In 1984, there was no better heel in the whole entire world for Hulk Hogan to lose to than the Iron Sheik. The United States was at odds with Iran, and an Ayatollah Khomeni-supporting grappler with legitimate roots as a) being a one-time bodyguard to the Shah of Iran as well as b) being an Olympic wrestler was important. In defeating the Iron Sheik, Hulk Hogan accomplished many goals that ideally set up the seven years that he sat on-top of the company: - he defeated a wrestler who had legitimate skills - he defeated someone with legitimate heat - in thwarting the Sheik, he could claim Americana as a key component of his gimmick - finally (and most importantly), he set a succesful trope-as-template for much of his run as champion Had Hulk Hogan not defeated the Iron Sheik, who knows how Hogan's success would have been viewed, and how many dollars Vince McMahon would've left on the table?
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
