Sadly at the age of 81, Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, better known as the Iron Sheik, has joined the Squared Circle in the sky.
The Iron Sheik’s real name was Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri. Unlike many “foreign” WWF wrestlers, Vaziri was actually born where he was billed from: Iran. In his early years, he worked as a bodyguard for the Shah of Iran.
The Iron Sheik won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship from Bob Backlund on December 26, 1983 due to Backlund’s manager throwing in the towel during a vicious camel clutch. Sheik lost the title January 23, 1984 to Hulk Hogan and his atomic legdrop. Hulkamania had begun.
Fans of 80s wrestling knew the Sheik best for his tag team partnership with Nikolai Volkoff. Under the management of “Classy” Freddie Blassie, the Sheik and Volkoff took the WWF Tag Team Championship from the U.S. Express on March 31, 1985. The U.S. Express took the title back on June 17 of that year. The angle here was the US/Iran/Russia political rivalry, played out in the ring.
It was kind of a big deal when the Iron Sheik was caught doing cocaine while rival Hacksaw Jim Duggan was smoking weed in a car on the way to a match. For the WWF, an impact of this was that the Sheik was caught partying with his supposed enemy. This destroyed the illusion. The WWF let the Sheik go, and Duggan also temporarily left the organization.
Less than a year after the cocaine incident with Hacksaw Jim Duggan, the WWF deemed the public’s memory short and the Sheik made a triumphant return defeating “jobbers” (the guys who always lose to the bigger names). He bounced around other wrestling organizations, came back to the WWF in 1991, and then wrestled the independent circuit for almost a decade.
In his later years he enjoyed a pop culture status as a minor icon. In 2013 he challenged then-Toronto mayor Rob Ford to a match. Both men were caught doing cocaine during their professional careers. He has even appeared on the Canadian television program Kenny Vs. Spenny, attempting to sodomize Spenny with a bottle! We loved ya, Sheiky!
mikeladano.com 
What the actual eff.
That sucks money balls.
Patooyee. Spit on Jabroney Hulk Hogan.
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I meant to ask Spenny if it was true that his Twitter is run by 2 Canadian guys.
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I never heard that rumour.
2 Canadian guys. Kenny and Spenny. Hmmm?
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There’s definitely a Canadian at his Twitter. He tweets Hip quotes, about Lightfoot, all kinds of Canadian content.
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I kind of wondered how an 80 something guy from Itan was as current, and funny af.
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May I also add that after he lost the WWF title, he got into a feud with Sgt. Slaughter, which resulted in some bloody matches? The Iron Sheik was a strong character, may he rest in peace.
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I actually didn’t know that! Thanks for telling me! He was a truly unique character.
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No problem. Back in the 80s, I was almost as much a wrestling fan as I was a metal fan.
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Me too!! I was just a little late. Wrestlemania was my introduction and I was just learning.
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Me too.
Who was your favourite (and why wasn’t it Macho Man…..OHHHHH YEAHHHHH!!!!!!)
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There was a lot of hatred in North America, especially in the USA towards Iron Sheik. I commend him for playing up the character.
It makes me wonder if there was a wrestler ever physically assaulted in real life.
The way people get nowadays a heel character could maybe be shot outside the ring by an extremist.
On a side note, do you remember the bribe offered to him to break Hulk Hogan’s leg. Not sure who it was from or how much but I do remember something like that.
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Sheik and Volkov.. what a team?
Painted as the perfect villains
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