Tag: Sgt. Slaughter

WWE celebrates 45th anniversary of Slaughter vs. Patterson Alley Fight

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On its 45th anniversary, WWE took some time to remember Sgt. Slaughter and Pat Patterson’s legendary Alley Fight from 1981.

The WWE Vault YouTube channel made a new upload today with complete video of the Slaughter vs. Patterson match. Along with the footage, there is an introduction with Slaughter speaking about the matchup. It took place at Madison Square Garden on May 4, 1981 and is one of WWE’s best-remembered and most influential matches of the pre-Hulkamania era, holding significance for being an early example of WWE presenting hardcore wrestling.

Slaughter details the set-up in his introduction, explaining the story of how his rivalry with Patterson began while Patterson was working as an announcer and wrestler. Slaughter and The Grand Wizard bullied Patterson into the feud by getting him to accept a $10,000 Cobra Clutch challenge. When Patterson was about to break the hold, Slaughter gave him a knee strike and bloodied him during a beatdown.

Their issues ultimately culminated in the Alley Fight, where the heel Slaughter lost when Grand Wizard threw in the towel. Slaughter credits the match for establishing his toughness with the audience. Though Grand Wizard threw the towel in, it was clear that Slaughter wanted to continue.

The Alley Fight was recognized as the 1981 Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Slaughter said the bout helped inspire Mick Foley to get into pro wrestling, and WWE has held it up as an example of how to tell a good story through in-ring work. The match was contested without a referee and had no rules.

“I always wondered why they never had another one, but I guess out of respect for Pat and I, that they never had another Alley Fight,” Slaughter said. “I keep waiting for two guys that can’t get the job done and they’re going to announce an Alley Fight, but they never do

“But I always remember Mick Foley coming to me and going, ‘Sarge, I was in the third row during that match.’ And he said, ‘That excited me so much that I wanted to be a professional wrestler.’ They would always make the boys watch that match and say, ‘This is a professional wrestling match. This is what we want you to learn how to tell a story.’ Because without a referee, pretty tough to have a match without a referee. But we did it. It’s a classic, definitely a classic.”

Daily Update: Sgt. Slaughter, Lilian Garcia, Ricky Saints

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

  • Preview and business notes on AEW Revolution
  • Updates on WrestleMania, how we got to Rhodes vs. Orton and feuds that are starting
  • A look at the UFC White House show and how we got here
  • Full UFC 326 coverage including the most viewers of a TV UFC show since Paige Van Zant vs. Michelle Waterson
  • A look at the new AEW streaming service
  • NXT Vengeance Day coverage and poll results
  • Odds on upcoming pro wrestling matches
  • Logan Paul’s grandstand challenge to football players gets several takers, including some big names, but nothing can transpire and how it ended
  • Full coverage of the 16 Carat Gold tournament in German featuring many of the best independent wrestlers in the world
  • A complete look at the TV ratings from all the pro wrestling shows over the past week, including breakdowns in various categories, placings, how Raw did on Netflix, competition and more
  • CMLL’s lineup for its No. 2 show of the year next week
  • Full rundown of the CMLL all women’s show onFriday
  • Konnan news
  • Behnid the Nino Hamburguesa firing
  • Rey de Reyes notes
  • Stardom Cinderella tournament news
  • New Japan Cup and anniversary show news
  • Pro wrestler and MMA star looks back at a fixed fight and more comments including the Japanese attempt to get a major WWE star to job in an MMA match to theri guy
  • Notes on a new promotion debuting
  • Attendance updates for future WWE, AEW, TNA and other shows including Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano.
  • Giant weekend in Europe including the two big Eve shows and the controversy
  • TNA future direction
  • Notes from the Tony Khan media call
  • Putting recent Collision numbers into perspective
  • How Zuffa boxing’s biggest show did
  • Rousey vs. Carano and Rousey’s promotional tactics as well as responses from other fighters
  • Lots of new UFC fights
  • Jake Paul’s women’s boxing group makes ESPN deal
  • Changes to the WWE writing team
  • ESPN reporting side does exactly what they said they wouldn’t do regarding pro wrestling
  • More vacant WWE titles

This Week’s Back Issue

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Wednesday Update

Booker T WWE NXT Appreciation Night
WWE celebrates Booker T on NXT in Houston. (Image credit: WWE)

