The Iron Sheik

"Iron Sheik" redirects here. For the hip hop artist, see Will Youmans.
Not to be confused with The Sheik (wrestler).

The Iron Sheik
The Iron Sheik in 1982
Birth nameHossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri
Born(1942-03-15)March 15, 1942
Damghan, Province of Semnan, Imperial State of Iran[1][2][3]
DiedJune 7, 2023(2023-06-07) (aged 81)
Fayetteville, Georgia, U.S.
Spouse(s)
Caryl Peterson
​
(m. 1976)​
Children3
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)
  • Ali Vaziri[4]
  • Col. Mustafa[4]
  • Great Hossein Arab[4]
  • Muhammad Farouk
  • The Iron Sheik[2]
Billed height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[2]
Billed weight258 lb (117 kg)[2]
Billed fromTehran, Iran
Trained by
Debut1972[4]
RetiredApril 24, 2010
Sports career
Medal record
Greco-Roman wrestling
AAU National Championships
Gold medal – first place 1971 180.5 lbs[5]

Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri (Persian: حسین خسرو علی وزیری, romanized: Hossein Xosrô 'Ali Vaziri; March 15, 1942 – June 7, 2023), better known by his ring name the Iron Sheik was an Iranian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. To date he is the only Iranian champion in WWE history, having won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983.

This villainous character 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 Kidd Chris, 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]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference yt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference moolah was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d "Iron Sheik Profile". Online World Of Wrestling. Archived from the original on August 12, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ 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.