10 Ways Wrestlers Got Out Of WWE Contracts

Migrating your gimmick to a cartoon franchise may be more of a heavy-hearted decision than one might think.

Sgt Slaughter had a well-established legacy by the early 90s, rendered turbulent by controversial heel-turn booking, but his temporary split from the company around that time came when he was approached by certain personnel behind G.I. Joe. Seeing his persona translated to an action figure which populated a fictitious cartoon world was something Slaughter loved the idea of.

In actual fact, Vince McMahon loved the idea too, but couldn't allow it on legal grounds as a plastic facsimile of the Sarge in WWF garb was already in the works, courtesy of a rival toy company.

However, Slaughter continued to bid for the idea, figuring that he'd always be a pro-wrester, but G.I. Joe was a once in a lifetime opportunity. One can't dis a man with vision. Vince eventually issued the ultimatum for him to drop the idea or quit WWE, and Slaughter chose the latter.

Seeing as Sgt Slaughter returned to the WWE in the latter part of the same decade, it's fair to say that he got the best of both worlds.