Over the years WWEhas had an excellent relationship with the United States Armed Forces. He served in the Marines from 2008 to 2012. During his tenure in WWE, he win the World, Intercontinental and Tag Team Championships which made him one of the most successful star of 90s history. Blassie joined WWE in 1964 and worked as a manager from the 70s before his official retirement in 1984. Corporal Kirchner wasa paratrooper with the elite 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Youve got to understand: Thats Sgt. . Steven Cutler is a formidable contender in WWE NXT, having previously faced off against the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and Baron Corbin. The Viper currently competes on Monday Night RAW as a heel. Slaughter name from Jackie Gleasons Master Sergeant Maxwell Slaughter character in Soldier in the Rain that he sounded like himself and not the nervous, monosyllabic mess that he was in the Jim and Sam interview. Military experience: Served in the U.S. Air Force for nearly ten years, flying combat missions during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Top Hat Gaming Man - twitch.tv/tophatgamingmanlive, calling occupants of interporkatery sweats. 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. Case in point: Yes, he responded when Jim Norton of Sirius XMs Jim and Sam Show asked him if he really served in the Marine Corps last February 18th. Slaughter was also a member of G.I. Why UFC Generate More Revenue Than Other MMA Events Or Promotions. William George Bonin was a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. Check out his weekly wrestling history podcast, Between The Sheets, on all major podcast platforms, and subscribe to his Substack at BabyfacevHeel.com. While Hart included the account of this November 29, 1984, dinner to note that Slaughter warned him to watch your back because Vince [McMahon] is a ruthless guy, it serves a different purpose now. It turns out that a major market newspaper had explicitly reported the fact that Sgt. Sgt. Despite the differences, these men and women mostly served their countries with honor. She recently defeated Allie Katch on the September 21 episode of AEW Dark. 10. Former WWE Superstars Raven and Steve Cutler Before they became pro wrestlers, some former WWE Superstars have served in the United States military. Not everyone has the quality to wrestler with any weight category and then put up worth watching. Slaughter, he perfected the act, becoming one of the biggest stars and top villains in the business almost overnight. is not good. Colter is a Vietnam War veteran. The Outlaws would join the legendary stable D-Generation X and capture the WWE World Tag Team Championship 6 times. WWE has also contracted several Army veterans to the company over the years, providing them with a platform inside the squared circle. Other celebrities who served in the military are Navy veterans actor Jason Robards, jazz great John Coltrane, rapper MC Hammer, actor Humphrey Bogart, television host Johnny Carson, actor Kirk Douglas, television host Bob Barker, actor Henry Fonda, pro-wrestler Jesse Ventura, and baseball great Yogi Berra. 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. Perry Saturn kicked off his wrestling career in 1991. 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. After serving a tour of duty, the former Intercontinental Champion made his return to sports-entertainment, competing in WCW and Smokey Mountain Wrestling before joining WWE. Servo fought Jenkins on Feb. 17, 1942, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jordan is a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, serving . He also described how it felt being in a combat zone. He is one of the greatest name of wrestling history as he is entertaining the world for more than twenty years. She spent five years in service and completed his bachelors degree. The former WCW Tag Team Champion spent only two years in WWE. He opted to join the United States Navy and even served on one of the ships that were bombed in Beruit, back in 1983. Ford joined WWE along with other Performance Center recruits in 2015 and he went on to team up with his partner Angelo Dawkins in NXT where they enjoyed a run with the NXT Tag Team Championship. . 3 Sgt. Any individual in an Officer Accession Program with the rank of Cadet or Midshipman (Academy or, ROTC) is not eligible for Armed Forces Championships nor any subsequent higher-level competition.. Hes not Butch Cassidy, that was just a role he played. Let's take a look at the ten Superstars who served in the military before or after joining WWE. Among them was Lacey Evans. Vera is a veteran of the US Air Force and a former UFC fighter. He then started competing on the independent circuit. The 5-foot-8 WWE star was a military police officer who served for 5 years. Slaughter, hes clearly speaking as Bob Remus and still claims to have served in the Marine Corps. Few current WWE Superstars have. He later became a singles competitor, chasing the Hardcore and European Titles. 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. Im a pretty regular guy. Got out in 74, went in in 68. 