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full Tatum Paxley vs. Izzi Dame steel cage match for the Women’s North American Championship that headlined NXT last night.
  • A video package celebrating Booker T aired during the NXT episode, which took place in Houston and was Booker T Appreciation Night. 
  • Ricky Saints spoke with KRON 4 News about his acting ambitions:
    • It’s so taboo to talk about like, ‘Oh, he’s a wrestler and he’s talking about wanting to go from wrestling to acting.’ Yes, for sure, my body won’t be able to do this forever. So, for those who hate hearing it, yes, I want to get into acting. Who cares? I loved acting. I loved [CW’s] Wild Cards. I loved the whole experience. I thought it was really good, and it really gave me a sense of something that I’m able to do after this. [When] this life is over, and so, you know, the hope is more of that to come. And the network, they love me. They really did. They enjoyed me. They cherished me. All my fans. They said, ‘well, Ricky, you did great. You were a natural.’ And I say, ‘Yeah, can’t help it.’
    • I’ve always said I think I could play a really, really good Gambit [from X-Men]. I just need to learn how to throw cards and, you know, shuffle a deck. But, yeah, that’s like the top of the list. If I can get Gambit, it’s a wrap or Blade. Imagine me as Blade. I think I look good in leather.”
  • Sgt. Slaughter told Going Ringside that he was the only wrestler to go to Iron Sheik’s funeral when Sheik passed away in 2023:
    • In 2023, he passed. And I was the only wrestler at his funeral, which I thought was pretty horrendous, that I was the only wrestler to go to his funeral. And he lived in Atlanta where all the wrestlers lived, so I thought that was kind of a slap in the face. [Sheik did] so much not only for wrestlers but for the professional wrestling business.
  • Lilian Garcia was a guest on Busted Open Radio today. She noted that she’ll be doing some ring announcing at WWE’s summer 2026 European tour and will be in Las Vegas for WrestleMania 42 weekend:
    • To be able to get called back, to come back and still have a role. You know, Saturday Night’s Main Event, Worlds Collide. I’ll be doing some of the Europe tour now, they just let me know. And some things here at WrestleMania. It’s just always fun. It’s just in my blood.
  • When asked how WWE has changed across her different stints with the company, Garcia pointed to how much the Wellness Policy has cleaned up things in the locker room:
    • I just listened to the podcast with Chris Masters and Chris Van Vliet actually, and he was talking about some of the things that were happening with the Wellness Policy and how things have changed now and the partying that was before and the Wellness Policy, how it cleaned up a lot. And so it changed.
    • I think for me, that was really great to see too. Obviously, I think for all of us. You know, Tommy [Dreamer], you and I have experienced the loss of so many wrestlers dying way too young. When I started counting it one day, I’m like, ‘I’ve lost my fingers. All my fingers are gone. All my toes are gone. It’s crazy.’ And so I think that’s the biggest thing, that the wellness is better in there. And you’re not expected to be this monster of a wrestler to be able to be effective.
  • Liv Morgan will be appearing at a live podcast taping for Cody Rhodes’ “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” during the Wednesday of WrestleMania week.
  • Complex’s Graps podcast interviewed Jade Cargill.
  • Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be featured in the next season of the video game Fortnite.
  • For a 3:16 Day video, Danhausen tried to trick wrestlers into thinking he was “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Other Wrestling

  • In an interview with High Times, Marina Shafir opened up about her relationship with husband Roderick Strong:
    • He’s such an amazing partner. I love that I can speak my love language with my husband while training together. That’s a different level of trust. He understands who I am, and I understand who he is.
    • There’s so much going on outside of my bubble that I can’t control…  It’s a lot. So I take it one week at a time.
    • We really try hard to carve out time for our son, too. Soccer practice, going to the farmers market, and just making time for family.
  • MVP appeared on Your Entertainment Escape in Fresno ahead of tonight’s Dynamite.
  • Denise Salcedo uploaded video of her live show with Willow Nightingale from Revolution weekend.
  • AJPW Tag Team Champions Titans of Calamity (Ren Ayabe & Tolos) will compete in the 2026 NWA Crockett Cup in Forney, Texas on April 4.
  • During an Instagram Q&A, Maki Itoh was asked what her biggest career goal is right now: “Go to the Tokyo Dome with STARDOM. And suddenly show up in AEW again..make the crowd want me, and leave for Japan right away lol”

Daily Update: New AEW Dynamite match, Worlds Collide, Sgt. Slaughter-Logan Paul

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*AEW moves PPV to HBO MAX , details of the move, programming changes, All Out time move, All Out  card and ticket sales.

