The Iron Sheik Almost Killed The Man Who Murdered His Daughter
As the only Iranian-born WWE Champion in history, Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, aka The Iron Sheik, had plenty of success inside the squared circle. Taking advantage of patriotism being at arguably an all-time high in the early 1980s during the Cold War, he used his heel character to talk down about the United States and turn Hulk Hogan into one of the biggest fan favorites and babyfaces in the history of professional wrestling.
Today, The Iron Sheik has one of the best accounts to follow on Twitter, but life was not always grand for the future WWE Hall of Famer. Vaziri's family suffered an unthinkable tragedy in 2003 when his eldest daughter, Marissa Vaziri, was murdered by her boyfriend, Charles Warren Reynolds, at the age of 27.
Hossein Vaziri was so hurt by the tragedy he could barely control his emotions during the murder trial and had planned to kill his daughter's boyfriend in the courtroom on the day of the trial.
The Iron Sheik had hidden a razor blade in his mouth before entering the courtroom
As previously reported by Bleacher Report, Hossein Vaziri had hidden a razor blade in his mouth before entering the courtroom in Jonesboro, Georgia, that day and had every intention of cutting Reynolds' throat. His wife Caryl found out about her husband's intentions and quickly informed the rest of the family, including their two other children. The Vaziri family boxed in the former WWE Champion, refusing to let him kill the man who'd murdered Marissa.
One of his two other daughters, Tanya, was the one who ultimately convinced Hossein not to make a move on Reynolds. "You can't kill him because they'll put you in prison," she told her father. "I lost my sister, and I don't want to lose my father."
Fortunately for Hossein Vaziri and his family, cooler heads prevailed. While he later had to deal with issues such as drugs and alcohol after the tragedy, he and his family made it through the murder trial without being placed in handcuffs or committing a crime. Today, via Tanya, he has a granddaughter named after his late daughter, and he has overcome his addictions.