7. Sgt. Slaughters Wins The WWE Championship (1991)
When the United States went to war with Sadaam Hussein over Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, among other reasons, Vince McMahon saw the opportunity to introduce a new lead villain to his broadcast. Sgt. Slaughter returned to WWE programming a new man. Gone was the rah-rah, "go USA" former drill instructor and in his place was an Iraqi sympathizer who had become disenfranchised with the country he currently lived in. Touting his friendship with Hussein, Slaughter suddenly found himself on the receiving end of very real heat. Death threats were a regular occurrence but that did not stop the heel from invoking the name of the Iraqi dictator. At the 1991, his improbable return to the company culminated when he capitalized on interference from Randy Savage to defeat the Ultimate Warrior and win the WWE Championship. Speculation had begun running rampant that the title change would occur but no one really believed that McMahon would pass up the guaranteed cash cow that would be the Warrior-Hulk Hogan WrestleMania rematch until Slaughter captured the title. The win left fans stunned, not just because the dream rematch was no longer a reality but because McMahon had invested so much time and energy on a guy who, months earlier, may have been looked at as old and over the hill.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
