Sgt. Slaughter

:"This article is about the wrestler Robert Remus. For the G.I. Joe character (based on Remus), see Sgt. Slaughter (G.I. Joe)."Infobox Wrestler|name=Sgt. Slaughter


names=Sgt. Slaughter Super Destroyer Mark II Matt Burns Bob Remus Bob Slaughter Bobby Remus
height=6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
weight=310 lb (130 kg)
birth_date=Birth date and age|1948|8|27
death_date=
birth_place=Detroit, Michigan
death_place=
resides=Parris Island, South Carolina
billed=
trainer=Verne Gagne
debut=1975
retired=

Robert Remus (born August 27, 1948) is an American WWE employee, and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Sgt. Slaughter. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter enjoyed success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling Federation. He is currently working for WWE as a road agent on its Raw brand. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004.

Wrestling career

Slaughter held numerous regional titles early in his career and experienced his first major success in the NWA capturing the NWA World Tag Team Championship with Don Kernodle. During the late 1970s, Remus worked the AWA territory under a mask as Super Destroyer Mark II with manager Lord Alfred Hayes.

World Wrestling Federation (First Run,1980–1984)

He then signed with the WWF and was pushed as a heel. Between 1980 and 1981, Slaughter wrestled in the WWF under the guidance of the Grand Wizard and engaged in a feud with Pat Patterson, culminating in a "Alley Fight" in New York City's Madison Square Garden between the two. In late 1981, Slaughter joined Mid Atlantic Wrestling and won the NWA United States Heavyweight Title and the NWA World Tag Team Titles with Don Kernodle. Upon returning to the WWF-again with the Grand Wizard as his manager- in 1983, Slaughter was a top contender to Bob Backlund's WWF Championship. However, his career took off after he turned face and defended America's honor against the hated Iron Sheik in 1984. Slaughter and the Iron Sheik engaged in many matches throughout 1984, culminating in a boot camp match which took place before a sold out Madison Square Gardens that summer. However, with the emergence of Hulk Hogan as the WWF Champion and lead face within the company, Slaughter left for the AWA. On Vince McMahon's "McMahon DVD", Slaughter said he was fired by McMahon in Toronto after no-showing an event in protest of McMahon's refusal to give him six weeks of paid vacation

American Wrestling Association

1985-1986

He received a considerable push in the AWA throughout 1985 and 1986, becoming the AWA America's Heavyweight Champion, defeating Larry Zbyszko shortly after his arrival. He defended the title against wrestlers like Zbyszko, Kamala, Boris Zukhov, and Nick Bockwinkel (before the belt was retired) and feud with Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey and his stable of wrestlers, the Road Warriors, and Col. DeBeers. He even challenged Stan Hansen for the AWA title.

1988-1990

In 1988, Slaughter returned to wrestling in the AWA, resuming some of his past feuds with the likes of Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey, the Iron Sheik, and Col. DeBeers. He also became a top contender to the AWA World title during Larry Zbyszko's reign in 1989 and was a team captain for the AWA's ill-fated Team Challenge Series during the first half of 1990. The AWA even teased fans with Slaughter appearing to win the World title from Zbyszko live on ESPN, only to have the decision reversed on technicality (a booking practice the AWA had been employing for years).

World Wrestling Federation (Second Run,1990–2001)

In the summer of 1990 Slaughter returned to the WWF, but shortly after making his televised return, Slaughter's gimmick as that of a patriotic American soldier was turned upside down, when his character temporarily turned against America to become an Iraqi sympathizer. Slaughter announced he was disgusted with his country, claiming America had "gone soft" for accepting the Soviet Union's Nikolai Volkoff, and proceeded to set the American flag ablaze (Volkoff, in Slaughter's absence, had recently split from his tag partner Boris Zhukov, then turned face and embraced America, due in part the fall of the wall). Slaughter aligned himself with a (kayfabe) Iraqi military general, General Adnan, and entered a feud with Volkoff (which saw Slaughter win the majority of their encounters at house shows), leading to a match at that year's "Survivor Series" which saw The Alliance (Volkoff, Tito Santana, and The Bushwhackers) defeat The Mercenaries (Slaughter, Boris Zhukov, and The Orient Express).

Slaughter captured his only WWF Championship at the "1991 Royal Rumble", defeating The Ultimate Warrior following a run-in by "Macho King" Randy Savage. He thus became the thirteenth WWF Champion, but lost the belt in a match against Hulk Hogan at "WrestleMania VII". Slaughter soon introduced his newest ally, former nemesis The Iron Sheik, who was now calling himself Colonel Mustafa. Slaughter and company went on to feud with Hogan for months, including having a three-on-two handicap match at "SummerSlam 1991", which saw the team of Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior prevail over Slaughter, Adnan, and Mustafa.

After finishing the Hogan feud, Slaughter became a face again, appearing in vignettes next to American landmarks, saying "I want my country back." During an episode of "Superstars", "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan was under attack from The Nasty Boys, and Slaughter made the save. Duggan and Slaughter teamed up to defeat the Nastys and continued to team over the next several months.

After a hiatus, he returned to WWF television on the August 4, 1997 episode of Raw is War to assume the role of on-air commissioner. Initially popular, he eventually became the target of D-Generation X, who called him "Sgt. Slobber".On an episode of Raw is War, he put Shawn Michaels and Triple H in a match for Michaels' European Championship. Michaels dropped the belt to Helmsley, by lying down in the ring. Slaughter challenged Triple H to a Boot Camp Match at the , which he lost. His feud with Triple H continued into WrestleMania XIV where he handcuffed himself to Chyna to prevent her from interfering in Helmsley's match against Owen Hart. Slaughter's efforts ultimately proved futile as Chyna threw powder in his eyes, interfered in the match anyway, and hurled Slaughter into the front row.