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. He is currently signed to the 'World Wrestling Entertainment,' and performs under their brand, 'Raw.'. A fellow marine, who was a promoter on the side, booked her in a match on an indy show and the rest is history. When I leave here, Im Bob Slaughter. In his interview with WWE.com, he confessed that he loved being on the front line. He attributes his discipline and work habits to the military. After he was discharged from the Navy in 1946, Freddie Blassie returned to the ring and attained more success. After that answer, the topic was mercifully brought back entirely to wrestling. But they were probably so far removed from each other that you never thought of them together. #Troops15 pic.twitter.com/JYqtnADe7c. Owing to his brilliance in the ring, he was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994. Big Swole worked as a Fire Truck Mechanic in the U.S. Air Force. 1. Lacey Evans Lacey Evans is an outstanding professional wrestler who has had several successes in the ring. A few current WWE Superstars have also had the same experience. He was elected governor with the Reform Party and is the party's only candidate to win a major . .) After competing in his first match in 1986, Road Dogg made the selfless decision to put his career on hold and join the United States Marine Corps. Former professional wrestler, actor and governor of Minnesota, Jesse "The Body" Ventura served in the Navy from 1969 to 1975 during the Vietnam War. Lashley had a very impressive career in MMA and he was also successful in amateur wrestling. Goldberg is one of the most popular figures of the late 1990s/early 2000s professional wrestling boom. Before his WWE career, Montez Ford was part of his high school's JROTC program and when he graduated, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. RELATED:Jaxson Ryker's Babyface Character On WWE RAW Is One Of The Worst In Years. From the battlefields of the Revolutionary War, to the beaches of Normandy on D-Day to the front lines of today, American Indians and Alaska Native people have defended this country for centuries. Orton had great passion for joining the military and he struggled very hard to get into it. As Diesel, Nash was even able to capture the WWE (then WWF) Championship. in very Boomer-y fashion. I found this: "Also, John Cena incorporates military dress and mannerisms into his wrestling persona, driving the rumors of his service. UFC Ring Girls OnlyFans Accounts | How Much They Earn From Subscriptions? Joe, having appeared in both the comic book and cartoon. . However, she dropped out a year later and joined the U.S. Air Force. I was, basically, just infantry, you know? My idea of a perfect evening is to cook a steak, build a fire and relax. The wrestling star ran into some legal trouble in his youth and was forced to choose between either the military or prison. However, very few wrestling fans know that he was also a platoon sergeant in command of thirty-three Marines in US Army Marine Corps. Gary Sinise is a well-known actor who played Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump in 1993. I found it interesting, but I didnt think much of it since the extent of Slaughters claims werent at the forefront of my mind. 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. He was a member of the Underwater Demolition Team during the Vietnam War in the 20th century and was stationed in the Philippines. 14/15 * Corporal Kirchner. He served as an Army Airborne Ranger during Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War between 1990 and 1991. After a successful year-long run doing strong business with great matches (primarily against, in the Carolinas, another famously lucrative territory, eventually, Slaughter would return to the WWF shortly after the traffic jam, changing his villainous ways to a good guy after about a year. He spent three years in uniform before joining WWE in 2005. During his service, he trained with some of the best wrestlers at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The Viper is definitely a future WWE Hall of Famer. This came up on the WON board, but I'll post here too. Was Road Dogg in the military? Booker worked his way up from wrestling in local venues to national stardom, first with World Championship Wrestling, then WWE. It turns out that a major market newspaper had explicitly reported the fact that Sgt. I like my privacy, I like to play golf and listen to music. Slaughter dodges all questions about his armed service record for good reason., 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., story last February while doing research on Newspapers.com. Slaughter is a wrestling star who rose to prominence in the 1980s. Government records reveal Slaughter, a.k.a. Who Will be Highest Paid Fighter at UFC 285? Raven doesnt get enough credit for being one of the best characters WCW had. He built his strong physique during his time as a professional wrestler in the WWE. Trish Adora never competed again in WWE. WWE Network. RELATED: The 10 Most Influential Wrestling Families Of All-Time. What did the guy do? Norton followed up. Having made his debut in World Wrestling Federation (now called WWE) in 1992, Konnan started his professional wrestling career. My father