The Iron Sheik - Power 96.1's Jingle Ball 2013 - Backstage
ATLANTA, GA - Iron Sheik poses backstage at Power 96.1's Jingle Ball 2013 at Philips Arena on December 11, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. Ben Rose/Getty Images for Clear Channel

WWE announced the passing of Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, also known as The Iron Sheik, on Wednesday at the age of 81.

No reason was given for the death of the Iranian-born wrestler. He achieved fame in the 1980s as a villainous wrestler who faced off against Hulk Hogan.

The Iron Sheik briefly held the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983. He famously dropped the title to Hulk Hogan in January 1984 at the Madison Square Garden, who would go on and hold the title for more than four years.

This launched the superstardom of Hogan, the most famous wrestling personality of the decade.

The Iron Sheik: An American Dream

The Iron Sheik was born in Damghan, Iran, in 1942 to a working-class family with little money and no running water. In his youth, he idolized Iranian wrestler Gholamreza Takhti and decided to become a wrestler.

However, after Takhti was mysteriously found dead in his hotel room in 1968, The Iron Sheik decided to move to the United States, fearing for his safety.

Upon his arrival in the US, he wrestled for several promotions, including the American Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions, and Georgia Championship Wrestling.

The Iron Sheik had a brief stint with the World Wrestling Federation in the late 1970s before returning in 1983, where he won the company's flagship belt.

He has made sporadic appearances in WWE programming after leaving during the late 1980s.