6 Ways The Iron Sheik Made A Name For Himself In Pro Wrestling And Beyond

6 Ways The Iron Sheik Made A Name For Himself In Pro Wrestling And Beyond

When a legend dies, we often hear the phrase, “There will never be another,” and in the case of Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, known to millions around the world as “The Iron Sheik” of professional wrestling, that phrase fits perfectly. After passing away on June 7, 2023 at the age of 81, we mourn together one of the most charismatic stars in pop culture. But we also celebrate the life and work of a man who won medals as an elite athlete and skillfully managed to attract equal amounts of love and hate as a professional wrestler.

M&Ftakes a loving look at six ways The Iron Sheik has earned a permanent place in our hearts.

1. The Iron Sheik was a really tough guy

Born in Iran in 1942, the sheikh fell in love with the country's most popular sports, Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling. A skilled competitor, he was later hired as a bodyguard to the last king of Iran. When promoting himself as a professional wrestler, the sheikh often made the inaccurate claim that he was representing Iran at the Olympics, but even though it was only a joke, he was trying for a spot. In fact, the Sheikh was a real tough guy who wrestled internationally for Iran and won two silver medals in AAUU Greco-Roman tournaments after moving to the United States. This was followed by winning the gold medal in the same tournament in 1970. The Iron Sheik also served as an assistant coach for Team USA, but came to the realization that there was more money to be made in the booming pro wrestling industry.

2. The Iron Sheikh made a lot of history

The Iron Sheik was trained by Billy Robinson in the same class as Ric Flair and fulfilled the stereotypical "heel" status of foreign wrestlers during this time. He made his WWF debut in 1979 when he won the first-ever over-the-top rope battle royal at Madison Square Garden. On December 26, 1983, The Iron Sheik defeated the extremely popular and long-reigning titleholder Bob Backlund when Backlund's manager was forced to throw in the towel to save him from The Sheik's "Camel Clutch" submission hold. Sheik later lost the title to Hulk Hogan in a match that was considered to be the birth of "Hulkamania" the following year, but The Iron Sheik remains to this day the only Iranian in history to win the WWF/E World Heavyweight Championship.

3. He was always must-see TV

Whether he was playing the "foreign villain" or challenging his opponents to see how many times they could swing a Persian bat (a variation of the Indian bat-swinging exercise), "The Iron Sheik" was always must-see television. While his pro wrestling career came to an end in the early '90s after he teamed up as "Colonel Mustafa" in a feud with Sgt. The new millennium began with the slaughter of characters like Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior and launched the Iron Sheik's acting career, and he appeared in several films and television shows. He even made an appearance, playing himself in Robot Chicken. By the late '90s, The Sheik had appeared on "The Howard Stern Show" and cemented his place in pop culture with a surreal but unforgettable appearance on "The Jerry Springer Show," where he had the studio audience in his hands in 1999.

No question. The @the_ironsheik could hold any crowd in his hands. Even on the Jerry Springer show. pic.twitter.com/Pct5j54dHH

— Scott “Future” Felstead (@scottfuture) June 7, 2023

4. The Iron Sheikh hit his camel clutch on social media

The Iron Sheik not only dominated wrestling, radio, film and television. Incredibly, he has also kept a low profile on social media, becoming a controversial "poster" on Twitter. Most of his tweets contained profanities, often directed at his seemingly real-life enemy Hulk Hogan or whatever was in the news or taking up space in his brain at any given time, but followers soon began to question whether the Iron Sheik was as hateful as his Twitter account portrayed him to be. He gained new fans in the Twittersphere because he seemed to take a tongue-in-cheek approach to the crazy world around him. Its Twitter account is also believed to have been heavily or entirely influenced by its business leaders. The last tweet? “Fuck the forest fires.”

5. The Iron Sheik was a survivor

The Iron Sheik came to the United States from humble beginnings in Iran and grew into a professional wrestling talent for the world's biggest event, but his personal struggles were greater than anything he may have experienced in the squared circle. When his eldest daughter Marissa was tragically murdered by her boyfriend, the Iron Sheik plotted revenge and developed a severe cocaine addiction. His wife Caryl left him and he later hit rock bottom, but was fortunately able to kick the habit and restore his marriage. The couple remained in a loving marriage until the Iron Sheik's death. He also leaves behind two other daughters and five grandchildren.

6. He was respected by his colleagues

The Iron Sheik was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and will live on in the fond memories of fans and colleagues alike. “WWE is saddened to learn that Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, known worldwide as WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik, passed away on Wednesday, June 7, at the age of 81,” an official statement said. “WWE extends its condolences to The Iron Sheik’s family, friends and fans.” Thousands of fans and prominent wrestlers also took to social media to express their sadness and the deep loss of one of the greats. And there was a tweet that perfectly summed up the many gifts from the Iron Sheiks.

“My dear friend Khosrow Vaziri,” his longtime colleague Ric Flair wrote in a Twitter post. "We started wrestling together in 1972. It feels like so long ago! Our paths have crossed so many times over the years, and you were always so entertaining. The greatest line you ever said to me in 1972: 'If I had your hair, I'd be with Elizabeth Taylor!' Rest in peace my friend. Be as entertaining to God as you are to all of us! ”

My dear friend Khosrow Vaziri!!! We started wrestling together in 1972. Seems like so long ago! We have crossed paths so many times over the years and you were always so entertaining. The greatest thing you ever said to me in 1972: “If I had your hair, I’d be with Elizabeth Taylor!”… pic.twitter.com/MG4PO69wP1

— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) June 7, 2023