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1[[quoteright:352:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ironsheik_508.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:"I love the TV Tropes. It make me feel good, like good cold beer. [[VerbalTic Fuck the Hokogan]]."]]
3
4->''Insane. Completely, utterly and wonderfully insane. That's the only way we can describe the Iron Sheik, who in recent years has gone from forgotten Cold War wrestling villain to the nutty Iranian grandpa we all wish we had.''
5-->-- '''RD Reynolds''', ''The Website/{{WrestleCrap}} Book Of Lists!'', "The 6 Wrestlers Who Must Have a Reality Show"
6
7If there was ever any wrestler who best exemplified the ForeignWrestlingHeel character in ProfessionalWrestling, especially in Wrestling/{{WWE}}'s "Federation years," The Iron Sheik was it.
8
9Born Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri (March 15, 1943 -- June 7, 2023), this [[UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} Iranian]]-born Olympic wrestling competitor and coach made a name for himself in early-'80s WWF, where he won the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWE World Heavyweight Championship]] from Wrestling/BobBacklund, breaking the former champion's six-year title reign...only to drop it the next month to Wrestling/HulkHogan, kicking off the Hulkamania craze. His appearances would be sporadic for many years after that, seemingly fading into obscurity in the pro wrestling scene.
10
11And then, in the 2000s, RF Video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRRHvw0s1Yc decided to do a shoot interview with him...]]
12
13He was inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 2005.
14
15Not to be confused with The Series/IronChef, or with his arguable predecessor [[Wrestling/EdFarhat The Sheik]].
16
17The Iron Sheik passed away on June 7, 2023, at the age of 81.
18----
19!!! "SHEIKY'S TROPES NUMBER ONE! FUCK THE HULK HOGAN!":
20* {{Angrish}}: Let's just say he focuses far more on the subject itself than how he actually conveys it.
21* ArchEnemy: Wrestling/HulkHogan, both from the WWF and in RealLife, it seems. And of course, the Facking Brian Blair!!!
22** Gary Bettman as well, since Sheikie's a huge NHL fan.
23** Sheik seems to hate almost every wrestler in the business. Ironically, his {{Kayfabe}} ArchEnemy Wrestling/HacksawJimDuggan seems to be one of the few wrestlers he genuinely likes and respects.
24* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: In May of 1987, Sheik was riding with ArchEnemy Wrestling/HacksawJimDuggan when the two were pulled over by New Jersey police, who found that both of them were doped and coked out of their minds. Duggan was given a conditional release and Sheik was put on probation. The hilarity of the two "bitter enemies" sharing a ride home ensured the story made the major news outlets, putting the WWF in a ''major'' stink. The WWF would begin drug testing after this incident, and both men were fired (Duggan returned in six months; Sheik returned four years later).
25** In his now legendary tirade on ''Radio/TheHowardSternShow'', he ran through every profane thing you could think of to B. Brian Blair...and paused to apologize to Robin Quivers about his abrasive language.
26* BadassTeacher: Was an assistant coach to the USA team for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
27* BashBrothers: Wrestling/NikolaiVolkoff, most prominently, though in his days in the Mid-Atlantic, he also teamed with the then-{{Heel}} Wrestling/JimmySnuka.
28** With Wrestling/BrunoSammartino IRL, the two once beat the crap out of five pro football players who made the mistake of calling the then 51-year old Sammartino a "washed up old man" and tried to push him around. Sammartino was holding his own until the Sheik, who was in the showers, heard the commotion, charged in in a FullFrontalAssault, and the two proceeded to curbstomp the morons.
29* BerserkButton: Mention ''anyone'' that he believes didn't measure up to his standard of "respect" for the business (B. Brian Blair, Wrestling/HulkHogan, [[Wrestling/UltimateWarrior Warrior]]...)
30* [[BiggerIsBetterInBed Biggus Dickus]]: Once threatened to introduce Wrestling/UltimateWarrior's daughter to his "...10-inch Iranian cock!"
31** He might not be exaggerating either (see MemeticMolester).
32* BoisterousBruiser: The Iron Sheik was a lot meaner than most examples but nonetheless was loud, strong and always up for a contest.
