The Iron Sheik
| The Iron Sheik | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Iron Sheik in 1982 | ||||||||||||
| Birth name | Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri (Persian: حسین خسرو علی وزیری) | |||||||||||
| Born | March 15, 1942 Damghan, Semnan, Imperial State of Iran[1][2][3] | |||||||||||
| Died | June 7, 2023 (aged 81) Fayetteville, Georgia, U.S. | |||||||||||
| Spouse |
Caryl Peterson (m. 1976) | |||||||||||
| Children | 3 | |||||||||||
| Professional wrestling career | ||||||||||||
| Ring names | ||||||||||||
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[2] | |||||||||||
| Billed weight | 258 lb (117 kg)[2] | |||||||||||
| Billed from | Tehran, Iran | |||||||||||
| Trained by |
| |||||||||||
| Debut | 1972[4] | |||||||||||
| Retired | April 24, 2010 | |||||||||||
| Sports career | ||||||||||||
Medal record
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Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri[a] (March 15, 1942 – June 7, 2023), better known by his ring name the Iron Sheik, was an Iranian and American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. To date he is the only Iranian-born champion in WWE history, having won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983.
Vaziri's career peaked during the 1980s WWF wrestling boom, and his rivalry with Hulk Hogan turned Hogan into one of the greatest television heroes of the decade. He later formed a tag team with Nikolai Volkoff, which won the WWF Tag Team Championship at the inaugural WrestleMania event. In 2005, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
A heel throughout the 1980s, Sheik later gained popularity on the Kidd Chris show, The Howard Stern Show, Opie and Anthony, and the Internet due to his shoot interviews, vulgar language, and apparent intense dislike for some of his fellow professional wrestlers, particularly Hogan and Brian Blair; however, the true nature of his relationship with Hogan has been a subject of debate.[6]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ytwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e "Iron Sheik WWE Hall of Fame Profile". WWE. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
moolahwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d "Iron Sheik Profile". Online World Of Wrestling. Archived from the original on August 12, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:3was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Kelly, Andrew (November 20, 2022). "The Iron Sheik's Confusing Relationship With Hulk Hogan, Explained". The Sportster. Archived from the original on December 31, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
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