The Iron Sheik Broke the Mold

Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, best known to wrestling fans as the Iron Sheik, died this week at the age of 81. Born in 1942, the Iron Sheik wore many hats—and kaffiyeh—over the course of a career that stretched from the amateur mats in Iran in the 1960s to a monthlong run with the WWF Championship to a long phase of in-ring decline, a battle with drug addiction, and at last a long, happy coda that saw him become a social media influencer. It was there that the Iron Sheik arguably solidified his legacy: He was one of the first great superstars sparring in social media, now used heavily by the wrestling business.