suggested maybe I want to join the Corps, join the military service and maybe do college later, Remus told Fox. He worked a lot with a young Baron Corbin, losing almost every time before he got a chance to shine as the Forgotten Sons in 2018 with Wesley Blake and Jackson Ryker. Vince McMahon has also hired several former U.S. Army members over the years. Instead, he focused on how go[ing] through the calisthenics and everything that goes along with it to see if you really want it benefited his transition. He will serve in Vietnam where he will be killed on July 21, 1970, one of two NFL players to be killed in Vietnam pic.twitter.com/xUILWIOsZV WWE Network. Randy Orton. The Best Apps/Websites to Watch MF & DAZN X Series 005 Live Online | 5 March 2023, Comparison of BKFC, UFC, Bellator & PFL Fighters Payouts | UFC Currently Stands As Richest Promotion for Fighters Based PPV Contracts, Top UFC Women Fighters With Highest Fan Following On TikTok | How Much They Earn For Posting Video On Their Accounts. Before stepping to the ring, the Sassy Southern Belle served as a military police officer in the United States Marine Corps for five years. In honor of Veterans Day, WWE.com salutes 12 Superstars from different eras who fought for their country before battling in WWE. There were some bad experiences, things I did [that] I never really would have done unless I was ordered to do it, he added, seemingly suggesting that he had regret and/or PTSD from committing war crimes or something close to it. WWE Hall of Famers Kevin Nash and Freddie Blassie are two examples of wrestlers who have served in the military before becoming pro wrestlers. Slaughter never served decades ago, even though Remus still claimed as recently as last summer that he was a real Marine. He has always been there for the troops, Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) January 17, 2020, FINALLY Someone Gets It FINALLY Someone Recognizes It FINALLY Someone Understands Who @_SgtSlaughter IsGod Bless You @JackPosobiecGod Bless ALL Those Who HAVEGod Bless ALL Those Who ARE Serving OUR Country& God Bless America Home of the FREE Because of the BRAVE, SGT SLAUGHTER (@_SgtSlaughter) January 17, 2020. The military-style business demeanor of Saturn could be attributed to his time serving in the U.S. Army. Two tours of Vietnam, yeah. Before his career in WWE, Kirchner enlisted as a paratrooper with the elite 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, N.C. on television. , 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. You might find some affiliate links on our website which are part of advertisement on this website. Randy Orton. The current issue is: Remus has long given and continues to give out-of-character interviews where, despite being introduced as Sgt. Saturn teamed up in his last match with former WWE Superstar Raven to defeat Brady Pierce and Mad Man Pondo in a Raven's Rules Tag Team Match at RPW Lights Out. While some wrestlers, such as Lacey Evans, tried to focus on a character outside of her military experience, others, including Jackson Ryker, brought the personality directly into their WWE personas. Lashley is a two-time winner of the 'Extreme Championship Wrestling,' and a one-time winner of the 'WWE United States Championship.'. . David Bixenspan is a freelance reporter who lives in Brooklyn. UFC Highest PPV Buys | Khabib vs McGregor Breaks All Records Generated $180m+ on PPV event day. In other words: Maybe you heard that Slaughter wasnt a genuine Marine at one point, and you heard him giving an out-of-character interview where he claimed real military service. AEW (All Elite Wrestling) (w)Rest of Wrestling. But mostly yes. Regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, Pacquiao has also been involved in Philippine politics throughout his athletic career. During that period he served as a member of the Underwater Demolition Team. In 2016, she made a one-off appearance on Monday Night RAW, competing against Nia Jax. Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. However, his best work in WWF or WWE is as a manager in 1980s. Jessie "The Body" Ventura is a retired pro wrestler out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Steve Culter joined WWE in 2014 after spending two years wrestling in different promotions. Still, he is working for WWE as Senior Vice President of Live Events. Wrestlers That Served in the Military. Currently: CEO of USAA. 15. Mr. Kennedy currently runs a wrestling school known as The Academy. A few current WWE Superstars have also had the same experience. In a 2015 interview with KMEL radio, for example, the interviewer called him a genuine veteran who had military experience. Slaughter then replied, I didnt even think about using that character when he first broke into wrestling, instead having an epiphany watching 1957s Jack Webb vehicle The D.I. Yes, Slaughters military credentials were legit. WWE Hall of Famers Kevin Nash and Freddie Blassie are two examples of wrestlers who have served in the military before becoming pro wrestlers. Nash had some success during his enlistment and worked his way up to the rank of specialist. All of that resulted in the historian expressing discomfort with voting for someone