Review by Shawn “Fangirl S”
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I sat down to watch The Sheik. Was it going to be a behind the scene look at wrestling life from the 80’s or a look at the private life of an iconic wrestler. I was pleasantly surprised at what I found. I grew up watching wrestling in the 80’s like many people and didn’t know that it was “staged entertainment”. I believed the good guys were the ones to cheer for and the bad guys were to be booed. The Sheik shows the how the man known as the Iron Sheik became the man we know; and dare I say love, today. This movie shines a spotlight on Khosrow Vaziri and his real life ups and downs. If you were ever a fan of wrestling or simply a fan of the Iron Sheik on Twitter, I highly recommend watching this movie.
HE IS REVERED AS ONE OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING’S GREAT VILLAINS, BUT HIS OWN PERSONAL STORY IS NOTHING SHORT OF HEROIC
THE SHEIK
The Tragedies and Triumphs of The Iron Sheik Are Revealed in a Moving Film Featuring Interviews with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hulk Hogan,
Jack Black, Seth Green, Mick Foley and many more
For decades he has been professional wrestling’s man you love to hate. But a new film recounting his extraordinary life story will fill WWE fans and non-fans alike with nothing but love for the imposing star known as The Iron Sheik. THE SHEIK arrives DVD on March 1, 2016.
Khosrow Ali Vaziri was born in Iran in 1942, establishing a name for himself as an amateur wrestler, a bodyguard for the Shah of Iran, and an athlete representing his home country in the 1968 Summer Olympics. In the early 1970s, following the unexpected and controversial death of his good friend and Olympic wrestling gold medalist Gholamreza Takhti, Vaziri left Iran to pursue the American Dream. His journey to the United States began one of the most spectacular professional wrestling careers in modern history.
Assuming the persona of the villainous The Iron Sheik, Vaziri became one of the most celebrated and hated men in sports entertainment, helping launch Hulkamania in the 1980s and weathering a career that saw him turn the wrestling world upside down throughout the ’80s and ’90s. A fall from sobriety after the murder of one of his daughters brought the Sheik to the lowest and most challenging point in his life. Now in his 70s, the Sheik has embraced an unlikely new persona as an outlandish social media sensation, known for hilarious outbursts and massively popular antics.
Featuring candid interviews with Vaziri’s family, historians and over 25 wrestling superstars,
THE SHEIK is a pop culture documentary that chronicles this determined survivor’s electrifying career from his upbringing in Iran to his journey to the U.S. and his unprecedented experiences as America’s most hated villain.
The film features interviews with celebrities and wrestling superstars including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hulk Hogan, Jack Black, Seth Green, Mick Foley, Bret Hart, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and many more.
IGN Movies’ Matt Fowler called THE SHEIK “a compelling film about an extraordinary man … There are moments of true heartbreak and tragedy mixed with wild road stories and the Iron Sheik’s trademark over-the-top personality.” Said Jacqueline Valencia of Next Projection: “THE SHEIK is a riveting documentary for wrestling fans and an entertaining insight into the wrestling medium for non-fans. … a portrait of a man who’s experienced fame, fortune, darkness, and eventual redemption. ” And WWE star and film actor Dave Bautista cheered, “Wrestling fans – this is a must-see!”