The Iron Sheik facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Iron Sheik |
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The Iron Sheik in 1982
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| Birth name | Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri | ||||||||||||||
| Born | March 15, 1942 Damghan, Semnan province, Imperial State of Iran |
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| Died | June 7, 2023 (aged 81) Fayetteville, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Spouse(s) |
Caryl Peterson
(m. 1976) |
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| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Professional wrestling career | |||||||||||||||
| Ring name(s) |
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| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||||||||||||||
| Billed weight | 258 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Billed from | Tehran, Iran | ||||||||||||||
| Trained by |
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| Debut | 1972 | ||||||||||||||
| Retired | April 24, 2010 | ||||||||||||||
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Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri (March 15, 1942 – June 7, 2023) was a famous Iranian professional wrestler. Most people knew him by his ring name, the Iron Sheik. He was the first, and only, Iranian champion in the history of WWE. He won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983.
The Iron Sheik played a "bad guy" character in wrestling. He became very popular during the 1980s. His fights with Hulk Hogan helped make Hogan a huge star. Later, the Iron Sheik teamed up with Nikolai Volkoff. They won the WWF Tag Team Championship at the very first WrestleMania event. In 2005, he was honored by being put into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Amateur Wrestling
Khosrow was born in 1942 in Damghan, Iran. He grew up in a family that didn't have much money. As a young person, he looked up to an Iranian Olympic wrestler named Gholamreza Takhti. Khosrow became a skilled amateur wrestler himself. For several years, he also worked as a bodyguard for the Shah, who was the ruler of Iran.
Khosrow tried out for Iran's Greco-Roman wrestling team for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. In 1971, he won the AAU Greco-Roman wrestling championship in the 180.5 lbs category. He later became an assistant coach for the USA team at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
Professional Wrestling Career
Starting His Career (1972–1979)
In 1972, a wrestling promoter named Verne Gagne asked Khosrow to become a professional wrestler. Khosrow trained with famous wrestlers like Ric Flair. He learned from trainer Billy Robinson. Khosrow first wrestled as a "face" (a good guy) in early matches. But then, a promoter suggested he become a "heel" (a bad guy) character, similar to another wrestler called The Sheik.
Khosrow agreed and created his famous look. He shaved his head bald and grew a traditional mustache. He also wore wrestling boots with curled-up toes, which was a nod to his Iranian background. He started bringing "Persian clubs" to the ring. These are heavy wooden clubs used for exercise in Iran. He would challenge other wrestlers to swing them. His Iranian character became very well-known. He took the name The Great Hossein Arab and won his first title, the Canadian Tag Team Championship.
First Time in WWF (1979–1980)
In 1979, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) noticed him. He made his debut and won the first-ever Battle Royal at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This win earned him a chance to fight for the championship against Bob Backlund. He also had matches against Chief Jay Strongbow and Bruno Sammartino before leaving in 1980.
Wrestling in Other Promotions (1980–1983)
After leaving the WWF, Vaziri wrestled for different companies. In April 1980, he joined Jim Crockett Promotions. He used the name "The Iron Sheik." His bad guy character played on current events at the time. He quickly started a rivalry with Jim Brunzell and won the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship in May 1980. He defended his title against many wrestlers before losing it in November 1980.
He also wrestled for Mid-South Wrestling in Louisiana from 1981 to 1982. Then, he joined Championship Wrestling from Florida in early 1982. In July 1982, he returned to Georgia Championship Wrestling. In May 1983, he won the NWA National Television Championship. He held this title until July 1983.
Return to the WWF (1983–1987)
Becoming WWF World Heavyweight Champion (1983–1984)
The Iron Sheik came back to the WWF in 1983. He challenged Bob Backlund again for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. On December 26, 1983, at Madison Square Garden, the Iron Sheik used his special move, the Camel Clutch. Backlund's manager, Arnold Skaaland, threw in the towel to stop the match. This meant the Iron Sheik won the championship!
