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Ernie Roth

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This article is about the American professional wrestling manager billed in the WWF as The Grand Wizard. For the later similarly ring-named WWF manager "The Wizard", seeKing Curtis Iaukea.

Ernie Roth
Roth as "The Grand Wizard", 1982
Birth nameIrwin Roth
Born(1926-08-30)August 30, 1926[1][2]
Canton, Ohio,U.S.
DiedOctober 12, 1983(1983-10-12)(aged 57)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida,U.S.
Cause of deathHeart Attack
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)The Grand Wizard of Wrestling
The Grand Wizard
J. Wellington Radcliffe
Mr. Clean
Abdullah Farouk
Armstrong K.
Billed height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)[3]
Billed weight130 lb (59 kg)[1]
Billed fromFort Lauderdale, Florida[3]
Debut1958

Irwin "Ernie" Jacob Roth(August 30, 1926 – October 12, 1983), known by thering namesThe Grand Wizard of WrestlingandAbdullah Farouk,was an Americanprofessional wrestlingmanager.Not a wrestler himself due to his small stature, he was noted for hisflamboyantoutfit ofsequinedjackets, wraparoundsunglasses,and a brightly coloredturbandecorated with jewels and feathers.[3]He was inducted into theWWE'sHall of Fameclass of 1995.

Professional wrestling career[edit]

Abdullah Farouk (1958-1974)[edit]

Ernie Roth got his start in the entertainment business as a disc jockey.[3]He was discovered by Jim Barnett who helped Roth get into the wrestling industry.[4]He became involved in professional wrestling as a manager in the 1960s in Detroit-based territories.[3]Roth first worked under the names "Mr. Clean" and "J. Wellington Radcliffe."[5]He also portrayed "Abdullah Farouk", the heel (villainous) manager ofThe Sheik.[3]He frequently appeared on the Toronto and Detroit wrestling circuit, where local announcer Lord Athol Layton would usually refer to him as "The weasel, Abdullah Farouk".

Sporting a turban, Farouk took great pains in trying to control his madman protégé.[1]But he also carved a niche for himself as a deceitful, underhanded character who insulted US fans whenever he had a chance.[1]Farouk was a pioneer of "manager interference", as he physically would attempt to alter a match's outcome in the Sheik's favor.[3]This sort of interference was rare at the time.[2]

The Grand Wizard (1971-1983)[edit]

Roth began a stint with theWorld Wide Wrestling Federation(WWWF) in the 1970s, where he became known as The Grand Wizard.[3][6]Roth, who wasJewish,[2]reportedly took the name "The Grand Wizard" as a snub to the white supremacy organization theKu Klux Klan,whose leaders were calledGrand Wizard.[7]

Almost immediately after arrival in 1971, the Wizard managed Black Jack Mulligan and "Beautiful Bobby" Harmon. He later ledMr. FujiandProf. Toru Tanakato two reigns with theWWWF World Tag Team Championship.[2]A year later, the Wizard ledStan Stasiakto victory overPedro Moralesfor theWWF Championshipin Philadelphia on December 1, 1973.[3][1]The Wizard guided a second protégé,Superstar Billy Graham,to the very same championship on April 30, 1977, when Graham overcameBruno Sammartinoin Baltimore.[3][1]On February 20, 1978,Bob Backlunddethroned Graham atMadison Square Garden.The Wizard made it his duty to gain revenge on Backlund, sending charges such asDon Muraco,Ken PateraandGreg Valentineafter him.

The Grand Wizard in 1982

The Wizard managed the firstIntercontinental ChampionPat Patterson,and later Patera (who defeated Patterson for the title in April 1980 after the Wizard and Patterson parted ways) and Muraco to the same championship.[3]Other protégés of the Wizard included "Beautiful Bobby" Harmon,[8]Killer Kowalski,[9]"Crazy Luke" Graham,Sgt. Slaughter,[10]"Big Cat"Ernie Ladd,[11]Ox Baker,"Cowboy" Bob Orton[3]and The Masked Superstar.[12]

Other media[edit]

Roth on many occasions (when out of character and greasepaint mustache) co-hosted the syndicatedBig Time Wrestlingshow with fellow announcer Bob Finnegan until 1969 when the hosting duties went toLord Athol Layton.

Personal life and death[edit]

Roth was revealed posthumously to be homosexual, although some claim they were aware of his sexual orientation during his lifetime.[13][14]He was the godfather of protégéDon Muraco's daughter. His parents were Evrum (Edward) Roth and Rizel (Rose) Stern.[15]According to the autobiography of former WWE referee and wrestlerDangerous Danny Davis,Roth was also in charge of helping get the ring to all shows. The position was eventually taken over by Davis himself after Roth's death.

On October 12, 1983, Roth died of aheart attackat his Fort Lauderdale, Florida home at the age of 57.[3][1]Later WWF managerThe Wizardclaimed to be in communion with Roth's spirit. In 1995, Roth was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fameclass of 1995by his friend and protégéSgt. Slaughter.[3]

Awards and accomplishments[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdefghSlagle, Steve."The Grand Wizard".Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Archived fromthe originalon January 25, 2018.RetrievedJuly 19,2017.
  2. ^abcdSolomon, Brian (June 15, 2010).WWE Legends.Simon and Schuster.ISBN9781451604504– via Google Books.
  3. ^abcdefghijklmno"The Grand Wizard bio".WWE.RetrievedJune 8,2017.
  4. ^Horton, Aaron D. (March 2, 2018).Identity in Professional Wrestling: Essays on Nationality, Race and Gender.McFarland.ISBN978-1-4766-6728-7.
  5. ^"WrestlingClassics.com Message Board: Ernie Roth".wrestlingclassics.com.RetrievedMay 25,2021.
  6. ^Blassie, Fred; Greenberg, Keith Elliot (2003)."Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks.Simon and Schuster.ISBN978-0-7434-6316-4.
  7. ^Famous People Who Dropped Dead.Dorrance Publishing.ISBN9781434942623– via Google Books.
  8. ^"Beautiful Bobby Harmon".Obsessed with Wrestling.com.RetrievedJuly 18,2015.
  9. ^DK (September 29, 2020).WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment New Edition.Penguin.ISBN978-0-7440-3510-0.
  10. ^Backlund, Bob; Miller, Robert H. (September 15, 2015).Backlund: From All-American Boy to Professional Wrestling's World Champion.Simon and Schuster.ISBN978-1-61321-696-5.
  11. ^"Ernie Ladd".WWE.RetrievedJuly 20,2021.
  12. ^Edison, Mike (May 12, 2009).I Have Fun Everywhere I Go: Savage Tales of Pot, Porn, Punk Rock, Pro Wrestling, Talking Apes, Evil Bosses, Dirty Blues, American Heroes, and the Most Notorious Magazines in the World.Macmillan.ISBN978-0-86547-903-6.
  13. ^McCoy, Heath (December 14, 2010).Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling, Revised Edition.ECW Press.ISBN978-1-55490-299-6.
  14. ^Oliver, Greg (June 19, 2006)."Managers DVD frustrating but entertaining".Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012.RetrievedJuly 18,2015.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ^"Jon-Roth - User Trees - Genealogy.com".familytreemaker.genealogy.com.
  16. ^"PWI Awards".Pro Wrestling Illustrated.Kappa Publishing Group.Archived fromthe originalon January 21, 2016.RetrievedJune 8,2017.

External links[edit]

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