WWE Exec Bruce Prichard Recalls Sgt. Slaughter's Iraqi Sympathizer Gimmick

WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter has the distinction of being one of the most patriotic wrestlers in history, and at one time, one of the least patriotic, when he turned heel in the early 90s and became a sympathizer for both Russia and, most notably, Iraq. The character turn led to him feuding with Hulk Hogan, culminating in the main event of WrestleMania VII, where Hogan defeated Slaughter to win the WWE Championship.

On the latest "Something to Wrestle," WWE executive Bruce Prichard recalled Slaughter's run as a heel, particularly the hatred Slaughter received for showing sympathy to foreign enemies of the United States.

"There was heat man," Prichard said. "And there was...again, we're in uncharted waters. So Sarge being somewhat of a sympathizer, people didn't like that. That part they didn't like...They felt that part."

Prichard got to experience some of the heat firsthand, when he was presented a medal to be the "Greatest American" at SummerSlam 1990, when Slaughter was beginning to ramp up his heel run. The WWE exec admits he was surprised by the hostility Slaughter received, not realizing how big a deal the Gulf War was becoming.

"They wanted Sarge wearing bulletproof vests," Prichard said. "They wanted me to wear a bulletproof vest, and we both refused. And I just felt, and I underestimated this, hindsight being 20/20...cause my thing was 'You know what? Our fans are sophisticated enough and educated enough to know 'Hey, this is entertainment.” But then, never being a place of...Vietnam War? That's different. My brothers went to war in Vietnam. My dad was 23 years in the army, things of that nature. But in my adult lifetime, this [the Gulf War] was getting serious. This was a different feel for everybody."

If you use any quotes in this article, please credit "Something To Wrestle" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription