Pro wrestling icon The Iron Sheik is dead at the age of 81.
A statement posted on the WWE Hall of Famer's Twitter account said he "departed this world peacefully, leaving behind a legacy that will endure for generations to come."
His match with Hulk Hogan at Madison Square Garden in 1984 led to the birth of the Hulkamania phenomenon.
The statement announcing his passing said the Iron Sheik's "legacy will continue to live on in the hearts and minds of fans, as well as in the annals of wrestling history."