The idea for the Iron Sheik character played by Khosrow Vaziri came from the wife of wrestling legend Verne Gagne. It was Gagne who first trained and promoted the wrestler after Vaziri moved to Minneapolis.
Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, better known by his stage name, The Iron Sheik, debuted in 1973 and for a time was one of westling's most recognizable faces.