NWA: Big Time Wrestling
12/29/1972
Detroit, MI

Your host is Chuck Allen. He tells us this will be a documentary on the Sheik. More like a compilation on the Sheik. We’ll see one Bobo Brazil match, but not a Sheik-Bobo match. The reason being is because they are squaring off TOMORROW NIGHT at COBO HALL.

Quick clip of late 1960s Hawaii TV here as the Sheik throws fire into the face of Pedro Morales. Some weird editing tricks happening here. It’s also in B&W.

Chuck Allen – “Chemists, scientists, physicists still do not know how the man from Syria [The Sheik] is able to throw fire from an open hand.” And some people say you need a college degree to be intelligent.

• The Sheik (w/The Princess) vs. Chief White Eagle
  

Detroit 1960s in B&W. The Princess is wearing a burka and the full dark Muslim outfit. She is the Sheik’s wife Joyce. It’s interesting because the Syrian people were mostly liberated in the 1960s. Anyways, he abuses her and treats her more like his slave than anything else. HE’S A WILDMAN~! Sheik throws White Eagle to the floor and smashes his head off the ringpost. White Eagle finally has enough and runs Sheik out of the ring. Back in, Sheik wins a slugfest and delivers FIVE body slams. He then applies the CAMEL CLUTCH and it’s all over in 2:51.

And now for something completely different!

• Bobo Brazil vs. Owen Henley
  

Detroit 1970. Lord Layton is on commentary here. Bobo has little problem with Henley. He wins with the COCO BUTT in 2:44.

Lord Layton conducts an interview with the U.S. champ Bobo Brazil. It doesn’t last long enough to know what Bobo has to say before they cut it off to go to a Billy Crystal-looking guy to hype a U.S. title rematch between Bobo Brazil and the Sheik that takes place on December 30, 1972. The special referee for that match will be none other than the legendary boxer and former boxing heavyweight champion of the world the Brown Bomber himself Joe Louis. Of course whoever did the marquee misspelled Louis.

• The Sheik (w/Abdullah Farouk) vs. The Garu
  

It’s definitely Detroit, but I would say 1971. The people chant “Sheik is a freak” while he’s trying to his Muslim prayer at the beginning of the match, which is an awesome chant. In case you don’t know, Farouk is the Grand Wizard in the WWWF. He’s like Sydney Greenstreet in Casablanca wearing that fez. Garu grabs a headlock as Sheik drools for the camera. GROSS! Sheik hammers on Garu to take control. He bites and claws at Garu. He drops knees on Garu and rips at his face. Sheik hits Garu over the back with a wooden stool. As Garu gets back inside the ring, Sheik applies the CAMEL CLUTCH for the submission win in 3:34. After the bell, Sheik won’t immediately release the hold, so Lord Layton reaches inside the ropes and slaps Sheik across the face to get him off Garu. Crowd goes NUTS. Layton just can’t stand back and watch this go on without interfering. Abdullah gives Layton what for, but Layton won’t put up with him. Lord Layton says he’ll stick his nose in every time it’s needed with the Sheik around.

They show a clip from 1967-68 WWWF TV where the Sheik does the fireball trick right in front of Ray Morgan and Abdullah Farouk’s faces. AWESOME.

I feel like Chuck Allen is being real methodical and intentional with his phrasing to try and give his words more of a feeling of meaning and importance, but it just comes off uninteresting by this point.

• The Sheik (w/Abdullah Farouk) vs. Tom Jones
  

I’m going to say Toronto, 1970. And no, it’s not Tom Jones the singer. This Tom Jones is an African American has some SLICK looking hair. He’s an old NWA territory guy. He won tag team gold with different partners in Texas, Oklahoma, Los Angeles, and Portland. Lord Layton calls Jones one of his favorites. Before the bell even sounds, Farouk insists that the ref check Jones’ boots and that’s when the Sheik strikes. Jones then punches Sheik out of the ring. Now Sheik does his prayer to Allah. Finally, the bell rings. Jones punches Sheik back into a corner, but Sheik goes low and grinds Jones down into a hammerlock. With the hold still applied, Sheik does a flip over Jones really wrenching the arm. When the ref decides Jones has had enough, Sheik won’t release the hold. (1:41) The ref calls for Farouk to get his man off Jones, but Farouk doesn’t seem to be too concerned. I was expecting much more out of this match especially since we had so much time left. Anyways, old man Whipper Billy Watson gets in the ring and pulls Sheik off of Jones. Unfortunately, he’s an old man and gets tossed aside and beaten at ringside. When Watson gets up on his feet, he does manage to punch back at Sheik as they go backstage off-camera. The fans circle the ring and start throwing trash at Abdullah Farouk. Ahh, the good old days. Abdullah Farouk gets out of the ring and says breaking the arm of Tom Jones was done in order to send a message to Mighty Igor.

Why is Chuck Allen turning purple all a sudden?

He tells us about the Sheik and Bobo Brazil’s story. Sheik and Bobo feuded for years and Bobo never won the U.S. title that belonged to the Sheik until he said he would retire if he didn’t win the U.S. title the next time they wrestled. Well, of course Bobo won. Sheik complained there was a fast count and will be keeping an eye on referee Joe Louis during their bout on December 30. Bobo has been training SUPER hard for this match because of how important it is to him. So come out and support the man we love – BOBO BRAZIL. When these two meet in the ring for the U.S. championship, it’s a main event anywhere in the world.

One more shot at the marquee for tomorrow’s card and we’re out.

Well *that* was a HARD SELL for a show, folks. Geez. A whopping 47 minutes of footage and only a little more than 10 whole minutes of wrestling. It’s like a RAW from 1999.

When we come back to Detroit, we will go to 1976 where Pampero Firpo is the U.S. champ. Don’t know who that is? Well, join us next time and find out!

Until next time, so long for now.