Why does the WWF fear Sgt. Slaughter so much? Every well-known and lesser-known scientific wrestler has been trotted out to try and defeat Slaughter and his infamous Cobra Clutch. But why? What terrible threat does Slaughter pose to the WWF And who wants him stopped?
PHOTOS BY STU SAKS
BOB BACKLUND. Bruno Sammartino. Pat Paterson. Andre the Giant.
These four brilliant wrestlers have, at one time or another, been opponents of Sgt. Slaughter. And they form part of a bizarre pattern which leads some knowledgeable WWF observers to conclude, tentatively and with great, great reluctance, that the WWF is out to destroy Sgt. Slaughter.
But why?
Some could say that Slaughter’s foul, underhanded ways beg these men, these wrestlers of honor and integrity, to confront him on the wrestling field of battle. Yet Slaughter, for all his violence and sadism, is not necessarily the worst rulebreaker ever to set foot in the WWF territory.
But something about him has united the WWF scientific wrestling community in a manner never seen before. And it goes far beyond his attitude, his threats, his total behavior. The WWF fears Sgt. Slaughter. They fear what his ultimate victory will mean to the Federation.
And they are out to destroy him.
This time, it is the scientific wrestlers who act vague and uneasy. Usually it is the rulebreaker who avoids a direct answer. But when questioned all who have confronted Slaughter studiously avoided any mention of a conspiracy against the demented ex-Marine.
“Well, you know, that Slaughter is a mean man and I wanted to give him the whipping of his lifetime,” said Andre the Giant. “That is why I wrestled him.
[It seems Sgt. Slaughter never gets a break. Night after night he is in the ring against the toughest wrestlers the WWF has to offer. Andre the Giant lines Slaughter up and fires a right.
Slaughter tries to roll Andre over into a pinning combination, but the Giant’s weight is too much for him. If Slaughter isn't against Andre, it’s Sammartino or Backlund or Morales. The WWF has not been easy on Sgt. Slaughter.]
“Doggone that Slaughter, he deserves to be swimming in his own blood,” said Bruno Sammartino. “No, I don't talk to anyone else. I want Slaughter for myself.
“He comes in here and makes big-mouthed statements and says how he’s going to beat me and take my title away,” said WWF champion Bob Backlund. “What am I supposed to do?”
“I’ve had it up to here with Slaughter’s mouth,” cried Pat Patterson. “He’s opened it one time too many and I want to be the one who closes it. Permanently.”
[Andre uses his powerful arms to prevent Slaughter from completing the application of his Cobra Clutch (above). Slaughter rakes Andre’s eyes to break out of a bearhug (below).]
Patterson’s comments invite another explanation for the rough treatment accorded Slaughter thus far. Maybe the idea of a conspiracy isn’t sound enough. Maybe the overwhelming hatred exhibited by WWF scientific wrestlers is merely a coincidence.
Mauve each of these wrestlers is operating out of pride. Maybe they do, deep down, acknowledge Slaughter’s strengths and dangers. And just maybe, they want to be the one to end his career.
Call it macho. Call it selfishness. Call it an obsession with duty. Andre, Bruno, Bob, and Pat each have different, compelling reasons for wanting Slaughter destroyed. And now the race is on as to which one gets the job done first.
If they do.
“Let ‘em send as many of them as they want,” said Slaughter. “I know how to stand and fight. I’ve seen duty in the worst battles in history. I’m physically prepared, I’m mentally prepared, nothing or no one will take this position from me.
[Sgt. Slaughter scoffs at the competition the WWF has presented before him. He doesn’t even consider it competition.]
“I battled long and hard to get here,” continued Slaughter. “I had to fight through artillery and machine gun nests and go over landmines and fire up at planes strafing my position. I had to do this alone, just me. Of course, I have the General, my manager the Wizard, and he and I battle side-by-side. No gutless coward is gonna take this hill.
“I’ve seen the whites of Andre’s eyes. Smelled Bruno
S foul breath, absorbed Backlund's crying, and Patterson's whining. They can charge up the hill as often as they want but when they get to the top, they’d better be prepared to meet Sgt. Slaughter, United States Marine Corps. As they say, Hell has no fury like a Marine enraged. Just remember that.”
So who will be the one to stop Slaughter? Will it be Andre? Backlund? Sammartino? Patterson? Or none of them. Maybe Sgt. Slaughter is tougher than they think.
