Former WWF champion Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, better known by his wrestling persona “The Iron Sheik,” has died at age 81. The news of Khosrow’s passing was announced on his official Twitter page on Wednesday.
Born in Iran, Khosrow was a solid amateur wrestler who competed for a spot on Iran’s 1968 Olympic Greco-Roman team. After failing to secure a spot, he moved to the United States where he continued his involvement in amateur wrestling, helping to coach the U.S. Olympic team while continuing to compete.
Khosrow eventually transitioned to a career in professional wrestling after being trained by AWA promoter and accomplished wrestler Verne Gagne. He would go on to wrestle for many of the biggest territories in the United States, adopting a persona as an Iranian heel with signature curled-toe boots.
RESPECT THE LEGEND FOREVER 😢 pic.twitter.com/Cr6CC9pXSO
— The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik) June 7, 2023 In 1983, Khosrow returned to the WWF for a second time, entering a program with Bob Backlund, who was at the tail end of a reign as WWF champion that lasted 1,470 days. Khosrow won the championship on Dec. 26, 1983 when Backlund’s corner threw in the towel as Khosrow had his finishing move, the camel clutch, locked in.
Khosrow’s title reign served as a transitional one to move the title to Hulk Hogan, who defeated him to become champion 28 days after Khosrow defeated Backlund. This allowed WWF to avoid a match between popular babyfaces Backlund and Hogan with the use of a brief reign by a heel champion.
Khosrow continued to find success in WWF after his stint as champion, teaming with Nikolai Volkoff and eventually winning the WWF tag team championships.
A drug-related arrest while traveling with storyline rival “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan in 1987 preceded Khosrow’s departure from WWF, though he returned to the promotion briefly in 1988 and then again in 1991. The 1991 return saw Khosrow in the new character of Colonel Mustafa, aligning with Sgt. Slaughter, the former all-American wrestler turned Iraqui sympathizer in a controversial angle at the height of the Gulf War.
Khosrow struggled with drug addiction for many years and often made media appearances where he would swear and often use homophobic and racist language.
Khosrow eventually found sobriety and became a popular Twitter personality though the tweets were almost entirely written by a management team.
Monday night’s edition of Raw was a big one for advancing the place of champions and the state of the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
World heavyweight champion Seth Rollins has a challenger for Money in the Bank. After Finn Balor couldn’t help himself and interfered in fellow Judgement Day member Damian Priest’s title match with Rollins the previous week, Balor made it official that he would challenge for the belt at the July 1 event in London.
The story of the match draws on the history between Rollins and Balor, which includes Rollins accidentally injuring Balor in their 2016 match to crown the first universal champion. That injury led to Balor having to give up the title less than 24 hours after winning it. Balor cited that moment as Rollins robbing his momentum when he’d reached the mountaintop.
The other major champion on Raw got a championship upgrade. Despite being on Raw, Rhea Ripley held the SmackDown women’s championship after using her Royal Rumble victory to target then-SmackDown champ Charlotte Flair.
On Monday, Ripley was awarded a new championship, the women’s world championship. This pairs with Asuka’s Raw women’s championship recently being renamed to the WWE women’s championship, removing the show branding and establishing the belts more firmly as world titles.
What else happened on WWE Raw? Cody Rhodes vs. Dominik Mysterio is official for Money in the Bank after multiple confrontations between the two led to a formal challenge to open the show. During the segment, The Miz snuck in to attack Rhodes, leading to the start of their match. Cody Rhodes def. The Miz via pinfall with Cross Rhodes. The match started immediately after Miz’s attack. Mysterio did not remain at ringside after he hit Rhodes with a cheap shot and ran to the back. Becky Lynch def. Chelsea Green via submission with the Dis-arm-her. Before the match, Lynch was confronted by Zoey Stark, with Stark saying Lynch can’t beat Trish Stratus and also won’t be able to win Money in the Bank. Money in the Bank Qualifying Match — Damian Priest def. Matt Riddle via pinfall with a Razor’s Edge. After the match, Gunther and Imperium came to the ring to further beat down Riddle. Indus Sher was interviewed and offered Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin a “real match” after beating down the duo before their planned match last week. Bronson Reed def. Ricochet via disqualification after interference by Shinsuke Nakamura. Shayna Baszler def. Raquel Rodriguez via pinfall with a roll-up after Ronda Rousey distracted Rodriguez. Chad Gable def. Erik via pinfall with a sunset flip. During the match, Valhalla attacked Maxxine Dupri only for Dupri to hit an arm drag, a move Gable was seen teaching Dupri earlier in the night. WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship — Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) def. Imperium (Gunther & Ludwig Kaiser) via pinfall after Zayn hit Kaiser with a blue thunder driver. The match came about after yet another backstage confrontation between the groups. Imperium asked Owens and Zayn if they were confident enough to put their titles on the line, which the champs agreed to do. Matt Riddle came to the ring late in the match, drawing Gunther’s attention and leading to the finish.
