George Weingeroff
American retired professional wrestler (born 1952)
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George Weingeroff (born November 22, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with International Championship Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, and Mid-South Wrestling during the late 1970s and 1980s.
November 22, 1952[1]
Weingeroff c. 1973 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | George Weingeroff November 22, 1952[1] Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring names |
|
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Billed weight | 233 lb (106 kg) |
| Billed from | Middle East (as Sheik Hussein) |
| Debut | 1975 |
| Retired | 1993 |
Amateur wrestling career
Weingeroff started amateur wrestling in high school[3] and would become an amateur and collegiate champion.[4] He later attended the University of Tennessee.[5]
Professional wrestling career
Weingeroff began his professional wrestling career in 1975 in Florida. In 1977, he debuted for NWA Mid-America based in Nashville.
In 1979 he started working for Angelo Poffo's International Championship Wrestling in Louisville, Kentucky.[6][7] He become well known for that promotion. Weingeroff would team with Poffo's son Lanny winning the ICW United States Tag Team Championship four times. He left ICW in 1983.
In 1983, he would work for Mid-South Wrestling and later World Class Championship Wrestling and Championship Wrestling from Florida from 1984 to 1985.
He would work for All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1987. That same year, Weingeroff and Danny Fargo held the MCWA Tag Team Championship in Dale Mann's Mid-Continental Wrestling Association.[8]
Later in his career, he would wrestle as Sheik Hussein and Abdul Hassan. Also worked in the early 1990s for Smoky Mountain Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling.[9] He also wrestled on the Tennessee independent circuit including, most notably, for Freddie Morton's Mid-South Wrestling Association in Columbia[10] and Bud Petty, Randall Fanning and Steve Bryant's Hardcore Championship Wrestling in McMinnville, Tennessee,[11] winning the heavyweight titles in both promotions.
He would retire from wrestling in 1993 but continued making occasional appearances as "The Sheik" on the local independent circuit. On May 11, 1996, Weingeroff was recognized as the inaugural heavyweight champion for Scott Little's Independent Championship Wrestling based in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. The title was held up following a match against his former student, The California Kid, that same night. He eventually lost to The California Kid in the rematch held in Nashville, Illinois on September 21, 1996.[12]
Mixed martial arts career
Weingeroff debuted in mixed martial arts in Pancrase in Japan on September 21, 1993, against Kazuo Takahashi. The match ended with a knocked out by Takahashi with a roundhouse kick.
Mixed martial arts record
| 1 match | 0 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 0 | 1 |
| By submission | 0 | 0 |
| By decision | 0 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0-1 |  Kazuo Takahashi |
KO (high kick) | Pancrase: Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 1 | September 21, 1993 | 1 | 1:23 | Tokyo, Japan | [13] |
Personal life
Weingeroff is visually impaired.[14] He reportedly had most of his sight restored via surgery.[15]
Weingeroff is the son of wrestling manager Saul Weingeroff.[16] He would train Demolition Smash, Lodi, Mike Samples and the California Kid.
Championships and accomplishments
- Hardcore Championship Wrestling
- HCW Championship (1 time)[11]
- Independent Championship Wrestling
- ICW Championship (1 time)[12]
- Mid-Continental Wrestling Association
- MCWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Danny Fargo[8]
- Mid-South Wrestling Association
- MSWA Tennessee Championship (4 times)[10]
