Sad passing of a wrestling legend...

[Heeeere's Olesker!]

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/iron-...-famer-dead-81

I was blessed to meet Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Mr. Fuji, The Junk Yard Dog and many other wrestlers when I was tangentially involved with the Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling animated series during my years at DIC Entertainment, there as they were filmed for the series' live action wraparound. But of all the wrestlers, I think The Iron Sheik had the most lasting impression for me. Despite being a wrestling villain, I found him to be warm, engaging and generous with his time, taking almost an hour to chat with a young and upcoming writer. He told me how he admired all writers and when I told him how I admired all wrestlers that brought a smile to his craggy face.

Many years later I was as a NATPE convention in New Orleans when I saw him walking toward me, so much older and a bit frail. Wrestling takes something out of you, I suppose. When I exclaimed "SHEEEEEEIK!", he looked to me in surprise and smiled. I rushed to him and shook hands, reminding him of our meeting so long ago. He said he remembered it well. I told him how much I enjoyed him as a wrestler and he said that touched his heart. With people passing all around us, few giving us a second look, his smile lessened a bit, his eyes lowered and he said, "I just don't think many people remember me now." I answered, "How could they not?" The tough guy looked at me, his eyes misting, and he suddenly reached out and hugged me. Afterwards, he told me how much it meant to hear that and I thanked him for the joy and entertainment he'd brought to millions of fans around the world.

Happily, in later years social media gave him new life as he wracked up 643,000 followers on Twitter. Greatness never dies.

R.I.P., good sir.

[Megalodon]

Thanks for the story Jack he truly was a legend and he went thru ALOT in life...Which he shouldn't have R.I.P. Iron Sheik

[Mike Osborn]

R.I.P. Sheiky Baby

[Cameron Samurai]

We are all humbled in his presence

(just don't look up what 'humbling' means to the Sheik, it's not PG)

RIP Shiek!

[Heeeere's Olesker!]

He always made me smile and, 'villain' or not, I think a lot of people felt that way. I'm glad he made a comeback on Twitter. His ring persona aside, The Sheik was a people person.

[Cameron Samurai]

He always made me smile and, 'villain' or not, I think a lot of people felt that way. I'm glad he made a comeback on Twitter. His ring persona aside, The Sheik was a people person.

History will be very generous to him. He was the champion that Hogan beat to launch the Hulkamania phase of pop culture in the first place.

[Dave-Man]

Didn't know a lot about his career after the '80s. A shame he always had to play the heel, but at least he was always good sport about it. I could see his sense of humor in the live segments he did for Hulk Hogan's Rock N Wrestling. It says a lot for those "bad guy" wrestlers that they were willing to do that show. They didn't take themselves too seriously. I'm glad to see that, "villain" or not, he had a great positive impact upon his sport.

May God bless him and keep him, may God cause God's face to shine upon him and be gracious to him. May God look upon him with favor, and grant him peace. And may he always play the good guy in whatever heaven he believed in.

[Fendi]

He always made me smile and, 'villain' or not, I think a lot of people felt that way. I'm glad he made a comeback on Twitter. His ring persona aside, The Sheik was a people person.

Definitely, Sheik was the people's people. But he didn't took life so seriously, just roll with the ball. But he had a fair share of backstage stories, You should youtube Iron Sheik's Controversial Wrestling Shoot.

[Heeeere's Olesker!]

Didn't know a lot about his career after the '80s. A shame he always had to play the heel, but at least he was always good sport about it. I could see his sense of humor in the live segments he did for Hulk Hogan's Rock N Wrestling. It says a lot for those "bad guy" wrestlers that they were willing to do that show. They didn't take themselves too seriously. I'm glad to see that, "villain" or not, he had a great positive impact upon his sport.

May God bless him and keep him, may God cause God's face to shine upon him and be gracious to him. May God look upon him with favor, and grant him peace. And may he always play the good guy in whatever heaven he believed in.

For sure, Dave-Man.

Being on hand at the taping of the Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling live action wraparounds was one of the most fun parts of my long career at DIC. In one segment, shot at the arena, Mean Gene Overlund was in the middle of interviewing Rowdy Roddy Piper when Piper produced a pair of scissors he'd been hiding behind his back, reached over and cut Gene's long tie in half. Gene had no idea this was coming but, true professional that he was, he went with it and in his patented deadpan delivery, he simply said, "Roddy Piper, you're not a nice man." Everyone except Gene, including Roddy and the whole production crew, lost it, cracking up.

Gosh, those guys -- of course including The Iron Sheik -- were a blast to work with. And one of the side benefits is that, to a man, they loved children. They'd spend half an hour of their own time, after a shoot, hanging out with the kids who were watching, signing autographs and just chatting with them. In my book, that's what a real man is about.

[Megalodon]

0:42 Seconds in



Language but it's funny....

[Heeeere's Olesker!]

0:42 Seconds in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poNpqNpsCJQ

Language but it's funny....