WWE is jetting off to London and WWE superstars are trying to punch their tickets to championship glory. Money in the Bank takes place at the O2 Arena on July 1 with the winners of annual ladder matches securing a nearly foolproof path to a title.
WWE returns to London for its first major event since 2003’s Insurrextion following the success of Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales in September. WWE continues its globetrotting following events in San Antonio, Montreal, Los Angeles, San Juan and Jeddah so far this year. The London card features two Money in the Bank ladder matches.
The match originated at WrestleMania 21 and has since evolved into its own major event with separate matches for the men’s and women’s divisions. Whichever superstar retrieves the briefcase hanging above the ring earns the right to challenge for a championship of their choice at a time and place of their choosing. This has led to many surprise impromptu matches when champions are at a disadvantage. Traditionally, superstars have cashed in the briefcase for a world championship match. More recently, the stipulation has expanded to allow a cash-in on any title.
Take a look below at the confirmed matches for Money in the Bank and take a glance at the crystal ball of what may come.
2023 WWE Money in the Bank matches World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor: A match between Rollins and Balor at the conclusion of the June 6 episode of Raw teased a world championship tilt at Money in the Bank. The fighters squared up after Rollins’ successful title defense against Damian Priest, Balor’s teammate in The Judgement Day. The match was made official one week later. There is a history between Rollins and Balor. The two fought for the inaugural universal championship in 2016. Balor picked up the victory, but he suffered an injury in the match and was forced to vacate the belt after one day. It remains the only world championship run of Balor’s main roster career. Rollins became the first world heavyweight champion since the title was reintroduced at Night of Champions.
The Usos vs. Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa: The Bloodline officially split when Jey Uso chose to join his brother Jimmy in rejecting Reigns’ abuse. Jimmy had superkicked Reigns multiple times at Night of Champions, leading to speculation of whether Jey would join his twin. On SmackDown, Jey said that Jimmy was “out” of The Bloodling before adding that he was as well, superkicking Reigns before he and Jimmy took out Sikoa as well. The drama-filled storyline now moves to Reigns and Sikoa going two-on-two with The Usos.
Ricochet vs. LA Knight vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Santos Escobar vs. Butch vs. Damian Priest vs. Logan Paul (Money in the Bank ladder match): The winner of the ladder match will have one year to cash in their briefcase for a title shot at a time and place of their choosing. Ricochet and Nakamura have been targetted by Bronson Reed in recent weeks, leading to a possibility Reed gets involved in the match. Meanwhile, Priest has been at the center of a lot of tension within Judgement Day, including with Finn Balor’s involvement in his world heavyweight championship match with Seth Rollins. Paul is the only competitor who did not “earn” his spot and instead announced that WWE had simply offered him an opportunity.
Becky Lynch vs. Zoey Stark vs. Zelina Vega vs. Bayley vs. IYO SKY vs. Trish Stratus (Money in the Bank ladder match): Vega claimed the first spot in the match by defeating Lacey Evans in a qualifier on SmackDown. New rivals Lynch and Starks won their respective matches the following week on Raw to cement their places. Stratus then joined Stark, her protege, when Lynch accidentally hit Stratus during her match with Raquel Rodriguez, earning her a win by disqualification. The winner of the ladder match will have one year to cash in their briefcase for a title shot at a time and place of their choosing, though almost every woman to win Money in the Bank has cashed in in less than 24 hours.
Cody Rhodes vs. Dominik Mysterio: Mysterio has taken a few cheap shots at Rhodes in recent weeks, leading to Rhodes making a challenge for a match at Money in the Bank. As is usual for Mysterio, it was Rhea Ripley who accepted the match on his behalf. This is taking place at the same time as Rhodes continues to target a third match with Brock Lesnar.
Intercontinental Championship — Gunther (c) vs. Matt Riddle: Riddle retaliated after a brutal attack at the hands of Imperium, leading to an intercontinental title tilt between him and Gunther. The defending champion will certainly have the size and strength advantage, but Riddle’s legitimate UFC background makes him a unique striking threat to a champion known for his heavy blows.
Women’s Tag Team Championships — Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan: Rousey and Baszler were promptly faced with a new challenge after defeating NXT women’s tag team champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn to unify the belts. Former champions Rodriguez and Morgan, the latter of whom recently returned from injury, challenged the reigning champions for the titles they were forced to vacate.
