Rise to Success: Career Highlights of The Iron Sheik
Discover the career path of The Iron Sheik, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, famously known as The Iron Sheik, was an Iranian-American professional and amateur wrestler, and actor. He achieved significant recognition in WWE, becoming the only Iranian champion in the company's history by winning the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983. His career spanned various wrestling promotions, and he maintained a memorable persona both inside and outside the ring. He was known for his patriotic fervor for Iran and his intense rivalries, most notably with Hulk Hogan.
1971: AAU Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion
In 1971, Vaziri became the AAU Greco-Roman wrestling champion at 180.5 pounds (81.9 kg).
1972: Assistant Coach for Olympic Games
In 1972, Vaziri became the assistant coach for the USA team for the Olympic Games in Munich.
1972: Invitation to Professional Wrestling
In 1972, Vaziri was invited to become a professional wrestler by promoter Verne Gagne and trained at Gagne's wrestling camp with Ric Flair.
1978: Wrestling in Japan
In 1978, The Great Hossein Arab wrestled in Japan against wrestlers like Steve Day and Antonio Inoki.
1979: WWF Debut and Battle Royal Win
In 1979, Vaziri debuted in the WWF as The Great Hossein Arab and won the first-ever Battle Royal in Madison Square Garden.
April 1980: Joins Jim Crockett Promotions
In April 1980, Vaziri began wrestling for Jim Crockett Promotions, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, wrestling as "Hussein Arab" before becoming "The Iron Sheik".
May 1980: NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship Win
In May 1980, The Iron Sheik defeated Jim Brunzell to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship.
November 1980: Loses NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship
In November 1980, The Iron Sheik lost the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship to Ricky Steamboat in a falls count anywhere match.
1980: Departure from WWF
In 1980, after feuding with Chief Jay Strongbow and Bruno Sammartino, The Great Hossein Arab left the WWF.
February 1981: Feud with Blackjack Mulligan Begins
In February 1981, Vaziri, as The Iron Sheik, began feuding with Blackjack Mulligan, engaging in cage matches and Texas street fights.
May 1981: End of Feud with Blackjack Mulligan
The feud between Vaziri (as The Iron Sheik) and Blackjack Mulligan ended in May 1981.
July 1981: Unsuccessful NWA World Heavyweight Championship Challenge
In July 1981, Vaziri, as The Iron Sheik, unsuccessfully challenged Dusty Rhodes for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
August 1981: Departure from Jim Crockett Promotions
In August 1981, Vaziri left Jim Crockett Promotions.
September 1981: Joins Mid-South Wrestling
In September 1981, Vaziri joined the Louisiana-based Mid-South Wrestling promotion.
January 1982: Joins Championship Wrestling from Florida
In January 1982, Vaziri joined Championship Wrestling from Florida.
January 1982: Leaves Mid-South Wrestling
In January 1982, Vaziri left the Mid-South Wrestling promotion.
February 1982: Leaves Championship Wrestling from Florida
In February 1982, Vaziri left Championship Wrestling from Florida.
July 1982: Returns to Georgia Championship Wrestling
In July 1982, Vaziri returned to Georgia Championship Wrestling, marking his first appearance since 1974.
October 1982: Brief Return to Mid-South Wrestling
In October 1982, The Iron Sheik made a brief return to Mid-South Wrestling.
May 1983: NWA National Television Championship Win
In May 1983, The Iron Sheik won a tournament for the vacant NWA National Television Championship.
July 1983: Loses NWA National Television Championship
In July 1983, The Iron Sheik lost the NWA National Television Championship to Ronnie Garvin.
September 1983: Return to WWF and Championship Challenge
In September 1983, The Iron Sheik returned to the WWF and challenged Bob Backlund for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.
1983: WWF World Heavyweight Champion
In 1983, The Iron Sheik won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, becoming the only Iranian champion in WWE history to date.
