8. He Had Some Of His Biggest Successes As A Hardcore Wrestler
To look at the austere, no-nonsense figure that Sgt Slaughter became, it sounds odd to think of him as a hardcore wrestler, but some of the biggest matches of his career took place under rules that erred more towards extreme. The feud he had with Pat Patterson started during the video posted in the last entry, when Sarge attacked him after it appeared that he would become the first man to break the Cobra Clutch. This feud culminated in 1981 with what would become known as one of the best hardcore wrestling matches of that era, the famous 'Alley Fight' at Madison Square Garden. There was to be no referee, no pinfalls, no holds barred and the only way the match could end is if one of the men threw in the towel. Before a raucous crowd the two men brutalised each other with belts and boots. Though Sarge refused to quit, The Grand Wizard threw in the towel, awarding the match to Patterson and the place erupted. To this day, both men herald it as one of the best matches of their career. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrV4XaCuGP4 After turning face, Slaughter engaged in a heated rivalry with The Iron Sheik. After the Iranian hostage crisis, the angle turned white-hot and catapulted Sarge to the top of the card, second only in popularity to fellow graduate of the Super Destroyer gimmick, Hulk Hogan. The biggest match of that rivalry, that helped cement Sarge as one of the most iconic wrestlers in the world? A falls-count anywhere, no holds barred Boot Camp match, called a Boot Camp Match, once again held in Madison Square Garden.