Marc RaimondiESPN Staff Writer Jun 7, 2023 12:15pm ET3 minutes read
The Iron Sheikh, a pre-eminent Greco-Roman wrestler from Iran who rose to global pro wrestling fame through his rivalries against the likes of Hulk Hogan in the 1980s, died on Wednesday at the age of 81, according to his official Twitter account .
Sheik, whose real name was Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, was a former WWF World Heavyweight Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. As the hated heel, he fought legendary battles against Hogan, Bob Backlund and Sgt. Butcher. Vaziri defeated Backlund for the WWF Title in December 1983 and a month later, in front of a crowd of more than 20,000 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Hogan defeated Vaziri to win the belt for the first time. The match helped make Hulkamania a phenomenon that led to the first WrestleMania a year later.
“He captivated audiences around the world with his larger than life personality, incredible charisma and unparalleled in-ring skills,” the statement said on his Twitter account. “He was a pioneer who broke down barriers and paved the way for a multitude of wrestlers to follow in his footsteps.”
Before he started professional wrestling, Vaziri was a bodyguard for the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He was a Greco-Roman wrestler in his home country and almost made the 1968 Olympic team. Vaziri then moved to the United States, where he won an AAU championship in Greco-Roman wrestling at 180.5 pounds and became the assistant coach of the US wrestling team, including the Olympic team in 1972.
It was around this time that he began wrestling professionally in Minnesota with AWA promoter Verne Gagne and trainer and catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson. Vaziri was given a character based on his Iranian heritage (inspired by the start of the Iranian revolution), and he leaned into it, shaved his head, grew a mustache and wore shoes with curls on the toes, which later became a iconic look became . He first joined the WWF in 1979, winning the first-ever Battle Royale match at Madison Square Garden and taking on the likes of Bruno Sammartino and Chief Jay Strongbow.
After losing the WWF title to Hogan in 1984, Vaziri had a memorable run of matches with Sgt. Slaughter, a US military character. The feud played on real-world tensions between the US and Vaziri’s Iranian homeland. Vaziri and Slaughter engaged in a violent, bloody “boot camp” match at Madison Square Garden in June 1984 that was critically acclaimed and continues to this day.
In recent years, Vaziri has built a cult following on Twitter, even among people who have never seen his iconic Square Circle bouts.
According to his Twitter account, Vaziri is survived by his wife Caryl, to whom he was married for 47 years, children Tanya and Nikki and son-in-law Eddie.
“Beyond the glitz and glamor of the square circle, the Iron Sheikh was a man of immense passion and dedication,” the Twitter statement said. “He embodied resilience. He has overcome countless challenges in his life, both inside and outside the wrestling ring. His journey from a small village in Iran to become one of the most recognizable figures in the world of wrestling is a testament to his unwavering dedication.”