Hogan vs Slaughter

[willywonka666]

Now, this was near the beginning of a down period for the WWF, and we all know the story about them moving it to a smaller arena, but what did you think of the match itself and the buildup? Do you feel any differently now?

[Mozenrath]

It's a match that would have been cool like 4-5 years earlier, but Slaughter was just too beat to compete at that level anymore.

[Milkman Norm]

Sadistic Drill Sgt Slaughter vs Hulk Hogan in 1984 would have been insanely awesome.

[jason1980s]

I can see the stadium being filled around WrestleMania's 1 through 3 definitely based on the feud and possibly (a BIG possibly) 4 through 6. But by 1991 the fans were definitely tired of Hogan and also the American hero versus the foreign menace or turncoat type of feud was well over with. It's crazy that the version of Sgt. Slaughter actually lasted a year. I'm glad he was able to recover from such an over the top horrible storyline (aligning with Saddam Hussein) and go on to become a long term member of the backstage staff.

[Limity (BLM)]

Like so many other things, I liked it as a kid. I can still watch it and appreciate it simply as a good match, but Slaughter up and turning not only heel but also betraying the good ol' USA just didn't work.

It was probably too mature of a storyline for the WWF at the time, but what I think could have worked was Slaughter comes back and is abducted and brainwashed, a Manchurian Candidate type situation. The end of Wrestlemania has Slaughter finally breaking his brainwashing and stopping the evil foreigners from burning the Amwrican flag over Hogan's exhausted passed out body.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

You think that’s bad? We almost got Sheik Tugboat.

[SmashTV]

Dreadful match, awful angle (both in terms of the political context and being outdated) and the beginning of the end of the golden era.

[GuyOfOwnage]

In 84-85, that would've been a money feud. Unfortunately, it came about 6-7 years too late.

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

It wasn't even the war stuff that got me.

Hogan had been fighting larger than life monsters, guys with huge ripped physiques, the most skilled wrestlers.

Then there's this tubby balding guy... ok???

[Mozenrath]

Apr 10, 2019 4:07:33 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

It wasn't even the war stuff that got me.

Hogan had been fighting larger than life monsters, guys with huge ripped physiques, the most skilled wrestlers.

Then there's this tubby balding guy... ok???

He was a legitimate star and main eventer... years ago. It'd be like if when Bret Hart had his return, if WWE had just acted like he hadn't lost a step and was the same guy he always was, instead of just using him for a few matches then sunsetting him like they did.

But like you said, he was out of shape and not the imposing figure he'd have been in his prime, the guy who brought an unseen at the time level of violence to WWF with Patterson and Sheik in the bootcamp matches.

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

Apr 10, 2019 4:10:37 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Apr 10, 2019 4:07:33 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

It wasn't even the war stuff that got me.

Hogan had been fighting larger than life monsters, guys with huge ripped physiques, the most skilled wrestlers.

Then there's this tubby balding guy... ok???

He was a legitimate star and main eventer... years ago. It'd be like if when Bret Hart had his return, if WWE had just acted like he hadn't lost a step and was the same guy he always was, instead of just using him for a few matches then sunsetting him like they did.

But like you said, he was out of shape and not the imposing figure he'd have been in his prime, the guy who brought an unseen at the time level of violence to WWF with Patterson and Sheik in the bootcamp matches.

So how they book returning old timers now basically.

[Jumpin' Jesse Walsh]

The match itself wasn't bad, and Slaughter probably deserves more credit for trying to make his character work, but I find the political context behind it super gross.

Continuing the feud after Mania was just about the worst thing they could've done.

[Ben Wyatt]

The match itself was fine. And by fine, I mean Saturday Night's Main event fine....not Wrestlemania fine

[Deleted]

It gave us this though......



Never forget that it gave us this......


I dunno. It was fine. It was weird seeing GI Joe Sgt. Slaughter as an Iraqi; I think they were banking on drawing in big numbers because of that (tons of kids only knew who Slaughter was because of GI Joe, myself included), but Hasbro let Slaughter go toward the end of 1990 when this gimmick was starting to pick up. And even though I was totally kayfabe back then, Iraqi Sarge did nothing for me. No emotions, no outrage, it just....was a thing....

[thecrusherwi]

I was very young, so to me it was just another wrestling angle. “Sgt Slaughter is a bad guy so OF COURSE he would be friends with that guy we are at war with. Is his manager actually Saddam Hussein? I can’t tell. Well anyways, this guy looks like he’s 60 years old so I bet Hulk Hogan will beat him in two minutes unless someone cheats like what happened to the Warrior.”

In hindsight, it’s a pretty good match. Definitely was a high enough quality to fit in with the other Wrestlemania main events of the era. The angle has never offended me either. Companies trying to profit from the national reaction to a war is as American as apple pie. It’s silly, but not offensive. And the photoshopped Hussein photo is hilarious.

[ToyfareMark]

I thought the WM match was really good, not at an all time classic or anything, but certainly better than expected. It should have ended with that match though.

[Deleted]

By today's standards, the build was absolutely phenomenal, and though a little long in the tooth at the time, Slaughter was the perfect antagonist.

The bad side to feuds like this is that they book themselves into a corner so that the result is a foregone conclusion.

[claytanic]

The match itself was pretty alright, not a classic but it did the job for what it was supposed to be.

I did enjoy the "desert storm" matches they did after. Which were no DQ matches where Hogan wore camo and they used a lot of themed weapons. You didn't see a lot of those type of matches back then.

For one at MSG they even changed the rope color order to blue, white, red which seemed crazy to me at the time.

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2019 8:42:21 GMT -5 @oldbaby said:

By today's standards, the build was absolutely phenomenal, and though a little long in the tooth at the time, Slaughter was the perfect antagonist.

The bad side to feuds like this is that they book themselves into a corner so that the result is a foregone conclusion.

But then they did the post-show bit where Slaughter blinds Hogan with a fireball backstage? Heckuva downer for the PPV audience to end the show on, while the event's audience goes home happy.

Apr 10, 2019 10:18:15 GMT -5 claytanic said:

For one at MSG they even changed the rope color order to blue, white, red which seemed crazy to me at the time.

.....the WWF ring ropes were always red white and blue during the late '80s/early '90s era, weren't they? IfI wanna say that lasted until maybe the Attitude Era.

[auph10imitated]

I feel like it was a step down from the previous years, you had Hogan/Andre which was like the pinnacle, you then had a tournament which was quite unique, as sucky as it was, you then had Hogan/Savage as it was a year in the making, then you had Hogan/Warrior which was like Batman vs Superman passing of the torch moment.. to Hogan vs Slaughter, and while it was a great heat fued, Slaughter was way past his prime. But lets face it, it was what it was at that point, there really wasnt anyone else for Hogan to face.. he had already faced Savage/Warrior, Undertaker was way way too new and they were going to face each other so Slaughter was a basic transitional champion bet.

I think if Rick Rude had not left then he would have been a good choice, I would have had Warrior and Rude face off at the Rumble with Savage cost Warrior the title and set up champion Rick Rude vs Hogan.