Sgt. Slaughter Recalls Burying The Hatchet With Vince McMahon
"We Want Slaughter! We Want Slaughter!" was the chant inside the Agricultural Hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania. On that February night in 1984, The Iron Sheik defeated Eddie Gilbert with the Camel Clutch. After relinquishing the hold, the capacity crowd let their feelings known.
Annoyed, The Sheik yelled into the microphone, "Iran number one, look at USA" and spat on Gilbert. Bursting through the curtain was an enraged Sgt. Slaughter, who rolled into the ring and drilled The Sheik with a right hand that knocked him to the arena floor.
As the crowd chanted "USA! USA!" Slaughter took the microphone and said, "Iron Sheik, I hope you can hear me. I've been ambushed a lot of times over in Vietnam. I've been wounded, I've got scars from bayonets. I've been down before. I've been Pearl Harbored before. The United States has been down before but we've always fought our way back. Iron Sheik, I declare war on you! ... I say right now to you Iron Sheik, I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
The once-reviled drill sergeant was now a revered hero in the WWF. For the remainder of the year, Slaughter regularly battled The Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff across the country. Following a win over Volkoff in Detroit on December 2, Slaughter disappeared from the WWF for nearly six years.
Slaughter gets an offer from G.I. Joe
In the summer of 1984, Vince McMahon signed a deal with LJN Toys to produce "The Official World Wrestling Federation Wrestling Superstars" action figures. Selling for $8 each ($22.95 in today's economy), the first wave of 8" figures was released in time for Christmas, and featured Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, Big John Studd, and The Iron Sheik. A sixth figure of Sgt. Slaughter was scheduled to be part of the set but was never released (Matt Cardona obtained the unpainted resin prototype of the figure from an LJN employee).
Why was Slaughter's figure shelved? As his LJN figure was being produced, Slaughter was approached by representatives from G.I. Joe, who wanted to do an action figure of Slaughter for their toy line through their toy maker, Hasbro. Slaughter thought it was a great idea and stated on the "Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling" podcast "McMahon thought it was a great idea as well" but couldn't let him do it, citing a conflict of interest due to LJN having the WWF action figure license.
Slaughter "remained persistent about the G.I. Joe opportunity" and said McMahon told him "he had to make a decision." Thinking he may never have this opportunity again of being "the first living G.I. Joe in its history," Slaughter went in the G.I. Joe direction. In 1987, Hasbro offered a mail-away figure of Slaughter done in the style of the 8" LJN figures.
Slaughter returns to the WWF in 1990
Following his decision to go with G.I. Joe, Slaughter stopped watching WWF programming. "I was so angry that they couldn't work things out with Hasbro and I ... I had to miss the first six 'WrestleMania's' so it made me anti-WWE," said Slaughter in an interview with Bill Apter for Sportskeeda Wrestling.
After watching the main event of "WrestleMania VI" between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior, Slaughter wrote a letter – addressed to Private McMahon - letting him know he was blown away by the production values of the event. Shortly thereafter, Slaughter received a call from McMahon, who was appreciative of the feedback and asked if he was ready to get back to work.
"Well you're done with Hasbro right?" asked McMahon. When Slaughter inquired as to how he knew that, McMahon replied, "I'm Vince McMahon, that's what I do." Ironically, Hasbro had taken over the WWF action figure license after LJN closed their toy division in 1989. The first wave of Hasbro figures (12) was released in 1990, the same year Slaughter returned to the WWF at "SummerSlam."
However, Slaughter wasn't the G.I. Joe Real American Hero. He was now an Iraqi sympathizer disgusted at what the United States had become. When McMahon pitched the idea of Slaughter being the villain and selling out the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for "WrestleMania VII" against Hogan, Slaughter agreed to ask his wife but already knew he wanted to do it.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling" podcast and "Sportskeeda Wrestling" YouTube channel with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.