Abdullah the Butcher Lawrence Robert " Larry " Shreve ( January 11 , 1941 ) best known as Abdullah the Butcher , and also at times The Madman from The Sudan , is a semi - retired Canadian professional wrestler known as one of the most brutal or " hardcore " professional wrestlers of all - time . He debuted in the late 1950s . The scars in his forehead are said to be a result of frequent blading . According to Mick Foley , Shreve used to put gambling chips into the deep divots in his head to entertain ( or scare ) people at casinos . However , New Jack claimed in his RF shoot interview that the grooves in Shreve ' s head were surgically implemented . An amateur martial artist , Shreve also has knowledge of judo and karate , often including this knowledge in his professional wrestling matches . This knowledge was mainly displayed by him using judo style throws , and karate chops . Career . Despite wrestling folklore , Abdullah the Butcher does not truly hail from the arid desert of Sudan . He grew up in Windsor , Ontario , Canada as part of a family of ten people in a deeply impoverished household . He learned karate and judo as a youth and , teaching fellow children in the backyard , claims to have eventually earned the title of seventh - degree grandmaster . Standing 6 feet tall and weighing a robust 441 pounds , Shreve caught the attention of Montreal promoter Jack Britton , and he soon made his professional wrestling debut at age 17 in 1958 . He initially competed in numerous independent territories north of the border under such various monikers as Pussycat Pickens , Kuroi Jujutsushi ( The Black Wizard ) and Zeras Amala . However , he ultimately created his legendary gimmick of an evil Arabian sadist ; and in a match against Gino Brito ( Jack Britton ’ s real - life son ) , Abdullah the Butcher first distinguished himself as one of the world ’ s most feared rule breakers when he broke a chair over Brito ’ s head and then beat him senseless with the leg . Such acts of violence were only the beginning for the terrifying Abdullah the Butcher , whose menacing figure , excessive violence , and complete disregard for the safety of himself or his opponents quickly established his reputation for ruthless brutality . Abdullah ’ s matches almost always turned into bloodbaths , and he was infamous for stabbing his opponent ’ s wounds with his trademark fork ( or any other foreign weapon that he could get his hands on ) . In addition to his hardcore style , Abdullah the Butcher was revolutionary with his habit of never staying in any one territory for too long , to avoid wearing out the novelty , and maintaining the notoriety , of his character . Constantly roaming from region to region , Abdullah propagated his reputation as the most violent wrestler in the world . Consequently , he was often brought into a territory as a hired gun to destroy a popular fan favorite , and his appearances usually sparked local interest . Since his gimmick required that he speak no English ( even though it was his native tongue in actuality ) , he possessed an extraordinary number of managers over the course of his long career , including Gary Hart , Paul Jones , Eddie Creatchman , Black Baron , the Grand Wizard , J . J . Dillon , Damien Kane , Larry Sharpe , Oliver Humperdink , George Cannon , Bearcat Wright , Big Bad John , Gentleman Jim Holiday , and Rock Hunter , who were all portrayed as “ handlers ” commissioned to control the Sudanese madman , while also doing most of the talking in promos and interviews . He has , however , spoken for himself in promos while in Japan , where they aren ' t considered as important in getting a wrestler over . As a result of his frequent traveling , Abdullah the Butcher usually served as more of a special attraction than as a consistent championship contender . Accordingly , Abdullah never did win a World Heavyweight Championship , though he would capture a myriad regional titles during his career . He won his first major championship on October 23 , 1967 when he teamed with Dr . Jerry Graham to defeat John & Carlos Tolos for the NWA Canadian Tag Team Titles in Vancouver . A few years later , he ventured to the Montreal region , where he had three reigns as the IWA International Heavyweight Champion between 1969 and 1972 , feuding against Ivan Koloff and Johnny Rougeau . He later served as one of the premier rule breakers in Calgary ’ s Stampede territory , capturing the NWA Canadian Championship , as well as having six North American Heavyweight Title reigns during the early 1970s . On June 24 , 1972 , he defeated Ernie Ladd in Akron , Ohio to capture his first of two NWF World Heavyweight Titles . During the mid - 1970s , he frequently performed in Detroit , Michigan ’ s Big - Time Wrestling territory , where he engaged in a classic rivalry against local legend , The Sheik . He teamed with “ Killer ” Tim Brooks to win the region ’ s version of the NWA World Tag Team Titles before defeating Bobo Brazil on February 8 , 1975 for the NWA United States Championship . In addition to his successes in North America , Abdullah