*The worst week of TV ratings you can imagine.  Each show broken down into all the details.*Clash in Paris coverage, business ntes
*Changes in Nielsen ratings and how this will affect sports sooner and later
*CMLL World Grand Prix with an 82:00 main event.
*Bandido vs. Hechicero is one of the best matches of 2025.
*ROH coverage including problems with the streaming.
*Early reviews on Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson
*A look at the debut of Real American Freestyle
*Nick Hogan sued Bubba the Love Sponge, what he is suing over and the first court ruling comes in.
*The legend of Buford Pusser, a former pro wrestler who became a famous pop culture figure with movies and a TV show about him, and now it comes out that he may have murdered his wife.
*The Hall of Fame case for Steve Grey.
*CMLL with multiple sellouts coming up.
*Who is now in charge of AAA.
*What’s notable about the makeup of who is in  charge.
*Update on Raja Johnson and Syco Stu
*Ronda Rousey with her thoughts on WWE tenure.
*Updates on Matt Riddle.
*One of the biggest indie crowds of the year in Atlanta this past week.
*Upcoming ticket sales to all the WWE, AEW and TNA shows over the next few months.
*Notes on a new AAA signing.
*What fighter just got a $10 million payout over a lawsuit settlement
*Jon Jones case update
*Chael Sonnen crosses Rick Rude and The Grappler .
*How much is TKO worth.
*How much is Dwayne Johnson’s TK  stock worth
*Notes on the movie Street Fighter and the character named after a pro wrestler.

This Week’s Back Issue

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Wednesday Update

WWE

  • Paul “Triple H” Levesque shared the official poster for Friday night’s WWE x AAA Worlds Collide show, with Rey Mysterio advertised to appear. The show is taking place in Las Vegas and will stream live on YouTube.
  • WWE Shop has released new merch for Mr. Iguana: a La Yesca replica plush puppet that is priced at $59.99.
  • Ahead of her challenging Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s Championship at No Mercy later this month, a video package on Lola Vice and her life story aired on NXT last night.
  • Shawn Michaels told Undisputed that WWE is in good hands with Cody Rhodes leading the way:
    • You’re always comforted when you’re handing over the reins of this business to someone that respects it, honors it, and enjoys it. That gives all of us a lot of peace and comfort.
    • When Cody comes into the Performance Center, it’s very fortunate for us. He wants to pass it on to the next generation and echoes a lot of what we say. That’s a huge help and comfort to everyone in WWE. You know the business is in good hands moving into the future.
  • WWE 2K25 – which was first released back in March – is being added to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. Starting on September 16, it will be available for Playstation Plus subscribers at no additional cost.
  • WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter told Sportskeeda WrestleBinge that he thinks Logan Paul has the potential to be the biggest babyface in wrestling history if he turns in the future and it’s done the right way:
    • I don’t think he has too many weaknesses. He still rushes things a little bit. I would love to be there, but I know he’s got plenty of pros that are telling him what to do or how to do it. But he’s a natural… he’s at home. It takes a lot and a long time to make that ring your second home. So when you walk in there and become that character, it’s night and day. If he continues, I don’t know how long he’s going to continue, but John Cena is leaving, he’s probably going to be hanging up the boots. You got The Rock who makes appearances back and forth, but there’s no real superstar right now.
    • Once [Paul] establishes himself as the biggest villain, he’ll be the biggest hero of all time. I think he’ll surpass every hero we’ve ever had in this business.
  • Grayson Waller was a guest on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast.
  • USA Today interviewed Chelsea Green.
  • For a WWE Playback video, Finn Balor & JD McDonagh rewatched their World Tag Team title win against The Miz & R-Truth from June 2024.

