The Iron Sheik

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"Iron Sheik" redirects here. For the hip hop artist, see Will Youmans.
Not to be confused with The Sheik (wrestler).

The Iron Sheik
The Iron Sheik in 1982
Birth nameHossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri
(Persian: حسین خسرو علی وزیری)
Born(1942-03-15)March 15, 1942
Damghan, Semnan, Imperial State of Iran[1][2][3]
DiedJune 7, 2023(2023-06-07) (aged 81)
Fayetteville, Georgia, U.S.
Spouse
Caryl Peterson
​
(m. 1976)​
Children3
Professional wrestling career
Ring names
  • Ali Vaziri[4]
  • Col. Mustafa[4]
  • Great Hossein Arab[4]
  • Muhammad Farouk
  • The Iron Sheik[2]
Billed height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[2]
Billed weight258 lb (117 kg)[2]
Billed fromTehran, Iran
Trained by
Debut1972[4]
RetiredApril 24, 2010
Sports career
Medal record
Greco-Roman wrestling
AAU National Championships
Gold medal – first place 1971 180.5 lbs[5]

Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri (Persian: حسین خسرو علی وزیری, romanized: Hossein Xosrô 'Ali Vaziri; March 15, 1942 – June 7, 2023), better known by his ring name the Iron Sheik, was an Iranian-American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. To date he is the only Iranian-born champion in WWE history, having won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983.

Vaziri's career peaked during the 1980s WWF wrestling boom, and his rivalry with Hulk Hogan turned Hogan into one of the greatest television heroes of the decade. He later formed a tag team with Nikolai Volkoff, which won the WWF Tag Team Championship at the inaugural WrestleMania event. In 2005, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

A

Brian Blair; however, the true nature of his relationship with Hogan has been a subject of debate.[6]

Early life and amateur wrestling

Vaziri was born in 1942,[1][7] in Damghan, Imperial State of Iran, and grew up in a working-class family who had little money and no running water. Although his passport read March 15, he celebrated his birthday on September 9 due to his family alternating between the Gregorian calendar and the Solar Hijri calendar.[8] In his youth, he idolized Iranian Olympic champion wrestler Gholamreza Takhti, and he subsequently made a name for himself as an amateur wrestler. He served in the Imperial Iranian Army,[9] and worked as a personal bodyguard for Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his family for several years.[3]

Vaziri competed for a spot on Iran's Greco-Roman wrestling team for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.[3][10] After Takhti was mysteriously found dead in 1968, Vaziri began fearing for his safety and decided to emigrate to the United States to advance his career.[11] In 1971, he was the AAU Greco-Roman wrestling champion at 180.5 pounds (81.9 kg).[5] He later became assistant coach to the USA team for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.[citation needed]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1972–1979)

In 1972, Vaziri was invited to become a professional wrestler by promoter Verne Gagne. Vaziri trained in the same class as Ric Flair at Gagne's wrestling camp under trainer Billy Robinson and then wrestled for Gagne's American Wrestling Association (AWA). He also worked as a trainer, teaching Ricky Steamboat, Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell.[12] Vaziri first wrestled as a face in preliminary matches before a promoter suggested that he adopt a heel gimmick similar to that of the notorious Sheik.[12]

Vaziri obliged and adopted what came to be his

Iranian Revolution.[12] Taking the name The Great Hossein Arab, he won his first title, the Canadian Tag Team Championship, with a partner the Texas Outlaw. He wrestled in Japan against the likes of Steve Day and Antonio Inoki in 1978.[14]

World Wrestling Federation (1979–1980)

In 1979, Vaziri debuted in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as The Great Hossein Arab and won the first-ever Battle Royal in Madison Square Garden, New York City. This earned him a title shot at then-champion Bob Backlund, who pinned him later that night in a 30-minute battle.[15] He later feuded with Chief Jay Strongbow and Bruno Sammartino before leaving in 1980.[16]

Jim Crockett Promotions (1980–1981)

In April 1980, Vaziri began wrestling for the

NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Vaziri left Jim Crockett Promotions in August 1981.[18]

