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RIP Skandar Akbar (Jim Wehba), my friend, and a man of respect..

Posted: Aug 24th 2010 By: mikeiles

Well...as many of you know by now... Skandar Akbar has 'transitioned'...August 19th after battling prostate cancer and heart problems...

Early the morning of the 20th...Ted DiBiase called me...he had heard about it...but could NOT validate it...

I immediately emailed Sandy Nance ...his long-time companion (I did not have her phone number then)...and called his home...but 'no contact...

Then Jim Ross emailed me that it was true....

We lost one of the true 'studs'... one of those 'foundational guys' in our business... who guided and mentored many...

Jim Wehba from Vernon, Texas was his 'given name'... he was an awesome HS fullback there...

I was 'picked' to referee his 'tryout match' in Wichita Falls, TX... for Bob Clay's promotion under the Leroy McGuirk promotional banner...

and knowing Bob's 'character' which in 'my opinion' was 'less than stellar'... they picked me to referee 'in case something happened in that match' that was not 'controllable' by Al Lovelock...The Great Bolo...

But Akbar did NOT try anything to hurt Bolo or to make him look bad... I could tell he was 'already smart to the business'...

But for some reason... Bolo 'sucker-punched Akbar'... and broke his nose... it was the worse nose-break... with the most blood I'd ever seen... soon...no one could retain solid footing in the ring...

There was absolutely NO REASON for that! (And all of you know I was a proponent of 'stretching the marks'... but Bolo 'was NOT streching Akbar'... 'he couldn't'... so 'he sucker-punched him')...

But Akbar wanted 'in the business' so bad... 'he just took it in stride'...

He got in 'this business he loved'...

A couple of years later... I was back for Leroy (years before I became his partner in the promotion)... and working out at the Tulsa YMCA on weights... and Akbar came in the room... I had heard he was strong... so asked him 'how much he bench-pressed'...

He said, "Oh, about 400 lbs"... which to me... (I was benching well over 500 lbs then...and eventually benched 585 lbs in the 'pre-steroid era')... so his 400 lb bench was totally 'unimpressive to me'...

Until I watched him do it: He took the Olympic bar 'from the floor'... as he cleaned it and sat down on the bench... and then rocked to his back... and did his reps...then sat back up and set it back on the floor!!!!

A seemingly impossible feat!

Everyone I have ever seen who is bench-pressing...takes the bar from the rack over the bench...

This was 'awesome'... and I never forgot it...

Akbar and I became friends...and always had huge respect for each other... He also became close friends with another stud... Danny Hodge...

When he and Hodge 'pulled their angle'...where he double-crossed Hodge and became a heel... (in an era where fans still took their wrestling seriously)... that angle worked fantastically!

But Akbar never 'let things go to his head'... and also was extremely 'frugal' on the road... and made sure he always 'saved a portion of what he was paid each night'...

I also believed this philosophy... because when we started... the business had been a bit of a slump... and that was also before the 'huge money' of this era'... so it was important to always 'try to make each event have a 'net' or bottom line profit...and to save that... even if the payoff was for $50, $75, or $100... to somehow still save a portion of it...and NOT blow it on partying... or stupid spending choices... and we found many ways to do this...saving is an attitude...

But Akbar even topped Hodge in being 'frugal'...He was frugal in the Wild Red Berry sense (who is legendary along with maybe Joe Scarpa for being frugal...as in TIGHT!)... I mean he could squeeze blood out of a stone money-wise... ;>)

In the years when I was a promoter... and Akbar worked for me... He was reliable... his word was his bond!

He 'managed several key wrestlers for me over time'... and if I had one who 'was NOT really a veteran'... or who had yet to 'truly understand our business and personal responsibility'... I could put them with Akbar... and allow him to guide and mentor them...

One Man Gang... Kamala...were a couple of the emerging stars I put with him... but he had several more... and his 'anti-American Arabic interviews were so awesome!'

We were once pulling an angle in Jackson, MS...(one of our tremendously successful venues...they love their wrestling)...

and Akbar was to come into the ring and 'burn me with his fire'... as the other wrestlers in the angle held me down...

And they 'had all gotten together'... and decided to 'really get me good'... as I was held down...he took a 'bigger portion' of 'whatever it was he used for his fire'... and as 'he lit me up'... he was laughing and saying, "I'm gonna burn all the hair off your f****** chest"... and 'he torched me then'...

when 'the others let me go' (and I think then... Hacksaw Jim Dugan may have been one)... I decided to chase his ass and try to kick it right then... but Akbar...had that 'fullback speed'... and I had been a 'defensive tackle'... and I could NOT catch him as he ran out the back door of that Coliseum...

Oh...the memories... as those fabulous and unique guys are transitioning... so much is 'passing'... we are losing too many... all that's left here on earth is the memories... and as the people with them grow old and pass...they fade like so much smoke into the vastness...

But with tears... when one close goes... we...one more time... raise a salute to them... and remember things we may not have thought of for awhile...

He was a 'true Univ. of Texas football fan'... so he, Murdock and Rhodes... always had stuff to say about OU... my alma mater (also Hodge's alma mater-- and also that of Steve Dr. Death Williams)... and the 'biggest rivalry game' which even today so often is a major factor in deciding the Big Twelve Champion...or even who plays for the NCAA Championship...

Of course 'he took young Jim Ross under his arm'... as did Hodge... and others ...in the 'tradition of the business'.. to teach and mentor those newbies... especially those in which they sensed a deep love and commitment to the business...

He also became a credible 'booker'... he just loved this business...

We are losing so many of our peers... I remember it seems like just yesterday when Akbar called me when Gary Hart died... and we both shared our hearts... as Akbar had just been 'back east with Gary for a fanfest there'... and related how the spoke of their memories and association with me there...

And when Jack Brisco passed... we talked...

Of course too...when Waldo von Erich passed... and when the Missing Link passed...we talked... so too often our phone calls were about those we lost... but in those calls they also were remembered... and we also laughed about some of the stories...those we 'don't share with outsiders'... but were so intricate to those of us in this business...

And let me tell you...when someone you worked with over those wonderful years still carries respect and understanding and memories of those associations... and lets you know... that means so damn much!

Sandy sent me this email: A Memorial Service at Our Lady Queen of PeaceChurch. 4040 York Street; Wichita Falls, Tx.

Tuesday 24th at 10:00 am.

Then he will be Cremated.

May God rest his soul... my dear friend... you have touched many lives....


Bill Watts...