35 Years Of WWE WrestleMania Mistakes
29. WrestleMania VII - Gulf War Exploitation
In 1991, public interest in the WWF was beginning to fade, and the situation wasn't helped by persistent allegations of steroid abuse within the company. McMahon remained bullish however, and was convinced he could fill the 100,000-seater Los Angeles Coliseum for the upcoming WrestleMania VII.
He was wrong.
Rather than go with the obvious choice of a Warrior vs. Hogan rematch, McMahon decided instead to shamefully capitalise on the ongoing Gulf War by turning long-term patriot Sergeant Slaughter into an Iraqi sympathiser and have him square off against American hero Hogan.
The build to the show was utterly crass. Whilst American soldiers were serving and dying in Kuwait, Slaughter was an on-screen advocate of Saddam Hussein's regime. The public were not impressed, and the WWF made the eventual decision to move the event to the smaller Los Angeles Sports Arena, citing security concerns.
The reality was much simpler; by February, only a fifth of tickets had been sold for the Coliseum.