The Iron Sheik, a former pro wrestler that ascended to popularity in the 1980s, died on Wednesday, according to the WWE. Sheik, 81, played the role as a villain with protagonists ranging from Sgt. Slaughter to Hulk Hogan. Those battles led to him becoming one of the more remembered stars in WWE history.
Sheik’s career was defined by his curled boots and his devastating “Camel Clutch” finisher. Before he was known as the Sheik, he grew up as Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, where as a teen he fell in love with the sport of wrestling.
His at times controversial character leaned on an anti-Iranian movement following the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979. During the modern era, Sheik continued to win fans over with his Twitter antics, often calling people that irked him a “jabroni” and his infamous hatred of Hulk Hogan, which stemmed from their battles in the ring.
His family released a statement on his Twitter page in his memory.
