Grand Wizard Ernie Roth ( June 7 , 1929 – October 12 , 1983 ) , best known as The Grand Wizard of Wrestling , also well known as Abdullah Farouk , was a professional wrestling manager of many infamous heels . Not a wrestler himself due to his small stature , he was noted for his camp ( style ) flamboyant outfit of sequined jackets , wraparound sunglasses , and a brightly - colored turban decorated with jewels and feathers . Career . Ernie Roth got his start in the entertainment business as a disc jockey , and became involved in professional wrestling as a manager in the 1960s in Detroit - based territories . Roth first worked under the names " Mr . Clean " and " J . Wellington Radcliffe " , but more famously , he also portrayed " Abdullah Farouk " , a man from the Middle East who was sent by The Sheik ' s wealthy " family " to handle their son ' s affairs in the US . Roth on many occasions ( when out of character and greasepaint mustache ) co - hosted the sydnicated " Big Time Wrestling " with fellow announcer Bob Finnegan until 1969 when the hosting chores went to Lord Alfred Hayes . For some of the Ohio Markets , Les Edwards would do the ring announcing for non TV shows . Sporting a turban , Farouk took great pains in trying to control his madman protege . But he also carved a niche for himself as a deceitful , underhanded character who insulted US fans whenever he had a chance , laying a template for heels for years to come . Farouk was a pioneer of " manager interference " , as he physically would attempt to alter a match ' s outcome in the Sheik ' s favor whenever he could ( inciting a full - scale riot on one occasion ) . By the early 1970s , after establishing himself as one of the most hated managers in the wrestling business , Ernie Roth parted with the " Abdullah Farouk " character and began a stint with the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) ( now known today as World Wrestling Entertainment ) , where he became The Grand Wizard of Wrestling . The Grand Wizard of Wrestling , playing the " heel manager " role to the absolute hilt , had an instant impact in the WWF . Almost immediately after arrival , the Wizard managed Stan Stasiak to defeat Pedro Morales for the WWF Championship in Philadelphia on December 1 , 1973 . Stasiak lost the title just nine days later to the " Living Legend " Bruno Sammartino , but the Wizard ' s reputation was still pristine . In fact , the Wizard guided a second protege , the flamboyant and chiseled Superstar Billy Graham , to the very same Championship on April 30 , 1977 , when Graham overcame Sammartino in Baltimore . Graham is now seen as the virtual prototype for later Superstars like Hulk Hogan , Jesse Ventura and Scott Steiner , and with the Wizard as his manager was seemingly unstoppable . Graham and the Wizard were arguably the first performers to be cheered without requiring a " push " as a babyface , once again laying a template for superstars to come . On February 20 , 1978 , former amateur wrestling standout Bob Backlund took on Superstar Billy Graham for the WWF Championship at Madison Square Garden , and managed to dethrone the champion . The Wizard made it his duty to gain revenge on Backlund , sending charges such as Don Muraco , Ken Patera and Greg Valentine after the champion . The Wizard never managed a world champion again , however he did manage the very first Intercontinental Champion Pat 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 . Other proteges of the Wizard included " Beautiful " Bobby Harmon , Killer Kowalski , " Crazy " Luke Graham , Sgt . Slaughter , " Big Cat " Ernie Ladd , Ox Baker , and Cowboy Bob Orton . In the 1970s the Wizard was known as one of the WWF ' s infamous " Three Wise Men of the East " , the other two being Captain Lou Albano and " Classy " Freddie Blassie . They were a loose conglomerate of heel managers that conspired to make life difficult for babyfaces . A Boston radio program , " The Sports Huddle " , would feature in - character interviews with Roth portraying him as a hero . The program ' s hosts once called the White House on the air to ask if The Grand Wizard ( referred to as TGW on the program because " only those closest to the Grand Wizard are allowed to call him TGW " ) was finished with his consultation with President Richard Nixon . When the White House operator said she was not sure , the program hosts said " we have an important message for him , " and after being connected with a series of administration functionaries , succeeded in getting one to agree to take a message to the Oval Office . The host dictated the message : " Tell him to bring home a loaf of bread and a quart of milk . " A example of his interview style prior to an upcoming bout between the Sheik and Haystacks Calhoun Abdullah Farouk looked into the camera and said " Ashes to Ashes Dust to Dust if the camel clutch doesn ' t get you Calhoun the Fire Must " alluding to The Sheik ' s ability to toss fireballs On October 12 , 1983 , Roth died of a heart attack . He was cremated . In tribute to the Grand Wizard , Sgt . Slaughter came out during a match , just after his death , and saluted the empty ring corner . In 1995 he was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame by his longtime friend and roommate the original " Beautiful " Bobby Harmon . Personal life . Roth was revealed to be homosexual long after his death , although some were in the know at the time he was living . He was the godfather of protege Don Muraco ' s daughter . His parents were Evrum Roth and Rizel Stern .