WWE: 10 Times Real Life Political Troubles Fuelled Top Heels
3. Iron Shiek/Nikolai Volkoff
Foreign villains that play off of Americans fears and/or prejudices are a staple of professional wrestling. In post-World War II, Germans and Japanese heels attacked American fans holding onto a past in hopes that it would rise again. With the rise of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, Russians became the en vogue country of choice. Enter such heels as Ivan Koloff and Nikolai Volkoff.
After his Olympic career, the culture was perfect for the Iron Sheik to make an appearance, based on the rising tensions between the West and the Middle East including the Iranian hostage crisis. By the time Freddie Blassie joined them as the Foreign Legion, Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik were well established characters in the World Wrestling Federation. What makes this pairing interesting is the political connections that existed between the USSR and Iran, particularly in Irans position in the Cold War. Both the Soviets and Americans would provide assistance to either Iran or Iraq depending on what regime was friendlier. At this time, the Khomeni regime had displaced the American friendly Shah in power for a number of years and embraced the Soviets help while America had sided with the enemy of their enemy, Saddam Hussein.
As Nikolai sang the Soviet national anthem, the Iranian Iron Sheik would salute in reverence, even giving the USSR top billing when he said their countries were number one.
It was natural to pair the two against All-American kids in Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham, who would come out to Bruce Springsteens Born in the USA. The feud peaked at Wrestlemania I where the Foreign Legion defeated the US Express. Soon thereafter, Barry Windham left for the NWA to be replaced by Dan Spivey and renamed the American Express, but by then the patriotic gimmick was naturally making its way to another superstar: Hulk Hogan. Both Volkoff and the Iron Sheik had programs with Real American Hogan playing off the jingoism.
To relive a bit of nostalgia, the US Express and the Foreign Legion had a match on the March 10, 2008 edition of RAW.