Mid-South Wrestling (1981–1982)

In September 1981, Vaziri joined the Louisiana-based Mid-South Wrestling promotion. He left the promotion in January 1982, making brief returns in October 1982.[17]

Championship Wrestling from Florida (1982)

In January 1982, Vaziri joined Championship Wrestling from Florida. He left the promotion at the end of February 1982.[19]

Georgia Championship Wrestling (1982–1983)

In July 1982, Vaziri returned to

Ronnie Garvin. Vaziri left the promotion the following month.[20]

Return to the WWF (1983–1987; 1988)

WWF World Heavyweight Champion (1983–1984)

WWF Championship from Bob Backlund
, December 26, 1983

The Iron Sheik returned to the WWF in September 1983 and challenged

Persian club challenge. He was successful in his third attempt to swing the clubs, and the Sheik immediately attacked him from behind, injuring his neck in a work. In the December 26 title bout at Madison Square Garden, Backlund attempted to roll Sheik into a bridge pin, but this aggravated his work-weakened neck. Sheik capitalized by applying his Camel Clutch chin lock finisher. Backlund didn't submit, but his concerned manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel and forfeited the championship. This allowed the title to transition to Hulk Hogan without Hogan having to face a babyface champion.[21]

The Iron Sheik rematched Backlund indecisively at house shows and primarily defended the title against

PRISM broadcast from The Spectrum in Philadelphia on January 21, 1984. This match was later included in WWE's Legends of Wrestling 3 compilation.[22]

Two days later, at Madison Square Garden, The Iron Sheik was scheduled to rematch Backlund, who was replaced by Hulk Hogan. Five minutes in, Sheik had Hogan locked in the Camel Clutch. Hogan powered to his feet with Sheik still on his back, rammed him backward into the turnbuckles, and hit his Atomic Legdrop for the pin and the championship. According to The Iron Sheik, Gagne had offered him $100,000 to break Hogan's leg during the match and return to the AWA with the WWF title,[23] though Gagne's son Greg Gagne has disputed this claim.[24][25]

He then bitterly feuded with Sgt. Slaughter, winning a few matches by disqualification, but losing the rest by pinfall or submission, including a "Boot Camp Rules" match.[20]

Teaming with Nikolai Volkoff (1985–1987)

Main article: The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff

As a

pro-American crowds.[26]

Sheik (second-to-last left) with Freddie Blassie and Nikolai Volkoff
The Iron Sheik using his signature "Camel Clutch" submission hold on the Junkyard Dog.

Sheik then usually grabbed the mic and said, "Iran number 1, Russia number 1, USA (and Canada) (followed by a simulated spitting act)." It was all designed (very successfully) to get major heat from the crowd. He also got heat in his interviews with "Mean Gene" by concluding with the demand "Hey cameraman, zoom it," as he flexed his muscles.

Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection.[28] The Iron Sheik character was also seen regularly on the CBS animated series Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, where he was voiced by American actor Aron Kincaid.[29]

During 1986, Fred Blassie was beginning to wind down his career and as part of the angle, eventually sold his wrestlers contracts to new WWF manager Slick before retiring. This included the Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff who would now be managed by the "Doctor of Style". The Sheik was a participant in the 20-man invitational Battle royal in the Chicago portion of WrestleMania 2 which saw 14 WWF superstars in the ring with 6 National Football League (NFL) players. The Sheik was the 13th participant eliminated, at 5:22 by Bruno Sammartino.[17]

Arrest and departure (1987)

In May 1987, "Hacksaw"

2x4 piece of wood while he had Brunzell in the Camel Clutch.[12][31][32] After Sheik's arrest, he worked in house shows until leaving the WWF in October 1987.[33][34]

Second return (1988)

On February 18, 1988, The Iron Sheik returned to the WWF and defeated

East Rutherford, New Jersey.[35] Sheik continued to wrestle on house shows in February and March, beating Lanny Poffo and Ken Patera, and losing to Bam Bam Bigelow. He would not appear on television until July 18, when he defeated Scott Casey in a match that aired on Prime Time Wrestling.[20]

