The Iron Sheik

[RedWine]

The Iron Sheik became WWE Champion the day after Christmas in 1983 when he defeated Bob Backlund at Madison Square Garden. The victory was a controversial one, as Backlund's manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel, as Backlund refused to submit.


http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/3213/92752785az3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


The Iron Sheik held the title for just under a month before losing the championship to Hollywood Hogan on January 23, 1984 in one of the most-famous matches of all time.

Although The Iron Sheik lost, he was involved in the match that launched the career of Hollywood Hogan, which put professional wrestling in the mainstream light for the first time.

A former amateur wrestler in his native Iran, The Iron Sheik was a master of the suplex, although he was best known for his crippling Camel Clutch maneuver.

After losing the WWE Championship, The Iron Sheik engaged in one of the most famous and nationalistic rivalries in wrestling history when he butted heads with Sgt. Slaughter. Slaughter beat The Iron Sheik in a famous Boot Camp Match at Madison Square Garden.

Soon after, The Iron Sheik moved to the tag team division and teamed with Nikolai Volkoff. The foreign pairing went on to win the World Tag Team Championship in 1985 at WrestleMania, defeating the U.S. Express.

The Iron Sheik left WWE in 1988, and popped up in WCW in 1989 for a brief period of time. He then reappeared in WWE in 1991 by the side of former enemy Sgt. Slaughter as Colonal Mustafa.

After that brief stint, he reappeared again in 1997 as a manager of The Sultan. His last appearance was at WrestleMania X-Seven as The Iron Sheik returned for one night only, winning a Gimmick Battle Royal and re-igniting his rivalry with Slaughter in the process.

Height: 6 foot

From: Tehran, Iran

Signature Move: Camel Clutch

Career Highlights: WWE Champion, World Tag Team Champion

Associates: Nikolai Volkoff, Freddie Blassie, Slick, Sgt. Slaughter & Gen. Adnan

WWE Debut: 1979

Trained By: Verne Gagne

[RedWine]

Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, (born March 15, 1943) is a retired Iranian professional wrestler better known by his ring name The Iron Sheik. He is perhaps best known for ending the near six year World Wrestling Federation Championship reign of Bob Backlund.



Career

Although he was billed as having been a 1968 Olympic medalist, Sheik was actually eliminated during his country’s trials.He was the assistant coach of two US Olympic squads in the 1970's.


WWF/World Wrestling Federation: The First Stint (1979-1987)

After moving to other territories, Vaziri was turned into a heel and would do a few things that would complete his signature look. First, he grew a handlebar mustache, added wrestling boots with the toe curled up (a nod to his ethnic background), and shaved his head bald. In addition to adding the Persian clubs and challenging wrestlers to do as many or more swings than him as part of his gimmick (a sport in his native Iran), he would also change his ring name.

Now known as The Great Hossein Arab , he won his first title, the Canadian Tag Team Championship, with partner the Texas Outlaw. He caught the eye of the WWF where he debuted in 1979 and won the first-ever Battle Royal in Madison Square Garden, earning him a title shot at then-champion Bob Backlund, who pinned him later that night in a 30-minute battle. He later feuded with Chief Jay Strongbow and Bruno Sammartino before leaving in 1980.

He would resurface as The Iron Sheik, and in the NWA territories. Playing off of real-life political matters (notably the Iran hostage crisis) and the animosity Americans had for the country of Iran, he moved on to the Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic territories, capturing the Mid-Atlantic title from Jim Brunzell before moving to Georgia Championship Wrestling where he had notable matches with Dusty Rhodes, Dick Murdoch and Tommy Rich, and traded the National TV title with Ron Garvin.

Vaziri would return to the WWF in 1983 as the Iron Sheik and challenged Backlund once again, defeating him on December 26, 1983 for the World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Championship; Sheik also injured Bob Backlund during a Persian club challenge prior to this title match.

During his title reign, Vaziri held memorable bouts against Backlund, Chief Jay Strongbow, Pat Patterson, and Tito Santana before dropping the belt just four weeks later to Hulk Hogan.The WWF's owner Vince McMahon, Jr. had wanted to take the WWF in a different direction as part of his plan to turn the WWF from a regional promotion into a national one. Part of his plan involved taking the title off of Backlund and put it on the charismatic Hogan, who had left the AWA to wrestle for McMahon, in the process making an enemy of the AWA's owner Verne Gagne.

After engaging in a bitter feud with Sgt. Slaughter, to whom he would eventually lose a "Boot Camp Rules" match, the Iron Sheik would go on to team with Nikolai Volkoff as the "Foreign Legion", and under the management of "Classy" Freddie Blassie, won the WWF Tag Team Championship defeating the US Express at WrestleMania I.


WCCW, AWA, and WWC (1987-1988

In 1987, the Iron Sheik competed in Dallas' World Class Championship Wrestling.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. In addition to re-igniting his feud with Slaughter and teaming with Col. Debeers, his main opponent during this time period was Tony Atlas, who he feuded with in both WCCW and WWC.


NWA & WCW (1989-1990)

In 1989, he had a short stint in the National Wrestling Alliance, when he feuded with Sting over the NWA World Television Championship. About half a year into his stint with the company, he was sent home.


