But all of Sheik’s work peaked upon his return to WWF. Backlund was into his fifth year as WWF Champion. The two were no strangers; Backlund had defeated Sheik in a 30-minute match in 1979 to retain the title, making their next encounter just as much about revenge for Sheik as it was championship gold. As if it couldn’t get any more personal, just days before the match, Sheik attacked Backlund with his trademark Persian club, sending the champion into the title match with an injured neck.

It was that injured neck that would prove to be Backlund’s undoing. Try as he might, Backlund wasn’t able to keep Sheik down on several pin attempts, hindered by being at less than 100%. And when Sheik was finally able to lock Backlund in his trademark Camel Clutch, it was Backlund’s cornerman Arnold Skaaland who threw in the towel to stop the bout. Fans were in disbelief, and with that, the Iron Sheik ended not just Backlund’s reign but the previous era of WWF as a whole.

Sheik’s era failed to last even a month before it gave way to Hogan’s historic victory. In the process, he joined the likes of Ivan Koloff and Stan Stasiak in the annals of history as transitional reigns. But regardless of the reign’s length, for that one winter night in Madison Square Garden, the Iron Sheik was atop the wrestling mountain