WWE Senior Vice President Bruce Prichard recently took to an episode of his “Something To Wrestle With” podcast, where he talked about a number of topics including the company having pro wrestling legend Sgt. Slaughter make his return for a feud with WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan.
Prichard said, “I think Vince had his way in his mind early on that it was going to be Sheik [vs.] Tugboat. You know, when just the little skirmish in the Middle East was was not even anywhere intensified, but you did have a heel there in Saddam Hussein. And Tugboat being Hulk’s best friend, that was Hulk’s program. But without a doubt man, I think that when Sgt. came back and the reaction, and people did know him, he did get a great reaction, that ‘Man, you take Sarge, turn him heel, and put him against Hulk Hogan.’ The Greatest American Hero and Sgt. Slaughter, ‘GI Joe Sgt. Slaughter against the Real American in Hulk Hogan?’ That was — man, that’s natural. And I think that that was one of those things maybe in Vince’s head that he thinks, ‘Okay, I can get there at WrestleMania eight and holy cow, it’ll be incredible.’ But as things got on, it was like, ‘Vince, the Tugboat thing ain’t gonna work.’ And [we] switched very quickly to Sgt. Slaughter.”
On originally wanting to do Tugboat against Hogan at WrestleMania 7 and Slaughter match at WrestleMania 8:
“No, I’m saying if the Tugboat thing had worked out, Tugboat would have been at [WrestleMania] VII with Hulk. Then you would have, like, a full year and a half to build Sgt. to go to VIII with Hulk.”
On Slaughter vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 7:
“It was what it was. And he main evented with Hulk Hogan, dropped the championship, and it was all done. So good for him. I mean, you know, he got his main event. I think it was deserved.”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
