"I love you, Sheik. I love you forever."
That's Sgt. Slaughter on the death of his rival turned stable partner, and most importantly close friend, The Iron Sheik ... who passed away at the age of 81 on Wednesday.
TMZ Sports talked to the WWE Hall of Famer about his friend's passing ... from Sheik's impact on the sport (and some of its biggest stars like Hulk Hogan) to how they met decades ago.
SHEIK'S LEGACY
"I met [Sheik] when he was going through the training camp in Minnesota with Verne Gagne, along with Ric Flair," Slaughter explained, talking about his first interaction in the 1970s with the Iranian-born wrestler.