Did The Iron Sheik really hate Hulk Hogan? WWE veteran explains (Exclusive)

The Iron Sheik often criticized Hulk Hogan after retiring from wrestling, leading many to question whether the former rivals disliked each other in real life. In Vince Russo's opinion, Sheik was "one thousand percent" playing a character and had no problem with Hogan outside the ring.

Sheik, who passed away on June 7, lost the WWE Championship to Hogan in 1984. Over the last few years, the American-Iranian's Twitter account has posted dozens of derogatory comments about The Hulkster. As recently as May 26, he even threatened to break his long-time enemy's neck.

On Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws show, former WWE writer Russo said Sheik was likely trying to protect his on-screen persona on social media. He also compared the feud to his own back-and-forth battle with legendary wrestling personality Jim Cornette:

"I think he's made it his gimmick," Russo stated. "It's part of his gimmick. It's the Cornette-Russo thing, bro. That's Cornette's gimmick and he'll take that to the grave even though we've not crossed paths or anything for God knows how long. I think it was a one thousand percent gimmick." [1:42 – 2:03]

Cornette has been known to make fun of Russo on his podcast. He even refers to his former co-worker as "s***stain" instead of acknowledging him by name. In 2017, Russo filed a restraining order against the former WWE manager.

Watch the video above to hear more from Russo about The Iron Sheik's legacy in the wrestling business.

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EC3 on the reality of Hulk Hogan and The Iron Sheik's feud

The wrestling world has been paying tribute to The Iron Sheik following his passing at the age of 81. The WWE Hall of Famer was widely viewed as one of wrestling's greatest villains, particularly in the 1980s.

Former WWE Superstar EC3 also appeared on the latest episode of The Wrestling Outlaws. He said several wrestlers discussed Sheik's impact on the business in a recent group chat:

"They were sharing stories of Sheiky baby that were incredible from the perspective of the boys," EC3 added. "I don't think that Hulk Hogan 'heat' was real because I think he was one of the ultimate true workers, and that committed to portraying something for the fans as opposed to being it for real. He drew that line and he stayed on it with his pointy a** boots and his big old clubs, and rode that into infamy." [2:11 – 2:42]

After Sheik's passing, wrestling legend Jake Roberts disclosed details about the time that the former WWE Champion threatened to beat him up in real life.

Do you think The Iron Sheik legitimately disliked Hulk Hogan? Let us know in the comments section below.

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