Dark Sheik
{{short description|American professional wrestler}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
|name = Dark Sheik
|image = Dark Sheik, 2024 (cropped).jpg
|caption = Sheik in February 2024
|birthname =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|07|27|mf=y}}
|birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
|names = {{ubl|Sheik Khan Abadi|Harley Qunt|Dark Sheik|Persian Tiger|Tiger Kid|The Shadow|Sammy K|Bud Stone|Buffalo Sheik|Snakebite Jones|Lucha Magnifico|Lucy D|Girl Raven}}
|resides =
|billed =
|trainer =
|retired =
}}
Sam Khandaghabadi (born July 27, 1985), better known by her ring name Dark Sheik (sometimes stylized as DARK Sheik), is an American professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer. She is best known for her tenure with Game Changer Wrestling, All Pro Wrestling and various other promotions from the American independent scene. She is also the founder of Hoodslam, an avantgarde style promotion based out of Oakland, California.{{cite web |author=Internet Wrestling Database (IWD) |title=DARK Sheik Profile & Match Listing |url=http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/dark-sheik-9648.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007111317/http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/dark-sheik-9648.html |archive-date=October 7, 2024 |access-date=March 29, 2024 |work=profightdb.com}}
Professional wrestling career
=American independent circuit (2001–present)=
Khandaghabadi made her professional wrestling debut in Big Time Wrestling at a house show promoted on September 20, 2005, under the ring name of "Sheik Khan Abadi", where she fell short to Mike Silva in singles competition.{{cite web |last=Kreikenbohm |first=Philip |title=BTW Events Database |url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=28234 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329224305/https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=28234 |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |access-date=March 29, 2024 |work=cagematch.de |language=de}} She known for her tenures with various promotions from the American independent scene with which she has shared brief or longer stints such as All Pro Wrestling, Devil Mountain Wrestling, North American Wrestling and West Coast Pro Wrestling.{{Cite web |last=Saalbach |first=Axel |title=Dark Sheik • General Information |url=https://www.wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=bios&wrestler=16775 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329224304/https://www.wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=bios&wrestler=16775 |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |access-date=March 29, 2024 |website=wrestlingdata.com}}
At Kitsune Gong!, the first-ever event promoted by Kitsune Women's Wrestling on October 22, 2023, she competed in a three-way match for the inaugural Kitsune World Championship won by Unagi Sayaka and also involving Tae Honma.{{cite web|url=https://www.sescoops.com/results/kitsune-womens-wrestling-gong-results|title=Kitsune Women's Wrestling Gong! Results: Dark Sheik vs. Unagi Sayaka vs. Tae Honma, Willow Nightingale & Konami vs. Mercedes Martinez & Janai Kai|work=sescoops.com|first=Tyriece|last=Simon|date=October 22, 2023|access-date=March 29, 2024}}
=Hoodslam (2010–present)=
In 2010, Khandaghabadi founded the Hoodslam promotion as a regular gathering for wrestlers who wanted to perform edgier acts for adults. Hoodslam performances combine the athleticism and tropes of professional wrestling with more bizarre, absurd characters, as well as profanity, sexuality, and public consumption of drugs and alcohol, which are not considered appropriate at mainstream professional wrestling events. As a result, entry to Hoodslam shows is restricted to those aged 21 years or older.{{cite web |last1=Bien-Kahn |first1=Joseph |date=4 November 2014 |title=The Drunken, Bloody Pro Wrestling of Hoodslam Isn't for Kids |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/hoodslams-drunk-and-bloody-pro-wrestling-isnt-for-kids-666/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309130614/https://www.vice.com/en/article/mv54b4/hoodslams-drunk-and-bloody-pro-wrestling-isnt-for-kids-666 |archive-date=March 9, 2024 |access-date=30 November 2014 |website=vice.com |publisher=Vice Media}}
In Hoodslam, {{As of|2024|lc=y}}, she is a former three-time Best Athlete In The East Bay Championship, a former Hoodslam Golden Gig Champion and a former Intergalactic Tag Team Champion, title which she has won on two separate occasions, both alongside Vipress and Anton Voorhees, stablemates of the "Caution" unit.
