By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Pro wrestling legend The Iron Sheik (Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri) has died at the age of 81. The news was announced via his Twitter page.
RESPECT THE LEGEND FOREVER 😢 pic.twitter.com/Cr6CC9pXSO
— The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik) June 7, 2023
Powell’s POV: The Sheik was an amateur wrestler in Iran and later became a coach for the U.S. team. He was trained to become a pro by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson. He went on to have a tremendous career, which included a run as a transitional WWF Champion. Sheik defeated Bob Backlund to win the championship on December 26, 1983, and then lost it less than a month later to Hulk Hogan on January 23, 1984. Sheik remained with the company and had success as a tag team wrestler with partner Nikolai Volkoff during the early years of the Hogan era. Sheik’s career finally came to an end in 2010. He was recently featured in the latest season of the A&E Biography series on WWE legends. Here’s wishing his family, friends, and many fans the best during this difficult time.
Absolutely one of the best heels of his era, a source of some of the greatest behind the scenes stories ever told, and maybe the first truly great twitter troll.
RIP Bubba.
Now who will break people’s backs AND make them humble?
Pptttoooooeeehhhh!
Iran #1!
American bleh!!
Whether I loved to hate him, hated to love him, or loved to love him, he was always the most entertaining one around. Respect.