World Wresting Federation: The Second Stint (1991-1992)

He returned to the WWF again in 1991 as Col. Mustafa and was aligned with former enemy Sgt. Slaughter. Along with General Adnan, the three played Iraqis (or, in Slaughter's case, an Iraqi sympathizer) during the first Gulf War and feuded with Hulk Hogan. Following Slaughter's face turn after SummerSlam 1991, he teamed with General Adnan until the middle of 1992, when he left the promotion again.


Wrestling Tours (1994)

The Iron Sheik wrestled independently afterwards, and went on a wrestling tour to Nigeria in 1994, promoted by Chris Adams and co-sponsored by Pepsi, and featuring former WWF stars Jimmy Snuka, Greg Valentine, Demolition Ax and World Class wrestler/owner Kevin Von Erich.

The Sheik was the first champion of "Boston Bad Boy" Tony Rumble's Century Wrestling Alliance, dropping the championship to Vic Steamboat October 23rd, 1993.

In 1994, the Sheik tried his hand at strong style professional wrestling in the UWFi in Japan. He lost by tap-out to Yoji Anjoh in about 5:30 (the in-ring action of the UWFi, though tailored to resemble an actual competitive bout, was in fact made up of predetermined outcomes).


Independent Promotions (97-03), Brief WWF Return (2001), & Retirement (2003)

In 2001, at WrestleMania X-Seven The Iron Sheik was the victor of the Gimmick Battle Royal a match between several other popular wrestlers from the 1980s and 90s. Rather than being booed for winning, he was cheered as a fan favorite. He went on to wrestle in various independent promotions to age 60.

On May 5, 2003 Iron Sheik's daughter, Marissa Jeanne Vaziri age 27, was found strangled to death, in her apartment. Marissa's live-in boyfriend, Charles Warren Reynolds, 38, confessed to the crime and was charged with murder.

In 2005, the Iron Sheik was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his old rival, Sgt. Slaughter.


2007

On the June 18th, 2007 episode of WWE Monday Night RAW, The Iron Sheik approached Jonathan Coachman about having his own interview show (like Piper's Pit) to show on RAW. Coach replied saying, "I like the idea and I will really take some time to consider it."

The Sheik returned to the Millennium Wrestling Federation for it's Soul Survivor IV wrestling event and fanfest on August 4th in Somerville, MA for the first time since the car accident.


Media appearances

He was injured and allegedly hospitalized twice in recent months. In December, the Sheik was poisoned after filming his second Millennium Wrestling Federation Studio Shoot Interview with Dan Mirade in Melrose, MA. This was actually recorded on a cell phone and aired on the January 2007 edition of MWF Ultra.Upon close examination of the video, however, it is highly likely that the entire incident was a work.

This winter, the Sheik was hospitalized after making several appearances in Toronto at a Wal-Mart, sports bar and independent wrestling show for his friend's sons. The Sheik claims he was to be paid $12,000 for the appearances but was only given $1,000. On his way to the airport, his driver stole his $1,000. The Sheik was able to get the man's driver's license and bring it to the police in the airport. The police called an ambulance for the Sheik, as it appeared he was going to have a heart attack. The Sheik spoke about the incident on the February MWF Xtra.

On August 2, 2007 the Iron Sheik made a scheduled appearance on the Howard Stern Show to discuss his wrestling career and also to participate in the Stern Show's legendary "Anal Ring Toss" game with Artie Lange against Bubba the Love Sponge.


Conflicts

During an interview conducted in 2004 with Dan Mirade of the Boston, Massachusetts based Millennium Wrestling Federation, the Sheik was asked about his appearance at WrestleMania III, where he teamed with Nikolai Volkoff against the Killer Bees, Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell. When offering his recollections about the event, Iron Sheik expressed high praise for Brunzell owing to his athletic and high-jumping prowess, but displayed contempt for Blair, referring to him as a "lowlife" and a "punk."

He gave no specific reason for his dislike of Blair, only remarking that he "didn't like his attitude." He would then express his desire to make Blair humble by suplexing him, putting him in his camel clutch submission, breaking his back, and "****[ing] his ***." Later in the year, the Iron Sheik gave a phone interview where He announced that his feud with B. Brian Blair was over, He mentioned Blair called him and apologized, Sheik then said He had forgiven Blair.

Beginning in July 2007, the comments made by Sheik regarding Blair became a recent topic of discussion on Howard Stern's show. The staff spent time almost daily talking about the Iron Sheik, and each day contained Artie Lange's impression of The Sheik. The Iron Sheik appeared on the Stern Show on August 2, 2007.

Bubba challenged the Sheik's Gold Medal as fake, although it is a valid 1971 AAU National Championship Medal. The shiek never called it an Olympic medal.

Sheik was a 180.5 Greco-Roman National Champion in 1971.

[RedWine]

Finishing moves

Camel Clutch
Iranian Drop (Top Rope Two Handed Chokeslam)
Gutwrench suplex
Boston Crab

Championships and accomplishments

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
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
NWA New Zealand

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 # 134 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.

World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)

WWF Championship (1 time)

WWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Nikolai Volkoff
Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Most Underrated Wrestler award in 1980

Other Titles

World Maccabiah Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

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