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Vince Russo recently recalled the moment when the second-longest WWE Championship reign of all time unexpectedly ended.
On December 26, 1983, The Iron Sheik defeated Bob Backlund to end the legendary wrestler's 2,135-day title reign. The finish to the match saw Backlund's manager Arnold Skaaland throw in the towel after Sheik locked in his Camel Clutch submission move.
Russo, who was 22 years old at the time, reminisced about the famous title change on Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws show:
"This is Madison Square Garden in New York City. You could have heard a pin drop. The people were in shock that Skaaland threw the towel in, and now The Sheik was champion. And New York City, hook, line, and sinker, bro. You could have heard a pin drop in that building." [From 10:13 – 10:37]
In the video above, Russo gives his thoughts on whether The Iron Sheik's long-running feud with Hulk Hogan was legitimate.
What EC3 appreciated about The Iron Sheik in WWE
Former WWE Superstar EC3 also appeared on The Wrestling Outlaws alongside Dr. Chris Featherstone and Vince Russo.
EC3 watched Sheik for the first time when the Iranian-American won the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania 17 in 2001.
Once he began studying wrestling, EC3 grew to respect Sheik's ability to make fans dislike his character:
"Watching back, when you become a student of the game and watching the old school and the greats and how they would do things, just the in-betweens and the little things Sheik would do, and he really embodied being despised, and that's what made the business so great." [From 9:22 – 9:39]
On June 7, Sheik passed away at the age of 81. Russo explained how WWE's higher-ups are "pansies" for failing to create another anti-American character like the late Hall of Famer.
What are your thoughts on The Iron Sheik? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.