who has brazenly been impersonating a Marine, and sharing the, s message board for subscribers. In, , for example, the interviewer called him a genuine veteran who had military experience. Slaughter then replied, I didnt even think about using that character when he first broke into wrestling, instead having an epiphany watching 1957s Jack Webb vehicle, So I went down to my locker box, pulled out my, out, he explained. Bobby Lashley. He was part of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, famously known as " Buffalo Soldiers ," and part of the Louisiana Maneuvers in 1941 the largest military exercise ever held in the US. Hes not, , that was just a role he played. This led to his recruitment into the United States Army. Oh yeah, yeah, Ive been in one, Remus replied. So I went down to my locker box, pulled out my campaign cover and got my swagger stick out, he explained. Proudly serving on the frontlines, Cutler did two tours in Afghanistan before being honorably discharged. Like Mr. Armstrong, Road Dogg served in the U.S. Marine Corps, putting his wrestling career on hold. Last, but not least, we have Randy Orton. Lacey Evans is a legit badass tho!! Slaughter schooled other fighters in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (today's World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE) as the ultimate drill instructor for decades, and his image even graced a G.I. The WWE Universe remembers Jesse The Body Ventura as the colorful commentator calling the WWE action alongside Mr. McMahon in the 1980s. UFC Fighters With Expensive Sponsorship Deals | How Much These Endorsements Help Them in their Careers? . The Sheik is arguably one of wrestling's greatest villains ever - and every great villain needs a hero. Slaughter. Freddie Blassie also achieved success as an in-ring competitor. convention, Slaughter gave him a similar story, one that, even as someone with family who served in the Marines, he bought. Updated on August 10, 2021, by Shawn S. Lealos: WWE has continued to push its connection with the military, including adding several instances of promoting the soldiers and veterans into storylines that emphasize their military careers. James Mulva. AEW (All Elite Wrestling) (w)Rest of Wrestling. These brave men and women proudly served their country in the military. Remus may have, at least briefly, had regrets after that one. Naval Academy in 1989 and served in the Navy Supply Corps . After serving overseas, the former WWE Champion returned to the US and got into pro wrestling. He started his career in 1990 after signing the deal with United States Wrestling Association. As such, in December 1984, Slaughter/Remus gave, , which would be syndicated nationwide throughout 1985 by Knight-Ridder and the Associated Press. Cutler brought experience to the gimmick, as he served as a Machine Gunner/0331 Infantry with Second Battalion 8th Marines Weapons Company. He snuck the, uh, Twinkies in the barracks. That is, to show that Slaughter was even lying to his fellow wrestlers about serving. Military experience: Graduated from the U.S. The Viper is regarded as one of the best heels in the business and he is one of the most decorated champions in WWE history. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old returned to WWE two years later to compete in the 2018 Mae Young Classic. 6 Kevin Nash. 10 Wrestlers Who Served In The Military - YouTube 0:00 / 3:19 10 Wrestlers Who Served In The Military Top10Wrestling 224K subscribers Subscribe 3.3M views 6 years ago Hello and welcome to the. One detail of Colters typical tirades, however, is 100 percent accurate he served in the Vietnam War. WWE - Current . At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, they lose 1 life and you gain 1 life. Trish Adora kicked off her wrestling career in 2016 after training at the Team 3D Academy, under WWE Hall of Famers The Dudley Boyz. Im a pretty regular guy. Stay tuned for more information! 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. After the troll, Slaughter on a pedestal as having always been there for the troops, the wrestler. Randy Orton, the legend killer, the apex predator. Few current WWE Superstars have served in the United States military in the past two decades. Bobby Lashley is an American professional wrestler and a mixed martial artist. Nobodys talking about the Sgt. A few wrestlers, however, had duties and responsibilities that exceeded the rest. All four have unique stories of their service that came before, after and even in between their time at Oklahoma State. Remus may have, at least briefly, had regrets after that one. When I leave here, Im Bob Slaughter. Here are the complete details about the top 10 most popular WWE wrestlers who served in military. RULES. 