Hossein Khosrow Vaziri, the Iran-born wrestler known as the Iron Sheik, who channeled America’s hatred of his homeland to build a career as one of the most despised ring villains of his era, died Wednesday. He was 81.
“Today, we gather with heavy hearts to bid farewell to a true legend, a force of nature and an iconic figure who left an incredible mark on the world of professional wrestling,” read a statement posted to the Iron Sheik’s Twitter account announcing his death. The WWE also paid tribute on Twitter; a cause of death was not disclosed.
A former bodyguard for the Shah of Iran, Vaziri came to the U.S. in the late 1960s. For his wrestling persona, he shaved his head, grew a mustache, sported a ghutra headdress and curled-toe boots, and swung a pair of 75-pound Persian meels above his head as a demonstration of his strength.
“Today, we gather with heavy hearts to bid farewell to a true legend, a force of nature and an iconic figure who left an incredible mark on the world of professional wrestling,” read a statement posted to the Iron Sheik’s Twitter account announcing his death. The WWE also paid tribute on Twitter; a cause of death was not disclosed.
A former bodyguard for the Shah of Iran, Vaziri came to the U.S. in the late 1960s. For his wrestling persona, he shaved his head, grew a mustache, sported a ghutra headdress and curled-toe boots, and swung a pair of 75-pound Persian meels above his head as a demonstration of his strength.
- 6/7/2023
- by Rhett Bartlett
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Reginald the Vampire producer Thunderbird Entertainment is setting up a scripted hub in the U.S.
The Canadian outfit has signed Netflix’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always EP Hillary Zwick Turner to run an LA outpost, while it has separately struck a scripted deal with former Lionsgate EVP of Television Barbara Wall’s Tuatara Media.
Turner becomes Thunderbird SVP Scripted Content and will oversee development and production from the hub – Thunderbird’s second in the U.S. – along with looking after talent partnerships and honing in on scripted projects. The new hub has several staff and is sharing space with Thunderbird kids’ label Atomic’s LA studio, which opened four years ago.
Hillary Zwick Turner
The LA hub opening marks a major move for Kim’s Convenience maker Thunderbird, which has in the past year been behind the likes of SyFy’s Reginald the Vampire (with Cineflix...
The Canadian outfit has signed Netflix’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always EP Hillary Zwick Turner to run an LA outpost, while it has separately struck a scripted deal with former Lionsgate EVP of Television Barbara Wall’s Tuatara Media.
Turner becomes Thunderbird SVP Scripted Content and will oversee development and production from the hub – Thunderbird’s second in the U.S. – along with looking after talent partnerships and honing in on scripted projects. The new hub has several staff and is sharing space with Thunderbird kids’ label Atomic’s LA studio, which opened four years ago.
Hillary Zwick Turner
The LA hub opening marks a major move for Kim’s Convenience maker Thunderbird, which has in the past year been behind the likes of SyFy’s Reginald the Vampire (with Cineflix...
- 4/11/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Comcast-owned pay-tv group Sky has snatched up rights across its European footprint for the upcoming Australian crime drama Last King of the Cross.
In a deal announced on the eve of international television market MIPCOM Cannes, Sky took exclusive rights across the UK, Ireland, Italy and Germany for the 10-part series starring Tim Roth and inspired by John Ibrahim’s best-selling autobiography about his rise from a poverty-stricken immigrant to Australia’s most infamous nightclub mogul. Set in the 1980s and ’90s in Australia’s mini-Atlantic City — the decadent half-mile strip along Sydney’s Kings Cross where every form of vice is on offer — the series co-stars Lincoln Younes, Claude Jabbour, Callan Mulvey, Tess Haubrich, Maria Tran and Matt Nable.
Helium Pictures produced Last King of the Cross for Paramount+ Australia with Cineflix Rights handling international sales. Mark Fennessy and Karl Zwicky produced,...
Comcast-owned pay-tv group Sky has snatched up rights across its European footprint for the upcoming Australian crime drama Last King of the Cross.
In a deal announced on the eve of international television market MIPCOM Cannes, Sky took exclusive rights across the UK, Ireland, Italy and Germany for the 10-part series starring Tim Roth and inspired by John Ibrahim’s best-selling autobiography about his rise from a poverty-stricken immigrant to Australia’s most infamous nightclub mogul. Set in the 1980s and ’90s in Australia’s mini-Atlantic City — the decadent half-mile strip along Sydney’s Kings Cross where every form of vice is on offer — the series co-stars Lincoln Younes, Claude Jabbour, Callan Mulvey, Tess Haubrich, Maria Tran and Matt Nable.
Helium Pictures produced Last King of the Cross for Paramount+ Australia with Cineflix Rights handling international sales. Mark Fennessy and Karl Zwicky produced,...
