Sweet Daddy Siki passes away at 91

Sweet Daddy Siki has died. 

Siki had been battling Alzheimer’s disease and passed away at Toronto’s Humber Hospital on Tuesday. News of his passing was first reported by Slam Wrestling’s Greg Oliver, who received an email from Siki’s son. 

“He lived a long life, did what he wanted to do, and made a successful career out of entertainment,” wrote Reg James. 

Siki, who moved to Toronto in 1961, was a top draw for Canadian promotions such as Maple Leaf Wrestling, Grand Prix Wrestling, and Stampede Wrestling throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He also trained wrestlers in Toronto’s Sully’s Gym and helped develop future stars Adam Copeland and Christian Cage. 

Scott D’Amore’s Maple Leaf Pro wrote of Siki’s passing:

“MAPLE LEAF PRO sends its condolences to the family, friends, and fans of a true Maple Leaf Wrestling ICON, Sweet Daddy Siki, who passed away on December 31 at the age of 91. Siki arrived in Toronto in 1961 and over the next few decades became an integral part of Canadian wrestling history and one of our country’s greatest entertainers and a true ambassador for what Canadian wrestling was and could be! Rest in Peace, Sweet Daddy!”

While Siki’s real name is often said to be Reginald Siki, and his birth year is listed as 1940, Greg Oliver writes that he kept his true backstory hidden from most. 

“For the record, he was born Elkin James, on June 16, 1933, in Grimes, Texas, northwest of Houston, to parents who were 60 hours-a-week farm laborers,” Oliver wrote.

In 2017, the CBC produced a documentary on Siki’s life and career (written by Greg Oliver) that featured interviews with Bret Hart, Adam Copeland, Bruno Sammartino, Virgil, Dominic DeNucci, Santino Marella and many others. 

A singer in addition to a wrestler as well, Siki ran a karaoke night at Toronto’s Duke Tavern for years, but the event ceased to run following the COVID-19 pandemic. He also wrote and sang his theme song, “I Am So Proud of What I See,” during the later part of his in-ring career. 

Numerous people from the wrestling world have been paying tribute to Siki online in the wake of his passing.