Still, he is working for WWE as Senior Vice President of Live Events. Throughout 1984, then, Slaughter was, at a minimum, as big of an attraction as Hulk Hogan, if not bigger. Besides the normal cadets, many known wrestlers of history also remained the part of their respective countries forces before starting their career or even after taking the retirement. Not as a character backstory, mind you, but as, with multiple veterans organizations, refers to Slaughter as a, on its website and uses him as a company ambassador at military events. Not to mention, in the ensuing years, the YouTube and podcast booms hadnt really gotten going yet at least not to the degree that it would be easy to be aware of what Slaughter has claimed about being a genuine Marine while explicitly out-of-character. He snuck the, uh, Twinkies in the barracks. Joe action figure in the late '80s when he became a spokesman for the brand and did voice-over work . Freddie Blassie also achieved success as an in-ring competitor. . Remus may have, at least briefly, had regrets after that one. Servo fought Jenkins on Feb. 17, 1942, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. .) Let's take a look at the ten Superstars who served in the military before or after joining WWE. As such, in December 1984, Slaughter/Remus gave an interview to Ray Didinger of the Philadelphia Daily News, which would be syndicated nationwide throughout 1985 by Knight-Ridder and the Associated Press. Its like Paul Newman. 16 Steve McQueen Shutterstock At age 17, The King of Cool joined the United States Marine Corps. Currently, he is signed under Raw brand and pocketing ludicrous base salary as per contract. What a lot of people might not know, however, is that Bobby Lashley has a military background. In fact, every year the company holds its annual Tribute to the Troops, in an effort to show appreciation for the fighting men and women who serve. Ill go into the Marine Corps, and Ill go to college when I get out. I got halfway there [and] ended up at a pro wrestling training camp on leave. A follow-up question asking if it was an easy transition for you from being a Marine to becoming a pro wrestler saw Remus avoid going further than the above implication that he may have only gone through basic training. Slaughter dodges all questions about his armed service record for good reason., The Sun also spoke to then-USMC Captain Jay Farrar of the Public Affairs Office, who added that weve been interested in Slaughter for a couple of years, since he began using our paraphernalia, but the guy has been very elusive. Farrars office had received 50 complaints in the past year from true-blue Marines, citing Slaughters abuse of the uniform, which Farrar said mainly stemmed from when his opponents staged attacks on people wearing dress blue uniforms, whom we strongly believe were not Marines., In the fall of 1984, though, when Congress passed a law prohibiting the use of the Marine Corps emblem and insignia by civilians, it gave the Marines more leverage, and Farrars office fired off a letter demanding that Slaughter stop because his actions reflect discredit on those who have served. Farrar, for his part, did concede that going further, like prosecuting Remus, might not be worth it given the nature of the Slaughter character. WWE CEO (and owner) Vince McMahon is an outspoken supporter of the military. Lacey Evans Lacey Evans is an outstanding professional wrestler who has had several successes in the ring. WWE Hall of Famers Kevin Nash and Freddie Blassie are two examples of wrestlers who have served in the military before becoming pro wrestlers. Trish Adora never competed again in WWE. Steven Cutler is a formidable contender in WWE NXT, having previously faced off against the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and Baron Corbin. 10 Wrestlers Who Served In The Military. He competed in ECW and WCW for several years before joining WWE in January 2000. Colter is a Vietnam War veteran. Before stepping inside a WWE ring a few years ago, Big Swole served in the United States military. Slaughter character or even Remus, frankly being a valor thief at his peak, when kayfabe was still strong, past a few mid-1980s Marines. Vince McMahon has also hired several former U.S. Army members over the years. But very few become able to get into the defense as it requires a lot of skills and strong stamina alongside with high morale to tackle the difficulties. Professional Wrestlers Who Served In The United States Military In honor of Veterans Day, we decided to salute 13 wrestlers from different decades who fought for their country before battling inside a WWE ring. I just wish I had more time to do that.. After all, it is just a wrestling gimmick right? At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, they lose 1 life and you gain 1 life. School meal programs struggle to serve growing number of students in need as food prices climb Owing to his brilliance in the ring, he was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994. Blassie joined WWE in 1964 and worked as a manager from the 70s before his official retirement in 1984. Ventura served in active combat as part of . After graduating from high school, wrote digital content producer Kevin Powers, young Robert Remus joined the United States Marine Corps where he earned the moniker Sgt. WWE Hall of Famer "Classy" Freddie Blassie is one of the greatest managers of all time who guided many legends, including The Iron Sheik, Hulk Hogan and even Muhammad Ali. Slaughter never served decades