WWE legend The Iron Sheik has died at 81. As tributes started pouring in for the WWE legend, here's what we find out about his cause of dying.

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WWE legend Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri — famously known as The Iron Sheik — died on June 7, 2023, at Eighty one years old.

"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,” read a statement posted to Twitter. The Iron Sheik rose to fame as one of one of WWE’s most notorious trash talkers, facing off in legendary matches against foes like Hulk Hogan and Bob Backlund.

Because of The Iron Sheik’s undeniable impact on wrestling, it's easy to understand why some fans may be wondering what led to his passing. Here’s what we know about The Iron Sheik’s cause of death.

What was The Iron Sheik's cause of death?

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The Iron Sheik’s official cause of death has yet to be revealed. However, the former professional wrestler experienced a string of health issues during his life. He began using crack, cocaine, steroids, and other substances at the start of his wrestling career.

According to Bleacher Report, the former professional wrestler stopped using drugs after his wife left him and gave him an ultimatum after a series of troubling incidents. "I may just now not beg him to give up," his wife Caryl said. "We had lost our daughter. We have been all sad and depressed. But sufficient used to be enough.”

And while it’s unclear what led to The Iron Sheik’s dying, he suffered a middle attack in 2005 shortly after a drug binge.

The Iron Sheik become a WWE legend over the course of his profession.

The Iron Sheik’s creation to professional wrestling came at a pivotal level in American history. In 1979, the Iran hostage disaster saw a gaggle of Iranian militants storm the U.S. Embassy, taking 70 American hostages. The Iron Sheik capitalized on the rising political pressure and would proudly wave an Iranian flag while taunting audiences with anti-American propaganda.

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Later, The Iron Sheik altered his wrestling persona and become Colonel Mustafa, joining Sergeant Slaughter (Robert Remus) and General Adnan (Adnan Al-Kaissie) as the Triangle of Terror. Following the finish of his wrestling profession, The Iron Sheik changed into a popular culture icon thank you to his chaotic appearances on The Howard Stern Show. During one episode, The Iron Sheik went on a profanity-laced rant about his nemesis Hulk Hogan. He was additionally very lively on Twitter, where he had over 600,000 fans.

Fans and fellow wrestlers keep in mind and pay tribute to The Iron Sheik.

Following The Iron Sheik’s death, his fellow wrestlers took to social media to percentage touching tributes. Ric Flair shared a throwback photo of himself and The Iron Sheik, who he referred to as a “pricey good friend.” Dwayne Johnson, who referred to the WWE Hall of Fame wrestler as “Uncle Sheiky,” shared a touching word about the late wrestler.

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A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

“Uncle Sheiky would come over to the area, and his spouse would babysit me,” Dwayne mentioned in a video posted to Instagram. “And I was about 8 years previous at the moment, and I was a ache in the ass even then.” Dwayne revealed that the widespread wrestling word “jabroni,” which he famously coined during his occupation as “The Rock,” came from a dialog he had with The Iron Sheik.

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