9 Ballsiest WWE Promos Ever

6. Sgt. Slaughter Betrays His Country

It's always risky for a character to take an anti-American stance during wartime. That pretty much goes without saying, and although most of these heel runs have been at least moderately successful, there's always the possibility that the heat can get a little too real.

The diciest of these treacherous turns involved one of the most all-American faces in the company, Sgt. Slaughter (who was just under Hulk Hogan in terms of "patriotism"). Returning to the company after a long hiatus, he declared himself to be an Iraqi sympathiser during the middle of the Gulf War. As expected, fans didn't take too kindly to Slaughter's sudden allegiance to Saddam Hussein, who was earning a reputation worldwide as a human rights abuser while committing some of the worst atrocities you could think of.

Slaughter received numerous death threats long after he dropped the traitor gimmick and there's no question that it was a misstep. Ballsy, yes, but a misstep nonetheless.