The Iron Sheik

Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri (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.

Vaziri was born in 1942, in Damghan, Imperial State of Iran, and grew up in a working-class family who had little money and no running water. Although his passport read March 15, he celebrated his birthday on September 9 due to his family alternating between the Gregorian calendar and the Solar Hijri calendar. In his youth, he idolized Iranian Olympic champion wrestler Gholamreza Takhti, and he subsequently made a name for himself as an amateur wrestler. He served in the Imperial Iranian Army, and worked as a personal 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. After Takhti was mysteriously found dead in 1968, Vaziri began fearing for his safety and decided to emigrate to the United States to advance his career. In 1971, he was the AAU Greco-Roman wrestling champion at 180.5 pounds (81.9 kg). He later became assistant coach to the USA team for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.^{[citation needed]}

In 1972, Vaziri was invited to become a professional wrestler by promoter Verne Gagne. Vaziri trained in the same class as Ric Flair at Gagne's wrestling camp under trainer Billy Robinson and then wrestled for Gagne's American Wrestling Association (AWA). He also worked as a trainer, teaching Ricky Steamboat, Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell. Vaziri first wrestled as a face in preliminary matches before a promoter suggested that he adopt a heel gimmick similar to that of the notorious Sheik.

Vaziri obliged and adopted what came to be his signature look: He shaved his head bald, grew a traditional "buffo" style mustache and added wrestling boots with the toe curled up — a nod to his ethnic background, which, according to Vaziri, was an idea from Jimmy Snuka. He also introduced the Persian clubs, a sport in his native Iran, and challenged wrestlers to do as many swings as he. His Iranian gimmick received attention due to the events of the Iranian Revolution. Taking the name The Great Hossein Arab, he won his first title, the Canadian Tag Team Championship, with a partner the Texas Outlaw. He wrestled in Japan against the likes of Steve Day and Antonio Inoki in 1978.

In 1979, Vaziri debuted in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as The Great Hossein Arab and won the first-ever Battle Royal in Madison Square Garden, New York City. This earned 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.