When Vince McMahon turned heel in 1998, Slaughter, along with Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson, became the on-screen lackeys of McMahon; running errands for him and dishing out punishment to McMahon's rivals, namely "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. In late 1998, Slaughter relinquished the role of commissioner to Shawn Michaels and largely disappeared from television.

Slaughter still appeared from time to time in the ring, mostly at house shows. He appeared on "Raw" to put over younger wrestlers, such as Kurt Angle. Sgt. also made an appearance at WrestleMania X-Seven, in the Gimmick Battle Royal, which was won by The Iron Sheik. Slaughter got his revenge after the match by locking the Sheik in the cobra clutch.

WWE Hall of Fame

Sgt. Slaughter was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 13, 2004, the night before WrestleMania XX by long-time friend Pat Patterson.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves
**Camel Clutch - 1990-1991
**"Cobra Clutch"
**Grinding knuckles to the temple of a seated opponent - 1990
**Bear hug
**Front backbreaker
**Gutbuster
**Inverted suplex slam
**Multiple elbow drops to the back
**Piledriver
**"Slaughter Cannon" (Lariat, sometimes from the top rope)
**When whipped into a corner, hitting the turnbuckles sternum first and flipping over the top rope to the arena floor

*Managers
**Lord Alfred Hayes
**Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
**The Grand Wizard
**General Adnan
**Oliver Humperdink

Championships and accomplishments

*American Wrestling Association:*AWA America's Championship (1 time) (Last) [ [http://www.solie.org/ AWA America's Title history] At solie.org] :*AWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (1 time)¹ [ [http://www.solie.org/ AWA British Empire Heavyweight Title history] At solie.org]

*Central States Wrestling:*NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (3 times) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/centralstates/nwa/cs-h.html NWA Central States Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*Maple Leaf Wrestling:*NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship "(Toronto version)" (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/on/nwa/on-can-h.html NWA Canadian Heavyweight Title (Toronto) history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling:*NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (2 times) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*NWA World Tag Team Championship "(Mid-Atlantic version)" (1 time) - with Don Kernodle [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midatlantic/nwa/ma-nwa-t.html NWA World Tag Team Title (Mid-Atlantic/WCW) history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*NWA Tri-State:*NWA United States Tag Team Championship "(Tri-State version)" (1 time) - with Buck Robley

*World Wrestling Federation |World Wrestling Entertainment:*WWF Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwf-h.html WWWF/WWF/WWE World Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2004) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/hof.html WWF/WWE Hall of Fame inductees] At wrestling-titles.com] :*First WWF Commissioner

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated:*PWI ranked him # 36 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991 [citeweb|url=http://www.wwe-zone.com/other/pwi/500/1991/index.htm|accessdate=2008-07-15|title=Pro-Wrestling Illustrated 500 - 1991|publisher=wwe-zone.com] :*PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1984) [cite web|url=http://www.wwe-zone.com/other/pwi/inspirational_of_year/index.htm | title=Pro-Wrestling Illustrated Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year| accessdate=2008-07-15|publisher=wwe-zone.com] :*PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1991) [cite web|url=http://www.wwe-zone.com/other/pwi/hated_of_year/index.htm | title=Pro-Wrestling Illustrated Most Hated Wrestler of the Year| accessdate=2008-07-15|publisher=wwe-zone.com] :*PWI ranked him # 29 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Don Kernodle in 2003. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe-zone.com/other/pwi/tag_100/index.htm | title=Pro-Wrestling Illustrated Top 100 Tag-Teams| accessdate=2008-07-15|publisher=wwe-zone.com]

*Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards:*Match of the Year (1981) vs. Pat Patterson on April 21:*Worst Feud of the Year (1991) vs. Hulk Hogan:*Worst Feud of the Year (1985) vs. Boris Zhukov

Other media

Sgt. Slaughter was part of the "G.I. Joe" cartoon and comic book, as a member of the "G.I. Joe" team and first appeared in the TV episode entitled "Arise, Serpentor, Arise!" Along with the traditional merchandising of WWE superstars, Sgt. Slaughter is one of only a few real people to be immortalized as a "G.I. Joe" figure, (among the others being NFL football player William "The Refrigerator" Perry, pro-wrestler Roddy Piper, and astronaut Buzz Aldrin), and even appeared in "". Slaughter also appeared as a special guest on the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, which starred fellow wrestler Captain Lou Albano.

With Hasbro celebrating the 3 3/4" GI Joe figures' 25th anniversary and some Joe-related personal appearances by Sgt. Slaughter, speculation began to swirl of a new Sgt. Slaughter figure for the 25th anniversary line. However, in a Q&A session with yojoe.com, Hasbro representatives denied any plans for such a figure, noting that Sgt. Slaughter's rights are still held by the WWE.

During the mid-1980s, Sgt. Slaughter released a full length LP, "Sgt. Slaughter and Camouflage Rocks America". It featured a number of original songs, including "The Cobra Clutch," as well as a cover of Neil Diamond's "America." In the animated series "Code Monkeys", Slaughter appeared as Sgt. Murder. He and Bulk Brogan (Hulk Hogan), "Manly Man" Ricky Ravage (Randy "Macho Man" Savage), and Sergei the Giant (André the Giant) were hired by a video game company to take on their rivals. His brother, Tommy Murder, was killed by "The Black Shadow", who was actually Black Steve, the company's accountant.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.sgtslaughter.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.wwe.com/superstars/halloffame/sgtslaughter/bio/ WWE Hall of Fame profile]
*imdb name|id=0719052|name=Sgt. Slaughter
* [http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/09/13/1837794.html Bio & Interview from SLAM! Wrestling]