10 Desperate Moves WWE Made In A Panic Over Low Ratings

6. Sgt. Slaughter: Iraqi Sympathizer

In 1990, the United States went to war with Iraq in what was known as Desert Storm. Fears escalated over the growing instability in the Middle East and worry was running rampant in the country. For WWE, ratings had dropped, as had interest and attendance. The product was not nearly as hot as it had been in the past, especially with Ultimate Warrior on top instead of Hulk Hogan. Vince McMahon no longer had aspirations of a rematch from WrestleMania VI taking place at the seventh incarnation of the event and, instead, used real life to inspire the next main event storyline his company would produce. Sgt. Slaughter, one of the most beloved American heroes in wrestling history, someone so popular with the masses that even President Richard Nixon knew who he was and admired him. So when he returned to WWE and pledged allegiance to Iraq and Saddam Hussein, denouncing his American heritage, fans could not believe what was unfolding before them. Not so much because of the shocking turn but more because WWE would stoop to such lows as exploiting the war for the sake of television ratings and buyrates.

Slaughter received death threats as a result of his actions on television and the company he championed (as a result of his heavyweight title victory over Ultimate Warrior at Royal Rumble) earned negative press for their blatant use of a very real war in their storylines. At WrestleMania VII, Slaughter lost the top prize in sports entertainment to Hulk Hogan as America triumphed much in the same way it had in the war. Still one of the most tasteless displays in WWE history.