A Wrestlemania VII - What if?

[Nickybojelais]

So instead of bringing back Sgt Slaughter to play the role of Iraqi sympathiser after years away from the WWF. It actually goes to the hugely over fan favourite, All American patriot Hacksaw Jim Duggan instead to face the might of Hulkamania.

I know Duggan was on the decline of his powers at this point bt Slaughter was hardly in his prime either.

So could it have worked?

How shocking would it have been?

Could Hacksaw have carried it off successfully and be hated by the fans?

Would it be better than what we got with Slaughter?

[jason1980s]

Even though it wouldn't be as major as Hogan turning at Bash at the Beach I think a Duggan heel turn against American and pro-foreign country would be very big and would garner a heel heat and a lot of trash thrown in the ring at him. It would be a complete turn against all he stood for.

Duggan was on the lower card by Wrestlemania time with no match at WM VII (he did the first match commentating in USA outfit) and didn't have a match at Summerslam. He could have been an extra in the main event though against Triangle of Terror. Maybe he could've run off General Adnan in the first half leaving Warrior and Hogan against Slaughter and Mustafa. But that would be my idea for him at Summerslam.

I like your what if?
I think a Duggan heel turn into Wrestlemania would be a lot better than Slaughter. Sure, Sgt. had the G.I. Joe cartoon and was well known in WWF in the 1980s but Duggan was a bigger name of the time period in WWF and it would have been shocking for a guy we knew so well as the patriot to turn on the country. Slaughter was an outsider and of that time period a newcomer. If Duggan doesn't work they always have the "I want my country back" turn but I think it would have worked as well or even better than Slaughter.

[Reflecto]

I don't thing Duggan would have worked or been as shocking, just due to the other side of it. Duggan was never seen as "member of the armed forces" like Slaughter, but always just "guy with a 2X4 who happens to be really, really patriotic".

In addition, while Duggan was more established in WWF at the time, the fact of how the market was made it imperceptible at best, giving the huge advantage to Slaughter at worst- just Slaughter being on GI Joe made it so even the hugely kid-friendly WWF audience would KNOW who he was, and be incredibly shocked by that turn of events.

[ToyfareMark]

I hate to say it, but Duggan's character came off as way too dumb to make that work. Besides, he'd been yelling "hoooooooooo", and "USA" so much by that point that it was almost Tourette's like for him. I mean the guy busted out a USA chant at Wrestlemania 6... In Toronto... While wrestling a Canadian. He'd ruin the heel turn before it could ever get off the ground.

Besides, Hogan vs. Slaughter, despite the stupid Iraqi angle behind it is one of the most underrated Wrestlemania matches ever. Yes I'm being serious.

[celticjobber]

He turned on America in WCW to join Team Canada, and it was pretty terrible.

[Deleted]

Only if Russo were on creative at WM VII.

[flatsdomino]

Sgt. Slaughter was a much more main-event kind of character, the kind of oversize cartoon character hero-turned-villain who'd be the perfect foil for Hogan. I can totally see why they thought it'd be a blockbuster.

Duggan was just kind of a doofus who really liked America. Which is cool, but not Wrestlemania fare.

[Hit Girl]

Duggan was too goofy for it to work.

Slaughter was the right choice for the role given his military persona, which was far more of a betrayal, and he was excellent portraying that character.

[CaptainFall]

Interesting thought.

Slaughter did a much better job than Duggan would have done purely because he's a way better heel. Plus it seemed legit that he would betray the USA while Duggan was more of an average everyman type who would have no real reason to do so.

If it would go anything like Duggan's stint in Team Canada then nobody would have cared.

[Magnus the Magnificent]

How do you chant Iraq?
IT doesn't flow very well, does it?

[percymania]

Funny thing is I happened to rewatch the Hogan/Slaughter match earlier this weekend. Yes, it was a tremendous match. It's hard for me to envision the WWE without that match. It was really one of my first memories of the WWE as a kid. I didn't watch it live, but I remember seeing pictures in magazines later of Sgt Slaughter and a bloodied Hulk Hogan and I remember thinking Sgt Slaughter was the most evil man on the planet at that time.