Modern Day Singles Wrestler
Tiger Khan
"I Remember Tiger Kahn"
By Lanny "The Genius" Poffo
I remember Tiger Khan
The handshake and the smile
The presence of sincerity
The absence of beguile
He made a wish to be a star
He gave it all he had
But now he's gone at 33
And we are feeling sad
So many dreams are trampled
Down the road that never ends
But Marlon is beloved
By his family and his friends
I remember Tiger Khan
The handshake and the smile
The presence of sincerity
The absence of beguile
A former main-eventer for the legendary Calgary Stampede Promotion, this
veteran was a world traveler, having appeared in Trinidad, England, Wales,
Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, the U.S., and a variety of other stops. With his
classic “foreign heel” gimmick, he’s faced such legends
as Jerry Lawler, King Kong Bundy and Sabu.
A fan since the age of 12, he started training at the age of 16 with Bobby Bold Eagle at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn. Others who started with him, circa 1989, included Jason Knight (later of ECW), Lou "Falcon" Coperis, The Black Sheep / Shark Attack Kid, Sandy Beach (Rick Allen), and Primo Carnero. He debuted at the age of 17 on a small show in a small club in New Jersey against Lou "Falcon" Coperis. (A show that Ron and I attended).
The key promotion for Khan was UCW in the Northeast, and it allowed him to meet many people that would shape his future, including Bruce Hart. Khan decided that there was still much to learn, and went west to Calgary.
However, as Tiger Mahatma Khan, he soon found himself in the role of locker room leader with the very young Stampede roster, and in a key spot behind-the-scenes with the promotion as well.
Aside from Stampede, Khan made dozens of overseas trips -- Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, England, Wales., Trinidad -- and got to know bigger names like The Barbarian, Luna Vachon and Gangrel, Pierre Carl Ouellet.
In 2001, the buyout of WCW really devastated Khan. He had been training in Atlanta at the Power Plant, and felt that his big chance was just around the corner.
Tiger Khan died on June 26, 2006. However, his memory lives on in the documentary "Fire in the Blood: The Tiger Khan Story"
Marlon “Tiger Khan” Kalkai was a pro wrestler who travelled the world for well over a decade in pursuit of his dream- making it in the world of professional wrestling.
Along the way he made some bad choices and that dream tragically died with him in 2006.
In the documentary Tiger Khan- Fire in the Blood, Franco Frassetti and Tiger’s close friend Evan Ginzburg look at the colorful life and tragic death at age 33 of this respected and beloved athlete.
Frassetti is an experienced documentary director whose upcoming film In The Ring of Honor chronicles the life and times of Bruno Sammartino. Evan Ginzburg served as Associate Producer on Darren Aronofsky’s critically acclaimed The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke. The picture won best film at the 2008 Venice Film Festival and will close the prestigious New York Film Festival.
Two plus years in the making, Tiger Khan- Fire in the Blood features
original music by Sounds of Tibet and Ansel Matthews, footage from the
poignant 2007 Tiger Khan Memorial Show, rare photographs, interviews with
legendary professional wrestlers, animation, in-ring footage of Tiger
in action, as well as interview footage of Tiger himself talking about
his passion for life and the wrestling business.
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Courtesy (and for more info) http://www.evanginzburg.com
(compiled by Brett Schwan)
