Bio
The Iron Sheik was an Iranian professional wrestler who has worked in major professional wrestling promotions like WWE and the territories of the National Wrestling Alliance. He was extremely successful in the world of wrestling and he won major championships from all over the wrestling world. Unfortunately, he passed away on June 7, 2023 at the age of 81.
Iron Sheik Height, Weight, Age & More:
The billed height of Sheik was 6’0″ and his billed weight was 258 lbs. He was born on March 15, 1942 and he was 81 year old at the time of his death on June 7, 2023. He was one of the top stars of the 80s and he had been one of the biggest main events of WWE during the time as he had multiple top feuds with some of the biggest names of the promotion.
The Iron Sheik: Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Net Worth, Family, Injury Details, Tattoo, and Other Unknown Facts
Iron Sheik Early Life
Sheik was born on March 15, 1942 and he was 81 year old at the time of his death in 2023. Damghan, Iran is the place where The Iron Sheik born. He admired Iranian Olympic champion wrestler Gholamreza Takhti during his young age. He had been a successful amateur wrestler before becoming a professional wrestler.
Who is Iron Sheik
The Iron Sheik was an Iranian professional wrestler who passed away in 2023 at the age of 81. He was one of the top stars at throughout the 80s and he worked in major wrestling promotions. He also won multiple prestigious championships from all over the world of wrestling. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the class of 2005.
Iron Sheik WWE Debut
Sheik made his WWE debut back in 1979 as a participant in the first ever battle royal in Madison Square Garden. He made a huge impact instantly by winning the battle royal and he also started a feud with Bob Backlund for the WWE World Championship. He could not win the title in his first run but he defeated Backlund in his second run to win the Championship.
Professional Wrestling Career
Training
Sheik started working as an amateur wrestler first and he had an excellent record in the field of amateur wrestling. He was invited by wrestling legend Verne Gagne to join the world of professional wrestling. He then started training for professional wrestling and got trained in the same class where The Nature Boy Ric Flair trained.
Early Character Selection
Sheik started his career as a babyface and he did not adopt his famous Iron Sheik character yet. Soon he got an idea from Jimmy Snuka about a new character to portray his original Iranian self. He renamed himself as The Great Hossein Arab. This new character became pretty famous among the wrestling fans and it came into the instant spotlight due to the Iranian revolution that were going on during the time.
Early Success
He travelled with his new character on various promotions including Japan where he worked with wrestling legend Antonio Inoki. The character became extremely popular among the fans and he went on to win multiple Championship from all over the world as well. The Canadian Tag Team Championship was the first title he won.
Early WWE Career
He had been pretty impressive in his early days and he got the eyes of WWE soon after introducing the new character. He made his debuting the first ever battle royal at the Madison Square Garden. He went on to win the Battle Royal to make an instant impact in the promotion. He had been presented as a top star in the promotion. One of his early matches was against Bob Backlund. He lost this match but he was pretty impressive.
Early Feuds
He also had some excellent feuds with some of the top names of the promotion like Chief Jay Strongbow and Bruno Sammartino. He remained active in WWE during his first run in the promotion for only one year and in 1980 he decided to leave the promotion for Jim Crockett Promotions. Here he had been presented as a top star again and he went on to win the prestigious NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jim Brunzell.
Professional Information Table
|
Ring Name |
The Iron Sheik |
|
Iron Sheik Nick Names |
* |
|
Profession(s) |
Professional Wrestler |
|
Iron Sheik Height |
6’0” |
|
Iron Sheik Weight |
258 lbs. |
|
Relationship Status |
* |
|
Iron Sheik Net Worth |
$500,000 |
|
Iron Sheik Eye Color |
Dark Brown |
|
Hair Color |
Black |
|
Wrestling Debut |
1972 |
|
Mentor |
* |
|
Iron Sheik Signature Moves |
Boston Crab, Abdominal Stretch, Gutwrench Suplex, Throat Thrust |
|
Finishing Move(s) |
Camel Clutch |
|
Theme Song / Iron Sheik Song / Iron Sheik Music |
Desert Threat |
|
Catchphrases |
*
|
Iron Sheik Net Worth & Salary
The final days of this big wrestling legend were quite difficult. According to reports from various media sources, the net worth of Sheik at the time of his death was estimated to be somewhere around $500,000. Some sources claim that his net worth was even lesser. He is currently not alive so he does not receive any salary from any promotion.
Iron Sheik Family
Sheik was born on March 15, 1942 in Damghan, Iran. He belonged to a very poor family and his family did not have enough money to raise him properly. His family did not have running water either. His father was Haji Ghasem Vaziri and there is not enough information available about his parents or whether he had any siblings.
Championships and Accomplishments
Sheik had been extremely successful in terms of winning championships in the world of professional wrestling. He had been a WWE World Champion and also a WWE Tag Team Champion. He also won multiple prestigious championships outside of WWE. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the class of 2005.
Championships and Accomplishments Table
| Championships and Accomplishments / Trophy (WWE) | WWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Nikolai Volkoff, WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2005) |
| Awards & Achievements (Outside WWE) | ACCW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame – Class of 2016 NWA National Television Championship (1 time) IAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time), IAW Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Brian Costello IWA Intercontinental Championship (1 time) IWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (2 times) NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with The Texas Outlaw, NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship Tournament (1978) – with The Texas Outlaw National Wrestling Alliance – NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2008) NWA New Zealand British Commonwealth Championship (1 time) NWA 2000 American Heritage Championship (1 time) NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bull Ramos Pro Wrestling Illustrated – PWI ranked him No. 134 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the “PWI Years” in 2003, PWI ranked him No. 96 of the 100 best tag teams of the “PWI Years” with the Nikolai Volkoff in 2003 Wrestling Observer Newsletter – Most Underrated Wrestler (1980) |
| Records | One time WWE World Champion |
Personal life & Lifestyle
Sheik’s date of birth as per his passport was March 15th, although he celebrated his birthday on September 9th because of his family alternating between the Gregorian calendar and the Solar Hijri calendar. Before becoming an amateur wrestler, worked as a bodyguard for Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his family for several years. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was the last monarch of Persia.
Personal Information Table
|
Iron Sheik Real Name / Full Name |
Fergal Devitt |
|
Birth Date
|
March 15, 1942 |
|
Iron Sheik Age |
81 (at the time of his death in 2023) |
|
Relationship Status |
* |
|
Zodiac Sign |
Pieces |
|
Birthplace |
Damghan, Iran |
|
Nationality |
Iranian |
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Hometown |
Damghan, Iran |
|
School/College/University |
Not Known |
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Educational Qualification |
Not Known |
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Religion |
Shia Muslim |
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Iron Sheik Ethnicity |
Iranian |
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Current Residence |
* |
|
Hobbies |
* |
|
Iron Sheik Tattoo |
* |
Iron Sheik Movies and TV Shows
Sheik made his film debut after his wrestling career was over. The first movie he worked in was The Tale of the 3 Mohammads which was released in 2005. His next appearance was in Operation Belvis Bash in 2011 alongside Daniel Baldwin and Corey Feldman. He also made guest appearances in a number of television series.
Iron Sheik Wife
Sheik who was a one time WWE World Champion was married to Caryl Peterson. They got married in 1976 and they lived together until Sheik’s death in 2023. There is not enough information available about her. Together they had a daughter named Marissa Jeanne Vaziri who was born on 28 Aug 1976. Unfortunately, she was murdered by her boyfriend in 2003.
Main Event Success
Return to NWA Territories
Sheik left Jim Crockett Promotions in August 1981 and he worked in various other promotions like Championship Wrestling from Florida, Mid-South Wrestling, and Georgia Championship Wrestling. He kept on winning big championships in all of these promotions. He also won the NWA National Television Championship one time.
Return to WWE
In 1983 he made his return to WWE and this time he had been treated as a main event star in the promotion. This was also the time of the ultimate rise of the Iron Sheik. He immediately challenged Bob Backlund for the WWE World Championship and after a couple of failed attempts, he finally defeated Backlund by submission to capture the WWE World Championship.
WWE World Champion
Winning the WWE World Championship was not for everyone. It was really an iconic victory. But his title reign could not last long as he dropped the Championship to Hulk Hogan only after 28 days. It was also the beginning of Hogan’s iconic 1474 days World Championship reign. Sheik could never win the WWE World Championship again after dropping it.
Tag Team Success
In 1985, he teamed up with Nikolai Volkoff and their team remained in existence for a couple of years. The team even won the WWE Tag Team Championship one time. He remained active in WWE until 1987 and worked in various matches and feuds. One of his best feuds in WWE from his later days in the promotion was against Jim Duggan. He returned to WWE in 1988 for a short run.
Final Days
After 1988, he worked in various other promotions and returned to WWE in 1991 for the third time. After 1992 he became irregular in the wrestling world but he kept on making sporadic appearances in WWE. One of his memorable later appearances was in WrestleMania X-Seven Gimmick Battle Royal which he won. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Iconic Quotes From Iron Sheik
“A lot of people think the wrestling is easy. I have bad knee… almost no walk. Look at the Jerry Lawler with his heart. We still get involve with the sport because we have the pride and the heart. Sometime we get hurt and sometime we don’t.”
“Wrestling toughest sport. We never take day off. We never have the offseason like the hockey or the football. We work year-round, and we never complain because you fight to be with biggest company in the world and you never ask for the time to rest.”
“The Rock now the hottest thing. He come from wrestling background. Father, mother, grandfather all from wrestling business: 2-3 generations. I watch his movie. He great movie star, and I be wrestling with his father Rocky Johnson. I love them.”
“Rob Thomas, the Action Bronson and the Riff Raff. Both the musicians, they know who I am and they know I come from oldest country in the world and if I want my words like the music. I forever love them like the Frank Sinatra.”
“Gene Mean. He come to my wedding. He always make the Sheikie Baby look No. 1 on the promo. He know the camera zoom… it make the legend the real. Forever nobody better than the Gene Mean. I love him forever.”
“I come from oldest country in the world and everybody know when Iron Sheik see the bad person like the OJ Simpson or jabroni Chris Brown or the good man like the Ray Lewis, I respect them or break their back.”
“My best match, draw me lot of money and make me world famous, is the boot-camp match with the Sergeant Slaughter. He was hottest thing in the wrestling, and when Iron Sheik come we make the world news.”
Notable Feuds and Rivalries of Iron Sheik
Sheik was one of the top stars of the wrestling world throughout the 80s and he had some excellent matches with some of the biggest names in the wrestling world during the time. Hulk Hogan had been one of his biggest rivals who defeated him to take the WWE World Championship away from him in 1987. The duo had other excellent matches together as well.
His biggest rival in WWE has to be none other than WWE Hall of Famer Bob Backlund. Their feud started in 1979 but Backlund came out stronger in their early days. In 1983, Sheik returned to WWE and instantly challenged Backlund for the championship, and this time he defeated Backlund to win the WWE World Championship.
Iron Sheik Injury
Much like most of the professional wrestlers, Sheik had to go through multiple injuries throughout his career. But no injuries could be severe enough to take him out of wrestling permanently and he remained an active wrestler until the age of 50. In June 2023, he passed away due to a cardiac arrest. He was 81 year old at the time of his death.
Other Details
Sheik appeared in multiple wrestling video games as playable characters. He is first appearance in a WWE video game was back in 2003 when he appeared in the critically acclaimed video game WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain. He also appeared in a number of other video games like WWE Legends of WrestleMania which was released in 2009. One of his latest appearances to place in WWE 2K16 which was released in 2015.
|
Iron Sheik Salary |
* |
|
Brand Endorsements |
WWE Merchandise |
|
Sponsors |
* |
|
Charity |
* |
Social Media Accounts
Sheik is not alive anymore, so he does not have any verified account on any social media sites like Twitter or Instagram
Iron Sheik Win Loss Record
| Promotion | Win % | Draw % | Loss % |
| AWA | 4 (33.33%) | 3 (25.00%) | 5 (41.67%) |
| CWA | 0 (0.00%) | 1 (100.00%) | 0 (0.00%) |
| HOW | 0 (0.00%) | 0 (0.00%) | 1 (100.00%) |
| JCW | 1 (100.00%) | 0 (0.00%) | 0 (0.00%) |
| NJPW | 1 (14.29%) | 0 (0.00%) | 6 (85.71%) |
| NWA | 5 (41.67%) | 0 (0.00%) | 7 (58.33%) |
| NWA/BTA (Dallas) | 1 (33.33%) | 0 (0.00%) | 2 (66.67%) |
| WCCW | 0 (0.00%) | 0 (0.00%) | 1 (100.00%) |
| WCWA | 0 (0.00%) | 0 (0.00%) | 1 (100.00%) |
| WWC | 0 (0.00%) | 0 (0.00%) | 3 (100.00%) |
| WWE | 0 (0.00%) | 1 (100.00%) | 0 (0.00%) |
| WWF | 59 (47.97%) | 4 (3.25%) | 60 (48.78%) |
| TOTAL | 71 (42.77%) | 9 (5.42%) | 86 (51.81%) |
Iron Sheik Manager
In 1985, Sheik teamed up with famous Yugoslavian professional wrestler Nikolai Volkoff who was built in Russia. The duo had been an excellent Tag Team and they also won the WWE Tag Team Championship one time. They used to manage each other during their singles matches. Sheik also managed the Sultan in 1996.
FAQS
Q. When did Iron Sheik start wrestling?
A. Iron Sheik started working in 1972
Q. How tall is Iron Sheik in feet?
A. Iron Sheik is 6’0” tall in feet
Q. Who is Iron Sheik manager?
A. Iron Sheik does had been managed by various names
Q. What is current Iron Sheik song?
A. Iron Sheik used the song ‘Desert Threat’
Q. Who is Iron Sheik mother?
A. Not known
Q. Who is Iron Sheik father?
A. Iron Sheik’s father was Haji Ghasem Vaziri
Q. Who is currently Iron Sheik girlfriend?
A. Iron Sheik was currently married to Caryl Vaziri until his death in 2023
Q. Who is Iron Sheik brother?
A. Not known
Q. How much is Iron Sheik worth?
A. Iron Sheik’s net worth is something around $500,000
Q. How many times Iron Sheik won the WWE World title?
A. Iron Sheik had been a one time WWE World Champion