33* BorrowedCatchphrase: In his in-ring promo before his match with Izzy High on ''[[Wrestling/JuggaloChampionshipWrestling Juggalo Championshxt Wrestling Volume 1]]'':
34-->[[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin "If you want to see Sheiky put Jabronie een Camel Clutch, give me hell yeah!"]]
35** Wrestling/DwayneJohnson claims he got the word Jabroni from Sheiky himself.
36* CatchPhrase: "Iran number-one! USA hack-phooey!" He would also often end promos with [[Main/BreakingTheFourthWall "Cameraman, zoom it!"]] and start flexing in front of the camera.
37** In recent years:
38--> "I put you in the Camel Clutch/I suplex you, Break your Back, and make you humble!"
39--> "Everybody knows I'm the legend!"
40--> "You're a no-good motherfucker!"
41--> (about people he dislikes) "Fuck the X!"
42--> (about people he likes) "X is Iron Sheik class."
43--> "Buy my (advertised merchandise) or go fuck yourself."
44** Calling "Gene Mean" or anybody who agreed with him an "Intelligent American."
45* CheapHeat: As a ForeignWrestlingHeel, this came with the character for Sheikie Baby. However, he took cheap heat up to eleven sometime in the late 90s when working an Wrestling/{{N|ational Wrestling Alliance}}WA show with a majority Jewish crowd. There is no footage of the insane promo he cut, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J2-KqnSXso but here it is as retold by Steve Corino.]]
46* CharacterFilibuster: His promos, even by professional wrestling standards. "Gene Mean" Okerlund would frequently have to cut him off...or try to, only to get a quick "don't interrupt!"
47* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Especially around the TurnOfTheMillennium. It is difficult to determine just how much of Sheiks behavior is genuine and how much is a case of BecomingTheMask.
48* ClusterFBomb: Unless he is speaking with younger fans or is working a clean script, anything goes, especially in his interviews.
49* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: He ended Bob Backlund's 6-year title run, capturing the world championship in the process.
50* DisproportionateRetribution: If this interview on Creator/HowardStern is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1APM6t1ASqw anything to go by]], Sheik's idea of CheapHeat is to threaten a wrestler's family members, both male and female, with sexual assault.
51** On the other side of the spectrum, fans in the 80s hated his heel character so much that there were several instances of Sheik's car being keyed or him getting attacked after shows. That's why he [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes refused to bring his wife and kids with him on tour]], because he feared someone would hurt them.
52* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: He was quite slim and had hair on his head without the mustache in his amateur wrestling days and when he took up pro wrestling he worked as a face.
53* EvenEvilHasStandards: Called out Warrior, who stated in his blog that Creator/HeathLedger [[DudeNotFunny deserved to die]] for portraying a positive gay character in ''Film/BrokebackMountain''.
54** He stated that at Wrestlemania III, he wanted to humble Brian Blair, but didn't "because for the God and Jesus, and Mr. [=McMahon=]."
55* ExactWords: He once stated in an interview that he doesn't ''type'' his own twitter. The internet assumed he merely shouts what he wants to say from another room...not exactly a far-fetched assumption given that the tweets are usually (but not always) in ALL CAPS and feature the type of broken English you would expect from a native Farsi speaker who is just talking without trying to properly translate what they're saying into English (which was something the Sheik was infamous for even in his heyday; he does speak fairly good English, but during his promos he would become so agitated that his mouth got ahead of his brain, leading to some...unusual choices of words and phrasing). After a Forbes(!) interview, it was indicated that, yes, this is indeed how his twitter is managed: his agent tweets based on conversations he has with The Iron Sheik.
56* ExpansionPackPast: Before emigrating and becoming a wrestler, worked as a bodyguard for the Shah of Iran.
57* TheFightingNarcissist: "There is a lot of jealousy in this country. But look at me, look at me. Cameraman, zoom it!".
58* FinishingMove
59** The Camel Clutch. Outside of Latin America, he's better known for the move than its innovator, Gori Guerrero. He's not even a close second in Latin America though, that honor going to Wrestling/ElSanto and his successors.
60** SoLastSeason: It rarely qualifies as finishing move anymore unless a wrestler adds a particular variation to it or has some West Asian heritage or element to their gimmick. Not even Gori's son Wrestling/{{Eddie|Guerrero}} nor granddaughter Shaul can draw a submission with it.
