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WWE Legends Dusty Rhodes, Sgt Slaughter: Paving The Way For Today's Stars

Posted: May 23rd 2011 By: CMBurnham

It?s hard to believe more than a decade has passed since Sgt. Slaughter was the most controversial figure in WWE.

After fighting with nationalistic pride against the likes of the Iron Sheik for years, the once patriotic man in army fatigues returned to the company an Iraqi sympathizer. This was at the beginning of the 1990s. The Gulf War raged on, with the United States and Iraq at the forefront of the conflict.

Vince McMahon felt a heel Slaughter, and General Adnan (billed an Iraqi military general) by his side, would serve as perfect opposition for the American hero Hulk Hogan. The ultimate battle of good versus evil took center stage when the two collided at WrestleMania 7 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles.

?The WWE invited me to come back after my G.I. Joe contract,? Slaughter remembered.

?It was a difficult time for everybody, but we entertained them. That was the goal. Once the war started we backed off a bit after people were getting killed and losing their loved ones.

?It was a time when even my friends were against me. I will never forget the night of WrestleMania 7 when we were backstage with the likes of Regis Philbin, Willie Nelson and Alex Trebek. None of them would come up to speak with me to say hello. Even though there was a fast count by the referee on that night, I still had a good time. I enjoyed every moment of it.?

The former WWE champion may have relished the success in the ring, but living on the outside had its share of frightening moments.

?I eventually asked for my country back,? Slaughter said.

?Vince McMahon told me when we started with the Iraqi sympathizer character no to worry about the fans. He said, ?They will always love you. They will always forgive you. For a while there I didn?t know if he was right because they weren?t too happy with my character. Being a former drill instructor and a United States military person, siding with Iraq, it was a pretty tough situation.

?I had to wear a bulletproof vest when I wrestled. I never walked through airport terminals. I walked down steps of the airplane and went into a secured vehicle. I was escorted to hotels and buildings. I don?t know if just anyone could do that. Someone at one point called the offices and threatened to kill my family and Vince McMahon?s family.

?They threatened to blow up their houses and the WWE offices and studios. It just takes one person who lost someone in a war or had someone in a war lose a leg or arm who really didn?t understand that it was all entertainment. At one time, I had to have 24/7 armed guards walking the perimeter of my property.?

Security logistics caused WWE to move WrestleMania 7 from the spacious Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum outdoors to a much smaller adjacent arena.

?We were shooting to have 104,000 people at the LA Coliseum, but because of all the death threats we had to pull back and go inside,? Slaughter said. ?That would have been a feather in the cap for me to have 104,000 people record in your back pocket. That is the only disappointment that I had.?

Reflecting more than a decade, the Hall of Famer sees the potential for a patriotic character in today?s just as turbulent world.

?I think that patriotic character can come back,? Slaughter said. ?Maybe I could be a manager or a second for someone who came out from the military-type outfit or character. I don?t? think they will ever have the villain of Sgt. Slaughter in this profession again because it was over the limit.


?We did things they couldn?t do today. It would be too dangerous. It takes a special person to do that, and I was honored to be the one who did it.?

Retired from fulltime competition as a WWE superstar, Slaughter maintains many roles for the company. He was WWE?s commissioner and served as an agent or producer.

Today much of his work may even be more rewarding than entertaining millions of fans on television each week. Slaughter is a proud WWE ambassador who fills his schedule with charity work and attending functions as a representative of the company. He also takes pride in sitting on the sidelines and coaching the current crop of WWE superstars.

?I have really enjoyed Randy Orton?s growth,? Slaughter said.

?When he first came into the company, he wasn?t taking it as seriously as I thought he should. He sat down with us, and we explained to him his role. Now look at how far he has come.

?Of course you can?t say enough good things about John Cena. He probably works more than any human person possible, but he never gets tired. He is like our general Mr. McMahon. I have never seen him cough. I have never seen him yawn. I have never seen him sneeze. I have never seen him miss a day of work. They are two alike. John Cena is going strong, and Vince McMahon will be here for quite a while.

?It?s a real honor that I get to work for this company. For those out there hitting the roads like I used to at one time, it?s good to be thanked. A lot of superstars of today come up to me and thank me for helping to pave the road for them. It feels good when you get that admiration and pat on the back. It makes it all worthwhile.?

? DUSTY RHODES

Whether it?s at WWE?s developmental Florida Championship Wrestling in Tampa or arenas where the company holds live events, The American Dream Dusty Rhodes is another legend who enjoys interacting with talent.

Traveling with WWE also gives him the chance to see his son?s Dustin and Cody perform up-close on a frequent basis. The proud dad is there to give advice for his boys who followed in his footsteps.

?It?s kind of like [former NFL quarterback] Archie Manning sitting in the stands and watching the Manning boys play,? Rhodes said.

?I think about the young men and women in our industry today. When you talk about Cody and guys like The Miz, it?s really cool to see how they approach the game today with the greatest entertainment company in the world. They fly all over the world and become movie stars. They become more than that. I enjoy sitting back and watching the Manning boys play. Team Rhodes is here, believe me.?

Rhodes has been able to observe Cody?s evolvement as a well-rounded competitor who can talk the talk and walk the walk.

?From the time he was state champion in high school to what he does now, he is a very dedicated young man,? Rhodes said.

?He went from Legacy, and they were very successful. Then he went over to SmackDown! and became ?Dashing?. He did all those commercials and did Warehouse 13 on the SyFy.

?He is focused on becoming the world champion and what he wants to do. He knows he might take a step back at times to take a step forward. I think the thing with Rey Mysterio really was an opportunity to be in there with a standard bearer for our company.?

? Play as Sgt. Slaughter, Dusty Rhodes and a host of other legends in the ?WWE All-Stars? game, out in stores now.