10 WWE Superstars Who Lost WrestleMania Main Events

10. 'Sheik' Tugboat Was Originally Set To Face Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania VII

Everyone recalls WrestleMania 7 ending with Hulk Hogan putting the WWF title around his waist and proudly waving the American flag in the ring (as future President of the United States Donald Trump smiled and watched on from ringside). Hogan must pose after all, brother! Patriotism ran wild as Hogan defeated Iraqi sympathizer Sgt. Slaughter in the main event of the show. But at one point Tugboat was the man that was supposed to close the event against The Hulkster.

Vince McMahon always wanted a storyline for Hogan to wrestle an Iraqi sympathizer for the PPV, playing up the United States' involvement in the Gulf War at the time. He anticipated Tugboat turning heel on Hogan and turning into the hateful ‘Sheik Tugboat’. Bruce Prichard and Pat Patterson had hesitations though, convincing Vince to go with Sgt. Slaughter instead. Slaughter was a proven attraction, having been equally as big as Hogan in the early ‘80s.

Bruce has said on his Something to Wrestle With podcast regarding picking Slaughter over Tugboat: “It was a big return with Sarge. It was like the idea of the All-American hero in Sgt. Slaughter turning heel on Hulk Hogan – it just felt a million times bigger. You look at that attraction versus having to turn Tugboat, and I don’t know that the audience was really buying Tugboat at the time.”