ago, even though Remus still claimed as recently as last summer that he was a real Marine. Before making it to the wrestling business, almost every WWE Superstar earned a living by working ordinary jobs. Despite never serving with the armed forces, John Cena strives to support those who serve and veterans in his professional and personal life. It was less disorienting than usual, though, because he grounded the tall tales in enough ostensible reality connecting everything to wrestling stories, e.g., getting the Sgt. During his tour, he even won a gold medal in freestyle (amateur) wrestling at an event hosted by the International Military Sports Council. Before his career in WWE, Kirchner enlisted as a paratrooper with the elite 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, N.C. The Sheik is arguably one of wrestling's greatest villains ever - and every great villain needs a hero. The WWE Universe remembers Jesse The Body Ventura as the colorful commentator calling the WWE action alongside Mr. McMahon in the 1980s. His father was a United States Army drill sergeant and his sister served in the United States Air Force. The powerhouse out of Junction City, Kansas has had plenty of good fortune during his stints with WWE. Nonetheless, before becoming a pro wrestler, Saturn spent four years in the United States army. Not as a character backstory, mind you, but as Bob Remus personal backstory. After high school, Orton enlisted in the United States Marine Corp. Several months after I first spotted the Sun article, wrestling historian J. Steve Hicks he uses the pen name Karl Stern online was researching Slaughters case for induction in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. He was in the service during the Vietnam War but never saw combat during the conflict. In 1980, though, he got his big break, heading to the WWF (now WWE) the biggest money promotion in the country, even then as the villainous Sgt. . Following that, Mr. Kennedy signed with WWE in 2005 and he went on to capture the US Championship only a year after his debut. Perhaps most odiously, he responded in detail to infamous Pizzagate conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec. He later became a singles competitor, chasing the Hardcore and European Titles. Not much. Although he never went into battle, the young corporal gained the mental and physical tenacity of a soldier and used his skills to compete in WWE, Stampede Wrestling and Japan. I walked into a caf near the Holiday Inn in Oklahoma City and saw Sergeant Slaughter sitting quietly by himself, Bret Hart wrote in his memoir, Hitman, which is sourced almost entirely from his contemporaneous audio diaries. Two tours of Vietnam, yeah. , who worked with Slaughter in the WWF, also, over Remus non-service on his podcast last week when answering a listener question about the controversy. Why UFC Generate More Revenue Than Other MMA Events Or Promotions. Sarge invited me to join him; we talked about his family, his time in the business, his career as a real soldier he left the Army [sic] for wrestling.. Gary Sinise has 40 years invested in his career as an actor, and his advocacy for service members is as long. At Anson High School in North Carolina, Ford holds several records in the 200-meter, 400-meter and 4x4 relay racesand was named 2007 Athlete of the Year. Did any WWE wrestlers serve in the military? Mini Bio (1) William Scott Goldberg , better commonly known as Goldberg, is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former American football player. As for what hes said since things have really blown up over the last few weeks? When my wife got home from work, I had her take a disposable camera, take some pictures of me growling, and being bad, and took em over to a wrestling office , The article that set off the latest controversy was, originally published in the March 24, 1985, issue of the, , which featured Slaughter on the cover. His first WWE run lasted for nearly a year between 1993 and 1994. As the mouthpiece of The New Age Outlaws, Road DoggJesse James broke out as The Attitude Eras most boisterous degenerate. At 6-foot-10, Detroit, Michigan's Kevin Nash was one of wrestling's biggest stars in the 1990s - both literally and figuratively. {2}{B} Enchantment Aura Curse // Creature Leech Horror Enchant player As this permanent transforms into Curse of Leeches, attach it to a player. Before embarking on a career in sports-entertainment, Kevin Nash was an accomplished NCAA basketball player and also played in Europe. A disappointingly large number of comments on the topic of Remus military service have examined the topic as shallowly as possible, with The Undertaker isnt really dead, either kind of responses. Air Force is one of three Division I service academies with wrestling programs in the United States. This came up on the WON board, but I'll post here too. Timothy Fred Kennedy (born September 1, 1979) is a retired American mixed martial artist and current soldier. Steven Cutler served in the Marine Corps, as did Montez Ford. Slaughter well, Robert Remus, the man behind the wrestling gimmick never served in the military. Trish Adora kicked off her wrestling career in 2016 after training at the Team 3D Academy, under WWE Hall of Famers The Dudley Boyz. Cena incorporates military dress and mannerisms into his wrestling persona, driving the rumors of his service. (FWIW: Available newspaper records dont shed any light on what Remus really did during his service other than. Swole lost the match. He probably did get the idea