61** Brought back by Rusev, another ForeignWrestlingHeel.
62* {{Flanderization}}: Has become something of a cartoon, even more than in the 1980s, due to his Fountain of Memes status.
63* ForeignWrestlingHeel: Boy, is he ever. Arguably downgraded to FunnyForeigner in his Twitter years.
64* HatingOnMonday: Nary a Monday will pass without at least one "FUCK THE MONDAY" on his Twitter feed. Usually several.
65* HeroWorshipper: Like many Iranians of his generation, he regards the late Iranian Olympic gold medalist Gholamreza Takhti highly and one of his reasons for wrestling.
66* HiddenDepths
67** One of Sheik's workout routines involves the use of a pair of instruments called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z76BBsUMPXQ "Persian Clubs."]] (aka [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_club Indian Clubs or meels]].) Apparently, nobody ''in the entire professional wrestling industry'' is able to pull off how to work these clubs properly ''except'' Iron Sheik himself... and Wrestling/MarkHenry.
68** Also falls into WorldsStrongestMan - its so difficult he's legendary in strongman circles. 75lbs. may not sound much, but swinging that much weight on what is essentially a lever is ''extremely difficult.''
69** As it turns out, the Sheik is a big fan of Creator/StephenSondheim and publicly mourned him (in his own Sheiky fashion) after the announcement of Sondheim's death ("[[https://twitter.com/the_ironsheik/status/1464415594598572046?s=21 STEPHEN SONDHEIM YOU ARE THE LEGEND FOREVER BUBBA GOD BLESS YOU]]").
70* IHaveManyNames: Great Hossein Arab, Ali Vaziri, the Iron Sheik, Shasta Mustafa, Col. Mustafa.
71* [[IKnowKarate I Know Greco-Roman Wrestling]]: Was an Iranian high school champion, an Amateur Athletic Union Greco-Roman wrestling champion at 180.5 pounds in 1971 and tried out for the Iranian 1968 Olympic wrestling team (there is some confusion and debate over this, one side says he didn’t get in, another side says he competed in the Olympics, and yet another side says that he was there as an alternate).
72* INeedAFreakingDrink: "More beer, please."
73* IWasQuiteALooker: Everyone knows him for the look he's sported since the early 80's, so it may come as a surprise to some that he was once [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EWJqzgLWoAIlKpe.jpg quite handsome]] with a physique that rivalled that of Wrestling/FinnBalor.
74* IsThisThingStillOn: Wrestling/JimCornette tells a story from back in the territory days, he and the Sheik were working for Memphis, a promotion which had a state athletic commissioner who was not "smart" (aware of {{kayfabe}}), and therefore imposed a number of limitations on the show. For instance, anyone who was not a licensed announcer was not allowed on the mic. Christine Jarrett warned Cornette, who was working as the announcer, not to let anyone have the mic, and the Sheik tried to take the mic off him. As they struggled over the mic, Cornette reminded him about the commissioner. However, the Sheik grabbed Jim's arm, pulled the mic up, then screamed "OH, FACK DEH KOMEESHUNUR!" at the top of his lungs into the mic.
75* {{Kayfabe}}: How much he actually hates the wrestlers he's famous for running down in shoot interviews and on twitter may fall under this. While he apparently ''really'' doesn't like B. Brian Blair (for still mostly unknown reasons), other wrestlers that he's run down, when face to face with, he often blubbers, breaks down and cries and calls them "my brother." Roddy Piper and even Hulk Hogan have both implied it's an act, and say they get along with him just fine in real life.
76** Sheikie Baby gave touching tributes to both Warrior and Randy Savage upon their deaths on twitter and in videos, despite years of talking trash about them.
77** There’s also the fact that despite using homophobic slang all the time in his {{Cloudcuckoolander}} tirades, he tweeted in support of fellow wrestler {{Wrestling/DarrenYoung}} when he came out as gay.
78* LargeHam: [[Website/{{Botchamania}} "FACKIN' BOOLSHEET!"]] And that's only the beginning.
