4. He Became The Embodiment Of American Values
Ironically, despite all his anti-American rhetoric and all of his pro-Iran promos during the 1980s, Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri was and is the opposite of his character he once portrayed while wrestling. He was, and still is a family man with deep admiration for Americas values and is often seen carrying a miniature American flag with him when in public. He loves the United States, and his intelligent wrestling fans are aware that his condemnations of the U.S. were all part of the show. In terms of the American Dream, where people from other countries come to the US to make it big, there are few better examples of such success than the Iron Sheik. He came to the US and could barely speak any English, and the only thing he knew was wrestling; yet he managed to get past these shortcomings and make it big in the United States. He married the love of his life and started a family, and made tons of money doing what he loved. This was also exemplified in how he looked at the beginning of his career: he wore a singlet, carried his Olympic medals with him, and presented himself as a straight-shooter of an Olympic wrestler (remind you of someone?) So if there was ever a wrestling character that was the polar opposite of what the man behind the character was like, its the Iron Sheik; he loves the United States, and is thankful for the opportunities he got as an American citizen.