BrianZane
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Post by BrianZane on Mar 8, 2015 18:24:22 GMT -5
I didn't watch during this era so someone please fill me in. Did they ever cut a promo where he or Sgt. Slaughter said that he reformed and became an Iraqi sympathizer, or did he just show up and they were all like, "Who is this man who is CLEARLY not a former WWF Champion?".
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Post by BlackoutCreature on Mar 8, 2015 18:45:11 GMT -5
I imagine it went something like this -
"Hey Sheik, want a job?"
"Sure"
"Ok, put this on, you're now Col. Mustafa"
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Post by molson5 on Mar 8, 2015 19:11:24 GMT -5
They didn't acknowledge it was the same guy during his debut. Lord Alfred Hayes just thought he "looked like a bully." But he used the same finishing hold and wore the same distinctive boots, and he was the Iron Sheik only 3 years earlier, so they weren't really trying too hard. I'm guessing the WWF wanted to get some of the old Iron Sheik heat spillover, but maybe didn't want to try to explain why a proud Iranian guy was suddenly in cahoots with the Iraqis, whom the Iranians just completed a brutal 8-year war with. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjZIWfYyUQI |
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Post by 2 time pro bowler Fred Dryer on Mar 8, 2015 19:20:14 GMT -5
They didn't acknowledge it was the same guy during his debut. Lord Alfred Hayes just thought he "looked like a bully." But he used the same finishing hold and wore the same distinctive boots, and he was the Iron Sheik only 3 years earlier, so they weren't really trying too hard. I'm guessing the WWF wanted to get some of the old Iron Sheik heat spillover, but maybe didn't want to try to explain why a proud Iranian guy was suddenly in cahoots with the Iraqis, whom the Iranians just completed a brutal 8-year war with. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjZIWfYyUQIHe totally botched the camel clutch there. Also, I get that you want military gimmicks to be impressive, regarding rank, but why is Sargent Slaughter treating a Colonel like a junior officer? That always annoyed me. |
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Mar 8, 2015 19:20:58 GMT -5
I just assume he got the gig for having a vaguely Saddam-esque mustache.
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Matt
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Post by Matt on Mar 8, 2015 19:30:23 GMT -5
Who was General Adnan? He seems like he's 60 years old there.
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Crappler El 0 M
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Post by Crappler El 0 M on Mar 8, 2015 19:36:02 GMT -5
He had not been on WWE TV as Iron Sheik since about 1987. He just showed up as Colonel Mustafa in 1991. There may have been a few references on commentary to his previous persona, but MOSTLY they treated Colonel Mustafa as a new entity. Who was General Adnan? He seems like he's 60 years old there. He was Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie who wrestled a lot in the AWA. He had been in WWE many years earlier playing the Native American character Billy White Wolf and had been WWE Tag Team Champion with Chief Jay Strongbow. Adnan really is Iraqi and supposedly he met Saddam Hussein as a young man. |
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Sephiroth
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Post by Sephiroth on Mar 8, 2015 19:53:11 GMT -5
Never minding that the Iron Sheik was siding with the sympathizer of the country that waged one of the bloodiest wars of modern history against his
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BrianZane
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Post by BrianZane on Mar 8, 2015 20:03:59 GMT -5
Thanks for the responses!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2015 20:13:29 GMT -5
They didn't acknowledge it was the same guy during his debut. Lord Alfred Hayes just thought he "looked like a bully." But he used the same finishing hold and wore the same distinctive boots, and he was the Iron Sheik only 3 years earlier, so they weren't really trying too hard. I'm guessing the WWF wanted to get some of the old Iron Sheik heat spillover, but maybe didn't want to try to explain why a proud Iranian guy was suddenly in cahoots with the Iraqis, whom the Iranians just completed a brutal 8-year war with. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjZIWfYyUQIIn the Superstars version of this (which I think aired first - this was a dub for another airing of the match) Piper plays with it for a moment, sorta acknowledging that we should know who it is. Heck, he might've actually said it; I always forget that part. Eventually, especially after SSlam, it would be mentioned every now and then. Steamboat got moreorless the same treatment with his Dragon gimmick. He wasn't as patient as Sheik, though, as he was gone by the end of the year. |
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Capt Lunatic
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Post by Capt Lunatic on Mar 8, 2015 20:23:42 GMT -5
In the Superstars version of this (which I think aired first - this was a dub for another airing of the match) Piper plays with it for a moment, sorta acknowledging that we should know who it is. Heck, he might've actually said it; I always forget that part. "That's da Iron Sheik! That ain't no Col. Mustafa!" Also I like how they didn't change his boots. The MOST recognizable thing about the Iron Sheik to me and they were like "Ah !^#* it." |
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Gecko
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Post by Gecko on Mar 8, 2015 20:24:35 GMT -5
I have to admit that until relatively recently, it just didn't click that they were the same person and I have no idea why.
It wasn't like it was someone playing a completely different character or they had their face painted or covered, like going from part of Demolition to being Repo Man, or Papa Shango to Kama, but my brain just did not make the connection.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2015 20:33:21 GMT -5
I imagine it went something like this - "Hey Sheik, want a job?" "Sure" "Ok, put this on, you're now Col. Mustafa" It was this exactly, but with more chest slapping, mustache stroking and random flexing. |
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Post by BlackoutCreature on Mar 8, 2015 20:50:33 GMT -5
I imagine it went something like this - "Hey Sheik, want a job?" "Sure" "Ok, put this on, you're now Col. Mustafa" It was this exactly, but with more chest slapping, mustache stroking and random flexing. Who was doing all of this? Vince or The Iron Sheik? |
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Post by Joe Neglia on Mar 8, 2015 23:16:15 GMT -5
They did acknowledge on one show back then, briefly and vaguely, during his first few weeks back. I can't remember if it was Monsoon or someone sitting in with him that referred to him as a former WWF world champ. Can't remember if they actually said his name, but they definitely acknowledged for a split second his prior history in the company.
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Post by Wolf Hawkfield no1 NZ poster on Mar 8, 2015 23:56:13 GMT -5
My guess Vince thought Iran was part of Iraq or something like that so no one would notice.
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Post by Brandon Walsh is Insane. on Mar 9, 2015 0:02:54 GMT -5
I never understood how we were supposed to think that Slaughter, Mustafa, and Adnan had a chance against Hulk and Warrior. The three bad guys were pretty old looking, and out of shape compared to the good guys.
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Post by OGBoardPoster2005 on Mar 9, 2015 1:18:01 GMT -5
In the 40 Man match in 1992, Savage refers to him as "The Iron Shiek"
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Sephiroth
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Post by Sephiroth on Mar 9, 2015 5:03:58 GMT -5
Might add the thing that always got me about that whole angle was that, out of all possible choices, Vince had Slaughter be the one to go over Warrior? The guy who was well past his prime, hadn't been in the WWF for several years, and who was best known by audiences as the all American good guy? He couldn't have put the belt on Savage, DiBiase, or Jake the Snake?
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Cranjis McBasketball
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Mar 9, 2015 5:14:30 GMT -5
I don't recall how but even I knew he was the Iron Shiek, even though he was out of the WWF by the time I got in to it, probably from seeing his match with Hogan on the old Hot Ticket: Hulk Hogan: A Real American Story PPV or maybe a few wrestling magazines I had.
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