Updated - Wrestling Manager General Skandor Akbar Dies
As noted earlier here on the website, Jim Wehba, who performed for over 40 years as as General Skandor Akbar, passed away Thursday at the age of 75.
His cause of death is currently unknown, though he had been suffering from prostate cancer in recent years.
As General Skandor Akbar, which translates as "Alexander the Great," Wehba played the role of an Arabian backed by oil money. He notably led villainous wrestlers in Bill Watts's Universal Wrestling Federation during the promotion's heyday in the 1980s, as well as other regional territories, including World Class Championship Wrestling and the Global Wrestling Federation.
Wehba remained active until his passing as he regularly worked weekends managing wrestlers on independent shows in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. He was advertised to appear at this Sunday's Wrecking Ball Wrestling show in Dallas, Texas.
Wehba was on hand for the annual NWA Legends Fanfest held earlier this month in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jim Ross commented on his interaction with the legendary wrestling manager on his official website, writing: "General Scandor Akbar is now 75 and we had a great visit and talked road stories, he was one of my very first traveling partners along with Dan Hodge, and of course the OU-Texas football rivalry. Ak is a Longhorn devotee and that was the topic we engaged in over hundreds of miles of highway back in the '70s. Ak could squeeze blood out of a quarter and was so instrumental in helping me understand that no one makes too little money to not save some of it. The 'squatty fullback of the Vernon, Texas Lions will always be one of my favorite guys. Many don't know how instrumental Ak was in helping steer Steve Austin in the right direction early in Stone Cold's career in Dallas."
Before entering the wrestling industry in 1963, Wehba was a high school football star out of Vernon, Texas. He started out as a protege of Danny Hodge and later became one of his rivals for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Wehba retired from active wrestling in 1977 and began his managerial career in the Texas area.