from The D.I., it just didnt remind him of his own such superior officer because he never had one. Slaughter. He had already begun wrestling at the time but decided to put his in-ring career on hold. Naval Academy in 1989 and served in the Navy Supply Corps . He had a couple of unauthorized absences (UA) on his record and disobeyed an order. Outside the squared circle, Blassie enrolled in the United States Navy during the Second World War and served in the Pacific Theater for over three years. I just wish I had more time to do that., And not just to the media either. Vera is a veteran of the US Air Force and a former UFC fighter. Sign up for BINGE to watch. The 34-year-old joined Impact Wrestling last June. Kevin Nash during his time with the U.S. Army's 202nd Military Police Company pic.twitter.com/24sOxD8SGL. He attributes his discipline and work habits to the military. Oh yeah, yeah, Ive been in one, Remus replied. Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. 11/15 * Zeb Colter. Stationed in the Pacific Theater for more than three years, Blassie won the 7th Naval District Championship for boxing and wrestling while serving. That seems to also be the case for many others, at least as far as why this story has, somewhat improbably, not come to a head sooner. He is currently signed to the 'World Wrestling Entertainment,' and performs under their brand, 'Raw.'. In California, he was known as "The Freeway Killer.". WWE has also contracted several Army veterans to the company over the years, providing them with a platform inside the squared circle. The WWE, which partners with multiple veterans organizations, refers to Slaughter as a legitimate military veteran on its website and uses him as a company ambassador at military events. Kirchner ended up winning a Flag Match against Nikolai Volkoff at WrestleMania 2. Stay tuned for more information! He opted to join the United States Navy and even served on one of the ships that were bombed in Beruit, back in 1983. I was, basically, just infantry, you know? The late wrestler Freddie Blassie has won the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship during his professional career. 10/15 Lacey Evans. A few current WWE Superstars have also had the same experience. Bryant then put in a Freedom of Information Act request about Remus, quickly resulting in. 4 Bobbly Lashley. Prior to chasing WWE gold, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps and served as a drill Sergeant. The veteran currently works as a backstage producer and writer in WWE. Please logout and login again. While its fine that he portrays a character that was a Marine, him doing non-kayfabe interviews claiming to serve 2 tours in Vietnam, that he was a drill instructor, etc. Lashley is a two-time winner of the 'Extreme Championship Wrestling,' and a one-time winner of the 'WWE United States Championship.'. Slaughter.. Corporal Kirchner was another WWE superstar who had his gimmick include plenty of references to his military career. Im a pretty regular guy. My idea of a perfect evening is to cook a steak, build a fire and relax. Slaughter character or even Remus, frankly being a valor thief at his peak, when kayfabe was still strong, past a few mid-1980s Marines. Military police as a SWAT officer badass #Raw pic.twitter.com/LDMKGB7DRC. Virginia . But to the US Air Force, he was a hero. Later on, he moved to WWE in 2000 and spent 2 years with them. Before pursuing a career in professional wrestling, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash was a basketball player. Verne Gagne is a pioneer in professional wrestling whose influence is still felt to this day. So, who are these patriots? After his release from WWE, he joined TNA (now IMPACT Wrestling) and competed as Mr. Anderson where he won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Slaughter ever served in the Marines. Former WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, for example, joined the army after graduating from college, following in his father's footsteps. A few current WWE Superstars have also had the same experience. While he had a noteworthy career as an in-ring competitor, he is arguably best to remember for his work as a commentator for WWE in the 1980s. UFC Fighters Insurance | How Much UFC Pay To The Injured Fighters? NEXT: 5 Wrestling Couples That Were Really Married (And 5 That Werent). He did his research, the wrestler added. After retiring from in-ring competition, Ventura became a commentator in WWE. Dwayne Johnson 'The Rock' did not serve in the military. . To make things official, he later saved Eddie Gilbert from the Sheiks antics, after which he announced, IRON SHEIK, I DECLARE WAR ON YOU! and led the fans in the Pledge of Allegiance. Remus himself never served in the military. WWE is a lot of things, but stupid enough to send a valor thief to military events isnt one of them. The gimmick wasnt entirely new: When he first became Bob Slaughter in 1976 in the Kansas City territory, he was. Before joining the promotion, Ellenberger racked up a 12-0 MMA score. He chose first options and remained the part of US Navy and discharged later on in 1984. pic.twitter.com/bIpik22dln, SoCal UNCENSORED (@socaluncensored) January 14, 2020. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of D-Generation X. Perry Saturn is among the few wrestlers who competed in WCW, ECW, WWE and TNA. Please logout and login again. WWE Hall of Famers Kevin Nash and Freddie Blassie are two examples of wrestlers who have served in the military before becoming pro wrestlers.