RF VIDEO sat down with one of the biggest heel managers of the 80’s and 90’s Skandor Akbar. Akbar has worked all over the place from Mid South, Texas, Global and other promotions over seas. Akbar talks about working for promoters like Bill Watts, Frtiz Von Erich and Vince Sr. How did the Arab community feel about his gimmick? How far did fans go to try to hurt him? What did Akbar do to keep his gimmick believable at all times? Why didn’t he ever go to WWF or WCW? What was the business like in the territory days? You’ll learn about it all from booking to managing as Akbar shares wrestling history. He also talks about Danny Hodge, Ox Baker, Junkyard Dog, Kamala, Missing Link, Hacksaw Duggan, Ted Dibiase, Andre The Giant, Bruiser Brody, Bradshaw and many more!!!
How did you get into weightlifting
What kind of an influence did your uncles have on your career
Did you ever think of competing in weightlifting or body building
How old were you when you first started wrestling
what did you like about it
How did you meet Lou Thesz
What was the training like
How real did Lou take wrestling
Do you think he ever took it too seriously
Thoughts on Al Haft
Thoughts on Jim Barnett
Memories of wrestling in Australia
Initial memories of Danny Hodge
Was he as good as they say
Memories teaming with Danny
Did you ever feel overwhelmed
Initial memories of Fritz Von Erich
How did you come up with Skandor Akbar and what does it mean
How did wrestling change with the cultural change in American society in the late 60s and early 70s
What are your thoughts on WWE did last year with Mohammed Hussan
What was the party and groupie scene like in the 70s
Did you ever meet any celebrities that came to watch
Were you ever considered to be world champ with your background and training by Lou
Memories of the Georgia territory
Thoughts on Ox Baker
What was the craziest country you ever wrestled in
Thoughts on Dusty Rhodes
Thoughts on Sam Muchnik
Thoughts on the Sheik
Why did you go from wrestling to managing
Was it harder than you thought
Could you make a good living managing on the territories
Thoughts on the Funks
Good rib stories
Good road stories
What did you like most about the Texas territories
Who were your favorite guys you liked to manage and why
Least favorite
Did any of your guys ever get carried away and really start believing you were his manager outside of the ring
Memories of working against Danny Hodge
Can you talk about wearing a bulletproof vest
Initial memories of Bill Watts
Do you think Bill can book in todays climate
Did you ever have any disagreements with Bill
Thoughts on JYD
Thoughts on Ernie Ladd
Thoughts on Magnum TA
Do you think he could have been thee man if he didn’t have the accident
Thoughts on Hacksaw Duggan
Thoughts on Andre
Do you remember Hogan coming into Mid South and having probs with Andre on a superdome show
What was it like to travel with these guys…who were your fav travel partners
Is there someone you saw that you thought would make it and didn’t
Is there someone you thought would never make it that did
Memories of the Von Erichs
How out of control were they
Did anyone ever talk to Fritz
Memories of Chris Adams
Memories managing Kevin Von Erich
What were the differences between working in World Class and working in Mid South
When you returned to Mid South and it turned into UWF, did you think Bill would make it nationally?
How did Bill change with the pressure
Did you ever have any talks with Vince over the years about managing
Thoughts on the Freebirds
Thoughts on the Missing Link
Thoughts on Leroy Brown
Thoughts on Missy Hyatt
Memories of Bruiser Brody
Thoughts on his and Davids death
Memories working with Billy Robinson
Thoughts on Abdullah the Butcher
A lot of fans still talk about when you used the fireball, can you talk about it
Thoughts on Gary Hart
Were there ever any rivalries among managers for spots
Thoughts on Verne Gagne
Thoughts on Kimala
Thoughts on Ted Dibiase
Thoughts on Steve Williams
What do you remember about the sale of UWF to Crockett
Do you think that they missed the boat on an inter-promotional feud
Dusty said in an interview that due to logistics that he never could do a feud, do you believe that
How different was Texas when you came back in 89
How did Fritz changed
Why do you think World Class went out of business
What were Mick Foley and Percy Pringle like at that time
Thoughts on Eric Embry
What were some crazy things fans tried to do to you during the oil embargo era
Were you involved with texas all start wrestling
Thoughts on Butch Reed
Are you surprised by guys like Terry Funk and Flair who have been around this long
Thoughts on the lack of kayfabe today in wrestling
Why do you think Global failed
Memories of Global
Thoughts on Raven
A lot of guys have said in interviews they thought Gary Young would become bigger than he ever did, your thoughts on him
Is booking a thankless job
Advice for young guys
Can the business turn itself around
Thoughts on newsletters and the internet
Do you think male managers can still get over
What do you miss most and least about being full time in the business
As a former powerlifter do you think that the business today places too much of an emphasis on size and look rather than ability
Why do you think the business is in a decline?
What are you doing today?
Have you ever refused to do a job and why
Regrets
Would you ever write a book
Could the wrestlers from your era get over today
Do you think the business will ever boom like it did years ago?
Does it bother you at times when Vince brings back legends and makes fools out of them