- 10/16/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tuesday’s episode of “Young Rock” is a special one. Not only does the installment chronicle Dwayne Johnson’s first-ever WWF match, but the episode was written by those who are incredibly familiar with the events chronicled within: Johnson, Hiram Garcia and Brian Gewirtz.
The episode, titled “Corpus Christi,” marks Johnson and Garcia’s screenwriting debut, while Gewirtz was a longtime head writer for WWE. Combined, the trio distilled a wealth of knowledge and memories into a half-hour episode that also includes appearances by wrestling legends like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H – a task that they admitted was difficult.
“There’s so much story to tell in that limited space, but Dwayne’s got a great memory when it comes to those moments – especially these moments that are so pivotal for him – so he’s a great resource for us,” Garcia (who serves as president of production at...
The episode, titled “Corpus Christi,” marks Johnson and Garcia’s screenwriting debut, while Gewirtz was a longtime head writer for WWE. Combined, the trio distilled a wealth of knowledge and memories into a half-hour episode that also includes appearances by wrestling legends like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H – a task that they admitted was difficult.
“There’s so much story to tell in that limited space, but Dwayne’s got a great memory when it comes to those moments – especially these moments that are so pivotal for him – so he’s a great resource for us,” Garcia (who serves as president of production at...
- 5/3/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Hall of Fame wrestler Bruno Sammartino is dead. Sammartino -- who was the longest reigning champion in WWE history (4,040 days) -- passed away at his home in Pittsburgh. Bruno got his start with the Wwwf ... the promotion started by Vince McMahon Sr. -- which eventually led to the WWF and WWE. He was also a color commentator for WWF Superstars of wrestling and WWF All-Star wrestling, during the WWE's explosion of popularity in the 1980's.
- 4/18/2018
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Break out your overalls and your floppy country hat ... 'cause Hillbilly Jim is going to the WWE Hall of Fame -- and the wrestling legend tells TMZ Sports he could hardly believe it! "I wasn't expecting it! It hit me from the clear blue," Jim says ... "It's like the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae. It's as good as I could ever hope for." Jim primarily appeared on the WWE (it was WWF...
- 3/6/2018
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
WWE.com
The February 9th, 1998 episode of Raw was the go-home show for the upcoming No Way Out (of Texas) pay-per-view, due to be headlined by an unsanctioned 8-man tag featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin, Owen Hart, Cactus Jack, and Chainsaw Charlie taking on D-Generation X.
As it turned out, Hbk’s nagging back injuries prevented him from wrestling on the show, and he was replaced by…Savio Vega. Yeah. Even so, Raw slid the chess pieces firmly in place ahead of WrestleMania, further heightening the feud between Austin and Dx, while the show’s remainder was comprised of the usual mix of hilarious, weird and lame that defines just about any Attitude Era episode of Raw.
And with the release of Sunny’s porno, Sunny Side Up, this week, what better time to consider all the sad difference that 18 years can make?
Here are 29 Wtf moments from the February 9th,...
The February 9th, 1998 episode of Raw was the go-home show for the upcoming No Way Out (of Texas) pay-per-view, due to be headlined by an unsanctioned 8-man tag featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin, Owen Hart, Cactus Jack, and Chainsaw Charlie taking on D-Generation X.
As it turned out, Hbk’s nagging back injuries prevented him from wrestling on the show, and he was replaced by…Savio Vega. Yeah. Even so, Raw slid the chess pieces firmly in place ahead of WrestleMania, further heightening the feud between Austin and Dx, while the show’s remainder was comprised of the usual mix of hilarious, weird and lame that defines just about any Attitude Era episode of Raw.
And with the release of Sunny’s porno, Sunny Side Up, this week, what better time to consider all the sad difference that 18 years can make?
Here are 29 Wtf moments from the February 9th,...
- 2/9/2016
- by Jack Pooley
- Obsessed with Film
wwe
Would William Regal be able to take Paige to the next level?
Managers have been in WWE for a long time, and over the years we have seen some legendary ones who elevated talent to the next level. It all started off with guys like The Grand Wizard and Freddie Blassie, before moving over to more well-known legends like Bobby Heenan, Paul Bearer and Jimmy Hart.
In recent years, there have been many managers make it to our TV screens, some of whom have done a tremendous job of talking up their stars and making them look better (Paul Heyman and Vickie Guerrero), and then there are those who most people wouldn’t even remember; or want to remember (Abraham Washington, anyone?).
A manager’s job is usually to aid their respected superstar or diva get over with the audience, often through talking and manipulating. Managers are usually in...
Would William Regal be able to take Paige to the next level?
