Detroit Big Time Wrestling (1976)

[@Spence12]

I'm impressed with the quality of this video recording. Looks new, despite its age.

[@stacymirba1433]

This is just tremendous. I love getting an entire program as opposed to just a clip. You really get to experience it as though you were watching it back in the 70's.

[@elc1960]

Ring announcer John Adams looks like he was some high school senior who got lost on his way to the prom...

[@anthonythompsonsr1993]

LMAO

[@nomikes4392]

Or trying to find a gay bar

[@rusosure7]

Wow. I grew up in Toledo in the 70's. This brings back a LOT of memories. THANK YOU

[@tonymickens8803]

Chief Jay Strongbow aka "Mark Lewin" LOL! GREAT TIMES!

[@kelsonlopez1583]

WTF was that about?? later he calls him Lewin but I don't understand the first few minutes why he called Mark Lewin "Strongbow"?! at first I thought I was having an acid trip. thanks for clarifying!

[@brunosammartino8287]

Announcer kept telling me I was seeing Chief Jay StrongBow but I was 99.9% sure I was looking at Mark Lewin.

[@NoTengoDinero69]

You’re the best Dave! This is the wrestling my grandpa loved. As a Detroit boy I love Sheik and Cobo Hall!

[@thedavedynasty]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@MrNYCman530]

Sheik's forehead looks like a topographical map of the Himalayas.

[@BonnyRice-qe8yz]

It cracks me up when the Sheik sees the lights above and freaks out 1:11. Also the Sheik was the owner/promoter of Bigtime Wrestling and Motor City Wrestling. Great legend and Abdullah Faquak his manager

[@donsmeltzer4083]

Great wrestling. WWE, take note. Sadly, there will never be another wrestler like the Sheik.

[@Jack21Spades]

Good thing. The Sheik was absolute trash.

[@firewalker1372]

His boy, Sabu.

[@morgansalgat375]

​@@firewalker1372his nephew

[@jamesmabrie8410]

the original Sheik was the most Dangerous Wrestler in Professional Wrestling

[@douglaswesley3875]

Yeah but Sabu learned from the Shiek and took it to another level.

[@geezer4338]

And Bruiser Brody wasn't far behind.

[@TheSpritz0]

My Covid-19 Lock-Down Hairstyle looks like the Ring Announcer!!!!!

[@anthonythompsonsr1993]

LMAO

[@anthonythompsonsr1993]

Hey bro don't feel bad..... I'm looking like buckwheat right now...... Except a little bit lighter.....

[@panthwolfy]

Amazing physiques on these guys during this time. :o

[@algeborusas1883]

That wild man from Michigan, Ed Farhat.

[@jeffdillon3930]

Could watch this over and over!! Thanks so very much for sharing!!

[@Xontar02]

Bob Finnegan apparently doesn't know the difference between Chief Jay Strongbow and Marl Lewin, which is kind of hard to believe.

[@robmacleod217]

what ever happen to Bob still around i remember him from back in the day

[@stormchaserken]

Drinking on the job will do that LOL

[@montauk6]

@@robmacleod217 Bob passed away a few years ago. He got out of the business to pursue a musical career, singing Country and Blues. He apparently made it big in Norway as RC Finnigan. You can find some of his tunes under that name on YT.

[@hannibalebc2775]

No fn kidding

[@robmacleod217]

@@montauk6 thanks for the update

[@phillipstankey8881]

The shark cage match had to be an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the movie Jaws

[@dabunnyman9133]

45:20 The Shark Cage Match should be on every list of bad gimmick matches. There's barely room for both guys to fit inside it. Yet the cage is NOT locked and the winner is the first one to LEAVE the cage. I mean Chief could've won as soon as it started by taking one step back.

[@anthonythompsonsr1993]

Right

[@jimmyhines-oe2ov]

But they made it work. True Professionals .

[@hisroyalhighness8566]

The sheik looked like a 60 year old pizza delivery guy

[@alvinhorhn6524]

52 year old pizza delivery guy

[@jamesbowen8960]

Watch it buddy! I'm a 60 year old pizza delivery guy!😆😆😆

[@kevinpayton2664]

Even though the cage is so small, the fans really got into the match.

[@johnm24358]

We'll.... the Sheiks forehead looks like it was worked over by a cheese grater.....