WWE is bringing a pay-per-view to England for the first time since 2003 when Money in the Bank lands in London on Saturday. One of the staple events on the WWE calendar, Money in the Bank also sets up storylines that become central to the next several months of the promotion’s programming.
The winners of the men’s and women’s Money in the Bank ladder matches receive contracts that allow them to challenge once for any title of their choosing at any time. This has led to some of the most iconic moments in WWE history as winners have cashed in to win world titles in dramatic fashion.
The card will also feature three title matches. Newly crowned heavyweight champ Seth Rollins will battle it out with Finn Balor in a rematch seven years in the making. Intercontinental champ Gunther will take on Matt Riddle. And women’s tag team champions Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler will face off against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez.
Let’s take a look at who the CBS Sports experts are picking to win each match on the Money in the Bank card, which streams live on Peacock at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday.
2023 WWE Money in the Bank predictions Cody Rhodes vs. Dominik Mysterio
Mysterio has been handled masterfully, leading to him being a truly top-tier heel in terms of generating heat. It is starting to feel a little inorganic at this point, with the boos being more of a “crowd doing a bit” situation than genuine reactions but it’s still been fun and has placed Mysterio into a spot where he feels like he matters on the roster. That said, this needs to be a Rhodes win. He went from a surefire choice to end Roman Reigns’ run to losing their WrestleMania showdown and falling down the card a bit. While a feud with Brock Lesnar was used to rehab him, Rhodes still won the first match with a quick pin and was demolished ahead of and during the rematch. Losing to Mysterio doesn’t keep him strong for the rubber match with Lesnar and another eventual run at a belt. Pick: Cody Rhodes wins — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa vs. The Usos
Expect a lot of shenanigans in this match. The Usos are arguably the greatest tag team in WWE history and should have a leg-up over singles superstars Sokoa and Reigns. The problem is that Reigns and Sikoa are coming off a rare loss to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at Night of Champions. Reigns is also heavily protected by the company, I can’t see him falling short in consecutive pay-per-views even if he’s not taking the fall. Stories like this are built on the chase. It’s too soon into The Bloodline breakup for The Usos to beat Reigns. Pick: Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa win — Shakiel Mahjouri (also Brent Brookhouse)
Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match — Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar vs. Butch vs. Damian Priest vs. Logan Paul
Looking at any Money in the Bank match to identify a winner first involves a process of elimination. Who would WWE not have carrying around one of the biggest storyline tools in the company? Ricochet, Nakamura, Escobar and Butch are all out on those grounds. They are there to provide texture to the match, not to win the match and spend weeks or months teasing cashing in for a world title. That leaves Knight, Priest and Paul. Priest only makes sense in terms of the Judgment Day story and seems an unlikely choice to win. Paul is not a regular staple on television, which doesn’t set him up as a good choice to hold the briefcase, plus he has only had a small handful of matches, one of which was already for a world title. That leaves Knight, a fountain of charisma and someone in whom WWE higher-ups seem to have a lot of faith. Knight has to be the favorite here if for no other reason than being the only valid option to hold the briefcase. Pick: LA Knight wins — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match — Zelina Vega vs. Becky Lynch vs. Zoey Stark vs. Bayley vs. Iyo Sky vs. Trish Stratus
The women’s side of things is far more difficult to figure out than the men’s. There are multiple valid winners in this match. In fact, everyone in the match would be a fine winner and an intriguing option to challenge for a world title. Iyo Sky is the favorite heading into the match because the storyline playing out with Bayley’s controlling nature and jealousy would make things interesting. Only one woman has held the contract for more than two days before cashing in, so the more interesting question will be: can the briefcase be used for long-term storytelling on the women’s side for once? I’d like to think yes, and it makes the most sense to do so with Sky. Pick: Iyo Sky wins — Brookhouse
This year’s Money in the Bank feels like a rare event where many outcomes are in question. I can see a lot of interesting ways the women’s ladder match shakes out. Sky is the fan-favorite pick, but increasing tension with teammate Bayley could spill over on Saturday. Bayley stealing the briefcase from Sky could be an interesting angle. Lynch is typically a safe bet in these scenarios. Starks could win with her egotistical mentor Stratus moonlighting as contract holder. Ultimately, I’m siding with the underdog. Vega shined in her women’s title match against Rhea Ripley, has been reliable in the ring and on the microphone and has crossover appeal. A Vega also brings much-needed legitimacy to the LWO stable. WWE is pining for a new Latin star and she appears to have been under the company’s nose all along. Pick: Zelina Vega wins — Mahjouri
World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor
