Awesome / The Iron Sheik

• Admittedly, January 23, 1984 – the night of his most crushing defeat as a wrestler – was also likely the peak of his career. Crowned WWF World Heavyweight Champion less than a month earlier, the Iron Sheik lasted less than six minutes against Hulk Hogan (in a nationally televised match broadcast live via the USA Network), but what made his role awesome was that Sheik refused an alleged offer of $100,000 by Verne Gagne (Hogan's former boss from his days in the American Wrestling Association, as well as the Sheik's trainer) to legitimately injure Hogan during the match. Hogan, in one of his autobiographies, has speculated that he saw the bigger picture and the promise of even bigger payouts via the inevitable rematches. In fact, Hogan has even said that he and Sheik embraced backstage (off-camera) to celebrate a well-done match.
• The 11/15/10 edition of Raw saw him and Nikolai Volkoff reappear. Someone gave Sheik a live microphone. He has it in his hands for all of half a second before he unloads, shooting on the usual targets such as Hulk Hogan, until the guys in the truck cut off his mic.
• Also a CMOF, Michael Hayes tells a story when he, his wife, Jimmy Garvin and Sheiky Baby were traveling together in the same car with some "herbal medicine" and were approaching a D.E.A. drug search road block. With everyone else on the road throwing away their drugs, Michael Hayes's wife was about to do the same because Hayes was on a D.U.I. and would go back to jail if caught again. Sheik stopped her and said not to waste the "herbal medicine" and they went back and forth until Hayes said he will give it to him and if they get caught, they will say it is the Sheik's. He agreed and when they got to road block and instead of hiding the "herbal medicine" on himself, Sheik hid it behind the center armrest and Hayes thought he was screwed. When the police asked for Hayes driver's license which was suspended and expired and recognized them as wrestlers, the Sheik said to them, "Wait a minute you freaking jabroni, I am the Iron Sheik, former WWF Champion, this is Michael "P.S" Hayes and his lovely wife Lora, and this is Jimmy "Jammin" Garvin, and we do not have time for this bullshit! We have to go! We are doing TV! Then down to Alabama!" with Hayes muttering to himself, "Jesus take me now." The boss eventually comes over and says to let them through and just as they are about to speed off, the police tell them to stop so they can give back Hayes's driver's license which is again suspended and expired.
• His three-word Twitter reaction to his old rival Hulk Hogan winning his lawsuit against Gawker Media: "FUCK THE GAWKER"
• Tony Atlas on the Iron Sheik saving his life.
• The time Sheik saved Bruno Sammartino after the latter was jumped backstage at a show by football players. Bruno confirmed that not only was the Sheik the only person who came to his aid, but he rushed out of the showers completely nude to join the fight.

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