WWE legend on Vince McMahon asking him to do a favor at WrestleMania (Exclusive)
Sgt. Slaughter recently opened up about WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon altering plans for a WrestleMania match moments before he stepped through the curtain.
The Iron Sheik, real name Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, defeated 18 former WWE Superstars to win the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania 17 in 2001. After the match, Sgt. Slaughter returned to the ring and locked Sheik in his iconic Cobra Clutch submission hold.
Slaughter told Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter that the initial plan for the match changed at the last minute. He said McMahon had to book Sheik as the winner due to the Iranian-American wrestler's inability to go over the top rope:
"As we went out to the ring and I was being announced, Vince grabbed me and said, 'We got a little problem. I need you to do me a favor.' I said, 'What is it?' and he said, 'Can you let Khosrow [win]? He [Khosrow] can't get over the top rope. They can't throw him over the top rope.' He said, 'Do him a favor,' so I did him a favor," Slaughter stated. [1:09 – 1:30]
Watch the video above to hear more from Sgt. Slaughter about the tragic death of The Iron Sheik's daughter in 2003.
WWE legend Sgt. Slaughter on his friendship with The Iron Sheik
Despite their fierce rivalry in the 1980s, The Iron Sheik and Sgt. Slaughter were good friends in real life. They also worked together as on-screen allies in 1991 and 1992 when Sheik returned as the Colonel Mustafa character.
Slaughter has lots of great memories with The Iron Sheik, both inside and outside of the ring:
"I inducted him into the [WWE] Hall of Fame [in 2005], and then we just started seeing each other periodically here and there at shows. I tried to get him to come out to shows. I finally got him to do WrestleMania in New York and do the signings at WrestleCon. He didn't wanna come. He didn't think people wanted to see him. I said, 'Khosrow, they wanted to see you,' so I brought him in, and he was so happy." [1:31 – 2:00]
Slaughter added that Sheik later knocked on his hotel room door and thanked him for convincing him to attend the convention.
What is your favorite memory of WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik? Let us know in the comments section below.
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