The Undertaker Reflects on a Surreal Evening Shared with The Iron Sheik

The Undertaker recently shared memories of his experiences with the iconic Iron Sheik during a time they stayed in the same hotel room. On his Six Feet Under podcast, he recounted an incident from the early days of his career where he was assigned to room with The Iron Sheik, which resulted in a night of unexpected happenings and considerably less sleep than he had anticipated.

"I end up back in my hotel room around 1:30 in the morning. The Sheik comes in maybe 30, 45 minutes after I did. I’m just there, right there on the edge of some good sleep and he goes ‘Ah excellent Marky Bubba! You get in some good rest.’ He lays down and falls asleep. It’s a couple of hours later and I wake up freezing. It’s winter time and Charleston, West Virginia gets a little chilly.

I wake up and there’s a wind coming at me and I’m sound asleep but I’m like ‘What is going on here?’ And I wake up and look and Sheik’s bed is empty. I look the other way, where there’s a balcony… it’s 4:30 in the morning and Sheiky’s out there doing Hindu Squats. He’s got nothing but his wrestling tights on.

I’m like ‘Can you close the door it’s freezing. What are you doing?’ ‘Ah Bubba, it’s good for lungs! Excellent cardio!’"

Yet, the evening was far from over for the fledgling Undertaker, as shortly after, it was The Iron Sheik's turn to indulge in a lengthy shower followed by a session of essential manicuring.

"I’m trying to fall back asleep and I hear the sliding doors shut and instantly the room is warmer. I think ‘Oh, thank goodness.’ I look at the clock and I’ve got another two hours I can sleep before I need to get going and on the road again.

The next thing I hear, the shower’s on. Full steam. Oh my gosh! And this is the longest shower I’ve ever heard any human take. I’ve got the pillow over my head and I’m trying to thaw out… I’m still a little p*ssed but I’m a greenhorn. I’m a rookie, I’ve got no say. And he’d twist me up in a knot [if I called him out.]

So this shower goes on and on and on and finally, I hear the water turn off and I go ‘Oh thank gosh’ and I’ve got an hour [before I need to get going.] It’s ridiculous. And then the next thing I hear the blowdryer starts.

I’ve been awake now for a while so I have my faculties about me and I’m trying to think what on Earth is he blowdrying? He’s bald and he shaves his body. I get up. I’ve got to go see this… And I go in and he’s blowdrying his mustache! ‘How’s the sleep then Bubba? Makes the mustache look good!’ He was perplexed at me. ‘Why aren’t you sleeping?’ Because you’re making all this damn noise!"