Spiros Arion Spiros Arion born Spiros Manousakis ( born 1940 ) is a Greek retired professional wrestler who had extensive and successful careers in both Australia and the United States . Known as The Golden Greek and The Iron Greek , he debuted in 1961 and retired in 1979 . Career . Europe ( 1961 – 1964 ) . Arion was trained by a French wrestler named Andre Bollet . He made his professional wrestling debut in 1961 in Paris . For over four years , he wrestled around Europe before settling in Australia . Australia ( 1964 – 1978 ) . In July 1964 , he arrived on the Australian wrestling scene under the name " The Golden Greek " and quickly became a favorite among Greek wrestling fans . He joined World Championship Wrestling and wrestled there until its end in 1978 . He also wrestled in IWA Australia . In 1965 , he went on to win the IWA World Heavyweight Title and IWA Tag Team Championship . Popularity . Arion finished 1965 as IWA world champion . He dropped the belt to the legendary Killer Kowalski . He feuded with Kowalski over the IWA Title . He became a popular wrestler in Australia and Greece and was a fan favorite . In 1966 , he defended the IWA Title successfully against the 400 pounder King Kong Czaja . He was a part of many storylines in IWA and WCW . In 1974 , he was awarded the IWA Austra - Asian Heavyweight Championship , and he defended the title against the likes of Bobby Shane . World Wide Wrestling Federation ( 1966 – 1975 ) . In 1966 , he headed to America and debuted in the World Wide Wrestling Federation . Arion quickly became a major star , defeating top opponents , including Dr . Bill Miller , Cowboy Rocky Fitzpatrick ( Bob Orton Sr . ) , Gorilla Monsoon , Johnny Valentine , Crazy Luke Graham , Bull Ortega , The Sheik , Kentucky Butcher ( John Quinn ) , George Steele , etc . His finishing move was often " the hotseat " , later renamed " the Greek backbreaker " . In his second match in the U . S . , he teamed with Tony Parisi to defeat Baron Mikel Scicluna and Smasher Sloan on Washington , DC television for the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship . Parisi and Arion won the titles , and were never defeated for the belts . In June 1967 , Parisi gave his half to Arnold Skaaland marking his second US Tag Team Title Reign . On 10 July 1967 , they lost the titles to the Sicilians ( Lou Albano and Tony Altomare ) . He became a protégé of WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino and they both beat up the Sicilians , winning in 2 straight falls , on 24 July to become the final U . S . Tag Team Champions . Sammartino and Arion teamed up to main event at Madison Square Garden , twice against Gorilla Monsoon & Professor Toru Tanaka . Monsoon & Tanaka won the first match on disqualification ; Arion & Sammartino won a decisive victory in a " Texas Death Match " rematch , 2 falls to 1 . Arion returned to the WWWF in 1974 and was instantly a fan favorite . His popularity increased when he teamed with Chief Jay Strongbow . The fans thought that this duo would take the WWWF tag team belts from Captain Lou Albano ' s Valiant Brothers , but they were mistaken . Before Arion and Strongbow took on the Valiant Brothers , there were signs that this tag team would not last . While Arion was in a singles match with Killer Kowalski , the latter had the upper hand . Strongbow came to Arion ' s assistance , but the Greek was enraged because Strongbow ' s outside interference cost him the match via disqualification . Even though it was a disqualification , Arion complained that it was his first loss of any kind in the U . S . In their match against the Valiant Brothers , Arion suddenly turned on his partner . He quickly went from fan favorite to heel when the fans learned that Fred Blassie now took him under his management . Various story lines intensified the fans ' hatred for the Iron Greek . The worst was when Arion ripped Strongbow ' s Indian headdress to shreds . Arion signed for a match against Bruno Sammartino ' s protégé , Larry Zbyszko at Madison Square Garden . On a TV interview , the announcer wanted to know why Arion signed for the match — it was deemed a mismatch . Arion laughed , and said that " Larry is my friend " . Arion demolished Zbyszko in the Garden , and Bruno Sammartino ran in at the end , after the pin , to prevent further harm by Arion . Arion then feuded with Strongbow , pinning him in numerous arenas ; and went on to a 3 bout series at Madison Square Garden against WWWF champ Bruno Sammartino . In early 1976 , Arion left the WWWF , yet returned in late 1977 . In 1978 he partnered with Fred Blassie ' s newest turncoat , the once popular Victor Rivera . Following a TV match in Hamburg , New York he was stabbed in the chest by a male fan as he and Blassie were leaving the ring . British Wrestling . In 1979 Arion , billed as " The Iron Greek " , arrived in Joint Promotions claiming a version of the Mountevans Rules World Heavyweight championship . He made televised defences of his championship against such opponents as Colin Joynson , Lee Bronson and Romany Riley before losing the title to Wayne Bridges . Following the defeat , Arion left British Wrestling , but his title would continue to be contested for over a decade afterwards in both Joint Promotions and All Star Wrestling , where it would be held by Bridges , Mighty John Quinn , Tony StClair , Steve Veidor and Kendo Nagasaki before being abandoned when final champion Bridges retired in 1990 .