BREAKING The Iron Sheik, pro wrestling legend and Hall of Famer, dies at 81
The Iron Sheik, a standout Greco-Roman wrestler from Iran who gained global fame in professional wrestling with his 1980s rivalries against the likes of Hulk Hogan, died Wednesday at the age of 81, according to hisSheik, 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 a hated heel, he had legendary battles in the '80s against Hogan, Bob Backlund and Sgt. Slaughter.
Prior to starting professional wrestling, Vaziri was a bodyguard for the last Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. He was a Greco-Roman wrestler in his home country, nearly making the 1968 Olympic team. Vaziri then moved to the United States, where he won an AAU Greco-Roman wrestling championship at 180.5 pounds and became an assistant coach for the U.S. wrestling team, including its Olympic team in 1972.
Former professional wrestler The Iron Sheik is seen after speaking on a panel during 140: The Twitter Conference LA in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009.After dropping the WWF title to Hogan in 1984, Vaziri had a memorable host of matches with Sgt. Slaughter, a U.S. military-based character. The feud played off the real-life tensions between the U.S. and Vaziri's Iranian homeland.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Iron Sheik, pro wrestling legend and Hall of Famer, dies at 81The Iron Sheik, a standout Greco-Roman wrestler from Iran who gained global fame in professional wrestling with his 1980s rivalries against the likes of Hulk Hogan, has died.
Read more »
WWE Legend Iron Sheik Dead At 81Wrestling legend The Iron Sheik, a former heavyweight champ and WWE Hall of Famer, has died at the age of 81, reps for the wrestler announced.
Read more »
Pro wrestling legend 'The Iron Sheik' passes awayWWE Hall of Fame wrestler 'The Iron Sheik' has passed away, his Twitter account revealed Wednesday morning.
Read more »
The Iron Sheik Passes Away, Wrestling Legend Was 81Wrestling legend Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri — better known as The Iron Sheik — passed away on Wednesday at the age of 81.
Read more »
The Iron Sheik, WWE legend and Hulk Hogan rival, dead at 81The Iron Sheik, a WWE legend who was one of Hulk Hogan’s greatest rivals during the 1980s, has died, according to a statement posted to his Twitter account on Wednesday.
Read more »