General Adnan Passes Away

Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie (AKA General Adnan) has sadly passed away at the age of 84.

WWE confirmed Adnan's passing, writing: "WWE is saddened to learn that Adnan Al-Kaissie, known to sports-entertainment fans as Billy White Wolf, Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissy and General Adnan, passed away on Sept. 6 at 84."

Al-Kaissie was born in Baghdad, Iraq but moved to the United States in the 1950s to play American Football. He first moved to Houston before settling at Oklahoma State, where he became an amateur wrestler. Al-Kaissie then transitioned to pro wrestling in the late 1950s, first wrestling as the Native American character Billy White Wolf.

Billy White Wolf performed across the territories before joining the then-WWWF in 1976, where he would go on to win the promotion's tag team titles with Chief Jay Strongbow. Al-Kaissie later joined the AWA where he performed as Sheik Adnan El Kaissy, a name he would also use in World Class Championship Wrestling. In New Japan Pro-Wrestling, meanwhile, Al-Kaissie went by the Sheik of Sheiks of Baghdad.

Al-Kaissie would spend eight years in the AWA before he returned to WWE as General Adnan in 1990. He aligned with Sgt. Slaughter and Colonel Mustafa during Slaughter's run as an Iraqi sympathiser that saw him capture the WWE Championship. Slaughter would quickly drop the belt to Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VII. Adnan then main-evented SummerSlam 1991 alongside Mustafa and Slaughter to take on Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior.

Adnan would leave WWE in 1992 and he eventually retired from pro wrestling in 1998.

Cultaholic extends its condolences to General Adnan's family and friends.