Sheik continued to wrestle that summer, facing Casey in rematches as well as Richard Charland and The Red Rooster in house shows in the States and Canada. During his matches, comments were regularly made about the Iron Sheik's weight gain and diminished mobility. Iron Sheik had also cut promos to challenge then-World Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage, but nothing came of it. Ultimately the return was short-lived. He left again in July of that year.[29]

WCCW, AWA, and WWC (1987–1989)

In 1987, The Iron Sheik competed in Dallas'

WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship.[36] He stayed with that organization for only a few months, followed by brief stints with the AWA, where he attacked Sgt. Slaughter during a match, and Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council (WWC). In addition to reigniting his feud with Slaughter and teaming with Colonel DeBeers, his main opponent during this time period was Tony Atlas, with whom he feuded in both WCCW and WWC.[37]

NWA World Championship Wrestling (1989–1991)

On February 25, 1989, the Iron Sheik made a surprise appearance at a

Paul E. Dangerously's "Danger Zone", where he admitted that he was now training Simmons and was looking for a tag-team partner for him. The angle was eventually dropped and Simmons went on to team with Butch Reed as Doom, while Sheik finished his initial WCW tenure in house show matches against Norman in January 1990.[38]

The Iron Sheik would return after a seven-month absence following Ole Anderson's elevation to head booker. A lapse in issuing a contract notice allowed Sheik's one-year deal to accidentally roll over and continue to work with the company. On July 7 at

Great American Bash 1990 he faced Mike Rotunda in a losing effort in his first match back. He wrestled Brian Pillman, Tom Zenk, Terry Taylor, Brad Armstrong, and Big Van Vader on the house show circuit through the fall and winter of 1990. His final match was against the Junkyard Dog on January 26, 1991, in Columbia, South Carolina, after which he left the company.[39]

Third return to the WWF (1991–1992)

He returned to the WWF again on March 11, 1991, making his re-debut on Wrestling Challenge as Colonel Mustafa, and was aligned with former enemy Sgt. Slaughter. Along with Iraqi General Adnan, Slaughter and Mustafa were portrayed as Iraqi sympathizers during the Gulf War and feuded with Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior. Following Slaughter's face turn after SummerSlam 1991, Mustafa remained aligned with Adnan. He dropped to a lower mid-card position, primarily losing matches against faces such as Slaughter, Tito Santana, British Bulldog, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, "Texas Tornado" Kerry von Erich, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, and Tatanka. Mustafa would challenge for the WWF World Championship during the star-studded 1992 Royal Rumble match. Shortly thereafter, Adnan left the WWF and Mustafa would be without a manager for his final four months with the company, His final match was at a Superstars taping on May 19, 1992, where he defeated Reno Riggins,[40] after which he left the promotion again.[41]

Later career (1992–2010)

Sporadic appearances in the WWF/E (1996–2023)

Sheik in 2008

In late 1996, the Sheik teamed with his old nemesis Bob Backlund to manage WWF wrestler

The Sultan, who had a Middle Eastern gimmick. He would manage Sultan until December 1997. He also for a time during the summer of 1997 co-managed Tiger Ali Singh (with Ali's father, Tiger Jeet Singh).[42]
By year's end he had failed another drug test (he has referred to this as a "medicine test" in various interviews) and was released.

On April 1, 2001, at

Cobra clutch.[19]

In 2005, before WrestleMania 21 in Los Angeles, The Iron Sheik was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his long-time rival and former partner, Sgt. Slaughter.[43] On the June 11, 2007, episode of Raw, he, along with Jimmy Snuka, appeared in a taped segment showing their appreciation of WWE owner Vince McMahon. On the June 18 episode of Raw, he approached McMahon's executive assistant Jonathan Coachman about having his own interview show on Raw. Coach replied saying, "I like the idea and I will really take some time to consider it."[44]

Sheik's last match was on April 24, 2010, teaming with Jay Lethal defeating Dylan Kage with Paul Bearer in a handicap match for Millennium Wrestling Federation in Melrose, Massachusetts. It was a No Disqualification/Countout Match ending when Sheik made Kage submit to the camel clutch on the floor.[45]

Film career

The Iron Sheik made his film debut in The Tale of the 3 Mohammads in 2005. He then appeared alongside

The Eric André Show on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. In 2014, The Iron Sheik acted in a documentary about his life titled "The Sheik."[26]

Professional wrestling style and persona

Sheik's persona was that of an Arab who wore a keffiyeh, a traditional headdress of the Middle east. Styling himself a “Sheik”, an Arabic word meaning 'elder.'