[@anthonythompsonsr1993]

Oh yeah and then some

[@dangregory9348]

He's a razor slicer for blood

[@dangregory9348]

@RUFUS T. FIREFLY Yep, I seen Abdullah When I was 15 or 16. The schick scene. Baron Von Raaschkee was another

[@moonbeamskies3346]

I always wondered why The Sheik and Abdullah the Butcher had so many scars when they were the ones who used foreign objects. I assumed it was because they sometimes fought against each other.

[@menchitty11]

This was a period before Mark Lewin became part of Kevin Sullivan's freak show as The Purple Haze.

[@jasonpanelli4446]

Even before Lewin joined Kevin Sullivan in Florida,he alternated between his babyface Mark Lewin persona,and his crazed heel one,Maniac Mark Lewin.It all depended on what promotion or territory he was in.

[@desmondcastro3679]

I knew that Lewin had a long stay in Detroit prior to his move to Atlanta and Houston.

[@rogertemple7193]

Lewin was apart of Kevin Sullivan's stable in Florida and was a member of General Skandor Akbar's Devistation Incorporated for WCCW in Texas.

[@tomr3422]

This was before the Austrailia tour I believe - some good down under Mark Lewin videos on YT

[@SammyVideoPlex]

Malcolm Monroe,. A local good heel later in his career. He was never wcw, or wwe, material. But small town he wasn't bad. Keep these videos coming.

[@ottodetroit]

It's Heavy Metal Malcolm Monroe!

[@josephmurrill3644]

Chief Jay Strongbow is not at ringside, Mark Lewis is at ringside.

[@elliyahugenesove9777]

Gee...Strongbow looks just like Mark Lewin, and Red Cloud has a body like Lex Luger

[@williebowen2965]

Absolutely correct

[@blacksmith44]

Lol...

[@SammyVideoPlex]

Love the Original Sheik,. Michigan Hall of famer. Edward Fathat.

[@danielabraham7002]

I think that's Farhat.

[@SammyVideoPlex]

Yes. Sir you are right. Edward Farhat,. My fault.

[@trentaccid2177]

THAT WAS NOT CHIEF JAY STRONGBOW OUTSIDE THE RING THAT IS MARK LEWIN HOLDING THE BELT.

[@algeborusas2775]

The Sheik owned this operation.

[@Karlketola]

In one of the matches, a man named Mike Thomas wrestled. He looked suspiciously like a ring announcer from around 1972, also named Mike Thomas. Kind of like Ernie Roth was the play-by-play man for matches in the mid-60s, then became the Sheik's manager, Abdullah Farouk, in the late '60s, then the Grand Wizard in the WWF in the 70s. Well, they both worked for Ed Farhat.

[@monsterram6617]

You're talking about Michael Thomas Farhat, Ed Farhat's nephew who was a ring announcer and wrestled as both Mike Thomas and The Patriot in the early to mid 1970's.

[@jdbankshot]

omg, 34:00, the plaid pantsuit on that lady!!! ya gotta love the 70's...

[@anthonythompsonsr1993]

Ha

[@randymiller3949]

You're right about the 70s...you gotta love that decade!!! How about the man sitting ringside at 37:00 in the WHITE LEISURE SUIT & BUTTYFLY COLLAR WHITE SHIRT!!! Much love from Mobile Alabama.

[@jdbankshot]

@@randymiller3949 yup, noticed him too! i doubt if everyday, regular fashion will ever get as flamboyant as the 70's. cheers from screwjob city, home of the rougeau's, montreal.

[@anthonyowsley8286]

The announcer kept calling Mark Lewin Chief Strongbow.........

[@williebowen2965]

Even Stevie Wonder can tell the difference between Mark Lewin and Chief J.Strongbow.

[@anthonyowsley8286]

@@williebowen2965 that announcer was dang sure having a time doing so.

[@stupullenchannel3525]

Strongbow??? I remember this stuff, I got into the pro wrestling circuit about 5 years after this.

[@timroelofsen1563]

Strongbow wasn’t even Native.:: He was Italian LoL 😆

[@candyb357]

This strongbow wasn’t that strongbow. Looks nothing like him.

[@alvinhorhn6524]

A bit of trivia for everyone, Hal Light is the son of Harry Light, the founder of the Detroit promotion that Shiek eventually bought from Johnny Doyle and Jim Barnett. Light is also recognized as one of the six founders of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

[@Handsome_Gary_Kamensack]

At the 47 minute mark, we see " the Islanders", who later became The Wild Samoans. They had to change their name to not be confused with the NewYork Islanders, who were winning 4 Stanley Cups in a row at that time in the late 70's.

