Hall of Fame - Iron Sheik


Hall of Fame - Iron Sheik Real Name: Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri Birth Date: March 15, 1943 Date of Death: Accomplishments: WWE World Heavyweight Champion WWE Tag Team Champion NWA Television Champion Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Iron Sheik started as an amateur wrestler. He won a medal, representing Iran, in the 1968 Olympics. This was later discovered to be a work and was used to enhance his gimmick. In 1972 he moved to the United States and became an assistant coach for the US Wrestling Team. He was a two time AAU Champion. While at an Olympic training session he caught the attention of Verne Gagne. Iron Sheik went on to train with Gagne and debuted at the end of the year with Gagne's AWA. In 1979 Iron Sheik signed a deal with the WWWF. Later in the year he won a battle royal, earning himself a shot at Bob Backlund's WWF World Heavyweight Championship. But, he left the WWWF and headed for the south. He wrestled for Bill Watt's Mid South Wrestling for a few years. In 1983 he signed with WWE. In December of the same year, he defeated Bob Backlund for the WWE Championship. In January of 1984, he was beaten by Hulk Hogan for the Title. 1984 saw the formation of Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff as a tag team. At the first WrestleMania they captured the WWF World Tag Team Titles. In 1987 Jim Duggan and Iron Sheik were arrested by New Jersey State Police. Duggan was charged with possession of marijuana and drinking alcohol while driving. Sheik was charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine. The shocking thing is, they were supposed to be feuding at this time, which exposed the business. He left the WWE shortly afterwards. After short runs in World Class Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, and the National Wrestling Alliance, he returned to the WWE in 1991, as Col. Mustafa. In 1997 he became a co-manager for the Sultan (oddly enough, the other manager was Bob Backlund, the man Sheik defeated for the WWF World Heavyweight Title. He made a special appearance at WrestleMania X-7 (17), winning a special "Gimmick Battle Royal", which also included superstars such as Hillbilly Jim, Sgt. Slaughter, Michael P.S. Hayes, Brother Love, and the Bushwhackers. Since then, he has been keeping busy with various indy bookings and appearances. In 2005 he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Written by: Jeremy Ashman	Iron Sheik

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