Vale Adnan Al-Kaissie 1939-2023

The wrestling world has lost a man of many names and many talents. Adnan Al-Kaissie, also know under the moniker of Billy White Wolf, and more likely to be known as General Adnan to WWF fans of the 1990’s, passed away on the 6th of September at the age of 84.

Born in Iraq in 1939, Al-Kaissie began his professional wrestling career in 1959 as Billy White Wolf in the United States. He was invited back to Iraq in 1971 to compete against the likes of Andre The Giant. Back in the US, teaming with Chief Jay Strongbow, Al-Kaissie would be the first Iraqi and first Arab to compete in a WWF ring.

Al-Kaissie, under the ring name of Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie, engaged in a feud for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship against Nick Bockwinkel, as well as challenging for the AWA World Tag Team Championships alongside “Crusher”Jerry Blackwell. Al-Kaissie was forced to retire due to injury during this time and Ken Patera was brought in to team with Blackwell while Al-Kaissie would manage the pair.

During Sgt. Slaughter’s run as an Iraqi sympathiser in 1990, Al-Kaissie was brought into the WWF as the former’s manager and repackaged as General Adnan. He would feature in Slaughter’s feuds against The Ultimate Warrior, whom Slaughter would defeat at the Royal Rumble ’91 for the WWF Championship, and for the feud against Hulk Hogan, including a match at WrestleMania VII, where Hogan won the belt.