I’ve always considered hardcore wrestling to be a massive ‘Fuck You’ to those who turned their backs on kayfabe. It’s the biggest middle finger that’s ever been thrown at the idea of sports entertainment, the Vince McMahon-led 1980s pivot that changed the industry forever. Dark Side of the Ring’s episode on The Sheik (Edward George Farhat) is perhaps one of the strongest statements on this, on how special wrestling was because of kayfabe. It essentially asked wrestlers to sacrifice reality. They were to become their in-ring personas from the moment they laced their boots up for the first time and never let up, in and outside of the ring. The Shiek was perhaps this lifestyle’s most ardent disciple. And his dedication, his rigid views on staying in character all the time, was something he passed on to his nephew, the late hardcore icon Sabu (Terrance Michael Brunk).
Subtitled “Blood, Fire, and The Original Sheik,” this Dark Side episode is refreshing for a multitude of reasons. First, it’s not a story bathed in tragedies authored by pain killers and overdoses. The Sheik’s story is essentially about pioneering and grandeur, of ambition and hubris. Second, it has a specific focus on craft and how certain alterations to the wrestling formula can change the sport forever. It ends with a hard fall from the mountaintop in his later years, but before the story lands on the legendary wrestler’s hardships, an in-depth look at his blood-soaked innovations is given its due.
First wrestler to bring a snake to the ring? The Sheik. First wrestler to throw a fireball at an opponent? The Sheik. Chair shots, tables, forks to the forehead, all made popular by The Sheik. He wasn’t the very first one to do all these things, but he was responsible for making them an official part of the language of wrestling. The episode does a great job presenting these things as emblematic of a career whose influence would be felt years down the line, despite getting the audience going when they saw it at the time (especially in bouts with Abdullah the Butcher and Bruiser Brody).
One of the most fascinating parts of the episode is its exploration of kayfabe and how it played into The Sheik’s life. From his early days in the ring to his time as a promoter for Detroit’s Big Time Wrestling show (which turned the city’s Cobo Hall into a hot spot for the sport), The Sheik never let Edward George Farhat out in public. It was kind of like a reverse Jekyll and Hyde situation. This alone lets the episode color the wrestling of old as a kind of magic show in which maintaining the illusion was a matter of life and death in the public sphere. Dark Side has shown this quite well with other episodes, but the richness of The Shiek’s story sets it apart. If anyone ever needs an explanation as to how far kayfabe could go in the past, this is the episode they should be pointed to.
As a bonus that gave the story more of an emotional heft, the episode also spotlights The Sheik’s nephew, Sabu. The hardcore icon was trained by his uncle and instructed in the ways of kayfabe. It comes through in his matches. Sabu was always an intimidating force that made you believe he woke up to a chair shot in the morning and went to sleep in a barbed wire bed at night. He was more acrobatic than his uncle ever was, but his hardcore philosophy was Shiek-taught. It’s made clear in the episode that tutelage under the Shiek meant wrestlers would develop fearless personas that were game to inflict some real pain at key moments to get the win.
The glimpses we get of Sabu’s life show another side of The Sheik’s persona, one that was protective of his family. The inclusion of Rob Van Dam’s story also builds on this as Shiek also trained him. RVD speaks to how he was welcomed in as family and how it led to his lifelong friendship with Sabu. It’s sad we won’t get more interviews with Sabu, but in a way Dark Side became home for an essential part of his story through this episode.
The Sheik has a unique spot in wrestling history. He represents the foundation of hardcore wrestling, a style that would pay dividends years later. He represents success and the idea that one superstar can make and break a wrestling scene. He represents risk and the limitations age will eventually impose on the body. Combined, it all speaks to the work that goes into building an unshakable legacy. We see it in RVD, Sabu, and the other wrestlers that suffered through his rough training regiments to emerge as future superstars. The Shiek ultimately paid a price for it, and he’s not mentioned nearly enough as other legends, but this episode gives fans a chance to keep him in discussions regarding wrestling’s greats. And discuss him we should.
