How did Skandor Akbar throw fireballs?
The General, according to former referee James Beard, did this with some sort of chemical mixture. However, most wrestlers who have used the fireball gimmick have done it by igniting flash paper (sheets of nitrocellulose which burn brightly within a fraction of a second, commonly used by magicians) with a cigarette lighter. The late Ed Farhat, who wrestled as The Sheik, was probably the most famous practitioner of this trick other than Akbar. Flash paper is sold damp with distilled water in a resealable bag and, for obvious reasons, must be stored that way until 24 hours before you’re ready to use it, whereupon it must be air-dried, one sheet at a time. As with any pyrotechnic material, trying it at home is not recommended; although it burns quickly, it’s still quite hazardous unless you know exactly what you’re doing. For much, much more than most people would ever want to know about nitrocellulose, click here.
