Local wrestling promoters and talent react to Iron Sheik's passing

Local wrestling promoters and talent are mourning the loss of pro wrestling legend — and one of the greatest bad guys of the 1980s — the Iron Sheik.

The Iron Sheik, whose real name was Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, died June 7. The Iranian-born athlete was 81.

Keystone State Wrestling Alliance Hall of Famer Shawn Patrick, known in Western Pennsylvania wrestling circles as the pride of Springdale, said he once worked a show with the Sheik decades ago at Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio.

“It was my first show ever and I was on ring crew,” Patrick said. “His impact on wrestling in the 1980s was huge. He dethroned (then WWF champion) Bob Backlund and passed the title to Hulk (Hogan) a month later.”

KSWA owner Bobby Orkwis said Backlund was one of his favorite wrestlers, and took great interest in their feud.

Sheik’s victory was a bit of a controversial one, as Backlund’s manager, Arnold Skaaland, threw in the towel after Backlund refused to submit.

KSWA frequently has shows in the Harrison, Springdale, Verona, Sharpsburg and Homestead areas.

“The Iron Shei’k was a great heel, a bad guy during a booming period of wrestling in the ’80s,” Orkwis said. “(We are) saddened to hear of his passing. He was a true ‘bad guy’ during his career, in addition to being an accomplished amateur Greco Roman wrestler. Although we never had a chance to have the Iron Sheik at one of our events, we remember him fondly and mourn his passing.”

Known for his curled boots, signature mustache the “Camel Clutch” finishing move, Sheik played an anti-American heel for what was the WWF, which became World Wrestling Entertainment.

The mustachioed, barrel-chested brawler often riled up crowds with his anti-American persona and rhetoric, often alongside tag team partner Nikolai Volkoff, who played the part of a Soviet villain. They won the WWF World Tag Team Championship in 1985 at the first WrestleMania, according to the biography posted on the WWE’s website.

He would often swing 75-pound clubs to show off his strength.

Glassport native Ken Jugan, known throughout professional wrestling as Lord Zoltan, was one of the few to wrestle the Iron Sheik shortly after he won the WWF championship from Backlund in December 1983 at Madison Square Garden.

Jugan and Sheik competed Jan. 3, 1984 in Allentown. Jugan posted a photo of the event on his Facebook page.

“I had the pleasure of working with The Iron Sheik throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia as a referee, promoter, and wrestler,” Jugan said. “He was the nicest dude outside of the ring.

“During our match, our faces collided during one of his many suplexes and he banged my cheekbone severely. Upon returning to the dressing room, he apologized many many times, kissing my cheek and saying he would never intentionally try to hurt me.

“We became great friends after that and he often rode with me to many of the wrestling events in the Tri-State area. The Iron Sheik was definitely one of a kind and they threw away the mold when they made him. He will be greatly missed by the fans and by myself.”

McKeesport-based Pro Wrestling eXpress released a statement about Sheik’s passing. He was not a part of any PWX show.

“We lost a legend a icon we lost someone who was inspiration for someone else to become a professional wrestler. His contributions to the world of wrestling will always be honored and respected,” PWX wrote.

In addition to his feud with Hogan, which he continued via Twitter after retiring from wrestling, he had a long-standing rivalry with the American hero Sgt. Slaughter.

He teamed in the early 1990s with Sgt. Slaughter as Colonal Mustafa.

The Iron Sheik’s last appearance in the ring was at WrestleMania 17.

He had an early foundation in competitive Greco-Roman wrestling, competing in the Amateur Athletic Union and becoming a gold medalist in 1971, WWE said.

Sheik also made appearances on “The Howard Stern Show,” “The Eric Andre Show” and several others programs.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. The WWE tweeted a video of Iron Sheik highlights.

Take a look at some of the incredible highlights from the legendary career of WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik. pic.twitter.com/lv45Crrogz

— WWE (@WWE) June 9, 2023