Managers have been in WWE for a long time, and over the years we have seen some legendary ones who elevated talent to the next level. It all started off with guys like The Grand Wizard and Freddie Blassie, before moving over to more well-known legends like Bobby Heenan, Paul Bearer and Jimmy Hart.
In recent years, there have been many managers make it to our TV screens, some of whom have done a tremendous job of talking up their stars and making them look better (Paul Heyman and Vickie Guerrero), and then there are those who most people wouldn’t even remember; or want to remember (Abraham Washington, anyone?).
A manager’s job is usually to aid their respected superstar or diva get over with the audience, often through talking and manipulating. Managers are usually in...
- 12/12/2014
- by Liam OLoughlin
- Obsessed with Film
We can say what many from Bruno Sammartino’s era, whether it be fans or performers, can not – we were there when Bruno Sammartino was finally inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and one of the most charred bridges in WWE history began its recovery. The night before WrestleMania, we will witness history.
It is a war that waged on for literally decades. Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon have traded insults in several formats, through radio interviews, television appearances, books, journalistic editorials, you name it Bruno and McMahon played it. Bruno was commonly on the attack, with McMahon reserving criticism and attempting to keep the peace.
Throughout the late nineties Sammartino, the longest reigning WWE Champion of all-time, heavily criticized the organization, its officials and the product for “selling out,” and abandoning what had made it so great during his era. He has repeatedly called the WWE product vulgar,...
It is a war that waged on for literally decades. Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon have traded insults in several formats, through radio interviews, television appearances, books, journalistic editorials, you name it Bruno and McMahon played it. Bruno was commonly on the attack, with McMahon reserving criticism and attempting to keep the peace.
Throughout the late nineties Sammartino, the longest reigning WWE Champion of all-time, heavily criticized the organization, its officials and the product for “selling out,” and abandoning what had made it so great during his era. He has repeatedly called the WWE product vulgar,...
- 2/9/2013
- by Jason Patrick
- Obsessed with Film
In 1985, two talented young women who inspired a generation to sing and dance in thrift-shop outfits made a splash on the pop charts and proceeded to make their first steps at enlarging their empires to take in all of mass entertainment. While Madonna spent the year starring in a hit movie (Desperately Seeking Susan), hosting SNL, and marrying Sean Penn, Cyndi Lauper took the more esoteric route of serving as front woman for the brief cross-promotion of MTV and professional wrestling, and co-starring with Captain Lou Albano, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and Classy Freddie Blassie in a two-part video for ...
- 6/18/2012
- avclub.com
Elaborate prankster Andy Kaufman’s special brand of comedy was perhaps destined for the wrestling ring. The “Taxi” star took his act to the square circle with his new league, Inter-Gender Wrestling, offering $1,000 in prize money to any woman who could pin him. Eventually, he did grapple with men too, specifically Jerry “The King” Lawler, whose piledriver was responsible for the neck brace Kaufman wore everywhere in public thereafter. The pair engaged in an infamous (later revealed staged) on-air altercation on “Late Night with David Letterman,” and Kaufman spoofed Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory’s über-art film “My Dinner with Andre” by chatting with pro wrestler “Classy” Freddie Blassie over breakfast in Hollywood.
Choice Quotation:
Kaufman (voiceover): The life of a part-time wrestler is no laughing matter. It’s not just fun and games like some people think. You work out, train constantly, push your body to the limit of endurance,...
Choice Quotation:
Kaufman (voiceover): The life of a part-time wrestler is no laughing matter. It’s not just fun and games like some people think. You work out, train constantly, push your body to the limit of endurance,...
- 2/18/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Elaborate prankster Andy Kaufman’s special brand of comedy was perhaps destined for the wrestling ring. The “Taxi” star took his act to the square circle with his new league, Inter-Gender Wrestling, offering $1,000 in prize money to any woman who could pin him. Eventually, he did grapple with men too, specifically Jerry “The King” Lawler, whose piledriver was responsible for the neck brace Kaufman wore everywhere in public thereafter. The pair engaged in an infamous (later revealed staged) on-air altercation on “Late Night with David Letterman,” and Kaufman spoofed Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory’s über-art film “My Dinner with Andre” by chatting with pro wrestler “Classy” Freddie Blassie over breakfast in Hollywood.
Choice Quotation:
Kaufman (voiceover): The life of a part-time wrestler is no laughing matter. It’s not just fun and games like some people think. You work out, train constantly, push your body to the limit of endurance,...
Choice Quotation:
Kaufman (voiceover): The life of a part-time wrestler is no laughing matter. It’s not just fun and games like some people think. You work out, train constantly, push your body to the limit of endurance,...
