The Iranian-born entertainer was well known for his heel shtick in the 1980s.
Vaziri was born in a working-class family in Iran in 1942.
That earned him a title shot against reigning champion Bob Backlund, which ended in his defeat.
The Iron Sheik.Bobby Bank/WireImage
The Iron Sheik made his return to the WWF in 1983, successfully defeating Backlund in a rematch.
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.