79* LegacyCharacter: Crossed with OneSteveLimit. While Wrestling/ShawnDaivari was in WWE's developmental program, he was renamed "Khosrow", although the first name only lasted a few weeks on WWE TV, as both a tribute to the Iron Sheik and to avoid the possibility that anyone might somehow confuse Daivari with Wrestling/ShawnMichaels.
80** During Wrestling/JohnCena's feud with Wrestling/KurtAngle in late 2005, when Angle had Daivari as his ally, Cena referred to Daivari on the December 12th episode of ''Raw'' as a "bootleg Iron Sheik."
81** In Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling in 2002, they had a tag team of Kasey Geyer and [[Characters/ImpactWrestling Shawn Hernandez]] as "The Double Iron Sheiks", #1 and #2.
82* LegionOfDoom: Part of wrestling's original legion of doom alongside the Original Sheik until the group was reduced to just Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors Hawk and Animal.
83* LivesInAVan: In [[https://thesmartmarks.com/artman/publish/article_273.shtml this review]] of a shoot interview he once did, because of his tendency to repeat himself ("Tehran Iran, oldest country in the world, 15 years old, 155 pounds, Iranian High School Champion, Iranian Army Champion, go to '68 Olympics in Mexico City, AAU Champion, coach at University of Minnesota and '72 Olympics in Munich, all true wrestling fans know I let blond guitar player beat me because HE not AAU champion, etc. etc. etc."), the reviewer chose to replace any reference to Sheik's background with, a la Creator/ChrisFarley's ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' character Matt Foley, "LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!"
84* ManlyTears: When Wrestling/RandySavage died.
85---> '''@the_ironsheik:''' "Randy Savage, i find out you die, i cry. you are one of best and my brother. you be happy with the elizabeth. god bless you. macho man best worker. better than all. he make the wrestlemania match with [[Wrestling/RickySteamboat ricky]] best ever in pontiac. I love you forever. randy savage my best brother, i love him and i am sad"
86** In one otherwise raucous shoot interview, Wrestling/HonkyTonkMan delivered a confusing BrokenAesop about how, regardless of how one felt about Wrestling/ChrisBenoit and his wife, nothing could have justified killing their child. The Iron Sheik burst into uncontrollable bawling.
87* NeverGetsDrunk: Sheikie Baby is known in pro wrestling circles for his high tolerance to alcohol. In his own words, he "knows the moderation A to the Z".
88* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: As Colonel Mustafa.
89* NoIndoorVoice: He's developed a reputation for yelling at people across the room rather than approaching and could make himself heard without the aid of a microphone in many arenas.
90* OddFriendship
91** While working for the National Wrestling League he described Wrestling/{{Kamala}} as "Not Jabroni" and formed a tag team with him. They didn't seem to have much in the way of conversations but it seemed like friendship.
92** With Prime Time Amy Lee, whom he served as a manager to, going so far as to pop up behind her in Women's Extreme Wrestling, an adult-oriented promotion. This also made it easy for him to show up in Wrestling/{{WSU}}, another all woman not ''quite'' garbage wrestling promotion when she was its commissioner.
93** Iron Sheik has expressed love for Wrestling/NewJack, who at the very least seems to have no problem with Iron Sheik hanging around.
94** He also seems to be friends with UsefulNotes/BrazilianJiuJitsu practitioner Eddie Bravo of all people.
95* OlderThanTheyLook: Besides gaining one hell of a beer belly, he looks exactly the same as he did in the 80s.
96* PatrioticFervor: "Iran, number one! Russia, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment number one!]] USA--[[SpitefulSpit haaaack ptooey!]]"
97** He once got into an argument with Wrestling/SgtSlaughter over which country was greater:
98--->'''Sgt. Slaughter''': AMERICA, you puke!\
99'''Iron Sheik''': IRAN, you jabronie!
100* PowerStable:
101** (in Mid-Atlantic): Anderson's Army (led by Gene Anderson)
102** (in Georgia): [[Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors The Legion of Doom]]
103** (in Memphis): The First Family (led by Wrestling/JimmyHart)
104** (in Florida): The Royal Family (led by [[Wrestling/JamesJDillon "King" James Dillon]] in Florida and featuring Wrestling/TerryFunk, Wrestling/BruiserBrody and Wrestling/ExoticAdrianStreet, among others.)
