10 Worst WWE WrestleMania World Title Storylines

2. Sgt. Slaughter Vs. Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania VII)

By the summer of 1990, tensions were rising after Iraq had invaded and annexed Kuwait. The United States was getting ready to intervene militarily, and war seemed inevitable. Wrestling has a history of promoting foreign heels that would align with American enemies of the times, and thus WWE brought Sgt. Slaughter back in August 1990, turned him against the 'softer' United States, and then stenciled him as an Iraq sympathizer. The plan was yet another Hulkamania patriot trip, positioning the long-time wrestling hero to dethrone Slaughter for the title at WrestleMania VII, two months after Slaughter defeated Ultimate Warrior for the belt. The entire storyline reeked of jingoistic opportunism, and even Bret Hart noted that many in the locker room were uncomfortable trading on an ongoing conflict with a soon-to-rise body count. If you believe Bruce Prichard's incredible claim, then this was almost Tugboat, a storied friend of Hogan's, turning heel to become 'Sheik Tugboat', and he instead would have beaten Warrior for the belt. At least Slaughter provided a decent match come WrestleMania.