It’s too soon to take the world heavyweight championship off Rollins. The newly-minted world title was Rollins reward for being a workhorse who put over just about every other major superstar for the past few years. Rollins’ work ethic has also translated to countless media appearances in the lead-up to the PPV. WWE has done good work to build Balor into a believable threat and The Judgement Day are stronger than ever. There is an interesting story to tell with Damian Priest as the briefcase holder and an increasingly paranoid Balor as champion, but WWE can tell that tale after Rollins establishes himself as champion. Pick: Seth Rollins retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Intercontinental Championship — Gunther (c) vs. Matt Riddle
While Riddle is a valid option to end Gunther’s lengthy run as intercontinental champion, this simply doesn’t feel like the right time. There are plenty of ways to have Gunther get the win without harming Riddle, including underhanded tactics from Imperium. Riddle just doesn’t quite feel like he’s at the level where he feels like he “needs” a title and WWE is committed to Gunther being a record-setting intercontinental champion. Pick: Gunther retains the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
Women’s Tag Team Championship — Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez
What’s strangest about Rousey and Baszler’s reign is how long it took to get here. Strapping the tag title around the waists of the real-life friends and UFC veterans made perfect sense after moving Rousey out of the main event title scene. Yet it took Rodriguez and Morgan vacating the belt after the latter suffered an injury for WWE to finally pull the trigger. It’s too soon for Rousey and Baszler to lose the belts, plain and simple. Rousey remains one of WWE’s biggest crossover stars. Having her lose in London isn’t worth the juice. Pick: Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler retain the titles — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
WWE returns to England on Saturday for the first pay-per-view held in the country in more than two decades when Money in the Bank comes to London’s O2 Arena. In one of the year’s biggest events, seven men and six women will take part in ladder matches to win the Money in the Bank contract that will award the winner with an opportunity to challenge for a title of their choosing at any point.
In addition, The Bloodline “Civil War” begins when Roman Reigns teams with Solo Sikoa to take on The Usos. Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso finally had enough of Reigns’ abuse, with Jimmy Uso turning on Reigns at Night of Champions and Jey Uso joining his twin shortly after, leaving Reigns spiraling as his family tore apart in front of his eyes.
The card will also feature three title matches. Newly crowned heavyweight champ Seth Rollins will battle it out with Finn Balor in a rematch seven years in the making. Intercontinental champ Gunther will take on Matt Riddle. And women’s tag team champions Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler will face off against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez.
Below is how you can catch all the action on Saturday night in London.
Watch 2023 WWE Money in the Bank Date: July 1 Location: O2 Arena — London Start time: 3 p.m. ET Watch live: Peacock
2023 WWE Money in the Bank match card Cody Rhodes vs. Dominik Mysterio Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa vs. The Usos Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match — Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar vs. Butch vs. Damian Priest vs. Logan Paul Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match — Zelina Vega vs. Becky Lynch vs. Zoey Stark vs. Bayley vs. Iyo Sky vs. Trish Stratus World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor Intercontinental Championship — Gunther (c) vs. Matt Riddle Women’s Tag Team Championship — Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Liv Morgan & Raquel RodriguezWWE returns to England on Saturday for the first pay-per-view held in the country in more than two decades when Money in the Bank comes to London’s O2 Arena. In one of the year’s biggest events, seven men and six women will take part in ladder matches to win the Money in the Bank contract that will award the winner with an opportunity to challenge for a title of their choosing at any point.
In addition, The Bloodline “Civil War” begins when Roman Reigns teams with Solo Sikoa to take on The Usos. Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso finally had enough of Reigns’ abuse, with Jimmy Uso turning on Reigns at Night of Champions and Jey Uso joining his twin shortly after, leaving Reigns spiraling as his family tore apart in front of his eyes.
The card will also feature three title matches. Newly crowned heavyweight champ Seth Rollins will battle it out with Finn Balor in a rematch seven years in the making. Intercontinental champ Gunther will take on Matt Riddle. And women’s tag team champions Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler will face off against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez.
Below is how you can catch all the action on Saturday night in London.
Watch 2023 WWE Money in the Bank Date: July 1 Location: O2 Arena — London Start time: 3 p.m. ET Watch live: Peacock
2023 WWE Money in the Bank match card Cody Rhodes vs. Dominik Mysterio Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa vs. The Usos Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match — Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar vs. Butch vs. Damian Priest vs. Logan Paul Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match — Zelina Vega vs. Becky Lynch vs. Zoey Stark vs. Bayley vs. Iyo Sky vs. Trish Stratus World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor Intercontinental Championship — Gunther (c) vs. Matt Riddle Women’s Tag Team Championship — Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez
