Sgt. Slaughter's 1990-91 heel run

[wildojinx]

Was it always planned for him to start allying with the Iraqis? I remember when the slaughter vignettes first started airing in the summer of 1990, he was basically accusing America of becoming "soft" and upset about them accepting Nikolai Volkoff's face turn. Looking back, if they had gone THAT route it would have been a better angle, the values of the 80s vs the values of the 90s and such. Yeah, it would still lead to lousy matches, but at least it wouldnt be nearly as offensive.

[MolotovMocktail]

I'm guessing it wasn't planned that way from the outset, but as the conflict escalated, they figured they would strike while the iron was hot.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I dunno, it was worth a shot. Want to print money? Take an American pit him against real or probably mostly imaginary "evil" and the cash rolls in. At the time, the media didn't lead anyone to believe that would be the "war" that it was.

[Digital Witness]

I don't know what was originally planned, but the America's gone soft angle with heel Slaughter sounds awesome. I just don't know who he'd ally with if they went that route. I don't see Sheiky Baby playing Col. Mustafa. Do you actually turn a few Americans and have a Real Americans type stable in 1991?

I imagine it would be pretty shocking if Hacksaw Jim Duggan comes out and whacks Hogan in the face before aligning with Sgt. Slaughter. I can't think of anyone else who would work in that role, Boss Man maybe?

[Deleted]

Slaughter's return was basically going back to his original roots: from what I understand he was a hardcore pro-American guy who.....wasn't really a face. Taking the anti-Russian stance basically made him a heel, but still *kinda* played with the rules a bit....was he really heel, or a face with a bit-too-serious point?

And then Iraq happened. And then, as Muhammed Hassan would learn years later when the crowds weren't getting the subtly of his Islam-yet-still-decent-American gimmick, they went right off the rails and eventually him a manager who LOOKED JUST LIKE SADDAM HUSSEIN.

[Phil Parent]

Dec 13, 2013 20:19:40 GMT -5 @knapp said:

Slaughter's return was basically going back to his original roots: from what I understand he was a hardcore pro-American guy who.....wasn't really a face. Taking the anti-Russian stance basically made him a heel, but still *kinda* played with the rules a bit....was he really heel, or a face with a bit-too-serious point?

And then Iraq happened. And then, as Muhammed Hassan would learn years later when the crowds weren't getting the subtly of his Islam-yet-still-decent-American gimmick, they went right off the rails and eventually him a manager who LOOKED JUST LIKE SADDAM HUSSEIN.

You know, when Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie got that phone call to play General Adnan, he must have done sommersaults in his living room. That was probably the best money he's ever done, the guy had mostly worked for the AWA and Gagne was cheap.

I've always had a soft spot for him, because without wanting to hurt sensibilities or being politically incorrect, if you think of a dodgy Arab... MAN, that's what it's supposed to look like!

[mrjl]

Dec 13, 2013 5:45:00 GMT -5 Digital Witness said:

I don't know what was originally planned, but the America's gone soft angle with heel Slaughter sounds awesome. I just don't know who he'd ally with if they went that route. I don't see Sheiky Baby playing Col. Mustafa. Do you actually turn a few Americans and have a Real Americans type stable in 1991?

I imagine it would be pretty shocking if Hacksaw Jim Duggan comes out and whacks Hogan in the face before aligning with Sgt. Slaughter. I can't think of anyone else who would work in that role, Boss Man maybe?

maybe the Orient Express and Fuji, claiming Japan had really earned America's forgiveness for past transgressions. Maybe he takes Zhukov and puts him through the paces and says Boris earned his trust and Volkoff could do the same.

[Boo!]

Had the run happened two or three years earlier it could have been really hot. Obviously he couldn't have done the Iraqi thing but just as a general 'I hate America' gimmick. It would have been strong for someone whose character's patriotism was still quite prominent on a national stage and in the industry. But 1990/91 that had kind of faded. Plus the industry was taking a hit due to the steroid scandal and things had started to slow down from the 1984-1989 boom.

There's a lot of stuff that happened within that boom period that wouldn't have drawn so well outside of it and a lot that did't draw outside of it that would have during the middle.

[ronnie2hotty]

I hated it... I didn't just hate it because (even at 13) I thought it was a cheap, easy route to get heat. I also hated it because Slaughter was a terrible wrestler who wrestled the slow, plodding, boring pace. He was (obviously) paired with Hogan who was exactly the same which made for some of the worst matches the wrestling world has ever seen.

[Deleted]

Dec 13, 2013 22:55:19 GMT -5 mrjl said:

maybe the Orient Express and Fuji, claiming Japan had really earned America's forgiveness for past transgressions. Maybe he takes Zhukov and puts him through the paces and says Boris earned his trust and Volkoff could do the same.

On a completely unrelated note: guess who Slaughter's partners were at Survivor Series 1990?

[Deleted]

Also: that entire Iraqi angle went on without a SINGLE reference to GI Joe. Weird that the reason the mainstream had heard of him was because of GI Joe (kids my age were horrified at the heel/Iraqi turn - HORRIFIED I SAY!)...

....yet then again recalling why Slaughter was fired from the WWF in 84-85 it doesn't shock me a bit.


In fact, I think Mean Gene's "real American hero" comment at WM20 during the HOF segment is the ONLY time GI Joe was ever referenced to on WWE TV.