- 2/18/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Captain Lou Albano was a legendary wrestling manager at the forefront when the WWF (now WWE) initiated the Rock `n’ Wrestling storyline in the mid-1980s. Sporting an unwieldy beard, accented by rubber bands and the occasional paperclip, his storyline feud with pop star Cyndi Lauper helped propel wrestling into mainstream popularity. Albano also appeared with Lauper in her music video for Girls Just Want to Have Fun, and in her contribution to the soundtrack of the 1985 film The Goonies. Lauper’s video, Goonies `R’ good enough for me, also featured cameos from wrestlers Rowdy Roddy Piper, the Iron Sheik, Freddie Blassie, and Steven Spielberg.
Albano was born in Rome, Italy, on July 29, 1933, and came to the United States with his family as a child. He began his wrestling career in Montreal, Canada, in 1953. He later teamed with Tony Altimore to portray a villainous pair of wrestling gangsters known as the Sicilians,...
Albano was born in Rome, Italy, on July 29, 1933, and came to the United States with his family as a child. He began his wrestling career in Montreal, Canada, in 1953. He later teamed with Tony Altimore to portray a villainous pair of wrestling gangsters known as the Sicilians,...
- 11/7/2009
- by Harris Lentz
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Sad news today, as Louis Vincent Albano — known to the entertainment world as Captain Lou Albano — passed away this morning at the age of 76 according to WWE's official Web site. Albano is best known to people in the professional wrestling world, where he was an integral part of the rise of the WWF in the early 1980s. As both a wrestler and a manager, Albano was a profoundly charismatic man who cut a great promo and had an incredible presence, which allowed him to cross over into other areas of the entertainment world and was one of the reasons that the very first Wrestlemania in 1985 was so successful.
One of the most important entertainment alliances Albano made was with Cyndi Lauper, who was at her commercial peak when she teamed up with Captain Lou. She appeared on WWF programming leading up to Wrestlemania, and in turn Albano played Lauper's father...
One of the most important entertainment alliances Albano made was with Cyndi Lauper, who was at her commercial peak when she teamed up with Captain Lou. She appeared on WWF programming leading up to Wrestlemania, and in turn Albano played Lauper's father...
- 10/14/2009
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
Sad news today, as Louis Vincent Albano — known to the entertainment world as Captain Lou Albano — passed away this morning at the age of 76. Albano is best known to people in the professional wrestling world, where he was an integral part of the rise of the WWF in the early 1980s. As both a wrestler and a manager, Albano was a profoundly charismatic man who cut a great promo and had an incredible presence, which allowed him to cross over into other areas of the entertainment world and was one of the reasons that the very first Wrestlemania in 1985 was so successful.
One of the most important entertainment alliances Albano made was with Cyndi Lauper, who was at her commercial peak when she teamed up with Captain Lou. She appeared on WWF programming leading up to Wrestlemania, and in turn Albano played Lauper's father in a handful of her most famous music videos.
One of the most important entertainment alliances Albano made was with Cyndi Lauper, who was at her commercial peak when she teamed up with Captain Lou. She appeared on WWF programming leading up to Wrestlemania, and in turn Albano played Lauper's father in a handful of her most famous music videos.
- 10/14/2009
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
Albano's appearance in Cyndi Lauper videos made him an '80s pop-culture icon.
By Gil Kaufman
Lou Albano
Photo: Ann Clifford/ Time & Life Pictures
For pro-wrestling fans of a certain age, Captain Lou Albano was a larger-than-life figure who helped turn what was once a low-rent, cable-access sport into a pop-culture phenomenon. The World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer died on Wednesday morning (October 14) at the age of 76, according to the WWE and Wrestler's Rescue, an organization that helps raise money for retired wrestlers' health care.
Wrestler's Rescue reported that Albano had been in hospice care earlier this week, but no cause of death has been revealed.
Born Louis Vincent Albano on July 29, 1933, in Mount Vernon, New York, the former football player and bouncer entered the wrestling game in the late 1950s. His four-decade wrestling career kicked off when he created the tag team known as the Sicilians, playing a...
By Gil Kaufman
Lou Albano
Photo: Ann Clifford/ Time & Life Pictures
For pro-wrestling fans of a certain age, Captain Lou Albano was a larger-than-life figure who helped turn what was once a low-rent, cable-access sport into a pop-culture phenomenon. The World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer died on Wednesday morning (October 14) at the age of 76, according to the WWE and Wrestler's Rescue, an organization that helps raise money for retired wrestlers' health care.
Wrestler's Rescue reported that Albano had been in hospice care earlier this week, but no cause of death has been revealed.
Born Louis Vincent Albano on July 29, 1933, in Mount Vernon, New York, the former football player and bouncer entered the wrestling game in the late 1950s. His four-decade wrestling career kicked off when he created the tag team known as the Sicilians, playing a...
- 10/14/2009
- MTV Music News
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