Online World of Wrestling DVD Review
YouSHOOT with The Iron Sheik
Available at www.KayfabeCommentaries.com
Reviewed By: Brad Dykens
I am a proud mark for the legendary Iron Sheik’s work in the wrestling ring, but unfortunately I am really embarrassed by what has become of this legendary athlete. It went from the highest level of respect in the sport as a reliable heel, to just about the lowest as a desperate drug addict doing anything for a buck. He has done over a dozen shoot interviews, and the trainwreck always results in DVD’s flying off the shelves. I really don’t understand. Give me a Best of the Iron Sheik in the 80’s DVD any day. To his credit, the Sheik does tone it down a bit whenever he does something for Kayfabe Commentaries.
Some of the topics discussed include; growing up in Iran, coming to the United States, his “first time”…. Verne Gagne, Ole Anderson, his WWF title reign, the amazing story where Gagne offered him money to break Hogan’s leg, assault charges, Jim Neidhart, his action figure payoff, Kamala, his partner Nikolai Volkoff, the infamous incident with Jim Duggan, his notorious use of “medicine” (his cute name for recreational drugs), Hulk Hogan, Junk Yard Dog, his appearance on Old School RAW (thoughts on Santino), bashing a promoter in Boston, an entire chapter dedicated to his loser agent Eric Simms, Brian Blair, Scott Hall, Larry Zbyszko, and Ultimate Warrior… plus the games of Dick Bag and Ho Bag. They totally failed to call out the Iron Sheik on his bogus claim of winning a medal at the 1968 Olympics.
If you’re not a fan of Kayfabe Commentaries, then you owe it to yourself to head over to their website at www.KayfabeCommentaries.com and pick out a couple of amazing DVD’s from their growing collection.
Reviewed by Alan Wojcik
Courtesy of Alan J. Wojcik and www.owwradio.com
The Iron Sheik has been called bitter old man, a drug addict, a racist, misogynistic, insensitive and other words not fit to print in this review. Many people expected that guy when he sat down with Kayfabe Commentaries groundbreaking YouShoot series hosted as always by Sean Oliver and the wrestling fans who submit the questions. “Sheiky Baby” does show up at times, but for the majority of the DVD the Sheik disappears and Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri answers the questions. Before I review the DVD I am happy to say subtitles are not needed as the Sheik is not on the A to the Z, so he is well spoken and literate. I am also happy to say the normal moron squad that litters the YouShoot series is here but are briefly muted by intelligent questions. The chapters are as follows: Early Days, WWE, A to the Z, WWE Again, F#&k the Eric Sims, Rants, Make You Humble & Potpourri.
The Early Days chapter lays down the foundation for a fascinating interview with the Sheik who many do know was a bodyguard to the Shah of Iran and competed in the Mexico City Olympics, but few never knew he also trained in the US from 1971 forward and was an assistant coach during the ill-fated 1972 Munich games (do your history if you have no idea what I am talking about.) The Sheik talks about training under wrestling legend Verne Gagne and shooting on the amateur wrestling mat and how the Original Sheik and “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka helped him create the dreaded Iron Sheik character. The chapter also outlines the Sheik’s work in Georgia and the AWA before arriving in the old World Wrestling Federation where he became champion defeating Bob Backlund.
In the WWE chapter Sheik confirms the rumor that AWA owner Verne Gagne and others offered him $100,000 to break the leg of the immortal Hulk Hogan on January 23, 1984 in Madison Square Garden. That story alone is worth the price of the DVD. Things are then taken to the hilarious by one of my fellow Online World of Wrestling Genesis forum members found some “interesting” footage of the Sheik vs. Hogan that must be seen to be believed. Another video is played involving a lawyer and Sheik during some legal issues in the 80’s (not the one you are thinking of) in Bridgeport, CT. Hearing how much the Sheik made from the LJN 1980’s WWF wrestling action figures will make your jaw hit the floor. The Sheik does talk about his party friends on the 1980’s roster like Don Muraco, Kamala, Roddy Piper, Greg Valentine, Junkyard Dog, Bob Orton Jr. and traveling with his long time tag team partner Nikolai Volkoff who was a great ally and road roommate. The infamous Garden State Parkway arrest with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan is addressed with some interesting points made by Sheik. The distain for Hulk Hogan does come out during this and the other chapters.
A to the Z and the Sheik’s return to the WWE in the early 1990’s are very interesting and I will not spoil them here but if you are a “Medicine Man” you will appreciate the first one listed. I didn’t care for the chapter involving the Sheik’s manager Eric Sims only because I had no clue whom Mr. Sims was and that is the main reason I didn’t care for it (doubt Eric Sims knows who I am.) The chapter seems more like a forum for Mr. Sims to complain about how the Sheik is treated by promoters and people who work with Sheik on indy dates. The rest of the chapters are great but the real fun comes when the Sheik gets involved in the traditional YouShoot games like What’s in the Bag, The Ho Game, What A Dick and the YouShoot Roll-A-Joint challenge.
As I mentioned this is a must buy either if you are a fan of the Sheik from his appearance on Howard Stern or Opie/Anthony or just a wrestling historian. According the www.kayfabecommentaries.com website the next releases are; Timeline: History of the WWE 2001 with Lisa “Ivory” Moretti and a yet to be named guest on the inaugural Timeline History of ECW.