Hometown: Billed from the Middle East; currently resides in Vernon, Texas
Height/Weight: 5’10''/250
Notable WCCW Feuds: The Von Erich family, H&H Enterprises, the Fabulous Freebirds and Iceman Parsons, Percy Pringle III, Eric Embry and Chris Adams.
Need to Know Facts: Born in Wichita Falls, Texas on September 29, 1934, Jim Wehba’s professional wrestling career began in 1963 with the assistance of his cousin, former wrestling great Frankie Cain (The Great Mephisto), and former NWA World Champion Lou Thesz. Three short years into his career, Wehba took the Arabic name Skandor Akbar (translation: "Alexander the Great") at the suggestion of Fritz Von Erich. Because Akbar's parents were from Lebanon, it was a gimmick both Von Erich and Wehba knew would be convincing.
“Ak” worked in numerous prominent U.S. territories during his wrestling career including Tri-State (the forerunner to Mid-South), Houston, Dallas, Central States, the WWWF, Florida, and others. He was quick to credit wrestling legend Danny Hodge, with whom he teamed for nearly 5 years, for helping him advance his career. At one point, they were US tag team champs until Akbar turned on Hodge, causing a violent feud between the two gladiators in an angle that became the defining moment of Akbar's active wrestling career.
Akbar retired as a full-time competitor in 1977 and became "The General" -- a manager who smoked cigars at ringside and harassed the fans in attendance during his men's matches. A fireball, as many of Akbar’s unexpecting opponents can verify, was not out of the question either.
In 1983, General Akbar re-emerged in the World Class circuit with a new heel stable of wrestlers known as Devastation, Inc. The evil manager and his wrestlers challenged Gary Hart and Arman Hussein’s stable of wrestlers, known as H&H Enterprises. During the feud, Akbar was able to procure several H&H grapplers, amongst them disgruntled H&H member King Kong Bundy (who had been “on strike” from H&H for what he thought to be unfair treatment). The feud would ultimately end when Akbar’s protégé, Kamala, beat Hussein and two others in a “Loser Leave Town” handicap match. (As a bit of trivia, Akbar also put over Mike Von Erich in his television debut match in November 1983.)
Having already split his time between World Class Championship Wrestling and Bill Watts’ Mid-South promotion, Akbar also briefly ventured to Jim Crockett, Jr.’s Mid-Atlantic region where his wrestler Kamala battled U.S. Champion Magnum T.A. (Terry Allen) over the coveted title.In 1984, in one of his last significant battles in World Class for the next several years, Akbar's Devastation Inc. battled fellow heel faction, The Fabulous Freebirds, after a violent altercation between Akbar’s Killer Khan and Freebird Terry Gordy.
For the next few years, Skandor would devote his attention entirely to Bill Watts’ Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), formerly known as Mid-South Wrestling. His feuds with such popular favorites as Ted DiBiase, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Terry Taylor hold as much historical significance in the annals of professional wrestling as his battles with the Von Erichs and other World Class favorites did.
Akbar was heavily involved in the professional wrestling industry long after the collapse of WCCW, teaching the profession to many aspiring grapplers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and managing on the local independent circuit. Interestingly enough, in a situation strongly reminiscent of the blockbuster movie (and real life story) The Rookie, in which a school teacher/baseball coach is talked by his students into fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a major league baseball pitcher, Akbar trained 53-year-old Jarvis Young for his debut match in November 2005 in the Texas independents.
In his later years, the General fought a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. He died on August 19, 2010 at the age of 75.