=Game Changer Wrestling (2020–present)=
Dark Sheik made her debut in Game Changer Wrestling at GCW Effy's Big Gay Brunch 2020 on October 10, where she fell short to Still Life With Apricots And Pears in singles competition.{{cite web |last=Wagner |first=Brandy |date=October 8, 2020 |title=#TheCollective: GCW – EFFY's Big Gay Brunch (10/10/20) |url=https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2020/10/08/thecollective-gcw-effys-big-gay-brunch-10-10-20/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329224542/https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2020/10/08/thecollective-gcw-effys-big-gay-brunch-10-10-20/ |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |access-date=March 29, 2024 |work=lastwordonsports.com}}
Dark Sheik competed in various signature events of the promotion. She made her first appearance at the 2022 edition of the Joey Janela's Spring Break, where she competed in the traditional Clusterfuck Battle Royal won by The Second Gear Crew (AJ Gray, Mance Warner and Matthew Justice) and also involving various notable opponents, both male and female such as Jimmy Wang Yang, Joey Janela, Josh Barnett, Kamikaze, LuFisto, Maven and others.{{cite web |last=Wolstanholme |first=Danny |date=April 2, 2022 |title=GCW Joey Janela's Spring Break 6 Part 2 Results (04/02) – The Greatest Clusterf*** Battle Royal |url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2022/04/gcw-joey-janelas-spring-break-6-part-2-results/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705030148/https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2022/04/gcw-joey-janelas-spring-break-6-part-2-results/ |archive-date=July 5, 2024 |access-date=October 18, 2023 |work=wrestlinginc.com}} At The Wrld on GCW on January 23, 2022, she competed in a Pabst Blue Ribbon Kickoff Battle Royal won by Big Vin and also involving Psycho Clown, Ruckus, Janai Kai, B-Boy, Thunder Rosa and many others.{{cite web |last=Powell |first=Jason |date=January 24, 2022 |title=GCW "The WRLD on GCW" results: Jon Moxley vs. Homicide for the GCW Championship, Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe defend the GCW Tag Titles in an open challenge, Allie Katch vs. Ruby Soho, Joey Janela vs. Matt Cardona, Jeff Jarrett vs. Effy |url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2022/01/24/gcw-the-wrld-on-gcw-results-jon-moxley-vs-homicide-for-the-gcw-championship-jay-briscoe-and-mark-briscoe-defend-the-gcw-tag-titles-in-an-open-challenge-allie-katch-vs-ruby-soho-joey-janela-v/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241127213253/https://prowrestling.net/site/2022/01/24/gcw-the-wrld-on-gcw-results-jon-moxley-vs-homicide-for-the-gcw-championship-jay-briscoe-and-mark-briscoe-defend-the-gcw-tag-titles-in-an-open-challenge-allie-katch-vs-ruby-soho-joey-janela-v/ |archive-date=November 27, 2024 |accessdate=January 26, 2022 |work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net}}
Dark Sheik competed for various titles promoted by GCW. At GCW The Coldest Winter 2 on February 3, 2024, she unsuccessfully challenged Blake Christian for the GCW World Championship.{{cite web |last=Perez |first=Luis |date=February 4, 2024 |title=Game Changer Wrestling 2/3/2024 GCW The Coldest Winter 2 Results |url=https://pwponderings.com/2024/02/04/game-changer-wrestling-2-3-2024-gcw-the-coldest-winter-2-results/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329224305/https://pwponderings.com/2024/02/04/game-changer-wrestling-2-3-2024-gcw-the-coldest-winter-2-results/ |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |access-date=March 29, 2024 |work=pwponderings.com}} At GCW Ashes To Ashes 2024 on March 9, she teamed up with Sawyer Wreck as "Xunt" and unsuccessfully challenged Violence Is Forever (Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku) for the GCW Tag Team Championship.{{cite web |last=Brennan |first=Corey |date=March 10, 2024 |title=GCW Ashes To Ashes 2024 Results (3/9): Atlantic City Strap Match And More |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/results/gcw-ashes-ashes-2024-results-39-atlantic-city-strap-match-and-more |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329224305/https://pwponderings.com/2024/02/04/game-changer-wrestling-2-3-2024-gcw-the-coldest-winter-2-results/ |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |access-date=March 29, 2024 |work=fightful.com}}
