Sarge eventually stopped fighting what came naturally, took his old marine gear out of storage and became the man we recognise today, Sgt Slaughter. But not quite as we remember him today. The Sarge that debuted in the then-WWF back in 1980 was a very different creature. He was the meanest heel imaginable. On his first try-out for the company, he insisted upon coming down to the ring, chewing a cigar, as 'The Marine Corps Hymn' played. He shouted at the crowd, calling them maggots, bellowing at them to stand up. At one point he even blew smoke in Vince McMahon Sr's face. The crowd immediately hated him. He was hired on the spot. Managed by the villainous Grand Wizard, he victimised people with his swagger stick and once his Cobra Clutch submission hold was established, held frequent Cobra Clutch Challenges. He would offer $5,000 to anyone who could break the hold. Watch one of those here, involving fellow Hall of Famer, Pat Patterson, which exposed beloved Sgt Slaughter as a vicious cheat. The cad.
