The Iron Sheik was an awesome anti-American heel. He was a key figure in WWE's rise as a company in the mid-1980s thanks to his WWE Title win over the All-American hero Bob Backlund. Sheik's win over Backlund in December of 1983 ended a nearly four year title reign by Backlund. When The Iron Sheik did a promo, people listened. He had no problem ripping on America in his promos and delivering his famous line about "Iran number one, America..." and then he would spit. Whether he was on his own or with his partner Nikolai Volkoff, he always knew how to upset the fans and put himself in situations where they would nearly riot. http://youtu.be/9R39s6sGcio A big reason why Sheik won the WWE Title was so that he could put over WWE's next All-American champion Hulk Hogan. Sheik held the title for about one month before Hogan beat him and cemented himself as WWE's new top guy. There are plenty of stories from Sheik where he talked about how his former bosses in the AWA wanted him to hurt Hogan and they would give him money for it, but he had too much pride as well as a love for the business. It should also be noted that he popularized the Camel Clutch finishing move, which has been used in wrestling by so many others over the years, including several foreign heels. It's a move that Rusev uses these days too. It's a tribute to Sheik's legacy. These days The Iron Sheik has a lot of fun on Twitter @the_ironsheik where he insults all kinds of people and he recently released a documentary about his life as well. He lives in the US and loves it there, but his character was one of the true original anti-American heels that will never be forgotten.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.