Other Wrestling

  • A “500k 10-man tag match” has been added to the card for AEW Dynamite tonight with Bandido, Brody King, Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata facing The Young Bucks, Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta.
  • Dustin Rhodes provided a new update on his recovery from double knee surgery:
    • Healing nicely. Baby steps but I am #BabySteppin. Trust the process. AINT NOBODY GONNA STOP ME WHEN I GET BACK…………IM THE LAST OF MY KIND
  • TSN spoke with Don Callis, who discussed how AEW is different from other promotions he’s worked for:
    • One of the great things about being in AEW is that Tony Khan actually lets me be myself. Like, he puts me out there, of course, but he lets me be Don Callis and he has faith in me and, at the end of the day, from a boss in wrestling, that is ultimately all you want – someone who will let you go out and succeed or fail on your own merits and give you the platform and the support. And AEW really is the first place I’ve ever been that does that.
  • This Thursday’s ROH TV episode on HonorClub will be a special edition featuring matches from Action Wrestling’s Dean~! 3 event.
  • Johnny “Dango” Curtis (the former Fandango) married his significant other Emily, calling it the best day of his life:
    • In your love, I’ve found my home
    • Feeling so incredibly blessed to have so many friends and loved ones come together to celebrate with us. It was truly the best day of my life.
  • Killer Kelly and Myron Reed are now engaged.
  • SoCalVal interviewed former WWE wrestler Kristal Marshall for WrestlingNewsCo.
  • The Metro spoke with Gzim Selmani (former WWE wrestler Rezar).
  • Comedian Dan Soder discussed his wrestling fandom during an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet.

Sgt. Slaughter, Kurt Angle, others pay tribute to The Iron Sheik

Posted on by Ian Carey

Tributes to the late Iron Sheik are pouring in from around the wrestling world. 

Perhaps Sheik’s greatest rivalry took place in 1984 when he was pitted against Sgt. Slaughter. The feud culminated in a Boot Camp match on June 16, 1984 from Madison Square Garden. The match was awarded a rating of four and a half stars from our own Dave Meltzer. 

“I love you, Sheik. I love you forever,” Slaughter told TMZ Sports.

“He just had so much love for wrestling, not only the amateur style that he learned, that was his survival in Iran.”

“Whether people know this or not, he loved you, he loved his fans. He just loved to perform and he loved children, he loved young children. But once he went through that locker room toward the ring, he was all business, he was The Iron Sheik. As I was, and as most are but he was exceptionally that way because he just loved the business that he was in.” 

When Slaughter became the Iraqi sympathizer during the Gulf War in 1990, Sheik was added to his Triangle of Terror as Colonel Mustafa. They were joined with another of Slaughter’s old enemies, Sheik Adnan El Kaissey, who went by General Adnan. 

“He was a character. I was a character. But we both had families and we loved our families,” Slaughter continued. 

Kurt Angle, Karrion Kross, Arn Anderson, Natalya, Lex Luger and many others have paid tribute to Sheik online in the wake of his passing. 

“I was sad to hear @the_ironsheik passed away. He had an amazing impact on many throughout the world. Sheik and I enjoyed blasting eachother publicly. All in fun. He was a man with an incredible personality. Gonna miss you Sheiky Baby! #itstrue,” wrote Kurt Angle. 

“Iron Sheik played a pivotal role in the development of imagination in my childhood as a kid. I grew up and watched him with educated eyes, he was incredibly fun to watch and at times brilliant with the live audience. And that’s how I’ll always remember him,” wrote Karrion Kross. 

“The NWA is saddened to hear of the passing of one of the sports great legends, Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, ‘The Iron Sheik.’ We send our condolences to all of his family, friends and fans,” the NWA posted on Wednesday. 

“So sad to lose another member of our wrestling family.Sheiky baby was the ultimate heel of his era. He was so good in his role that anyone who worked with him became a bigger star. For those of us who got to share a locker room with him he was nonstop entertainment.Prayers go out to his family. There will never be another like him,” wrote Arn Anderson. 

“NOTHING BUT LOVE AND RESPECT to the Iron Sheik. The wrestling world has lost an icon and a very special person,” wrote Natalya. 

“Massive respect for the life and Wrestling career of the one and only Iron Sheik.Thank you. You will be greatly missed,” wrote Lex Luger. 

“RIP Iron Sheik. Very sad news. An integral part of the success of the 80’s wrestling boom and an extraordinary talent and incredible “bad guy” I have a lot of Sheik stories and many great memories. Thank you for all you gave to our industry. Godspeed sir,” wrote Frankie Kazarian. 

“Love you forever Bubba” Rest in Power to the Mighty Iron Sheik. My sincerest condolences to his family,” wrote Samoa Joe. 

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: September 1983

Posted on by Karl Stern

My deep dive into pro wrestling longform history continues.

We stop into September 1983 and the time is getting near for Hulk Hogan to jump to the WWF. Sgt. Slaughter (seen above) continues to rise there as does the Masked Superstar as the era of change draws near.