[@toddburgess8285]

Next years Wrestlemania main event, Shark Cage match.

[@bullettoothjosh]

Lol Bobby wearing his Christmas sweater to the ring.

[@Coodeville]

I see Marl Lewin. Where the heck is Strongbow?

[@DavidSnay]

This was great! Thanks.

[@cheyenneasiafoxe292]

The original Sheik!!!!....no one like him....ever!

[@hisroyalhighness8566]

What the hell was that on the top of the sheik's stomach

[@zockosriffs]

Sheik has been washing his face with a rake again.

[@Jack21Spades]

A left-handed CLAW??? I've never seen that before...

[@paigesutherland7932]

My Dad was left handed

[@robertgillen979]

Mark Lewin AKA the Italian Indian Chief Jay Stronbow VS The Purple Haze is a match I wanna see.

[@thebrotherhoodofsleep9857]

That belt is beautiful!

[@MrChiefwahoo]

Looks like Mark Lewin to me

[@scottanderson4416]

Does anyone remember a wrestler named Axe Grossman? He wore a mask, initially, but would take it off to reveal a grotesquely scarred face. At haunted me as a kid in the late 70's and believe he wrestled with Walter Johnson in a tag match.

[@allanpeck8523]

It was fake scars. I remember he removed the mask during an interview on a TV studio broadcast once, and the rubber started to peal off of his face. He quickly pressed it back in place. Evidently, the heat from wearing the mask, the heat from the studio lights along with sweat caused the glue to melt, and the application came loose. His manager at the time I can't recall his name, but he said something like, "Whoa, whoa, look at all that damage, and it's peeling off." "This is just horrible, and there's children watching." "Let me put it back in place Axe, and you cover it with your hand while I put your mask back on." They both were scrambling because the gimmick was exposed, but they handled it well, and it's been a lasting memory.

[@nomikes4392]

The cage is hilarious. I've seen another one in this promotion made out of chicken wire

[@anthonythompsonsr1993]

Horribly beautiful

[@hamanu666]

I just LOL at the sheer ridiculousness of that small cage. The stipulation should have been throw your opponent into the cage and lock him inside like a casket match. Gotta love the gimmick matches, some worked and some were just terrible yet funny at the same time.

[@morgansalgat375]

Anyone know what the bandage was on sheiks stomach? Hernia injury possibly? Proud2b from s.e. michigan and have such a great territory as a part of wrestling history!

[@puck30]

How do you say it's Strongbow when it's Lewin sitting next to you.

[@nickmad887]

thanks

[@matthewgombos1102]

Mark Lewin ? I thought that was Cheif Jay Stongbow!

[@anthonythompsonsr1993]

I think there was a lot of pot smoking goin on.... Lol

[@misterslats]

What building is this? Doesn't sound or look like a big crowd.

[@Jim-Tuner]

A real Detroit Cage Match. They just don't do those anymore....

[@40TheFreshMan]

Sweet Daddy Malcolm Monroe!

[@anthonythompsonsr1993]

Straight pimp

[@richgarrard2889]

Is it just me or does the referee for the shark cage match look a lot like Bulldog don Kent's future partner at this point, Dr. Jerry Graham Jr (Jerry Jaffe)?

[@jimmyhines-oe2ov]

It is

[@Nicholas-dreamlove]

Uhh, you're under the misconception that Mark Lewin is "Chief Jay Strongbow" which is false.

[@Blondie472]

I've never seen this kinda cage match? It's origins no doubt began with an altercation in a phone booth..

[@ginnymagurno7796]

One of a kind

[@larry45044]

i remember don kent was with tag team fabulous kangaroos with al costello

[@heatherwaibel6361]

Anyone know what was on the Shek

[@scoh840]

What would the sheik do if a match was scrpted to last longer than 30 seconds?

[@carlosdanger947]

Damn did the Sheik or Chief Red cloud ever see the inside of a gym?

[@hisroyalhighness8566]

What are you talking about? Those 2 dudes were Specimens

[@algeborusas1883]

Old time wrestlers were chunky, not too muscular.

[@polopopolo2197]

Chief Jay Strongbow. Hey ya, paisan!

[@matthewgombos1102]

That's Mark Lewin . Lmao

[@polopopolo2197]

Matthew Gombos Holy shit, that is.

[@docholliday6338]

Anyone know what the bandage on the sheik is for?

