Author: Sweet Daddy Siki was a groundbreaking professional wrestling icon, trailblazing country music performer, and cultural phenomenon who shattered racial barriers in entertainment. In the revealing documentary Sweet Daddy Siki, his extraordinary journey unfolds through the eyes of wrestling legends, entertainment celebrities, historians, family members, and intimate friends – alongside candid reflections from "Mr. Irresistible" himself.
While imperfect in execution, this raw and riveting film captures the remarkable story of one of professional wrestling’s most charismatic yet overlooked pioneers.
Sweet Daddy Siki – A Harrowing Tale
Chronicling the life of Reginald Sweet Daddy Siki, the incredibly charismatic, introspective "Mr. Irresistible" told the poignant story of being raised dirt poor. His sharecropper dad was "always drunk," brutally beating his mom in front of the kids. They would eat maggot-ridden meat, and when his mom died, he "didn’t go to her funeral or anything like that."
It’s quite a harrowing tale, and similarly, his wrestling career was far from a smooth ride.
Troubled Experiences on the Road
Early on in his career, he had to go dumpster diving to sustain himself on the road. Later, as a flamboyant bleached blonde black heel, the heat was often off the charts to the point where enraged fans even attempted to storm the dressing room to get at him.
Wrestling Buddy Rogers in Greensboro, North Carolina, the KKK was none too happy, although he somehow lived to tell of it. Nor were wrestling promoters on the East Coast seemingly pleased with his marriage to a white woman.
In the ’60s, superstar Sammy Davis, Jr. and actress May Britt faced similar struggles, and interracial marriages were far less accepted in that era.
Unlike so many filmmakers tackling a noteworthy celebrity, they were blessed to have this living history in Siki still around to tell his story. He lived the life of ten men as a wrestler, country singer, club DJ, child laborer, occasional actor, and so on. His eyes were amazingly expressive; you could read their joy and pain in every word he so eloquently spoke.
So, what do the filmmakers choose to do in this 2017-released documentary? They frequently drowned him out with blaring, generic music where you struggled to hear what the Jackie Robinson-like trailblazer had to say.
A Flawed Documentary
I must have lost a good 15 to 20% of the movie’s dialogue before stopping it to put on subtitles to follow what was being said. Frankly, you should not need subtitles in an English-speaking film. And you don’t need overpowering music intended to tug at the heartstrings when Sweet Daddy Siki’s own painful experiences will tear your heart out just fine on their own.
Sometimes a film needs to breathe.
Another very misguided choice was to have 54 – count ‘em – 54 "social anthropologists" and "fascinating wrestling historians" (the promo material describes them as such) among others in an already sparse 72-minute over-analyzing his life. With their access to Sweet Daddy Siki, I couldn’t help but think, "Just let HIM talk!"
The larger-than-life legend was a walking parade. He didn’t need a parade-like cast to tell his story.
Now I fully understand a Bruno Sammartino, Bret Hart, Edge, Angelo Mosca, Rocky and Ricky Johnson, and other grappling greats deservedly singing Siki’s praises. These are his peers, his friends, and in Edge, a protégé. They deserve every second herein, and their comments are illuminating.
But to have a series of supposed experts, many too young to have seen him in his prime and who may not have even known or ever met him, for the most part, felt superfluous.
I love the film’s wrestling and country music footage, and legendary Charley Pride even makes a cameo. There’s also a plethora of dramatic photos and heartfelt tales about this amazing wrestler and man.
Bret Hart describes Siki as an influence on his career and the best wrestler he had ever seen. What high praise that was. And when Siki got in the ring or a chair and looked into that camera, telling of a life well and colorfully spent, Sweet Daddy Siki soared.
My qualms with the movie aside, I am nonetheless pleased this documentary exists in tribute to a pioneer who deserved for the world to know his name.
Sweet Daddy Siki is available for streaming on Amazon Prime and other platforms.
Sweet Daddy Siki: A Wrestling Pioneer Remembered
Sweet Daddy Siki passed away on December 31st, 2024, in Toronto’s Humber Hospital at the age of 91. His passing marked the end of an era in professional wrestling, as he was one of the last surviving pioneers who helped break down racial barriers in the industry during the 1950s and 1960s. Born Elkin James on June 16th, 1933, in Grimes, Texas, Siki fiercely protected his real name and age throughout his career.
After battling dementia for many years, the man known as “Mr. Irresistible” died just before the start of the new year. His son Reg James reflected on his father’s legacy, stating, “He lived a long life, did what he wanted to do, and made a successful career out of entertainment.” His wife Anne had preceded him in death in October 2013.
Beyond his documented achievements, Siki’s career included at least a dozen championship reigns across the NWA, Big Time Wrestling, Maple Leaf Wrestling, Stampede Wrestling, and WWC. His influence extended far beyond the ring – he was inducted into the Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016 and received recognition from the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2023. Up until the pandemic, he had been a beloved fixture at The Duke Tavern in Toronto, where he ran popular karaoke nights.
His legacy lives on through this documentary and the countless wrestlers he influenced, including WWE Hall of Famer Edge (now known as “Cope” in AEW) and Christian Cage, whom he trained at Toronto’s Sully’s Gym. The family hopes to celebrate his remarkable life with a memorial at the Duke Tavern in June 2025, closer to what would have been his birthday.
These stories may also interest you:
- Bobo Brazil, Bearcat Wright, and Art Thomas: Wrestling Champion Pioneers
- Sputnik Monroe: The Wrestling Rebel Who Challenged Racial Divide
- 18 Wrestling Heel Pioneers Who Insanely Freaked Out Fans!
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