10 Times Blood & Guts Made Wrestling AWESOME
7. Sgt. Slaughter Vs. Pat Patterson (WWF In MSG - 4 May 1981)
A big, imposing bruiser with a domineering drill sergeant demeanour he may have been, but Sgt. Slaughter's biggest strength as a performer wasn't his character work, brawling, or 10/10 chin and jawline, but his bumping.
Sarge was an all-timer in this category. His willingness to fling his huge frame around the ring like a ragdoll made his opponents look like a million dollars, with this skill on full display when he met Pat Patterson in one of wrestling's first (and finest) street fights. It might be Slaughter's finest WWE performance. Switching seamlessly between punchbag on defence to one-punch thunder-thrower on offense, he was tremendous.
The big man was left wearing red when a ring post bump opened a geyser on his forehead, the blood streaming down his face and splattering onto the mat. Sarge was a mess. In a moment that perhaps provided inspiration to Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes years later, a woozy, faint-headed Slaughter was left swinging for a target until his manager, Grand Wizard, was forced to throw in the towel to prevent further damage. Sarge's bloodied state justified a memorable finish that kept him protected in defeat.