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 spent a long career, fighting professional matches for more than 20 years. Slaughter was a character separate from the real person who portrayed him, and that the real person still was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Bobby has military background as his father was a drill sergeant in United Stated Army. All of which misses the point. But his wrestling career cut short due to the elbow injury he suffered in training. Before Orton followed in the footsteps of his father Cowboy Bob Orton and his grandfather, Bob Orton Sr., however, The Viper enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Jay Swingler vs Nicholai Perrett Purse Payouts | How Much Both Earn from PPV Money? The WWE Hall of Famer out of St. Louis, Missouri began his wrestling career all the way back in 1952. An injury he sustained during a game in Germany forced him to end his basketball career in 1981. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. What Percentage Of Americans Have Served In The Military? I just wish I had more time to do that.. Orton then decided to follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a professional wrestler. I thought he had been a Marine before he was a wrestler., Over the last few years, though, Remus has made matters worse by pushing more and more egregious claims. Ford also handled Defense Travel System plans for his battalion, which he revealed in an interview. Serving the nation by joining military of your own country is a dream of almost every citizen. Discharged after the war in 1946 as a Petty Officer Second Class, the WWE Hall of Famer initially began his wrestling career as Sailor Freddie Blassie before he became The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling. Outside the ring, Blassie was a World War II veteran who served in U.S. Navy. (FWIW: Available newspaper records dont shed any light on what Remus really did during his service other than getting married.) Back in 1986, James decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corp. A member of the Republican Party, Jordan is a former collegiate wrestler and college wrestling coach. Still he is signed with Impact where he is a member of the creative team. Still, the 1985 article was explicit and well-reported, and a legitimate veteran-turned-pro-wrestler, Jesse Ventura, would later state the truth about Slaughter, article, wrestling historian J. Steve Hicks , . 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. Ventura served in active combat as part of . That last link is the most explicit, using his real name and putting him in a Veterans Day 2018 listicle of wrestlers who otherwise legitimately served. Randy is a Third generation superstar which will most certainly be in the hall of fame sooner or later but what a few people could maybe not know is that Randy . 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. . 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. Ventura was a member of the United States Navy from 1969 to 1975. Slaughter, he perfected the act, becoming one of the biggest stars and top villains in the business almost overnight. Some controversy caused WWE to drop the gimmick, but Ryker returned in 2021 as a lackey for Elias before movingback into singles action and relying on his military past again. out of this orbit perry saturn super kick followed by a spin cycle fisherman's buster to crash holly. During that process, he came across not just the Sun article but also Remus more recent claims to have genuinely served. However, WWE released him from his contract last February. After college, Bobby Lashley followed in his father's footsteps by enlisting in the military though he continued to compete in the army's World Class Athlete Program. During his appearance on the popular pro wrestling program, "The Raging Bull" opened up about his Vietnam military service, shoots on Jim Cornette saying he didn't serve, clears up rumors claiming he was going to marry Ann or Nancy Wilson of the rock band 'Heart,' as well as his bloody fight with Invader 3 in Puerto Rico, working with the . He would go on to become a star in his own right after teaming up with Billy Gunn and forming The New Age Outlaws. Ventura is also a politician and from 1999 to 2003, served as the governor of Minnesota. The 57-year-old had two short stints in WWE. In the 1990s, Perry Saturn won championships in the three major sports-entertainment organizations WWE, WCW and ECW. 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. I walked into a caf near the Holiday Inn in Oklahoma City and saw Sergeant Slaughter sitting quietly by himself,, , which is sourced almost entirely from his contemporaneous audio diaries. Despite never serving with the armed forces, John Cena strives to support those who serve and veterans in his professional and personal life. John Cena, Batista & Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton & Jeri . 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. Before pursuing a career in professional wrestling, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash was a basketball player. Military police as a SWAT officer badass #Raw pic.twitter.com/LDMKGB7DRC. He also has an amateur wrestling background and currently holds a certification in Krav Maga. Bryant then put in a Freedom of Information Act request about Remus, quickly resulting in. Did any WWE wrestlers serve in the military? He competed in ECW and WCW for several years before joining WWE in January 2000. . Before starting his wrestling career, Jesse was in United States Navy Underwater Demolition Team.

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