The ‘complex’ legacy of US professional wrestling’s Iron Sheik

The Iron Sheik - pictured here in Atlanta, Georgia in 2013 - made a name for himself in the world of wrestling before becoming a social media fixture later in life [File: Ben Rose/Getty Images]

Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, an Iranian-born athlete who rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s, died on Wednesday at the age of 81.

Known as the “Iron Sheik”, Vaziri made a name for himself in the theatrical world of United States professional wrestling before becoming a social media fixture later in life. His most notable outings came as part of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which later became the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).