January 21, 1984: Match against Tito Santana
On January 21, 1984, The Iron Sheik wrestled Tito Santana on a live PRISM broadcast from The Spectrum in Philadelphia.
1986: Managed by Slick and WrestleMania 2 Battle Royal
In 1986, The Iron Sheik became managed by Slick and participated in the 20-man invitational Battle Royal at WrestleMania 2, where he was eliminated by Bruno Sammartino.
October 1987: Departure from WWF
In October 1987, The Iron Sheik left the WWF following his arrest and subsequent appearances at house shows.
1987: Feud with Matt Borne in WCCW
In 1987, The Iron Sheik competed in WCCW, where he feuded with Matt Borne over the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship.
February 18, 1988: Return to WWF
On February 18, 1988, The Iron Sheik returned to the WWF and defeated S. D. Jones at a house show.
February 25, 1989: WCW TV Taping Appearance and Challenge to Ricky Steamboat
On February 25, 1989, the Iron Sheik made a surprise appearance at a World Championship Wrestling (WCW) TV taping and immediately challenged Ricky Steamboat.
August 1989: Alliance with Ron Simmons
In August 1989, The Iron Sheik formed a brief alliance with Ron Simmons, appearing in his corner during matches.
January 1990: Final WCW match against Norman
In January 1990, The Iron Sheik finished his initial WCW tenure in house show matches against Norman.
1990: Return to WCW
In 1990, after a seven-month absence, The Iron Sheik returned to WCW and wrestled in various house show matches.
January 26, 1991: Final WCW Match
On January 26, 1991, The Iron Sheik's final WCW match was against the Junkyard Dog in Columbia, South Carolina, after which he left the company.
March 11, 1991: WWF Re-Debut as Colonel Mustafa
On March 11, 1991, Vaziri re-debuted in the WWF as Colonel Mustafa, aligning with Sgt. Slaughter and General Adnan as Iraqi sympathizers.
May 19, 1992: Final Match in WWF
On May 19, 1992, Colonel Mustafa had his final match at a Superstars taping, defeating Reno Riggins, after which he left the promotion again.
1996: Managing The Sultan
In late 1996, The Iron Sheik teamed with Bob Backlund to manage WWF wrestler The Sultan.
December 1997: End of Managing The Sultan
In December 1997, The Iron Sheik stopped managing The Sultan.
April 1, 2001: Gimmick Battle Royal Win at WrestleMania X-Seven
On April 1, 2001, The Iron Sheik won the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania X-Seven, receiving cheers from fans.
2005: Film Debut
In 2005, The Iron Sheik made his film debut in The Tale of the 3 Mohammads.
2005: WWE Hall of Fame Induction
In 2005, The Iron Sheik was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Sgt. Slaughter before WrestleMania 21 in Los Angeles.
2008: Original Documentary Release Date
Originally, the documentary Iranian Legend: The Iron Sheik Story was scheduled for a 2008 release under the title Iron Sheik: From A to Z.
2009: Maz Jobrani's Comedy Special Appearance
In 2009, The Iron Sheik appeared in Maz Jobrani's stand-up comedy special Brown & Friendly.
April 24, 2010: Final Match
On April 24, 2010, The Iron Sheik teamed with Jay Lethal and won against Dylan Kage in a handicap match for Millennium Wrestling Federation in Melrose, Massachusetts. Sheik made Kage submit to the camel clutch.
2011: Appeared in Operation Belvis Bash
In 2011, The Iron Sheik appeared in Operation Belvis Bash alongside Daniel Baldwin and Corey Feldman.
August 2013: Crowdfunding for Documentary
In August 2013, Iron Sheik's managers crowdsourced $40,441 to write, direct and produce a documentary.
2014: Documentary Release
In 2014, Sheik's documentary was released under the title The Sheik.
2014: The Sheik Documentary
In 2014, The Iron Sheik acted in a documentary about his life titled "The Sheik."
