Slaughter said that although the elder McMahon was intrigued, he didn’t think a babyface turn would work long term. But Vince McMahon Jr., about to take over the company, saw Sarge’s vision more clearly than his father.

“[Sr.] turned around and said, ‘Vinnie, don’t you ever turn Sgt. Slaughter into a hero, it won’t work,'” Slaughter said. “And I hate to say it, but Mr. McMahon Sr. was wrong, because [Jr.] came to me about three weeks later and said ‘I want to do what you told my father.'”

Slaughter thought he would be given time to develop the storyline, but McMahon told him he wanted to institute it that very night, with only Slaughter, McMahon and the production crew being made aware of the forthcoming promo. Apparently even The Iron Sheik was caught by surprise when Slaughter’s music rang through the arena.

“I’m watching the monitor and I see Iron Sheik and Fred Blassie, I can read their lips, and they’re saying ‘Wrong music! They’re playing the wrong music!'” Slaughter said. “And out I came, and the place went crazy.”

Slaughter was able to turn his new babyface persona into a lucrative deal with Hasbro’s G.I. Joe franchise, even voicing himself in the Saturday morning cartoon. Of course, he would eventually turn heel again, notoriously portraying his character as an Iraqi sympathizer in the early 1990s.