"I'd like you to leave for a while" - Sgt. Slaughter on why he was asked to depart WWE in 1981 (Exclusive)
Wrestling veteran Sgt. Slaughter recently opened up about when the late Vince McMahon Sr. asked him to leave WWE and join NWA.
Slaughter had a spectacular start to his wrestling career in 1980 as he quickly made a name for himself as a monster heel in WWE. His feud with Bob Backlund and Pat Patterson made him one of the most high-profile names in the company back then. However, in late 1981, Sgt. Slaughter left the promotion to join NWA.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Bill Apter, the 74-year-old revealed that it was Vince McMahon Sr. who suggested he leave WWE as Jim Crockett Promotions needed more heels. Slaughter added that he had a fruitful run in National Wrestling Alliance, winning the United States Title and Tag Team Titles alongside Don Kernodle.
"I had a lot of heat on me, and so Vince McMahon Sr. came to me and said, 'I'd like you to leave for a while,' and I said, 'Did I do something wrong?' He said, 'No, you're doing great; I just want you to go away for a while.' He said Charlotte's looking for some villains. So I went down to Charlotte and won the US Title [NWA] two different times and then teamed up with Don Kernodle, and we won the NWA Tag Team Championships, and then it was time to go," said Sgt. Slaughter.
The wrestling legend mentioned that when he returned to WWE in 1983, he returned as a much bigger heel than when he left.
"So I headed back up to my second tour of duty in the WWF at that time, and Vincent Kenndy McMahon was about to take over. So when I came back for the first tapings again in Arlington, I was even a bigger villain," added Sgt. Slaughter. [14:18 - 15:12]
Check out the full video below:
Sgt. Slaughter is an admirer of Finn Balor's work in WWE
Elsewhere in the interview, Sgt. Slaughter lavished praise on Finn Balor's talents, saying he was one of the best workers he had seen in a long time. Furthermore, the wrestling legend deemed Judgment Day members' in-ring work "incredible."
"One of the best talents I've seen in a long, long time in this business, and he can talk on the mic. He's got a good repertoire. His work is just incredible, what he can do in the ring," said Slaughter.
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Finn Balor fell short of winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Seth Rollins at last week's Money in the Bank 2023.
What was your favorite match from Sgt? Slaughter's illustrious career? Let us know your picks in the comments section below.
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