Video games

The Iron Sheik has appeared in video games: he made his video game debut in Legends of Wrestling and has since appeared in Legends of Wrestling II, WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain, Showdown Legends of Wrestling, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, in WWE 2K15, and WWE 2K16 under the Col. Mustafa gimmick, and in WWE 2K24 as downloadable content.

Personal life

The Iron Sheik in 2009

Vaziri was a

Muslim.[46] He married American Caryl Peterson[47] on March 21, 1976;[48] the best man at the wedding was "Mean" Gene Okerlund (whom the Sheik often referred to as "Gene Mean" in his broken English). His eldest daughter Marissa Jeanne Vaziri[49] was murdered by her boyfriend Charles Warren Reynolds after an altercation in May 2003 at the age of 26. Reynolds was taken into custody and later convicted of the crime. Reynolds himself died in prison on May 31, 2016.[50]

Despite promising to repair his family, Vaziri was unable to successfully quit drugs following Marissa's death. Vaziri was reported to have been extremely angered after his daughter's death to the point where he considered retaliation against her killer.[51] In 2005, the family believed Vaziri was a danger to himself and others and forced him to enter rehabilitation; an employee allegedly snuck in cocaine for him.[8] In 2007, Peterson walked out on Vaziri after several failed attempts to make him quit drugs. She returned two years later on the condition that Vaziri sever ties with a friend who helped him acquire them. In 2013, Vaziri said he had been off cocaine for four years.[8]

In August 2013, Iron Sheik's managers Page and Jian Magen[52] crowdsourced $40,441 to write, direct and produce a documentary, Iranian Legend: The Iron Sheik Story Originally, the documentary was scheduled for a 2008 release under the title Iron Sheik: From A to Z.[26] Sheik's documentary was released in 2014 under the title The Sheik. On November 6, Vaziri challenged the then-Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, to an arm wrestling match at his office.[53]

Starting in the late 2000s, Vaziri became known for his comedic Twitter account, which features violent, profanity-ridden Tweets denouncing various pop culture events.[54] He did not write the Tweets himself; his managers, Jian and Page Magen, handled the account.[55]

Death

Vaziri died at home in Fayetteville, Georgia, on June 7, 2023.[56] His cause of death was cardiac arrest with congestive heart failure and hypertension as contributing factors.[57]

