The Iron Sheik, a WWE heavyweight champion and hall-of-famer, passed away at the age of 81, according to his family.
According to a statement released on Thursday, he was a "true legend, a force of nature, and an iconic figure who left an incredible mark" on the world of wrestling. "We are sharing the news with great sadness. " .
The legendary wrestler's real name was Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri; he was Iranian by birth.
It is unknown what caused his passing.
Vaziri competed against legendary wrestlers like Bob Backlund, Sgt. Slaughter, and Hulk Hogan at the height of his career in the 1980s.
In December 1983, he won the WWF World Heavyweight championship by defeating Backlund.
One month later, Hogan defeated Vaziri and became the first person to hold the championship belt in front of a boisterous crowd of more than 20,000 spectators at Madison sq\. Garden in New York. Hogan's career began with the shock.
The WWE referred to the occasion as "one of the most renowned wrestling matches of all time.". .
In 2005, Vaziri received a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.
He "broke barriers and paved the way for a diverse range of wrestlers who followed in his footsteps," according to the family.
Vaziri honored his Iranian ancestry with his persona by sporting the iconic handlebar moustache, shaved head, and curled-toe shoes.
He served as Iran's Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi's bodyguard before entering the sport of wrestling, according to ESPN.
He nearly made his nation's 1968 Olympic wrestling squad.
Later, Vaziri relocated to the US, where he worked as an assistant coach for the American wrestling team before joining the WWE (then known as the WWF) in 1979.
His children Tanya, Nikki, and Marisa, along with his wife of 47 years, Caryl Vaziri, survive him.
His family praised him as a loving and devoted father.
"He instilled in them the virtues of tenacity, grit, and the significance of pursuing their dreams. For his children, the Iron Sheik's leadership and unwavering faith in their potential served as a motivating force, inspiring them to become the best versions of themselves.
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