The WWE icon was left devastated when his daughter Marissa was murdered by her boyfriend Charles Warren Reynolds, who strangled her to death in 2003
He was a WWE champion renowned for his battles with icons like Hulk Hogan and Sgt Slaughter, but after his daughter’s brutal murder, the Iron Sheik’s existence spiralled into chaos.
The sole Iranian-born WWE champion, Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, was consumed by furious anguish following the killing of his daughter Marissa by her boyfriend Charles Warren Reynolds.
He descended into drug-fuelled mayhem after Reynolds strangled 27-year-old Marissa to death in May 2003.
After the savage slaying, Reynolds even kept Marissa’s corpse on their shared bed and lay beside her.
The next morning, he invited a pastor to the property to pray, before the clergyman discovered the horrific scene, reports the Mirror US.
Reynolds was found guilty of the ghastly murder, and on his sentencing day, the Iron Sheik smuggled a razor blade into court, concealed in his mouth, intending to kill his daughter’s murderer.
However, his scheme crumbled when his wife Caryl challenged him.
She revealed the plot to the rest of the family to prevent the desperate father’s course of action, and it was his daughter Tanya who ultimately reached him and altered his destiny, according to The Bleacher Report.
Tanya warned him: “You can’t kill him because they’ll cut you in prison. I lost my sister, and I don’t want to lose my father.”
After the devastating ordeal, the WWE legend, famous for donning traditional Persian attire, transformed his existence, abandoning drugs and overcoming his addiction. However, it wasn’t until 2007 that he managed to turn his life around, and it took his wife walking out on him before he vowed to get sober in exchange for her return.
The pledge depended on severing connections with the mate who had fuelled his habit. Several years afterwards, the Iron Sheik disclosed he had kicked cocaine permanently and remained a hugely influential grappler until June 2023 when he passed away aged 81.
Following his death, a statement issued via The Iron Sheik’s Twitter account said: “Today, we gather with heavy hearts to bid farewell to a true legend, a force of nature, and an iconic figure who left an incredible mark on the world of professional wrestling.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of The Iron Sheik, but we also take solace in knowing that he departed this world peacefully, leaving behind a legacy that will endure for generations to come.”
The Iron Sheik is survived by his wife of 47 years, Caryl, and his daughters Tanya and Nikki.