WOR Video: How the Iron Sheik became WWE Champion

Originally posted on F4WOnline.com | Last updated 6/15/23

Dave and Garrett discussed The Iron Sheik’s WWE Championship win on Wrestling Observer Radio.

Friday afternoon’s show had Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales discuss The Iron Sheik, who passed away on Wednesday. Meltzer noted that once Sheik had entered the WWF in the early 1980s, he was already passed his peak as a wrestler.

“The Iron Sheik everybody saw was nowhere near the competitor of the Portland Iron Sheik or Mid Atlantic Iron Sheik,” Meltzer said.

Gonzales noted that when The Iron Sheik won the WWE Championship in late 1983 from Bob Backlund, he had only been in the territory a short time. Meltzer said that was common during the territory era for heels to debut at the top.

“In those days, a heel would show up on TV and they’d be on TV for two months or so and when they debut, it’d be at the Spectrum or in the Garden in the main event,” he said.

“The Sheik’s run...it was kind of the right place at the right time,” Meltzer said regarding Sheik’s title run. “I think a lot of people think that The Sheik was picked as this great plan because of Hulk Hogan being an American hero...it could have been anyone in that spot.”

This article first appeared on F4WOnline.com and was syndicated with permission.

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