"You're gonna get killed" - Details on how WWE legend's wife reacted to Vince McMahon's pitch (Exclusive)
Wrestling legend Sgt. Slaughter recently revealed that his wife was shocked to learn he would undergo a heel turn in 1990 after his WWE return.
After a six-year absence from the global juggernaut, Slaughter returned in a controversial heel avatar of an Iraqi sympathizer in the ongoing Iraq war. As expected, the character drew nuclear heat from the crowds. Sgt. Slaughter would go on to win the WWE Championship under his new persona at Royal Rumble 1991 before dropping it back to Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 7.
In an exclusive chat with Bill Apter of Sportskeeda Wrestling, the WWE Hall of Famer revealed that Vince McMahon invited him to his house, where he pitched the idea of the character.
Sgt. Slaughter added that though he was expecting to be portrayed as a babyface, he had no qualms about playing a heel.
"He's got the prototype of the Coliseum in LA, and he's got big screens all over the Coliseum, and he said, 'This is WrestleMania 7. This is going to hold 104,000 fans, and I want to break the Detroit record. He said I want you and Hulk Hogan to break it.' I said, 'Oh, really? How are you going to turn Hulk Hogan into the villain' and he goes, 'No, I want to turn you into a villain,' and I said, 'How are you going to do that? I came here thinking I was gonna be the real American hero,'" said Sgt. Slaughter. [6:22 - 7:02]
The wrestling veteran added that when he disclosed the details of his conversation with Vince McMahon to his wife, she was shocked.
"When I got home, my wife was, of course, expecting the real American hero story, and I told her they're complete reverse. She said, 'An Iraqi sympathizer? You're gonna get killed. You can't do that. You just came off GI Joe; you're the real American hero.' I said, 'Well, that's what Vince wants,'" added Sgt. Slaughter. [8:00 - 8:22]
Check out the full video below:
Booker T doesn't think Sgt. Slaughter's character could work in WWE today
On a recent episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T explained that Sgt. Slaughter's heel character was a product of its time and wouldn't strike a chord with today's viewers.
He also expressed reservations at Lacey Evans adopting a similar persona as the WWE legend and thinks there's no chance for it to succeed.
"Iron Sheik in that era when Iron Sheik was doing that, it was perfect timing. You know, when Sgt. Slaughter, you know, did it, it was perfect timing. America was in a totally different place and we as Americans, as people, we were in a totally different place at that time. And it worked. It worked perfectly. But for Lacey Evans, we've seen her this Sassy Southern Belle and then to go from that to the story that she had gave there for a minute as far as her background being whatnot whatnot, then now jumping into the Sgt. Slaughter," he said.
The role of Sgt. Slaughter will be portrayed by Lacey Evans #SmackDown https://t.co/utny95IQWw
Lacey Evans was in action on this week's episode of WWE SmackDown, where Charlotte Flair took her down in hardly two minutes.
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