2023 Wrestling RIP Thread

[cubbymark]

RIP Sheiky Baby. Keep making people humble in the afterlife.

 

[Cobra Commander]

Even with how he looked during the A&E Biography, there was nothing reported like with SBG.

Jake Roberts better hide in the basement for a few weeks since two other extremely resilient wrestling dudes died in the last few weeks

[odessasteps]

Just had text me asking the veracity. 

[RIPPA]

 

[The Natural]

Fuck. RIP The Iron Shiek. Condolences to his family and friends at this sad time xxx.

[The Great ML]

So many classic stories and memories…my first Sheik memory was the old LJN commercials where he showed up in the living room, or the “Back to Class!” RIP.

[JLowe]

When I first started watching wrestling in '84 (like many my age, right at the start of the WWF boom/Rock and Wrestling era), Shiek had already lost the singles title to Hogan and was teaming with Nikolai Volkoff "Iran #1, Russia #1, USA hack-ptooey!". They would eventually feud with the US Express, who I loved, as well as individual feuds with Hacksaw Jim Duggan who appealed to 13-year old me.

Anyway, any kayfabe I still believed in was ruined a few years later when Sheik and Duggan, who were in a huge feud at the time, were busted in a car together in New Jersey with drugs.

https://apnews.com/article/eca94e958509fcd2842cc0a384056ae3

Edited June 7, 2023 by JLowe

[odessasteps]

Another cast member of the Goonies music video has left us. 

 

[Matt D]

This is not a match I knew about in any meaningful way before this last year, but it's something that should be as canonical. It is truly special: 

 

 

[hammerva]

It was good that they got that A&E documentary on Iron Sheik before his passing.  I am not sure how many people knew Shieky was about clean as he was going to get and seems to have his family life straightened out

 

[Curt McGirt]

I went on Facebook just now and literally every other poster in my feed has a Sheiky Baby tribute up. People I had no idea were into wrestling. I mean EVERYONE. It's nuts.

[Greggulator]

My wife knows nothing about and actively hates wrestling. But she loves Stern and texted me “he made us all humble” when I told her the news. Sheiky Baby really did break out in a “wrestling curiosity” way and I am glad he did. Iran Number One!

[nofuture]

 

[JLowe]

Also I had it in my head that the big Mid-South Persian Clubs challenge with Iron Sheik that I saw recently was with the recently departed Superstar Graham, but the internet reminded me that it was actually Precious Paul Ellering. Superstar is doing an arm wrestling deal with Barbarian. 

[DJ Hero Morganti]

The Persian clubs with sting was fun

[BrianS81177]

Fack tha jabroni Hulk Hogan!

RIP Shiek

[Curt McGirt]

I went down a rabbit hole of minute and a half WWF promos with him and every single one was gold. Especially the one where he calls Gene Mean "intelligent Jew" and breaks him so the cameraman slooooowly pans in on Sheik, while you hear laughter behind the camera. 

Honorable mention to his pronunciation of "Hill-a-billah Jim"

EDIT: Oh hell I gotta post it

Best Promos - Iron Sheik - Zoom It! - YouTube

Edited June 7, 2023 by Curt McGirt

[Hamhock]

1 hour ago, Curt McGirt said:

I went down a rabbit hole of minute and a half WWF promos with him and every single one was gold.

I always loved this kayfabe-breaking outtake with the whole gang:

 

[ChrisM]

RIP to one of the great characters in the history of pro wrestling, and by all accounts a really good guy. 

[DreamBroken]

damn. RIP to the legend.  Terrible losing him and Superstar one after the other. 

[BloodyChamp]

I just heard about Sheiky Baby. He had an amazing life from the start. He sure made the most out of it. I haven’t seen any of the A&E things but I hope they covered it all, especially before wrestling. 

I always knew who he was but as a youngun I had him written off as kind of 1 of those bad guys who was no real threat like he used to be. Then I grew up and all and THEN clicked on this little thread call “The Iron Shiek Goes Nut” one day. I’ve been a dang fan ever since lol! He took that and worked people like the dang pro that he was. Meanwhile that influenced so many people. So much crap talking you hear that’s for clicks or views or whatever...many people learned how to do that type of thing through that clip. 

I’ve since caught up on him and he was a solid worker in his prime, and just an insane sports entertainer heel. And his promos back then were funny to. The best promos are funny heel promos that are funny, yet you still hate the guy doing them. And he dang sure had a bunch of those. 

 

[For Great Justice]

Can we talk about how damn handsome Sheik was when he broke in? There’s an alternate reality where he has Tito Santana’s career as a fiery babyface.

[Curt McGirt]

4 hours ago, Hamhock said:

I always loved this kayfabe-breaking outtake with the whole gang:

 

I want to think that was him doing an Oscars-style "I want to thank..." speech

All of these Gene Mean promos have a perfect formula: he comes in unprovoked, speaks with reason, snaps, headgear comes off, rants, poses. Rinse and repeat. It never gets old. 

[Ziggy]

I haven't watched his A&E Biography yet. I sister who's not much of a wrestling fan at all texted me a few years ago after her and her husband watched the Netflix documentary. Sheiky was such a historical figure in WWF during the Rock n Wrestling connection.  Even when Duggan came in ,before their incident he was still slotted as a top villain. I'd like to check out his Pre WWF stuff in AWA and Mid South.

[driver]

The Iron Sheik was one of the first wrestlers I remember from my second foray into wrestling(GCW late '82ish). The fact that he was just a few years older than my parents(who have been going through their own journeys over the past month) makes this one sting even more. RIP.