Sgt. Slaughter reflects on the last time he saw The Iron Sheik (Exclusive)
Sgt. Slaughter recently shared some fond memories of the times he spent with his former WWE co-worker The Iron Sheik.
Sheik, real name Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, passed away on June 7 at the age of 81. The WWE Hall of Famer shared the ring with dozens of legends throughout his career, including Bob Backlund and Hulk Hogan. He also feuded with Sgt. Slaughter in the 1980s before forming an alliance with him in the 1990s.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, Slaughter recalled how he visited Sheik in early 2023 after an appearance in Atlanta:
"On the way out of town I called Caryl [Sheik's wife] to see if it would be okay to stop by, and she said, 'The minute I told him that you were gonna come by, he just can't get over that you're gonna come by and see him. He's gonna shave and he's gonna get all ready for you,' and that was the last time I saw him alive." [2:32 – 2:55]
In 2003, The Iron Sheik's eldest daughter Marissa Jeanne Vaziri died after being strangled by her boyfriend Charles Warren Reynolds. Watch the video above to hear more from Slaughter about her tragic death.
Sgt. Slaughter spoke at The Iron Sheik's funeral
On June 17, The Iron Sheik's family and friends gathered at a funeral service to share memories about the WWE Hall of Famer.
Sgt. Slaughter was among those who spoke at the service. The former WWE Champion reflected on his friendship with Sheik and the car journeys they shared during their days in the wrestling business:
"I told the story about how I first met him and went through the whole scenario of how we spent time in the ring together and outside the ring, all the trips we made, talking about the horrible incident that happened with his daughter," Slaughter continued. [4:26 – 4:45]
The 75-year-old also explained how Sheik turned his life around after initially struggling to cope with his daughter's passing.
What are your favorite memories of The Iron Sheik? Let us know in the comments section below.
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