The Iron Sheik defended his title against wrestlers like Chief Jay Strongbow and Pat Patterson. Two days later, on January 23, 1984, at Madison Square Garden, the Iron Sheik was supposed to fight Backlund again. But Hulk Hogan took Backlund's place. The Iron Sheik put Hogan in the Camel Clutch. But Hogan managed to get up with the Sheik on his back. Hogan then hit his Atomic Legdrop move and won the championship.
After this, the Iron Sheik had a big rivalry with Sgt. Slaughter.
Teaming with Nikolai Volkoff (1985–1987)
The Iron Sheik teamed up with Nikolai Volkoff. Their manager was "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Together, they won the WWF Tag Team Championship at the first WrestleMania. They beat The U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo).
When they entered the ring, the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff would wave the flags of Iran and the Soviet Union. Then, Volkoff would sing the Soviet national anthem. The Iron Sheik would often grab the microphone and say, "Iran number 1, Russia number 1, USA (and Canada) (followed by a simulated spitting act)." This made the American crowds boo them loudly, which was exactly what they wanted!
The Iron Sheik also appeared in Cyndi Lauper's music video "Goonies 'R' Good Enough." His character was also on the cartoon show Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling. In 1986, their manager Freddie Blassie retired. The Sheik and Volkoff then got a new manager named Slick. The Iron Sheik left the WWF in October 1987.
Later Returns to WWF/WWE (1988, 1991–1992, 1996–2023)
The Iron Sheik returned to the WWF for short periods. In 1988, he wrestled a few matches. Then, in 1991, he came back as Colonel Mustafa. He teamed up with his former enemy Sgt. Slaughter. They were shown as supporters of Iraq during the Gulf War. They had a big rivalry with Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior. After Sgt. Slaughter became a "good guy," Mustafa continued to wrestle until 1992.
In late 1996, the Sheik returned to manage another wrestler named The Sultan. He also managed Tiger Ali Singh for a time in 1997.
At WrestleMania X-Seven in 2001, the Iron Sheik won a special match called the Gimmick Battle Royal. Even though he was a "bad guy" character, the fans cheered for him! In 2005, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his long-time rival, Sgt. Slaughter. His last wrestling match was on April 24, 2010.
Film Career
The Iron Sheik also appeared in movies and TV shows. His first film was The Tale of the 3 Mohammads in 2005. He was also in Operation Belvis Bash in 2011. He appeared in a comedy special by Maz Jobrani. The Sheik also played himself in the TV shows Robot Chicken and The Eric André Show. In 2014, a documentary film about his life called The Sheik was released.
Personal Life
Hossein Vaziri was a Shia Muslim. He was also a former soldier in the Iranian Army. He married Caryl Peterson in 1976. They had three daughters and five grandchildren.
In 2013, his managers helped raise money to make a documentary about his life. The film, called The Sheik, was released in 2014. The Iron Sheik also became known for his funny and strong messages on Twitter. His managers helped him write these messages.
Championships and Accomplishments
Amateur Wrestling
- Amateur Athletic Union
- 1971 Greco-Roman National Championships - 1st place, 180.5 lbs
Professional Wrestling
- All-California Championship Wrestling
- ACCW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- Century Wrestling Alliance
- CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2016
- Georgia Championship Wrestling
- NWA National Television Championship (1 time)
- International Association of Wrestling
- IAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- IAW Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Brian Costello
- International Wrestling Association
- IWA Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
- International Wrestling Association
- IWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Maple Leaf Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (2 times)
- Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with The Texas Outlaw
- National Wrestling Alliance
- NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2008)
- NWA New Zealand
- NWA New Zealand British Commonwealth Championship (1 time)
- NWA 2000
- NWA 2000 American Heritage Championship (1 time)
- Pacific Northwest Wrestling
- NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bull Ramos
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him No. 134 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
- PWI ranked him No. 96 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Nikolai Volkoff in 2003
- World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Nikolai Volkoff
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Most Underrated Wrestler (1980)
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