Championships and accomplishments

Greco-Roman wrestling

Professional wrestling

WWF Tag Team Champion with Nikolai Volkoff

References

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  2. ^ a b c d e "Iron Sheik WWE Hall of Fame Profile". WWE. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
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  4. ^ a b c d "Iron Sheik Profile". Online World Of Wrestling. Archived from the original on August 12, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
  5. ^ a b c "AAU Greco-Roman National Championships (1953-1982)" (PDF). Amateur Athletic Union. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  6. ^ Kelly, Andrew (November 20, 2022). "The Iron Sheik's Confusing Relationship With Hulk Hogan, Explained". The Sportster. Archived from the original on December 31, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  7. ^ Sumner, Ben. "Hossein Vaziri, wrestling’s villainous Iron Sheik, is dead". The Washington Post. June 7, 2023. Retrieved on June 7, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Greenberg, Keith Elliot (August 14, 2013). "After Addiction and Tragedy, The Iron Sheik Gets Back Up off the Mat". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  9. ^ "THE IRON SHEIK".
  10. ^ Iole, Kevin (June 23, 2013). "The cruel tragedy of The Iron Sheik". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on April 7, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
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  12. ^ a b c d "Iron Sheik Wrestleinfo". Wrestleinfo.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  13. ^ Johnson, Jedd (May 17, 2008). "Napalm Jedd Johnson of the Diesel Crew: Iron Sheik's Persian Clubs". Napalmjedd.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
  14. ^ "The Iron Sheik: Profile & Match Listing - Internet Wrestling Database (IWD)". Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
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  21. ^ "WWF results from 1983, from TheHistoryOfWWE.com". January 16, 2022. Archived from the original on May 19, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  22. ^ "WWF results from 1984, from TheHistoryOfWWE.com". January 16, 2022. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
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  29. ^ a b Flam, Charna (June 7, 2023). "WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik Dies at 81". Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  30. ^ "The Post-Star Glens Falls, New York, Thursday, May 28, 1987". The Post-Star. May 28, 1987. p. 1. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
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  34. ^ The History of WWE. "1987 WWF results". Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  35. ^ "1988". thehistoryofwwe.com. January 16, 2022. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  36. ^ "Online World of Wrestling". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
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  39. ^ "WCW 1991". Thehistoryofwwe.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  40. ^ "1992". thehistoryofwwe.com. January 16, 2022. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  41. ^ "Online World of Wrestling". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on August 12, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  42. ^ "1997". thehistoryofwwe.com. January 16, 2022. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  43. ^ "Superstars - Hall of Fame - The Iron Sheik - Bio". WWE. May 27, 2013. Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  44. ^ "Raw Results-6/18/2007". Archived from the original on December 18, 2007.
  45. ^ "Profile". CageMatch. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  46. ^ Negar Azimi (2008). "Twilight of the Iron Sheik: A wrestler in winter". Bidoun. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  47. ^ Kashyap, Ridhi (June 8, 2023). "Who is Caryl Vaziri? Age, Wiki, Marriage". See Future News. Ridhi Kashyap. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  48. ^ State of Minnesota. "Minnesota, Marriage Collection, 1958-2001". Ancestry.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.(subscription required)
  49. ^ Kashyap, Ridhi (June 8, 2023). "Marissa Jeanne Vaziri Wiki – The Iron Sheik's Daughter". See Future News. Ridhi Kashyap. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  50. ^ "The Iron Sheik is not doing well". For The Win. June 25, 2013. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  51. ^ "After Addiction and Tragedy, the Iron Sheik Gets Back up off the Mat". Bleacher Report.
  52. ^ Greenberg, Keith Elliot (August 14, 2013). "After Addiction and Tragedy, The Iron Sheik Gets Back Up Off the Mat". bleacherreport.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  53. ^ https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2013/11/06/iron_sheik_pays_surprise_visit_to_mayors_office.html Archived December 26, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Iron Sheik pays surprise visit to mayor’s office
  54. ^ Zitron, Ed (February 23, 2012). "Making the World Humble: The Iron Sheik's social revival". Forbes. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  55. ^ Iron Sheik 2017 Short Shoot with Geena Jinev Anac – via YouTube. Starting at 3:45, The Sheik admits the Magens author the tweets.
  56. ^ Sumner, Ben. "Hossein Vaziri, wrestling's villainous Iron Sheik, is dead". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
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  62. ^ Hoops, Brian (May 11, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (May 11): Von Erichs vs. Verne & Don Leo Jonathan, Shane Douglas vs 2 Cold Scorpio". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  63. ^ a b c d "The Iron Sheik, charismatic former pro wrestling villain and Twitter personality, dies at 81". AP NEWS. June 7, 2023.

Further reading

  • Flair, Ric & Greenberg, Keith Elliot. Ric Flair: To Be the Man. New York: Pocket Books, 2004.
  • Meltzer, Dave. The Wrestling Observer's Who's Who in Pro Wrestling. Turlock: Pro Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 1986.
  • Greatest Wrestling Stars of the 1980s, WWE Home Video, 2005.
  • Rahmani, Sina (February 2007). "Wrestling with the Revolution: The Iron Sheik and the American Cultural Response to the 1979 Iranian Revolution". Iranian Studies. 40 (1): 87–108.
    S2CID 144852769
    .
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