Sweet Daddy Siki has died. (He was born Reginald James in Texas.)
"Mr. Irresistible" Sweet Daddy Siki, a trailblazing figure in professional wrestling and a beloved Toronto icon, has passed away yesterday (December 31) at the age of 91 after battling Alzheimer's for many years.
Sweet Daddy Siki’s impact on wrestling was monumental. He moved to Toronto in 1961 after facing discrimination in his wrestling career in the southern states by the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) and others because of his skin and in New York by promoters as he had married a white woman. Sweet Daddy, who described himself as the "sweetest man in the universe," became a top draw for legendary Canadian promotions across Canada such as Maple Leaf Wrestling, Grand Prix Wrestling, and Stampede Wrestling during the 1960s and 1970s. Beyond his in-ring achievements, Siki also played a crucial role in shaping the future of wrestling by training stars like Adam Copeland (Edge) and Christian Cage at Toronto’s Sully’s Gym ). He had a second sucessful career across Canada as a country and western and rock 'n' roll performer, cutting four albums and touring towns big and small with his band, The Irresistibles.
He was a familiar and much loved figure in Toronto, performing at the Gladstone Hotel, hosting karaoke at the Duke, hanging out at Dale's and Branco's Restaurants. Sweet and flamboyant and charismatic, always causing a buzz and a good vibe wherever he went.
Obituary
https://slamwrestling.net/.../sweet-daddy-siki-dead-at-91/
"Mr. Irresistible" Sweet Daddy Siki, a trailblazing figure in professional wrestling and a beloved Toronto icon, has passed away yesterday (December 31) at the age of 91 after battling Alzheimer's for many years.
Sweet Daddy Siki’s impact on wrestling was monumental. He moved to Toronto in 1961 after facing discrimination in his wrestling career in the southern states by the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) and others because of his skin and in New York by promoters as he had married a white woman. Sweet Daddy, who described himself as the "sweetest man in the universe," became a top draw for legendary Canadian promotions across Canada such as Maple Leaf Wrestling, Grand Prix Wrestling, and Stampede Wrestling during the 1960s and 1970s. Beyond his in-ring achievements, Siki also played a crucial role in shaping the future of wrestling by training stars like Adam Copeland (Edge) and Christian Cage at Toronto’s Sully’s Gym ). He had a second sucessful career across Canada as a country and western and rock 'n' roll performer, cutting four albums and touring towns big and small with his band, The Irresistibles.
He was a familiar and much loved figure in Toronto, performing at the Gladstone Hotel, hosting karaoke at the Duke, hanging out at Dale's and Branco's Restaurants. Sweet and flamboyant and charismatic, always causing a buzz and a good vibe wherever he went.
Obituary
https://slamwrestling.net/.../sweet-daddy-siki-dead-at-91/
