profile image

Khosrow Vaziri

Mar 15, 1942 - Jun 06, 2023 (81 years old) in Damghan, Semnan, Iran

Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri (Persian: حسین خسرو علی وزیری) better known by his ring name The Iron Sheik, is an Iranian retired professional wrestler, amateur wrestler and actor. He is the only Iranian champion in WWE history, having won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983. His 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, and on the internet due to his shoot interviews, vulgar language, and his intense dislike for some of his fellow professional wrestlers, particularly Hulk Hogan.

Known For

poster
WWF Wrestling Challenge
The Iron Sheik
poster
The Eric Andre Show
Self
poster
WrestleMania
The Iron Sheik
poster
The Greatest Stars of the 80's
Self
poster
Hulkamania 6
Colonel Mustafa
poster
NWA WrestleWar 1989
The Iron Sheik
poster
Saturday Night's Main Event
The Iron Sheik
poster
WrestleMania III
The Iron Sheik
poster
Andre the Giant
Self (archive footage)
poster
WWE WrestleMania 13
Iron Sheik (Manager)

Credits