The Religion of Wrestling
Displays of Religion in the WWE & Associated Companies
GENERAL ADNAN & COLONEL MUSTAFA
General Adnan and Colonel Mustafa were most successful more or less because of their third faction member, Sgt. Slaughter.
Slaughter's original gimmick was that of a US Marine. He was a total babyface, universally loved by Americans. He defended American values in his promos and fought for them in the ring. In 1991, however, he turned heel aligning himself with two Iraqi militant characters, General Adnan and Colonel Mustafa. The amount of heat this faction generated is absolutely astounding. It went far beyond typical ring-side heat, resulting in actual threats (Bleacher Report 2011). Summerslam in 1991 had to be moved from it's original location very quickly due to the amount of bomb threats WWE had been recieving thanks to Slaughter's heel turn.
America absolutely despised Sgt. Slaughter during this time. Seeing a US Marine, a character who is admired and venerated for the defense and service to America become an Iraqi sympathizer was just jaw-droppingly awful in the eyes of wrestling fans. Sgt. Slaughter eventually turned face again, reclaiming
his love for America and gaining back every little bit of fandom he had previously lost. His quick return into the hearts of Americans with the simple drop of the Iraqi gimmick is almost comical and also a little sad. People do know this is all fake, right?
Here's an iconic match highlighting Sgt. Slaughter's hatred for America during his stint as part of the "Triangle of Terror" as he and General Adnan face two iconic America-loving babyfaces, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Dusty Rhodes.
