Courtesy: www.MondayNightMayhem.com
Monday Night Mayhem DVD Review: “YouShoot: The Iron Sheik”
Produced By Kayfabe Commentaries
Written By: Shawn “The Angry Hero Marek
The mighty Kayfabe Commentaries returns with the newest installment of their “YouShoot” series. This time around, the incomparable Iron Sheik is on board, fielding questions from fans from the furthest reaches of the Internet. I say “furthest reaches” with both love & incredulity for some of the videos sent are flat out ridiculous. I watched the “YouShoot” with my girlfriend, who after the third video of some maniac running around in a wrestling mask screaming “make you humble,” turned to me and said “What is wrong with wrestling fans?” Honestly, I think the wrestling fans are in a class all their own when it comes to being crazy.
That being said, Sheiky is the perfect subject for the “YouShoot” format. Over the past thirty years, he’s gone from the modern blueprint of the foreign heel to an Internet sensation, whose propensity to rant at the hint of a Brian Blair mention has garnered him a whole new audience. His 2005 RF Video shoot is a fantastical & heartbreaking example of pro wrestling excess, filled to the brim with random insults & “medicine-fueled” debauchery. The past few years, though, have taken its toll on Sheiky, physically & emotionally. Kayfabe Commentaries helped initiate the rehabilitation with their “Rebuilding the Sheik” DVD. Here, on the “YouShoot,” Sheiky is noticeably more docile, but thankfully, not due to drugs (I think). Most of all, he seems to genuinely be having fun answering fan questions and being Sheiky for Sheiky.
EARLY DAYS
– As usual, Sean Oliver welcomes the great Iron Sheik to the proceedings.
– Sheiky talks about growing up in Iran, getting by through school because of his superior wrestling skills and not his grades. I could have sworn somewhere in here that mentions how he went to a whorehouse to get his wrestling weight down. I’m probably wrong, but afraid that I’m right.
– We also get a few stories from his AWA training with Verne Gagne and how supposedly Sheik & Verne would “shoot each other and Sheik would come out on top. There’s also an anecdote involving an angry Ole Anderson and a screwdriver.
WWE
– Someone asks Sheik what became of the big green belt replica that was given to him some years ago. Sheiky says Eric Simms has it, but Eric refutes possessing it. What I’d like to know is why they changed the WWF/E Heavyweight Title as much as they did back in the first four years of the national expansion? The big green belt was pretty boss, in my opinion.
– Anyway, Oliver plays a clip of Sheik vs. Hulk Hogan, where Sheiky has what could best be described as a giant friggin’ erection rockin’ out before he applies the camel clutch to Hogan. Sheiky laughs and is unfazed: “I was excited.”
– Sheik covers a few more items, including Nikolai Volkoff’s breakfast-building skills, the Claude the Camel skits, Kamala, and who is the tag team specialist that could keep up with him back in the ’80’s doing the “A to the Z.”
A TO THE Z
– Speaking of which, Oliver feeds Sheik a bunch of questions from fans regarding his fondness for the “medicine” & the “A to the Z” (ex: drugs).
– We get a bunch of wacky videos, including one from what could be best labeled as a malnourished Morgan Freeman asking about Sheik’s friendship with The Junkyard Dog. Apparently, JYD was responsible for introducing Sheik to the “hard medicine.” Sheik claims that he was in WWE-sponsored rehab (per Linda McMahon), but lasted one month.
– We also get the low-down on why Sheik was fired from his 1991 WWF stint as Col. Mustafa and how The Berzerker & Steve Lombardi factored into the proceedings.
WWE, AGAIN
– Sheik gives his take on what happened at the “Old School” edition of Monday Night RAW, where his promo got cut short by Santino Marella’s miscue, as well as the outcome of his proposed 2005 talk show with Jonathan Coachman. I, for one, was extremely disappointed this never materialized.
F*CK THE ERIC SIMMS
– Sheiky’s longtime manager Eric Simms joins Oliver for a segment.
– To cut to the chase, Eric Simms hates Boston promoter Dan Mirade and the alleged shadiness he has pulled off in past dealings. Sheik confirms a story that he was left in a car, while Mirade & his Millennium Wrestling Federation crew ate in an Applebee’s. Whether or not this is completely true, I really felt bad for Sheik here. I mean, he’s a former World Champion, not a dog!
– Sheik and (mostly) Eric gives their Top Seven Jews in the wrestling business. Those of you to guess #1 get a no-prize.
RANTS
– Oliver gives Sheik a 4-Loko, a super beer that gets you uber-drunk, uber-fast. Sheiky takes a few sips,and you can tell the booze is doing its work a little bit.
– Targets for Sheik’s vitriol: Opie & Anthony, Larry Zybysko’s grooming habits, Artie Lang, Brian Blair, Mario Lopez, & so on.
– Sheik also clarifies what happened with him & The Ultimate Warrior a few years ago, when Eric tried to set up a meet and greet between the two. Warrior was a sausage and blew Sheik off, embarrassing him. I’ve always wondered about that, since Sheik was yelling something about “knowing him from Georgia,” and we finally get some closure here.
MAKE YOU HUMBLE
– Sheiky’s tendency to declare dominance on his foes via rectal submissions is well-documented here, and the fans are game to play along
– One fan, WrestleBunny, really wants to Sheik to humble her. Sheik, ever the reveler, says he will gladly take her up on the offer.
– We get to play “The Ho Bag” or as Sheik calls it, “The Douche Bag.” Nothing shocking, although he does mention that Sunny wanted to have sex with him at one point.
POTPOURRI
– We wrap this edition of “YouShoot” with Sheik’s thoughts on the movie “The Wrestler” who is favorite wrestler of all time is, plus what his thoughts on Dave Meltzer are.
It’s not your typical Iron Sheik interview, where he’s chucking beer bottles and yelling “FAKK!” over & over. Sheik looks like he’s having a good time just chilling, fielding questions from the fans, no matter how insane they may be. He starts to get a little crazy towards the end, and there’s a lot of memorable moments to be had from this interview, so check it out! Make your purchase online over at www.KayfabeCommentaries.com. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter (at www.Twitter.com/AngryHeroShawn). Thanks for reading, and remember: Above all things, be a man!
