Speaking to TMZ in a six-minute interview, WWE Hall of Fame Sgt Slaughter reflected on the passing of his dear friend, rival, and co-worker The Iron Sheik.
“He just had so much love for wrestling. Not only the amateur style that he learned…that was his survival in Iran,” Slaughter said.
Slaughter met Sheik when he was at a Verne Gagne training camp in Minnesota along with fellow Hall of Famer Ric Flair and the two hit it off, becoming friends and eventually even worked together.
“Whether people know this or not, he loved you, he loved his fans. He just loved to perform and he loved children, he loved young children,” Slaughter continued. “But once he went through that locker room toward the ring, he was all business, he was The Iron Sheik. As I was, and as most are but he was exceptionally that way because he just loved the business that he was in.”
After working against each other in the early 80s with a famous Boot Camp match to finish off the feud, the two teamed up when Slaughter went heel in the early 90s and Sheik, as Colonel Mustafa, began managing him along with General Adnan.
Asked by TMZ if being a heel and the hate affected Sheik, Slaughter said it was never difficult for him and instead, it just fueled more fire.
“He was a character. I was a character. But we both had families and we loved our families,” Slaughter continued.
“God bless him. He’s finally gonna see his daughter that he lost. Love you Sheik. Love you forever,” he concluded.
