The Iron Sheik, pro wrestling legend and Hulk Hogan rival, dies at 81

Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, the Iranian-born pro wrestler better known as the Iron Sheik, has died, the caretakers of his official social media accounts announced Wednesday. He was 81.

"Today, we gather with heavy hearts to bid farewell to a true legend, a force of nature, and an iconic figure who left an incredible mark on the world of professional wrestling," reads a note posted to the Iron Sheik's Twitter and Facebook accounts. "It is with great sadness that that we share the news of the passing of the Iron Sheik, but we also take solace in knowing that he departed this world peacefully, leaving behind a legacy that will endure for generations to come."

Vaziri was born in a working-class family in Iran in 1942. He grew up idolizing wrestlers like Gholamreza Takhti and moved to the United States in the early 1970s to work as a coach for the country's Olympic wrestling teams. In 1972, promoter Verne Gagne invited him to become a professional wrestler, and though he started as a face, he soon took on a heel gimmick and embraced his trademark look: shaved head, kaffiyeh, boffo-style mustache, curled-toe boots, and Persian clubs.

Bobby Bank/WireImage The Iron Sheik

Initially calling himself "the Great Hossein Arab," Vaziri made his World Wrestling Federation debut by winning the first-ever Battle Royal at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1979. That earned him a title shot against reigning champion Bob Backlund, which ended in his defeat. Vaziri then spent a few years wrestling in more regional companies and officially changed his stage name to the Iron Sheik.

The Iron Sheik made his return to the WWF in 1983, successfully defeating Backlund in a rematch. In 1984, he was challenged by Hulk Hogan, who became the first wrestler to escape the Iron Sheik's "camel clutch" finishing move and earned his first WWF World Heavyweight Championship, kicking off the era of "Hulkamania" and the '80s wrestling boom.

The Iron Sheik then partnered with Nikolai Volkoff and the pair became tag-team wrestlers in the late '80s. They continued to make sporadic appearances in the WWF and its successor the WWE for decades. Vaziri was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

"WWE is saddened to hear of the passing of WWE Hall of Famer the Iron Sheik, and extends its condolences to his family, friends, and fans," the official WWE Twitter account posted.

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