105** (in Mid-South): [[Wrestling/GeneralSkandorAkbar Devastation Inc.]]
106** (in WWE): The Triangle of Terror as Col. Mustafa, with Wrestling/SgtSlaughter and General Adnan (Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie, who is legitimately Iraqi.)
107* PrecisionFStrike: Did this to Wrestling/HulkHogan on Website/{{Twitter}} in 2015, after the revelation of a racist tirade made by Hogan:
108--> "I should have broke the jabroni Hulk Hogan fucking leg when I had the chance."
109* ProWrestlingIsReal: When he gets really excited in his interviews, he seems to forget he doesn't have to maintain Kayfabe anymore.
110* RagingStiffie: He appeared to have one during his match with Wrestling/HulkHogan. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7P0gr9VKII Seen here at 9:23]]
111* ReversePsychology: He would often grab a mic and yell "Don't say USA" which, inevitably, drew massive U-S-A chants from the crowd. As a ForeignWrestlingHeel, this is exactly what he wanted.
112* SchmuckBait: His "Persian Club Challenge", in which he offers a cash reward of $1000 or more to any {{face}} that could handle the Persian Clubs as he can, [[spoiler:then sucker punch them while they're in a vulnerable position]].
113* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: [[Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation Verne Gagne]] offered him $100,000 to shoot on Hogan during their title match, and hopefully cripple him. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Sheik refused.]]
114* SeriousBusiness: He was most active in TheEighties, when {{Kayfabe}} was at its strongest. One of his biggest criticisms about Wrestling/HulkHogan (and other notable {{Face}}s in the day) was that they would act like dicks toward the fans when not in a wrestling capacity. He may well have had a point.
115* SirSwearsALot: Looking at his post retirement interviews versus his promos when he was still a wrestler will cause many to marvel at his restraint.
116* SpellMyNameWithAThe: To others, not himself. Has referred to "The Bruno Sammartino," "The Trish Stratus," and even "The Jesus."
117* StoutStrength: He's a lot tougher than he looks. He looked a little flabby but when he flexed it was clear solid muscle was underneath.
118* {{Tsundere}}:
119** During his famous 2007 interview.
120--> Wrestling/RandySavage, you're a no-good son of a bitch... but still I like you.
121** He does this a lot with his fans as well. From his Twitter:
122--> Goodbye Toronto. I love you forever and go fuck yourself
123** ...and to Chris Hardwick of ''Series/AtMidnight'':
124--> Go fuck yourself! Have a nice day.
125* TheUnintelligible: We ''think'' he's speaking English, and he's usually mad about something, but gods help anyone who can make lick of sense of whatever the fuck he's saying.
126* ViewersAreMorons: This was often his attitude to the fans who booed him, insisting to "Mean" Gene that the ''intelligent'' wrestling fans agreed with whatever he was saying or doing to get boos. The exception being his Anti-America/Pro-Iran statements, where he didn't care.
127* VitriolicBestBuds: With fellow ForeignWrestlingHeel and Federation Years holdover Nikolai Volkoff
128** His relationship with [[Wrestling/JimmySnuka Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka]] mixes this with WorthyOpponent--he raves about him and considers him a friend, but "shooting-wise, I beat the fuck out of him."
129* WorldHalfFull: Even as abrasive and [[NoIndoorVoice loud]] as he can be, his Twitter feed still shows glimpses of this...
130-->"THE WORLD IS FULL OF GOOD PEOPLE. IF YOU CAN'T BE ONE OF THEM GO FUCK YOURSELF."
131* WorthyOpponent: When asked on [=YouShoot=] why he could never defeat [[Wrestling/JerryLawler Jerry "The King" Lawler]], Sheik answered that it was for the sake of diplomacy: because Jerry Lawler was "the King" and he was wrestling him in his home "country" of Memphis, Tennessee, he thought it only proper that he should put "the king of the Memphis, Tennessee" over, but he could beat Lawler in a real fight.
132* WouldHitAGirl: Wrestling/MartyJannetty likes telling a CrossesTheLineTwice story of when Sheiky Baby hit a woman that Marty left with him, with what Sheiky described as a "short clothesline".

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