Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri was a 1980s folk hero and stayed relevant long after his days in the ring, thanks to his lively Twitter feed that had more than 600,000 followers.
Pro wrestling legend and pop culture fixture the Iron Sheik, who embraced his role as “one of the most notorious villains” in the entertainment genre’s history, has died, his team said Wednesday.
He was 81.
The announcement was made on the wrestler’s popular Twitter feed, which has more than 640,000 followers.
The statement did not offer any details of how the man, born Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, died.
The Iron Shiek “transcended the realm of sports entertainment” with “his larger-than-life persona, incredible charism, and unparalleled in-ring skills” that “captivated audiences around the globe,” according to the statement.