Hacksaw Duggan Opens Up About His Worst Mistake With Iron Sheik

EXCLUSIVE: "It was a horrible, horrible mistake."

That is how WWE Hall of Famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan describes the 1987 incident that nearly destroyed his career.

Duggan opened up in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling about the night he and The Iron Sheik were arrested together.

He also revealed the phone call he made to Vince McMahon immediately after — and the chairman's devastating response.

The arrest happened in Asbury Park, New Jersey, in 1987.

Duggan had flown into Newark for a wrestling event.

He was still new to the territory at the time.

"I'm new to the territory, so I didn't really know when he [The Iron Sheik] said, 'Give me a ride' and I'm like, 'Yeah, jump in,'" Duggan recalled.

The two men were not close friends before that night.

"Even though we were not friends, we were married at the hip for infamy," Duggan said.

"You can't go Sheik without going Duggan, man."

Duggan called the incident a "horrible, horrible mistake."

After the arrest, Duggan knew he had to call the boss.

He phoned Vince McMahon, and the conversation is one he says he will remember "to the day I die."

The timing could not have been worse.

WWE was just starting to take off as a national phenomenon.

WrestleMania 3 had just happened, drawing 93,000 fans to the Pontiac Silverdome.

Duggan had been in front of that massive crowd, leading "USA" chants.

Now, just weeks later, he was on the phone with McMahon explaining why he had been arrested with The Iron Sheik.

"I call Vince, I remember what he said to me," Duggan said.

"He goes, 'Jim, what have you done to us?'"

Duggan responded: "Vince, I'm embarrassed and ashamed."

McMahon's answer was short and final.

"Turn your tickets in and go home."

"Boom!" Duggan said.

"So I went from the penthouse to the shed house in one move, boom boom."

Duggan believes the arrest almost ended his WWE career before it truly began.

"It almost k*lled my career, brother," he said.

He acknowledged that many other wrestlers in the same situation would not have survived.

"It would've killed a lot of guys' careers," Duggan said.

"I was lucky to survive it."

Duggan did survive, of course.

He went on to become a WWE Hall of Famer, known for his signature "USA" chants and his 2x4 wooden plank.

The Iron Sheik also remained a major figure in wrestling, remembered as one of the most hated villains of his era.

But the two men remain linked in wrestling history because of that one night.

During the same interview, Duggan also shared memories of working with Andre the Giant early in his career.

He recalled wrestling in Hawaii for High Chief Peter Maivia — The Rock's grandfather.

Duggan was working under a mask at the time, billed as "The Convict."

Andre the Giant was the one who unmasked him in the ring.

"Once he tore my mask off, everybody was li..."

Duggan said, trailing off.

Duggan described what it was like to face Andre in the 1970s and 1980s.

"Back in the 70s, 80s, early 90s, a 7ft man was very rare," he said.

"Nowadays, all basketball players are 7ft, even the kids in high school are 7ft."