Sgt. Slaughter said he was the only wrestler to attend the Iron Sheik’s funeral when the legendary performer passed away in 2023, calling it “horrendous” and “a slap in the face” given how many wrestlers lived in the Atlanta area where the service was held.
Speaking in an interview on the Going Ringside podcast at River City Wrestling Con, Slaughter was asked about his rivalry with the Iron Sheik, who was one of his most prominent opponents throughout his career. Slaughter praised the Sheik’s toughness before revealing what happened after his death.
“He was one of those guys that no matter how many times you knocked him down, he’s back up looking you right in the eye,” Slaughter said. “Two years ago he passed. And I was the only wrestler at his funeral, which I thought was pretty horrendous, that I was the only wrestler to go to his funeral.”
The Iron Sheik, whose real name was Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, passed away on June 7, 2023, at the age of 81. He lived in the Atlanta area at the time of his death, a region that has long been home to a significant number of professional wrestlers due to its proximity to WWE and WCW’s former base of operations in the Southeast.
Slaughter said the fact that so many wrestlers lived nearby made the absence even more noticeable.
“He lived in Atlanta, where all the wrestlers lived,” Slaughter said. “So I thought that was kind of a slap in the face.”
When host Scott Johnson noted how much the Sheik had contributed to the business, Slaughter agreed.
“So much for not only for wrestlers, but for the professional wrestling business,” Slaughter said.
Iron Sheik’s Career and Legacy
The Iron Sheik was one of the most recognizable villains in professional wrestling history. He is best known for his reign as WWF Champion in 1983-1984, which ended when Hulk Hogan defeated him at Madison Square Garden in one of the most iconic title changes in the history of the company. That match is widely regarded as the moment that launched Hulkamania and the first WrestleMania era.
Before entering professional wrestling, the Iron Sheik was a legitimate amateur wrestler who represented Iran in the 1968 Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling and served as an assistant coach for the United States Olympic wrestling team in 1972. His real-world credentials lent credibility to his in-ring persona.
The Sheik’s rivalry with Slaughter was one of the most heated programs of the 1980s, built around the patriotic American soldier character versus the foreign villain. Their boot camp matches drew sold-out crowds across the country and helped establish both men as main event performers.
In his later years, the Iron Sheik became a beloved figure on social media, where his outspoken and profane commentary on modern wrestling and pop culture earned him a new generation of fans. His Twitter account, managed with the help of associates, became one of the most popular wrestling-related social media presences in the world.
The Iron Sheik was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
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