Before we get there, NWA Starrcade looms where the NWA World title will go back from Harley Race to Ric Flair. Thus, Flair is doing the job tour to set up challengers and will lose the Missouri title to David Von Erich, lose clean to Bob Armstrong, and lose to Pedro Morales in Puerto Rico. 

Let’s get into that and more on this week’s show.

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WrestleCon announces scaled-back convention for WrestleMania week

Posted on by Bryan Rose

WrestleCon has announced they will be running a scaled-back convention during WrestleMania week.

This year’s WrestleCon will run on April 9 and 10 and will take place at the Westin Tampa Waterside, a Marriott property. It will be a modified convention, with no live wrestling events taking place. WrestleCon’s website noted that there will also be a significant virtual component of the convention. Sgt. Slaughter has been announced as a featured guest.

The convention will be entirely indoors. WrestleCon plans on having no more than 320 people in one room at any time, which also includes vendors, talent, and staff. Talent will remain masked for all interactions, including photo ops. Talent may also be seated behind plexiglass screens.

WrestleCon has been holding conventions since 2013, and has featured live wrestling. They were set to run during last year’s WrestleMania week, but the convention was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their 2019 Supershow event was headlined by Will Ospreay defeating Bandido.

AWA Team Challenge Series’ pilot coming to WWE Network tomorrow

Posted on by Bryan Rose

What is being billed as a pilot for the AWA’s infamous Team Challenge Series will be the WWE Network’s Hidden Gem tomorrow.

WWE Network News reported that a unreleased 39 minute Team Challenge Series pilot with a date of 10/23/1989 will be uploaded to the network. The description reads: “Witness this unreleased home video pilot from the dying days of the AWA, as they unleash the infamous team challenge series.”

The Team Challenge Series was one of the last big angles the AWA ran, starting in the fall of 1989 through the summer of 1990. The roster was split into three factions: Larry Zybysko’s Legends, Baron von Rasche’s Blitzers and Sgt. Slaughter’s Snipers. Col. DeBeers took over Slaughter’s team when he left for the WWE the following year, renaming them the Diamondcutters.

Former jobber Jake Milliman ended up winning the series for Larry’s Legends, last eliminating Col Debeers in a battle royal for a (kayfabe) one million dollar check.

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling: Marathon leftovers, Q&A

Posted on by Karl Stern

Karl Stern returns to the regular format of questions and answers and begins catching up on questions generated during the July marathon.

Questions, corrections, and conversations include:

  • When Tommy Rogers isn’t Tommy Rogers
  • The wonderfully horrible job Sports Illustrated did with their ranking of wrestlers
  • Marathon follow-ups on Canek, Marty Jannetty, and Sgt. Slaughter
  • An incredible article from 1902 that shows the wrestling business then was very similar to the wrestling business now
  • A look at the origins of pro wrestling in America
  • Listener thoughts and comments on Sgt. Slaughter and contemporaries like Ken Patera

Get all that and much more on the latest Dragon King Karl audio show here on F4WOnline.com!

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Marathon: Sgt. Slaughter

Posted on by Karl Stern

Yo Joe! You had to know that host Karl Stern was going to include Sgt. Slaughter in his list of favorite wrestlers for this year’s July Classic Wrestling Marathon.

Karl is a massive G.I. Joe collector and pro wrestling fan, and Sgt. Slaughter was a major character in both! Slaughter was a top star in the NWA, WWF, and AWA during his career, and had a run as WWF champion in the early 1990s, headlining a WrestleMania against Hulk Hogan.

Slaughter started his career out for Verne Gagne working several different gimmicks. Once he hit on Sgt. Slaughter, however, his career forever changed for the better.

Slaughter had a great run in Jim Crockett Promotions doing the brutal drill instructor gimmick with subordinates like Jim Nelson (later the known as the Russian Boris Zhukov) and Don Kernodle. Slaughter and Kernodle’s matches with Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood in the Carolinas remain some of the most fondly remembered battles from that area.

Slaughter had a big run in the WWF against people like Pat Patterson and Iron Sheik. But he had a falling out with the WWF over an action figure and left the promotion, signing a huge mainstream deal with Hasbro for his voice and likeness to be used in the G.I. Joe franchise across television, movies, and action figures. It was during this time that he had a less than memorable run in the AWA.

Slaughter returned to the WWF where an ill-advised gimmick change netted him the WWF title, but also won him scorn and controversy.

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