10 Unlikely WWE Champions With Hugely Memorable Title Runs
6. Sgt Slaughter
Sgt Slaughter slid into the WWF at the tail end of 1990 with his eyes firmly on the WWF Championship, in an era dominated by steroidal physiques and gigantic man-mountains. However, Slaughter seemed no threat to the 280 lbs of raging madness that was The Ultimate Warrior.
At this time, Slaughter had undergone a dramatic gimmick change to his previous 'American Hero' persona. Denouncing his American heritage, Slaughter became an Iraqi sympathiser. At the height of the Gulf War, WWF really turned up the heat on his anti-American tirades and put him in the hot seat as the most hated heel in the years.
Slaughter went from being on the losing end of a mid-card tag bout at Survivor Series '90 to WWF Championship contention just two months later. When he eventually did square off with Warrior at Royal Rumble '91, his heel heat was at boiling point and the stage was set for Slaughter's coronation.
With a little help from Randy Savage, Slaughter captured the WWF Title and stood atop the World Wrestling Federation, flying the flag of Iraq. Slaughter would inevitably lose the title to Hogan at WrestleMania VII two months later; however, his jaw-dropping run as turncoat champion would live forever - albeit for the sheer audacity of the character's questionable allegiance.