Caryl Vaziri is the wife of Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri famously known as The Iron Sheik. On June 7, 2023, she lost her husband to the cold hands of death. The Iron Sheik died at the age of 81 in his hometown in Georgia.
Caryl was very instrumental in the growth of her husband as she stood by him through many difficult times. Although she once left him due to some bad habits he picked up and wouldn’t let go of, she eventually returned.
In their over 47 years of marriage, Vaziri and Ali Vaziri welcomed 3 daughters together. The girls were named; Marissa Jeanne, Nikki, and Tanya.
Caryl Vaziri and The Iron Sheik Got Married in 1975
Caryl Peterson and the former Iranian-American professional wrestler, Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri got married on March 21, 1975 (other sites claim 1976). The Iron Sheik’s wife was an American while he was from Iran.
As his wrestling career had already kick-started 3 years prior, he had his friend Eugene Arthur Okerlund popularly known as ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund serve as his best man at the ceremony.
The couple went on to remain together for almost 5 decades until the wrestler’s demise in 2023.
She Had 3 Daughters with the Wrestler
The Iron Sheik and his wife welcomed 3 children during their over 47 years of marriage. A year after their wedding ceremony, they had their first daughter named Marissa Jeanne Vaziri.
In the following years, they also bore another daughter named Nicole ‘Nikki’ Vaziri. Nicole celebrates her birthday on December 12.
Their third daughter was named Tanya Vaziri.
In recent times, Caryl and her late husband are said to have been blessed with 5 grandchildren. Their grandkids include Niko, Vahra, and Marissa, named after their first daughter.
Her First Daughter was Killed by Her Boyfriend
In May 2003, Caryl’s first daughter with Hossein was murdered by her boyfriend, Charles Warren Reynolds. The young lady and her boyfriend shared an apartment together and on the day of the unfortunate incident, had a fallout.
It was revealed that Warren and Marissa had a misunderstanding and an argument ensued after they hosted a party at their apartment that day. When their guests left, Reynolds then strangled The Iron Sheik’s daughter to death.
This incident shook the wrestler and caused major devastation that Caryl’s husband even nursed the thought of killing Warren himself.
In fact, while the case of the murder was still ongoing, the wrestler carried a blade into the courtroom with plans of harming his daughter’s murderer. However, Caryl notified their family members of her husband’s plans and he was prevented from carrying out the revenge.
In the grand scheme of things, Warren Reynolds was convicted of the crime although he pleaded and showed remorse for his action. A couple of years later, on May 31, 2016, Marissa’s murderer died as well.
Caryl once made a confession that if she could restart her life all over again, she would. She also would encourage her husband to tow a different part other than wrestling.
The Iron Sheik’s Wife Once Left Him
With the gruesome murder of his daughter, the wrestler slipped into an unrecognizable state. He began to do drugs and it made his family really worried and frustrated.
Despite several attempts to get him to quit and even promises that he would, Ali Vaziri never truly got around to it.
As of 2005, his drug abuse became too deadly that he even posed a threat to people around him. His family then forcefully sent him to rehabilitation but it was no good. While in rehab, The Iron Sheik had an employee sneak in cocaine for him.
By 2007, Caryl couldn’t take any more of his habit and so she left him. For 2 years, Caryl and Vaziri were separated but in 2009 she returned after making her husband cut off ties with his cocaine suppliers.
From then, the Iranian put in extra effort to stay clean, and by 2013, he admitted that he had been sober for 4 years.
Caryl Vaziri’s Husband Passed Away Leaving a Lasting Legacy Behind
Hossein Vaziri started wrestling in 1973 and joined the WWF in 1979. Upon his demise on June 7, 2023, he joined a list of celebrities who died in 2023. He also left a lot of legacies and was even credited for uplifting Hulk Hogan’s career.
His signature ‘Camel Clutch’ choke hold is one that would never be easily forgotten either. The entire boxing federation – fans and bodies would always remember his input to the organization and sport.
Asides from that, in recent times, many people who follow the Hall of Famer on social media will remember his media pages for being filled with profanity and insults for many people, trends, and societal conformations.
Even his family admits that he left a lasting legacy as a father. He is survived by his wife, 2 daughters, and 5 grandchildren.
The cause of his death is yet to be revealed but it is recorded that he once suffered a heart attack in 2005.
