Hossain Khosrow Ali Vaziri, better known as The Iron Sheik, was a professional wrestler who won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983.
- Died: June 7, 2023 (Who else died on June 7?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Fayetteville, Georgia the age of 81.
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The Iron Sheik’s legacy
Born Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, legions of fans knew him by a different name: The Iron Sheik. Born in Iran, Vaziri pursued competitive Greco-Roman wrestling in his youth, winning an Amateur Athletic Union Greco-Roman wrestling championship and gold medal in 1971. He also competed for a spot on Iran’s 1968 Olympic team before moving to the United States and working as an assistant coach for two U.S. Olympic squads.
In the early 1970s, however, Vaziri began to transition from competitive wrestling to wrestling entertainment. A promoter suggested he adopt a “heel” persona, a term used to denote a villain intended to be hated by the crowd. With advice from his friend and fellow wrestler, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka,” Vaziri leaned into his ethnicity and the anti-Iran sentiment prevalent in the United States at the time, going through several names before settling on The Iron Sheik in 1980. He proved to be a wildly popular character, in no small part due to his rivalry with Hulk Hogan. He won over countless fans for his over-the-top portrayal of an Iranian villain and his later partnership with Nikolai Volkoff. He would go on to become the WWE’s first Iranian-born champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
The Iron Sheik continued to wrestle into the 2000s, making periodic returns to the WWF/WWE, though often appearing in small circuit bouts. By the time the era of social media arrived, Vaziri was past his wrestling days. With the help of his managers, Jian and Page Magen, he transformed himself into a social media icon known for his profanity-ridden tirades and insults lobbed at fellow celebrities, politicians, or anyone else who could help him generate some laughs. With over 600,000 followers, modern audiences knew him better as an online personality than as a wrestler.
Notable quote
“I AM THE LEGEND OF THE EARTH”—Twitter
Tributes to The Iron Sheik
Full obituary: Twitter
