Hulk Hogan is one of the most popular pro-wrestling stars of all time. The rivalry between him and Andre The Giant and the subsequent match at WrestleMania 3 was one of the reasons behind the boom in wrestling. However, Hogan has had many more rivals, and one of his most popular and fierce rivals was The Iron Sheik.
Their early 1980s match was a legendary one and it was crucial in establishing Hogan as one of the biggest superstars in wrestling. As of 2023, Hogan has a net worth of $30 million. In comparison, The Iron Sheik is reportedly worth $500,000. Although it is a lot of money, his net worth clearly much less than Hogan’s net worth. That being the case, is it the reason behind the hatred between the two? Let’s find out.
The real reason why The Iron Sheik dislikes Hulk Hogan
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is the most popular pro wrestling company in the world! However, the foundation of it was laid in the 80s when wrestling was amongst the biggest sources of entertainment. The fans wanted to watch the kayfabe babyface beat the kayfabe heel in a dramatic way. While Hulk Hogan was the biggest babyface in the company at the time, at the opposite end of the spectrum, it was The Iron Sheik.
Hulk Hogan was the real American Hero, while The Iron Sheik was the antagonist who carried a foreign flag to the ring and stood against the values of the average American hero. Hence, it is natural for Hogan to have kayfabe animosity with Sheik. In 1983, the Iranian wrestler became the WWE (then WWF) Champion. However, his reign ended in January 1984, when Hogan beat him and became the first wrestler to escape Sheik’s camel clutch submission.
Also Read: Hulk Hogan Health Update: What Is Hulk Hogan Suffering From and How Is He Doing Right Now?
But that incident was decades ago and both have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame since then. Although, neither Hulk nor The Iron Sheik, are active wrestlers, that has not stopped Sheik from targeting Hogan. For fans who follow the 81-year-old on Twitter, they have seen Sheik take potshots at Hogan. So it does look like the animosity between the two is genuine.
So what is the real reason behind it? Apparently, Sheik holds quite a few grudges against Hulk Hogan. According to a report from The Sportster, Iron Sheik wanted to face Hogan after their initial match. However, it never came to pass and it was one of the reasons behind Sheik’s disdain toward Hulk. At a later point in time, during Hogan’s WCW stint, Sheik apparently had a conversation with Hogan about a job at WCW. However, he reportedly never heard back from Hogan.
Is the rivalry between The Iron Sheik and Hogan fake?
Although there are reasons to believe that The Iron Sheik and Hulk Hogan may be genuine, there are contradictory statements to prove otherwise. The Iranian wrestler had an interview with WWE in 2014 and he elaborated on his feud with Hogan. However, the wrestler also added that he did not face any pushback from Hulk Hogan when they ran into each other backstage at a wrestling event.
He revealed, “Last time I saw Hulk Hogan was at a summer wrestling convention. I saw him, he said hello, I said hello to him. I talked to him, but nobody talked bad about the past. I get along with him. I say hello to him, but not any bad mouthing or nothing.” (h/t via WWE)
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYBODY ON THE EARTH EXCEPT THAT DUMB SON OF A BITCH HULK HOGAN #HappyHolidays pic.twitter.com/DMEjsEYTZE
— The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik) December 25, 2022
The Iron Sheik has an eccentric personality and likes to remain active on social media. His tweets are always in all capital letters and are often very humorous. Hence there is a chance that Hogan is aware of Sheik’s antics and takes it all in good fun. As is often the case with wrestling rivalry, the feud between Hogan and Sheik seems to be similar to a line in the sand.