At GCW Vs. DDT, an event co-promoted alongside DDT Pro-Wrestling on March 31, 2023, Dark Sheik defeated Saki Akai.{{cite web |last=Wolstanholme |first=Danny |date=March 31, 2023 |title=GCW Vs. DDT Results (3/31): Homicide & Tony Deppen Vs. Jun Akiyama & Tetsuya Endo, Joey Janela Vs. Yuki Ueno, More |url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1245524/gcw-vs-ddt-live-coverage-331-homicide-tony-deppen-vs-jun-akiyama-tetsuya-endo-joey-janela-vs-yuki-ueno-more/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616052258/https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1245524/gcw-vs-ddt-live-coverage-331-homicide-tony-deppen-vs-jun-akiyama-tetsuya-endo-joey-janela-vs-yuki-ueno-more/ |archive-date=June 16, 2024 |access-date=March 29, 2024 |work=wrestlinginc.com}}
Personal life
Khandaghabadi came out publicly as a trans woman during a Hoodslam show in 2019.{{cite news |last=Bien-Kahn |first=Joseph |date=17 January 2020 |title=Oakland's Hoodslam makes room in the ring for a trans wrestler |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/culture/article/Oakland-s-Hoodslam-makes-room-in-the-ring-for-a-14978467.php |work=SF Chronicle |location= |access-date=18 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200117221154/https://www.sfchronicle.com/culture/article/Oakland-s-Hoodslam-makes-room-in-the-ring-for-a-14978467.php |archive-date=17 January 2020}} She was born in Alpharetta, Georgia, in an Iranian-American family and has an older brother. Her mother died of cancer in 1994. Along with her professional wrestling life, Khandaghabadi said she had also trained in martial arts and participated in the adult film industry.{{cite web |last=Joseph |first=Bien-Kahn |date=May 29, 2020 |title=How A Pro Wrestler Found Acceptance In A Sport Defined By Machismo |url=https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2020/05/29/sam-khandaghabadi-hoodslam-wrestling-transgender |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329224305/https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2020/05/29/sam-khandaghabadi-hoodslam-wrestling-transgender |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |access-date=March 29, 2024 |work=wbur.org}}
Championships and accomplishments
- Devil Mountain Wrestling
- DMW Championship (4 times)
- DMW Triple X Championship (1 time)
- ACE Unified Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Alexis Darevko
- DMW Title Tournament (2011)
- Hoodslam
- Best Athlete In The East Bay Championship (3 times) (1 time - with Ean Hancement)
- Hoodslam Golden Gig Championship (1 time)
- Intergalactic Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Vipress (1), Juice Lee (1) and Anton Voorhees (1)
- North American Wrestling
- NAW American Championship (2 times)
- NAW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Alexis Darevko
- Paris Is Bumping
- Paris Is Bumping Grand Prize Championship (1 time)
- Piledriver Pro Wrestling
- PPW Golden State Championship (1 time, inaugural)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 184 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 of 2023{{cite web |last=Ruth |first=Sondra |date=September 14, 2023 |title=Complete 2023 PWI 500 List Revealed, Top NJPW Star Absent |url=https://tjrwrestling.net/news/complete-2023-pwi-500-list-revealed-top-njpw-star-absent/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927095520/https://tjrwrestling.net/news/complete-2023-pwi-500-list-revealed-top-njpw-star-absent/ |archive-date=September 27, 2024 |access-date=September 20, 2023 |work=tjrwrestling.net}}
- Ranked No. 116 of the top 150 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Women's 150 in 2021{{cite web |author=WrestlingTravel |date=October 28, 2021 |title=Pro Wrestling Illustrated Women's 150 2021 List in Full |url=https://wrestlingtravel.com/2021/10/28/pro-wrestling-illustrated-womens-150-2021-list-in-full/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708004526/https://wrestlingtravel.com/pro-wrestling-illustrated-womens-150-2021-list-in-full/ |archive-date=July 8, 2024 |access-date=November 3, 2021 |work=wrestlingtravel.com}}
- Underground Wrestling Alliance
- Queen Of The Underground Tournament (2023)
- Wrestling Pro Wrestling
- WPW Midcard Championship (1 time)
References
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|United States|LGBTQ}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dark Sheik}}
Category:21st-century female professional wrestlers
Category:21st-century American professional wrestlers
Category:American female professional wrestlers
Category:American people of Iranian descent
Category:21st-century American sportswomen
Category:LGBTQ professional wrestlers
Category:People from Alpharetta, Georgia
Category:Sportspeople from Alpharetta, Georgia
Category:Transgender sportswomen
Category:American transgender sportspeople