraq Prime Minister Saddam Hussein. After playing soccer and competing as an amateur wrestler in Iraq, Adnan left his distinguished Iraqi family and received a scholarship to play college football at the University of Houston, and then transferred to Oklahoma State University as an amateur wrestler. While in Oklahoma, Adnan began working as a pro wrestler in 1959, portraying a Native American character named Billy White Wolf. Adnan worked for Pacific Northwest Wrestling in the 1960s, and became an American citizen in 1964 when he married an American woman named Kathy Davis.
Under the direction of Saddam, Adnan brought pro wrestling to Iraq in the 1970s. He defeated WWE Hall of Famer Andre the Giant at a show in Baghdad in 1971, while Saddam watched. Adnan’s wins in Iraq brought him significant fame in his home country, which led to gifts from the government, including money, cars, and palaces. Adnan left Iraq in 1980 after feeling used by Saddam, and fearing for his safety after overhearing conversations from his nephew, who were in the Iraqi army.
Adnan debuted for WWE in 1976, using the Billy White Wolf gimmick, and became the first Iraqi and the first Arab to compete in a WWE ring. He partnered with WWE Hall of Famer Chief Jay Strongbow to win the WWE Tag Team Titles in December 1976. Their reign went for 237 days, and ended when they were forced to vacate due to Adnan needing neck surgery. He returned to WWE in 1990 and managed WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter during his pro-Iraqi storyline, which included a WWE Title reign.
Adnan’s history with Saddam was referenced in the build to the 1990 Survivor Series as photos of Adnan with Saddam were shown, and the storyline was that the Pentagon and CIA provided the top secret photos. Slaughter and Adnan were joined by WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik, who was re-packaged as Colonel Mustafa, and the group was known as The Triangle of Terror. Adnan then took a DQ loss to Hogan on the Stars & Stripes Forever event in March 1991. Adnan, Mustafa and Slaughter teamed up for the 1991 SummerSlam main event, losing the 2-on-3 Handicap Match to WWE Hall of Famers Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior. Adnan eventually left WWE in early 1992, but has been featured in the WWE 2K15 and WWE 2K16 video games.
Adnan also had runs with NJPW, Championship Wrestling from Florida, the AWA, and other promotions. In addition to the run with the WWE Tag Team Titles, Adnan had several singles and tag team reigns while working different NWA territories, and the IWA in Australia. He was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2020. Adnan also co-owned the World All-Star Wrestling Alliance with Patera. Adnan retired in 1998.
Below are a few videos from Adnan’s career:
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