Recently, WWE Hall of Famer, The Iron Shiek, real name Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri sadly passed away at the age of 81. He gained fame during his time in WWE in the 1970s and 1980s. Known for his Persian gimmick and in-ring skills, The Iron Sheik left a lasting impact on the wrestling industry. Meanwhile, the wrestling world is saddened by his demise.
Fans on social media remembered the legend and the legacy he left behind. Furthermore, several wrestling personalities expressed their heartfelt condolences for the WWE Hall of Famer. Hollywood megastar and WWE legend, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also acknowledged the sad demise of The Iron Sheik and described how he was so close to him on Twitter.
Rest in Power, Uncle Sheiky ❤️
Thank you for paving the way 🙏🏾
Love, light and strength to Caryl & the ohana x pic.twitter.com/p9c9wwQz6U— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 7, 2023
In the shared video, The Rock also disclosed that the inspiration behind his famous catchphrases was The Iron Sheik. “So when I first came into the WWE, The Iron Sheik had pulled me aside because he was family… And, he had this great accent, he said you come into this locker room, you sit down, you shut your mouth, you don’t say anything and you just watch and you learn,” Johnson recalled.
He further revealed, “And then, he said[laughs] and then you understand who the good people and who the ‘Jabronis.’” The Great One went on to admit that he borrowed the term ‘Jabroni’ and used it in his promos when he became The Rock a few years later. He also recalled the iconic line, “And The Rock says you Jabroni shut your mouth and know your role”.
Furthermore, Johnson also addressed how the term ‘Jabroni’ became a fixture in ‘Lexicon’. He revealed that the term is in the “Webster’s Dictionary” and also admitted that The Iron Sheik should get the credit for that instead of him.
The Rock recalled the time when his father used to wrestle with The Iron Sheik
In the video he shared on Twitter, Dwayne Johnson also acknowledged the close friendship between his father and the late legend. Both The Iron Sheik and Rocky Johnson were prominent figures in WWE (then WWF) during the 1980s.
Moreover, they competed in the same era and shared the ring on several occasions. The Rock disclosed that he used to call The Iron Sheik “Uncle Sheik”. Johnson also added that his dad and the late great used to wrestle together not only in the WWE but before that in North Carolina and in the NWA.
Johnson recalled how his Uncle Sheik used to come over to his house with his wife. On top of all that, The Rock urged Sheik’s family to stay strong amidst his demise. And considering his heartfelt words for the Hall of Famer, it clearly indicates the level of respect he has for the late great.