Because the clock struck 12 on a brand new yr, the wrestling world misplaced one among its most vibrant characters from the previous.
Candy Daddy Siki was a legend from coast to coast in Canada again within the days when World Wrestling Leisure (WWE) was not the only real dominating power in skilled wrestling.
Siki, who was born Elkin James, died on New Yr’s Eve after battling dementia for a few years, based on Greg Oliver, the producer of Slamwrestling.internet. He was 91.
Oliver, who has written 10 books on wrestling, was concerned in producing a documentary on the lifetime of ‘Mr. Irresistible.’ That was one other of the monikers for Siki, whose closing days few a long time had been spent dwelling in Toronto close to Exhibition Place, removed from the place his life started.
“The story of Candy Daddy Siki begins out in Texas and he’s the son of a sharecropper,” Oliver mentioned.
He mentioned Siki landed in Los Angeles after his mom’s dying and that was the place he picked up a ardour for boxing and wrestling.
After serving within the U.S. navy throughout the Korean Conflict, Siki returned house and that was when he started to thrive contained in the squared circle.
“He rapidly grew to become a good hand in professional wrestling, as we name it, studying the game and beginning to get his title on the market,” Oliver mentioned. “He was an early face that was on the Dumont community, which was a nationwide community. And so his title began to get recognized nationally.”
A promotional poster for Candy Daddy Siki.
But it surely was not till Siki switched to his trademark bleached-blond hair that his stature grew.
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“He learns the best way to do the strut from Buddy Rogers. He simply turns into a a lot greater star,” Oliver mentioned. “And he’s headlined many locations round North America.”
After spending a while in New York, working for the World Wrestling Federation, Siki’s star sputtered and he moved to Toronto together with his spouse.
“At that time, his profession type of peters out within the U.S. and he turns into primarily recognized throughout Canada,” Oliver mentioned.
Siki labored the Toronto circuit, additionally spending time in Atlantic Canada working for Grand Prix and within the Prairies as properly for the Hart household.
“Candy Daddy ‘broke in’ round Toronto in 1961 & wrestled for my grandfather in 1964, 1966 & 1970. He labored as a heel & drew wonderful crowds for Stampede Wrestling,” Natalya Neidhart wrote on X, previously referred to as Twitter.
A former WWE champion, Neidhart comes from a wrestling household as her grandfather was Stu Hart, the founding father of Stampede Wrestling, whereas her uncle is Bret Hart and father is Jim (the Anvil) Neidhart.
“Stu revered him drastically. Relaxation peacefully, Candy Daddy. Thanks for all you gave,” she mentioned.
Siki labored the circuits within the west within the winters, and summered within the Maritimes.
“So in the summertime, an important place to be was out within the Maritimes as a result of it was solely a summer season territory,” Oliver mentioned.
“The remainder of the yr, possibly he’d be out in Vancouver or he’d be out in Calgary Stampede Wrestling.”
Oliver mentioned he would additionally usually work the “Toronto hall.” which spanned from Montreal to Detroit.
“Now these are actually the place he received actually well-known,” Oliver mentioned. “He simply by no means actually did a lot in america after he was let go by the WWF.”
Candy Daddy Siki’s profession took off as soon as he modified his look and developed his strut. (Photograph by Bob Leonard).
Bob Leonard
Within the late Seventies, Siki began a wrestling college in Hamilton, alongside Johnny Powers.
“However in some unspecified time in the future, Johnny Energy stepped again and so they introduced in Ron Hutchison as a companion,” Oliver mentioned.
The 2 ran an essay contest in an area newspaper looking for to drum up curiosity within the wrestling college and the winner ended up being an 18-year-old from Orangeville named Adam Copeland.
“He ended up being WWE famous person Edge, at present in AEW (All Elite Wrestling) referred to as Cope,” Oliver mentioned. “They skilled one other man, Christian Cage, who’s one other WWE and AEW star.”
All Elite Wrestling issued a statement mourning Siki’s dying on X.
“AEW and the wrestling world mourn the passing of Candy Daddy Siki. After his in ring profession got here to an in depth, he grew to become a coach to many professional wrestling hopefuls together with Adam Copeland and Christian Cage,” it learn.
The WWE additionally provided condolences.
“WWE is saddened to study that Elkin James, recognized to wrestling followers as Candy Daddy Siki, handed away on December 31, 2024, at age 91,” the group wrote.
Numerous different wrestling stars additionally chimed in to mourn the passing of the adopted Canadian legend, together with Mark Henry and Michael Hayes.
“At this time The Professional Wrestling world misplaced one of many biggest wrestlers of all time Candy Daddy Siki,” Henry wrote. “You at all times be remembered.”
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