[@alvinhorhn6524]

Sheik had gallbladder surgery and that bandage covered the incision. Later, when the bandage is removed is the ugliest scar you will ever see

[@matthewgombos1102]

Nice sweater.

[@ryanvannice7878]

We have an ugly Christmas sweater contest at work. Think I'd win hands down with that one.

[@jeffreymihalko6392]

Looks like the Tolexo Smoke Arena

[@stevekrause5931]

Boy, those Sheik matches were over fast! Maybe 2 minutes max.

[@kevinlaw405]

Anyone know where this was Filmed? Great Stuff!

[@kevinlaw405]

Looks Like a Hockey Arena

[@mag-nm7tw]

@@kevinlaw405I'm guessing Cobo Arena in Detroit. That was the home of the Big Time Wrestling franchise which was also ran by the Sheik. That's probably why he was the US champion most of the time.

[@Xontar02]

This definitely was not Cobo. I'm not 100% sure, but I think this might be in Toledo.

[@PubeStache]

@@Xontar02 In the Toledo Sports Arena?

[@paigesutherland7932]

This is in Dayton, Ohio November 10, 1975.

[@BlackbeanCatVC15]

When is the movie coming out?

[@chrismorgan7494]

What the hell is growing out of Sheik's belly? 🤔

[@pauldavis5459]

I think he had a gallbladder op. and that was a dressing

[@jeffreyfreeman4843]

A shark cage match lol lol 😂

[@docholliday6338]

Anyone know what's on the shieks stomach?

[@russblack443]

He had just had gall bladder surgery and it's a bandage from the surgery

[@rodhelseth4881]

Check out the shrieks shoes

[@barryt4455]

I wonder how good Lewin's sleeper hold was

[@djbeacon6895]

So does that mean "Chef" Don Red Cloud or Yellow Snow is Eyetalian like Joe Scarpa?

[@algeborusas2775]

Strongbow looks a lot like Mark Lewin

[@rodhelseth4881]

Where is the von Bradner brothers

[@stardust_memories2260]

They're outta control!! Someone get security!!! Oh, the humanity.

[@leemclaury6251]

Mark Lewin was big and muscular.49:43

[@Karlketola]

Why did the Sheik always have a bandage on his stomach?

[@ryanvannice7878]

Anyone know of any Sheik matches 10 years before this? I've just watched some of his 70s matches and I'm not impressed. Maybe when he was younger I'd understand the legend.

[@jimmeer3442]

He owned the promotion, cant loose, hence the death of Big Time Wrestling... sad

[@TerrickTerran]

his biggest stuff outside Japan was probably actually from the 50s.

[@daveconleyportfolio5192]

In person, he was scary. You took a step back when he came close or made eye contact. Some people have that. 100% committed to acting crazy, with blood and brutality. So he wasn't there to "impress" you. You hated him and wanted some big buff guy to kick his ass, and you'd buy a ticket to see it happen.

[@ryanvannice7878]

@@daveconleyportfolio5192 I know he was one of a kind wrestler, but I just don't see the appeal on the KZbin videos. Based on your comment, the live events was where his legend really shone. And I am impressed with his commitment to his profession.

[@elc1960]

That commentator sucked. He can't tell Strongbow from Mark Lewin. Plus Don Red Cloud, billed as a rookie to wrestling, looks more like he's about 40 years old. He's supposedly Strongbow's "blood brother." Strange...Strongbow was Italian and Red Cloud was Hispanic, yet they're both supposed to be Native American. Welcome to the world of pro wrestling in the 1970s!

[@chrismorgan7494]

I was just about to say that 😂

[@blacksmith44]

The Sheik looked like he was about 45 or 50 years old, lol...

[@TerrickTerran]

@@blacksmith44 in 1976, Sheik turned 50.

[@Kayfabe74]

And I loved it that way

[@ernestcruz6316]

​@@Kayfabe74So did I. I was a teenager and didn't care how goofy it could get.

[@jasperscott7956]

A kindlier Mark Lewin.Under Gary Hart,Lewin would let the sleeper hold stay on the opponent a little longer.......

[@TedBronson1918]

REALLY ? The video ends just when revenge is about to be delivered !? Gaaah ! That's as bad as half an audiobook ! It was cool to see Strongbow though. I used to go see him wrestle when I was young, just a few years before this match. He was always a favorite.

[@lanceblinent7909]

What the heck are they going to do in a sharks cage? Two of them can barely move in there.