the Butcher would also become a true international superstar by performing in the Far East , Europe , the Caribbean , Australia , and Africa . On March 12 , 1974 , he traveled all the way to New Zealand , where he captured the prestigious British Empire Commonwealth Title by defeating the nation ’ s legendary champion John DaSilva . Abdullah would also establish himself as one of the premier attractions in Japan , where he competed as part of the round - robin tournament that ultimately crowned Giant Baba as All - Japan ’ s inaugural PWF Heavyweight Champion in February 1973 . On October 18 , 1978 , Abdullah won that same prestigious PWF belt when he defeated European legend and former AWA champion Billy Robinson ; and then on October 13 , 1980 , he also beat Jumbo Tsuruta to capture the NWA United National Heavyweight Title . His feud with Terry Funk is still considered one of the hottest feuds in Japan , and Funk claims to have had one of his top 3 all - time greatest matches with Abdullah the Butcher . He arrived in World Class Championship Wrestling in 1986 , where he defeated The Great Kabuki for the Texas Brass Knuckles Title and waged war against the equally wild Bruiser Brody . However , perhaps Abby ’ s most memorable encounters occurred in Puerto Rico , where he was declared the very first WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion in July 1982 following three reigns as the Puerto Rican Champion between 1978 - 81 . His violent battles against Carlos Colón and Hercules Ayala are legendary ; and he long after remained one of the area ’ s top attractions , more recently defeating Carly Colón for his fifth Universal Title on January 3 , 2004 . He was introduced in World Championship Wrestling in a giant , gift - wrapped box . This giant box was to be Sting ' s birthday gift from Cactus Jack . Sting unwrapped his gift and Abdullah attacked him , leading to both Abdullah and Cactus feuding with Sting after the incident . The feud culminated in a " Chamber of Horrors " match at Halloween Havoc 1991 , in which Cactus accidentally electrocuted Abdullah in an electric chair , leading to a brief feud between the former allies . In 1993 , Abdullah arrived in ECW , where he participated in a storyline with Kevin Sullivan , Terry Funk and Stan Hansen , and wrestled at Ultra Clash and Bloodfest . In late 2002 , Abdullah made a one night appearance in Ring of Honor as Homicide ' s partner , facing the Carnage Crew in a bloody Bunkhouse Brawl at ROH ' s Night of the Butcher . The 2007 WWC ' s Anniversary show was dedicated to Abdullah the Butcher ' s legacy and contributions to WWC . On December 13 , 2008 Shreve wrestled against Balls Mahoney in Bayamon Puerto Rico during the annual event WWC Lockout . On April 4 , 2009 , Shreve faced Hannibal in Montreal , for NCW Promotions in his last match in Montreal . Abdullah says " I will be active throughout my life in Japan . " During July 2009 , he wrestled in Dragon Gate and Hustle . He also wrestled at the New Japan Pro Wrestling supershow Wrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome on January 4 , 2010 , as well as wrestling for Japanese independent promotion Osaka Pro Wrestling . His entrance music in Japan is Pink Floyd ' s instrumental track " One of These Days " from their 1971 album " Meddle " . In 2009 , Abdullah made an appearance at the Decatur Book Festival , facing off against author Michael Muhammad Knight , marking the first pro wrestling match ever held at a book festival . Abdullah pummeled Knight with chairs , forks , and a water cooler , not even stepping into the ring . Knight was taken from the festival in an ambulance and received 46 stitches . On April 2 , 2011 , Abdullah was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame . Legacy . In addition to his hardcore style , his dietary habits have also become infamous in the wrestling world . He has been shown to eat announcers ' ties , whole raw fish , he once even appeared to bite the head off a live chicken before a shocked crowd . His unpredictable , ultra - violent style served as inspiration for other wrestlers , including “ Maniac ” Mark Lewin , Kevin Sullivan , Cactus Jack , Kamala , and Sabu , among others ; and he still continues to compete on the independent circuit in a career that has now spanned seven decades . Abdullah worked in nearly every major wrestling promotion in the world , except TNA and WWE . He has taken part in Juggalo Championship Wrestling owned by the Insane Clown Posse , facing off against Pogo the Clown and Jake Roberts . Outside of wrestling , Shreve owns two restaurants ( one in southwest Atlanta , the other in Japan ) called " Abdullah the Butcher ' s House of Ribs and Chinese Food . " = Shreve is often on hand to meet fans and sign autographs . Shreve and his restaurant make a cameo appearance in the music video for the song " " Damn ! " " by Atlanta recording artists Youngbloodz . Shreve ' s restaurant was also referenced in the 2006 Film " " ATL " " during a scene where the character Ant ( played by Evan Ross ) and two friends argue over a local barbecue .