Crowd Funding Request -Iranian Legend: The Iron Sheik Story

Brothers Jian Magen and Page Magen have been following and documenting the life of their childhood hero, wrestling’s number one villain, Hossein Kosrow Vaziri, better known as The Iron Sheik. Their close friendship with The Iron Sheik has given them unlimited access to film the man and the legend.

Their documentary will chronicle The Iron Sheik’s electrifying career – from his years as a top WWF wrestler and Olympic Wrestling Champion, to his rebirth as an outlandish pop culture and social media phenomenon known for public outbursts on the Howard Stern Show, YouTube videos and a massively popular Twitter account. Just as importantly, the film will explore his personal life, including his position as the Shah of Iran’s bodyguard, his flight from Iran to pursue the American dream, the 2003 murder of his eldest daughter, his descent into and recovery from drugs, the mentoring and coaching of professional wrestler Iranian Lion, and his urgent need for double knee and ankle surgery brought on by his punishing years as a professional wrestler.

This film will show everyone the real Hossein Vaziri. The good, the bad, and the Sheikie. A man who lived the American Dream by taking on the persona of an Iranian villain. A man who won his fans admiration by being the man they loved to hate.

This has been a dream project for twins Jian and Page Magen. The boys grew up watching their hero, not only on TV, but in their very own home. The Sheik is a childhood friend of their father, and he who would visit the boys whenever he was in Toronto. Today, the twin brothers credit the Iron Sheik as an inspiration for their success as owners of Magen Boys Entertainment (MBE), Canada’s #1 turn-key event production and entertainment company.

“Everybody knows the professional wrestler, but few know the man behind the persona; Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri. This will not just be a documentary about a wrestler, but a story about a man and his family,” says Jian. “We’ve known the Iron Sheik for our whole lives,” continues Page. “We’ve seen his biggest triumphs, as well as some very low points. We’ve known for a long time that this was a story that needed to be told, and have been gathering footage for several years. With over four decades entertaining his fans, there’s no time like the present to bring the Iron Sheik’s story to his fans in his own words.”

What We Need & What You Get

The $100,000 we are trying to raise will help us cover some of the costs of production and post-production, including equipment rentals, locations, music, insurance, and legalities associated with making a film. A portion of the funds will also go towards his much needed ankle and double knee surgery. This won’t cover all of our costs, so hopefully we can raise even more than our goal. Everyone who makes a contribution to the campaign will receive a perk (listed on the right hand side of the page).

We’ve created some unique rewards to thank you for pledging your support, such as; autographs, Iron Sheik paraphernalia, an invitation to an Iranian Legend screening, telephone calls and a meet and greet with The Iron Sheik, to name just a few. In addition to supporting the campaign financially, please help by spreading the word to anyone who loves the Iron Sheik or quality documentaries. Share the IndieGoGo page with friends and family, like the Facebook page, follow The Iron Sheik updates on Twitter and re-tweet to your followers.