The whole clip is worth viewing. Michael Buffer, eat your heart out!

Thanks for sharing, Meg.

Wow, this is exactly the kind of memorial The Sheik would love -- a celebration of the zaniness and fun of those years.

[Dave-Man]

0:42 Seconds in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poNpqNpsCJQ

Language but it's funny....

I always say it was a soap opera for "tough guys". Gene must have had a ball because he got to be in every segment.

[Megalodon]

Here's some more:







Language and classic!!

[Firefly]

R.I.P.

The British Bulldogs vs Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff was the main event of the first WWF event I went to as a kid with my dad. I enjoyed the Hogan cartoon show. It is too bad it was never released on DVD. At one point, a few episodes were available to stream on the WWE Network, but they were pulled when Hogan's video was leaked and the WWE divorced themselves from Hogan for a couple of years. I doubt we'll ever see it on Peacock unfortunately.

[phantom1592]

He was just a LITTLE before my time. Him and Junk Yard Dog were wrestlers that I was well aware of and had the toys of and saw on the cartoon... but when I started around.... Wrestlemania 4 or 5 I think... They weren't active anymore. Loved what I saw of them elsewhere, but they're some of the true 'greats' that I don't remember ever seeing a real MATCH of.

[Heeeere's Olesker!]

He was just a LITTLE before my time. Him and Junk Yard Dog were wrestlers that I was well aware of and had the toys of and saw on the cartoon... but when I started around.... Wrestlemania 4 or 5 I think... They weren't active anymore. Loved what I saw of them elsewhere, but they're some of the true 'greats' that I don't remember ever seeing a real MATCH of.

And I'm at the other end of the spectrum. I was blessed to have grown up in the 1950s and saw live matches with Haystacks Calhoun, Sailor Art Thomas, Killer Kowalski any many other greats from the early days of what I'll call Performance Wrestling. While you obviously never saw those matches live, the internet allows you to see them and that's a good thing because imo it's important to embrace and honor the history of something you love.

Fun to watch and interesting to learn where and from who many today's greats took some of their inspiration.

https://www.google.com/search?client...id:L42jWxJvXzM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXgwmvW2hFk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDzaAWzdW8A

[Dice]

He was just a LITTLE before my time. Him and Junk Yard Dog were wrestlers that I was well aware of and had the toys of and saw on the cartoon... but when I started around.... Wrestlemania 4 or 5 I think... They weren't active anymore. Loved what I saw of them elsewhere, but they're some of the true 'greats' that I don't remember ever seeing a real MATCH of.

I was the same way although I got to see one Saturday night main event (may have even been a Halloween special) where Junk Yard Dog wrestled. I was a big fan from the cartoon.

Iron Sheik and Mr. Fuji, for me, will always be the silly bad guys from that cartoon. I love them for it.

[Heeeere's Olesker!]

I was the same way although I got to see one Saturday night main event (may have even been a Halloween special) where Junk Yard Dog wrestled. I was a big fan from the cartoon.

Iron Sheik and Mr. Fuji, for me, will always be the silly bad guys from that cartoon. I love them for it.

JYD was one of the funniest, friendliest and most humble gentlemen I ever had the pleasure of meeting. He had a gift. He could crack you up just by looking at you, not saying a single word.

[Dave-Man]

He was just a LITTLE before my time. Him and Junk Yard Dog were wrestlers that I was well aware of and had the toys of and saw on the cartoon... but when I started around.... Wrestlemania 4 or 5 I think... They weren't active anymore. Loved what I saw of them elsewhere, but they're some of the true 'greats' that I don't remember ever seeing a real MATCH of.

Sadly, a lot of these guys are gone before their time. Wrestling in the '80s and '90s apparently was very bad for your health.

[Wonder Bread He-Man]

Saw him Miami '12 , RIP sheiky baby

[Neophron]

The late Iron Sheik once worked as a bodyguard for the Shah (king) of Iran until his overthrow in 1979 before starting his wrestling career in the United States.

[Heeeere's Olesker!]

The late Iron Sheik once worked as a bodyguard for the Shah (king) of Iran until his overthrow in 1979 before starting his wrestling career in the United States.

What is your point?

[Dave-Man]

The late Iron Sheik once worked as a bodyguard for the Shah (king) of Iran until his overthrow in 1979 before starting his wrestling career in the United States.

Well, if this had been my job I would have left Iran too. Must be kind of interesting how he found his way into pro wrestling from there, though.

- - - Updated - - -

Been a while since I have seen this - but it sure was fun/ Sheik and some other old school personalities are in it. So it is relevant.

[Fendi]

I know this is past months but for me Sheik is one of the few wrestlers that can take all of the drugs, demeaning in heel but can pull off a babyface, and still can be a good guy overall in real life. with his presence everyone, a lot of people in ECW wishes that Sheik would join in the company due for the overall reputation. Great guy and shame I knew him a lot more after he died.