January 27, 2003 Observer Newsletter: Death of the Sheik, Royal Rumble review
Since the dawn of time, there have been tens of thousands of men who can call themselves professional wrestlers. Of them, not one was more hated. And because of the changing nature of the business, probably no one ever will be.
There have been Sheiks too numerous to count in wrestling, but when you say The Sheik, everyone knows who you are talking about–Ed Farhat. The Sheik was one of both the most famous and infamous characters in the history of the business. If you base being a heel on getting intense, riot causing heat and the ability to draw huge crowds regularly and consistently in the same venue, he was the best there ever was.
Farhat had been in rough shape regularly for the past seven plus years, and had worsened the past two years, several times being on death’s door. His major health problems started after suffering a heart attack after a match in Japan in May of 1995.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.