[@kevinspirek8395]

Interesting matches! Wonder if The Shiek is the Iron Shiek's dad, in real life.

[@hisroyalhighness8566]

Are you stupid?

[@kevinspirek8395]

@@hisroyalhighness8566 Just being facetious! After I posted the comment, I do recall the Iron Sheik as being billed as an Iranian. This older Sheik was announced as coming from Syria. Wouldn't be surprised if nearly 100,%of the supposedly foreign wresters grappling in the United States are actually American citizens. Kamala, for example, is from Michigan. Watching old programs from Big Time Wrestling and others is entertaining. Maybe, I don't take Professional Wrestling seriously enough. The matches may be scripted, but, it is fun to watch different grappling styles from 35+years ago.

[@hisroyalhighness8566]

@@kevinspirek8395 Kamala is from Mississippi and The iron sheik was actually really from Iran

[@mag-nm7tw]

I grew up in Detroit watching Big Time Wrestling and I never realized jus how out of shape some of these guys looked. Especially The Sheik! HAs he ever seen the inside of a gym?

[@davidholdren1358]

Maybe to recruit people to carve up with his pencil

[@jimmeer3442]

Why bother, he owned the whole promotion. Bought it for 50K.

[@Kayfabe74]

Yeah the 70's didn't exactly have a fitness craze going on

[@wallacegeller2111]

That's not the same Shiek I remember when I was a kid in the early 60s.

[@mag-nm7tw]

Ed Farhat was never really in shape. As a matter of fact, lots of wrestlers back then were nothing but overweight brawlers. In a real, non-scripted match, Lewin would have killed Farhat in less than a minute. Oh well. Its was still fun to watch.

[@jdbankshot]

..... 'as a matter of fact, bla, bla, overweight brawlers'. hmmm, ok, lets see here.... harley race, terry & dory funk, billy robinson, verne gagne, lou thesz, nick bockwinkle, pat o'conner, bob backlund, ivan koloff, mad dog vachon (1948 canadian olympian), edouard carpentier, johnny & jacques rougeau, stu hart, rocky johnson, gino brito, pedro morales, don leo jonathan, leo burke, tony garea, mr. fuji, dino bravo (rookie), pat patterson, antonio inoki (& most of the japanese), iron sheik (olympian), young ric flair, young roddy piper, young ricky steamboat, & soooo many more. your 'brawlers', many of them could really wrestle, but fans liked brawling. give the people what they want. in an un-scripted shoot, i think ed would've ripped off lewin's balls in under 5 seconds... or his eyes. i'm not looking for a dumb internet argument, but these 'overweight brawlers' could kill 90% of the ufc roster. fact.

[@Kayfabe74]

It's not a shoot who cares

[@mag-nm7tw]

Look at the Sheik's forehead at 31:20 and see if you can count how many times he bladed.

[@jdbankshot]

worst foreheads ever; the sheik, abdullah, bruiser brody, manny fernandez, carlos colon, terry funk, ivan koloff, dusty rhodes, ric flair, tully blanchard, mad dog vachon, blackjack mulligan, did i forget anyone?

[@shanehowell8169]

@@jdbankshot sabu

[@johnniejohnson9305]

King Curtis.

[@kevinpayton2664]

New Jack

[@Batony]

Very empty arena. The territory was basically dead at this point.

[@Kayfabe74]

It was dying, 1977 is when things really got bad. The end of their hot streak was spring of 1974 I believe.

[@Kayfabe74]

Whe I first watched I like to hurt people in 1985 i became fascinated by the Detroit territory

[@robmiller931]

all i saw was Mark ewin during the shieks match

[@joeyoconnor3039]

The arena should be darker lol

[@MrNYCman530]

Sheik made short work of that ham 'n egger Don Red Cloud and those other two jabronis.

[@larrystroh233]

I like how the jobber tried to act so tough towards The Shiek.

[@gibby100]

Reeseman was know simply as Tommy R in Cleveland wrestling early 70’s

[@elliyahugenesove9777]

Isn't Malcom Monroe the shrink from The Simpsons?

[@troyelich9307]

That may be the smallest ring I've ever seen. 14x14?

[@michaelsmyth6296]

Now I remember why I always thought the matches with the Sheik were such a yawner. All of the story is the Sheik, or is more involved with out of the ring hyperbole. When he is forced to do more than run through an opponent he needs a lot of help.