WRESTLING NEWS
Revisiting Sgt. Slaughter's Failed 1997 Return To WWE
By SEAN NEUMANN
Sgt. Slaughter was an enormous star for Vince McMahon's WWF promotion throughout his first two runs in the company. After his star-making feud with Bob Backlund for the WWF Heavyweight title, Slaughter embraced his America-loving military persona and began feuding with the Iron Sheik in one of the most memorable pro wrestling feuds ever.
Although Slaughter cemented his legacy by capturing the WWF Heavyweight title at the 1991 Royal Rumble PPV, it was tarnished when he came back to the WWF in 1997. Returning as an authority figure during the Attitude Era, Slaughter became a hilarious but embarrassing foil to the company's powerful stars.
In 1997, Slaughter tried wrangling with D-Generation-X as the "Monday Night Raw" commissioner, and in response, the faction called him "Sgt. Slobber," teasing him weekly. Slaughter's attempt to get back at them by pitting Triple H against Shawn Michaels in a title match backfired, and he recalled the moment saying, "That was to put egg on my face [...] I was their punching bag."