Every Foreign WWE Champion Ranked From Worst To Best

The Iron Sheik could hold the distinction of having the greatest transitional title reign of all time, famously bridging two huge events in company history with his single 28-day reign starting at the end of 1983.

Sheik's time with the strap was very purposeful, ending the incredible near-six-year reign of Bob Backlund - the second longest of all time - to enact the traditional transition scenario, as they looked to replace Backlund as the face of the brand with the rapidly-emerging Hulk Hogan.

Enter Iron Sheik, who was despised more than enough to complete two jobs. Generate heat in defeating Backlund, then using said heat to fill the audience with so much hatred on his end that it created equally as much patriotism and fanfare for Hogan. Of which he successfully did both.

The actual reign itself was fairly uneventful and straight forward as a dedicated transitional champion, using his heat to rile up local crowds, often against a local hero looking to knock off the villainous foreigner.

He defended against Backlund on some house shows, just retaining his title by the skin of his teeth in true heel fashion, while also taking on some mid-card heroes like Chief Jay Strongbow and Pat Patterson before his date with destiny, in the form of Hogan's moustache and pythons.