If Takhti were alive, it would mark his 94th birthday. He might have been an elderly man living in a cozy house in the south of Tehran, its walls adorned with old photographs. But he did not live to see such days. Instead, his untimely death placed his name among the world’s most mysterious sporting legends.
Who was Takhti, and how did he die?
Gholamreza Takhti was born on September 27 in Tehran and passed away on January 7, 1968. Among Iranians, he is known as Jahan Pahlevan — the “World Champion” — for his years of achievements on the wrestling mat. Beyond sports, he was also considered a political activist of his time, serving as a member of the central council of Iran’s National Front Party (Jebhe-ye Melli Iran).
Numerous books have been written about Takhti, and even a film has been produced about his life. A statue of him stands in Tehran’s Tajrish Square, and every year, wrestlers are honored with the Gholamreza Takhti Prize, awarded in his name.
Takhti was born in Khani-Abad, in the south of Tehran. He was the youngest of five children, with two brothers and two sisters older than him. He left high school to train in the Zoorkhaneh — Iran’s traditional gym, known for its ritualistic atmosphere and workouts — and later continued his athletic career at a professional level. After completing his military service, he joined the Railway Office in Tehran as an employee.
In 1965, Takhti married a woman named Shahla. A year later, they welcomed a son, Babak. Beloved by the public, Takhti was admired not only for his victories but also for his humility. It is said that he would sometimes sell flowers from his own home at a flower shop, only to give the bouquets away to fans who gathered around him in the streets.
Takhti was even invited to act in films and commercials, including one promoting honey. But he declined, famously saying: “I did not become a world champion by eating honey.”
Alongside Imam Ali Habibi, Takhti won Iran’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956. His record — one Olympic gold, two Olympic silvers, two World Championship golds, two World Championship silvers, and one Asian Games gold — has secured him a place among the World’s Best of FILA’s Century.
