The Iron Sheik, who took on his role as “one of the most notorious villains” in entertainment history, died, his team said Wednesday.
He was 81 years old.
The announcement was made on the popular Twitter feed of the fight, which is over 640.It’s got thousands of followers.
The statement gave no details as to how the man, born Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, died.
The Iron Sheik “took over the field of sports entertainment” with “his greater personality than life, incredible charisma and unprecedented in-ring skills” that “captured viewers around the globe.”
“With his greater personality, his incredible charisma and his unprecedented in-ring knowledge, he fascinated the audience around the globe,” the statement from his Twitter account said. “He was a scout who crossed barriers and paved the way for a wide range of fighters following his footsteps.”
Vaziri was the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He was a Greek-Roman wrestler in his home country, almost the 1968 Olympic team. Vaziri then moved to the United States, where he won an AAU Greco-Roman wrestling championship of 180.5 pounds and became assistant coach for the U.S. wrestling team, including his Olympic team in 1972.
Around that time, he got into a professional fight in Minnesota with AWA promoter Verne Gagne under the guidance of the entrepreneur and captured Billy Robinson. Vaziri was given a character based on his Iranian heritage (inspired by the beginning of the Iranian revolution) and bowed in it, shaving his head, growing a moustache of a handle and wearing cross-legged shoes, which remained a symbolic aspect. For the first time in 1979, he won the first real game of battle at Madison Square Garden and had meetings with Bruno Sammartino and Chief Jay Strongbow.
After leaving the WWF title in Hogan in 1984, Vaziri had a memorable string of games with the sarge. Slaughter, an American character based on the U.S. The dispute has triggered real tensions between the United States and Iran’s homeland of Vaziri. Vaziri and Slaughter had a violent and bloody “bottleneck” in June 1984 in Madison Square Garden, which was very much appreciated and still standing.
In recent years, Vaziri has developed a fanatic cult on Twitter, even by people who have never seen his legendary battles within the square circle.
Vaziri survived by his wife Caryl, whom he married for 47 years; his children, Tanya and Nikki, and his brother-in-law, Eddie, according to his Twitter account.
“Beyond the brilliance and glamour of the square circle, the Iron Sheik was a man of immense passion and dedication,” Twitter reads. “It was the embodiment of resilience. He has overcome countless challenges in his life, both inside and outside the ring of battle. His journey from a small village in Iran to becoming one of the most recognised figures in the world of fighting is a witness to his tireless dedication.”