Iron Sheik Biography
Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri was an Iranian-American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor known by his ring name The Iron Sheik.
He achieved fame during the 1980s WWF wrestling boom as a villainous character, with his rivalry against Hulk Hogan propelling Hogan to become one of the decade’s greatest television heroes.
The Iron Sheik holds the distinction of being the only Iranian champion in WWE history, having won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983.
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His prominence extended to teaming up with Nikolai Volkoff to win the WWF Tag Team Championship at the inaugural WrestleMania event. In recognition of his contributions to professional wrestling, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Outside the ring, The Iron Sheik gained popularity through appearances on Kidd Chris, The Howard Stern Show, and the Internet, where his shoot interviews and outspoken demeanor attracted attention.
His explicit language and apparent animosity towards fellow wrestlers, particularly Hulk Hogan and Brian Blair, furthered his notoriety. However, debates have arisen regarding the true nature of his relationship with Hogan, as he acknowledged having interacted with him.
Born into a working-class family with limited financial means and lacking running water, Vaziri celebrated his birthday on September 9, although his passport indicated March 15. This discrepancy arose from his family’s alternating use of the Gregorian calendar and the Solar Hijri calendar.
In his youth, he idolized Iranian Olympic Gold-Medalist wrestler Gholamreza Takhti, and he established himself as an amateur wrestler. He also served as a bodyguard for Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his family for several years.
Vaziri competed for a spot on Iran’s Greco-Roman wrestling team for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Later, he relocated to the United States and became the assistant coach of two U.S. Olympic squads in the 1970s.
In 1971, he won the Amateur Athletic Union Greco-Roman wrestling championship and a gold medal at 180.5 pounds (81.9 kg). He went on to serve as an assistant coach for the USA team during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
The Iron Sheik ventured into acting, making his film debut in The Tale of the 3 Mohammads in 2005. He also appeared in Operation Belvis Bash (2011) alongside Daniel Baldwin and Corey Feldman.
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Notably, he made guest appearances on shows like Kenny vs. Spenny, Robot Chicken, and The Eric André Show. In 2014, a documentary titled “The Sheik” was released, offering insights into his life and career.
In 2013, Vaziri’s managers launched a crowdfunding campaign to produce a documentary about his life, initially titled “Iron Sheik: From A to Z” but ultimately released as “The Sheik” in 2014. Additionally, Vaziri challenged Rob Ford, the former Mayor of Toronto, to an arm wrestling match at his office in November 2013.
During the late 2000s, Vaziri gained attention for his Twitter account, which featured aggressive and profanity-laden tweets expressing his opinions on various pop culture events. However, it should be noted that Vaziri did not personally write these tweets, as they were managed by his representatives, Jian and Page Magen.
Iron Sheik Cause of Death
His cause of death has not been made known, however, he might have died of natural causes considering his age as well as the fact that he was not known to have any ailment. He died on June 7, 2023.
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