The Iron Sheik, pro wrestling legend and Hall of Famer, dies at 81 - ESPN

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 his official Twitter account.

Sheik, 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. Vaziri beat Backlund for the WWF title in December 1983 and, one month later, Hogan defeated Vaziri in front of more than 20,000 at New York's Madison Square Garden to win the belt for the first time. The match helped catapult Hulkamania into a phenomenon, leading into the first WrestleMania one year later.

«With his larger than life persona, incredible charisma, and unparalleled in-ring skills, he captivated audiences around the globe,» said the statement from his Twitter account. «He was a trailblazer, breaking barriers and paving the way for a diverse range of wrestlers who followed in his footsteps.»

Prior to starting professional wrestling, Vaziri was a bodyguard for the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad 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.

Around that time, he broke into professional wrestling in Minnesota with AWA promoter Verne Gagne under coach and catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson. Vaziri was given a character based on his Iranian heritage (inspired by the outset