2011 Iron Mike Honoree – Sgt. Slaughter

 *Side photo -  Sarge grins after just having thrown out the first pitch at a minor league ball game

Part of the criteria for CACs Iron Mike award states that the recipient must be “immediately recognizable” to wrestling fans and the non-wrestling world alike.  Between the Marine Drill Instructor hat, the sunglasses, and the jutting jaw, it’s difficult to think of anyone in the wrestling world who could possibly be more recognizable to fans than Sgt. Slaughter.  If you add the other criteria, that the recipient must have achieved success in more than one field, it becomes clear that the Sarge is an ideal candidate for the award named after wrestler/actor Mike Mazuki.  In addition to over 35 years of success in wrestling, the good Sarge is also a major star of the GI Joe cartoon series, having become a live military action figure and pop culture phenomenon. His fame has led to countless appearances at events ranging from major and minor league baseball games, to pro hockey games, to NASCAR races.  He has met “everyone who’s anyone”, including Presidents, movie stars and pro athletes.  Despite all that, Sgt. Slaughter remains humble and has always been known for his big heart, more than anything else.  He works tirelessly for children and youth charities, and also never forgets the military troops serving in harm’s way.

Born Robert Remus and growing up in the Minneapolis, MN area, Sarge has always had a love of wrestling.  With his size, he was a natural sports star in high school, in both wrestling and football.  He grew up during the height of AWA wrestling popularity in Minnesota, watching such greats as the Crusher.  It wasn’t surprising then that he would eventually train to become a wrestler in the Minnesota area,  with teachers likeVerne Gagne and Billy Robinson.  Anyone familiar with Verne’s training camp knows that only the strongest and most talented candidates survived such training.  Those that did, often went on to achieve major stardom throughout the wrestling world.  Such was the case with Sgt. Slaughter.  From his start in the mid 70’s, he quickly moved through areas such as the Pacific Northwest to Hawaii and California, to the Central States area and the Mid-Atlantic.  As Bob Slaughter, he wrestled in and became a star in nearly every major territory of the late 70’s and early 80s.  His Drill Instructor persona really caught fire with the fans at that time, and also earned him many championships in the National Wrestling Association, both as a singles star and as a tag team, with partners like Don Kernodle.

As Sgt. Slaughter, he went on to the WWE in the early 80s.  With the advent of cable TV and nationwide coverage, fans from all over the country were exposed to the wrestling ability of the Sarge,   His matches with such WWE greats as Pat Patterson and Bruno Sammartino quickly became classics.  In the mid 80s, Sarge was offered his opportunity to become “a real American hero” and appear on the GI Joe cartoon series as himself.   Handing out American flags and having fans recite the pledge of allegiance prior to his wrestling matches of that time quickly gained Sgt. Slaughter a superhero status that few achieve.  His popularity soared during those years, and he became synonymous with the symbols of American patriotism.   Sgt Slaughter’s image was everywhere in those days, from action figures to t-shirts to videotapes.  He even filmed a commercial for Diet Coke.  It’s no surprise that with his size and natural wrestling ability, he eventually won the WWE World Championship in 1991, defeating the Ultimate Warrior.  Ironically however, his time as champion also occurred during the time of the first Gulf War, when he became associated with Iraqi sympathizers General Adnan and Colonel Mustafa.  During that time, Sarge quickly went from being one of the most popular wrestlers of the time to one of the most hated.  The feud eventually led to a major confrontation with Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania VII.  As time went by and the first Gulf War ended, Sarge eventually once again aligned himself with American heroism and regained the respect and cheers of wrestling fans everywhere.  Sarge continued wrestling through the 1990s, and later became a WWE road agent and Commissioner.  Few of the WWE wrestlers were willing to challenge the toughness of Sgt. Slaughter’s decisions,  especially when he showed that he wasn’t afraid to still mix it up with any of the current superstars.  Having become one of wrestling’s most beloved superstars, Sarge now travels the country making appearance on behalf of charities such as the March of Dimes and St. Jude’s Children’s Research.  Fans young and old clamor to get his autograph and have their chance to be placed in his feared “Cobra Clutch”.  Sarge also makes many appearances as the WWE’s “Good Will” Ambassador, promoting their many events and other superstars as he travels.   Fittingly, Sarge was inducted into WWE’s Hall of Fame in 2004.

Sgt Slaughter will receive the Iron Mike award at the April 2011 Cauliflower Alley Club reunion banquet in Las Vegas.  He will join the ranks of previous winners such as Nick Bockwinkel, Harley Race, and Terry Funk.  The presentation of this award promises to be one of the most touching and proudest moments of the CAC Banquet history. Don’t miss it, and as Sarge would say, “That’s an order!!!!”

*Bio submitted by CAC member Joyce Paustian
*Photo Credit,The Joyce Paustian Collection