Iron Sheik Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri ( March 15 , 1942 ) is a retired Iran ian - American professional wrestler better known by his ring name The Iron Sheik . He is perhaps best known for ending the near six year World Wrestling Federation Championship reign of Bob Backlund . Career history . Although he was billed as having been a 1968 Olympic medalist , Sheik was actually eliminated during his country ’ s trials . WWF / World Wrestling Federation : The First Stint ( 1979 - 1987 ) . After moving to other territories , Vaziri was turned into a heel and would do a few things that would complete his signature look . First , he grew a handlebar mustache , added wrestling boots with the toe curled up ( a nod to his ethnic background ) , and shaved his head bald . In addition to adding the Persian clubs and challenging wrestlers to do as many or more swings than him as part of his gimmick ( a sport in his native Iran ) , he would also change his ring name . Now known as The Great Hossein Arab , he won his first title , the Canadian Tag Team Championship , with partner the Texas Outlaw . He caught the eye of the WWF where he debuted in 1979 and won the first - ever Battle Royal in Madison Square Garden , earning him a title shot at then - champion Bob Backlund , who pinned him later that night in a 30 - minute battle . He later feuded with Chief Jay Strongbow and Bruno Sammartino before leaving in 1980 . He would resurface as The Iron Sheik , and in the NWA territories . Playing off of real - life political matters ( notably the Iran hostage crisis ) and the animosity Americans had for the country of Iran , he moved on to the Mid - South and Mid - Atlantic territories , capturing the Mid - Atlantic title from Jim Brunzell before moving to Georgia Championship Wrestling where he had notable matches with Dusty Rhodes , Dick Murdoch and Tommy Rich , and traded the National TV title with Ron Garvin . Vaziri would return to the WWF in 1983 as the Iron Sheik and challenged Backlund once again , defeating him on December 26 , 1983 for the World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Championship ; Sheik also injured Bob Backlund during a Persian club challenge prior to this title match . During his title reign , Vaziri held memorable bouts against Backlund , Chief Jay Strongbow , Pat Patterson , and Tito Santana before dropping the belt just four weeks later to Hulk Hogan . The WWF ' s owner Vince McMahon , Jr . had wanted to take the WWF in a different direction as part of his plan to turn the WWF from a regional promotion into a national one . Part of his plan involved taking the title off of Backlund and put it on the charismatic Hogan , who had left the AWA to wrestle for McMahon , in the process making an enemy of the AWA ' s owner Verne Gagne . After engaging in a bitter feud with Sgt . Slaughter , to whom he would eventually lose a " Boot Camp Rules " match , the Iron Sheik would go on to team with Nikolai Volkoff as the " Foreign Legion " , and under the management of " Classy " Freddie Blassie , won the WWF Tag Team Championship defeating the US Express at WrestleMania I . WCCW , AWA , and WWC ( 1987 - 1988 ) . In 1987 , the Iron Sheik competed in Dallas ' World Class Championship Wrestling . He stayed with that organization for only a few months , followed by brief stints with the AWA , where he attacked Sgt . Slaughter during a match and Puerto Rico ' s World Wrestling Council . In addition to re - igniting his feud with Slaughter and teaming with Col . Debeers , his main opponent during this time period was Tony Atlas , who he feuded with in both WCCW and WWC . NWA & WCW ( 1989 - 1990 ) . In 1989 , he had a short stint in the National Wrestling Alliance , when he feuded with Sting over the NWA World Television Championship . About half a year into his stint with the company , he was sent home . World Wresting Federation : The Second Stint ( 1991 - 1992 ) . He returned to the WWF again in 1991 as Col . Mustafa and was aligned with former enemy Sgt . Slaughter . Along with General Adnan , the three played Iraqis ( or , in Slaughter ' s case , an Iraqi sympathizer ) during the first Gulf War and feuded with Hulk Hogan . Following Slaughter ' s face turn after SummerSlam 1991 , he teamed with General Adnan until the middle of 1992 , when he left the promotion again . Wrestling Tours ( 1994 ) . The Iron Sheik wrestled independently afterwards , and went on a wrestling tour to Nigeria in 1994 , promoted by Chris Adams and co - sponsored by Pepsi , and featuring former WWF stars Jimmy Snuka , Greg Valentine , Demolition Ax and World Class wrestler / owner Kevin Von Erich . In 1994 , the Sheik tried his hand at strong style professional wrestling in the UWFi in Japan . He lost by tap - out to Yoji Anjoh in about 5 : 30 ( the in - ring action of the UWFi , though tailored to resemble an actual competitive bout , was in fact made up of predetermined outcomes ) . Independent Promotions ( 97 - 03 ) , Brief WWF Return ( 2001 ) , & Retirement ( 2003 ) . In 2001 , at WrestleMania X - Seven The Iron Sheik was the victor of the Gimmick Battle Royal a match between several other popular wrestlers from the 1980s and 90s . Rather than being booed for winning , he was cheered as a fan favorite . He went on to wrestle in various independent promotions to age 60 . On May 5 , 2003 Iron Sheik ' s daughter , Marissa Jeanne Vaziri age 27 , was found strangled to death , in her apartment . Marissa ' s live - in boyfriend , Charles Warren Reynolds , 38 , confessed to the crime and was charged with murder . In 2005 , the Iron Sheik was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his old rival , Sgt . Slaughter .