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On June 7, The Iron Sheik sadly passed away at the age of 81. In an exclusive interview, WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter paid tribute to his long-time friend and former in-ring rival.
Sheik, real name Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, is considered by many to be one of the most entertaining wrestlers of his generation. Outside the ring, the Iranian-American battled alcohol and drug issues after his daughter was tragically killed by her boyfriend in 2003.
Slaughter told Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter about Sheik's highs and lows after his in-ring career ended.
"Khosrow's legacy? That he loved his fans and loved entertaining them. There were times when he really got off the deep end with what happened with his daughter, and unfortunately he got mixed up in a lot of pain pills and drugs and alcohol, and he admitted it and he became a born-again Christian." [6:20 – 6:48]
Watch the video above to hear more from Sgt. Slaughter about The Iron Sheik's reaction to his daughter passing away.
Sgt. Slaughter praises The Iron Sheik as a human being
While many WWE Superstars have no problem giving out-of-character interviews, The Iron Sheik preferred to portray his on-screen persona in public.
Sgt. Slaughter only has good things to say about the man behind the outlandish character:
"He was just a kind, gentle, loveable man that loved everyone. He loved his fans so much. He just enjoyed entertaining them, and because I guess that we are away from our families so much, any time there would be children around, he would always – and I do the same thing – you see the children and they kinda replace yours for a little while because you're not there for Christmas and the holidays and the birthdays and the anniversaries with your wife." [5:15 – 5:50]
Slaughter also told a story about the last time he saw Sheik before his close friend passed away.
Do you have any favorite memories of The Iron Sheik? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Sportskeeda WrestleBinge and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.
