#47 – Sgt Slaughter v Iron Sheik Boot Camp Match June 16, 1984
God bless Sgt Slaughter. We celebrate America’s birthday with the classic 80s match as Sarge takes on the Iron Sheik in a Boot Camp Match to the DEATH, discuss the sex appeal of the Fantastics v The Rock n Roll Express, and most importantly revisit the science of foreign objects.
I just downloaded your podcast, but am not going to listen to it until tomorrow. I have a trip coming up, and will need you guys to entertain me! All I can say is thank you for getting around to this match!
Also, yes, the RNR Express were 2 ugly sons of a bitches, for sure.
WTH was that Iron Shiek bonus audio at the end? That was AWESOME! Blassie, Heenan, and Albano!!
I’m still trying to figure out the back story to that, but it sounds like he assaulted a fan or sometime and some local news station was interviewing all of the WWF celebrities before his legit court case.
Another good episode. Both Sgt. Slaughter and the Iron Shiek were trained by Verne Gagne. The Iron Shiek was in the same class as Ric Flair and Sgt. Slaughter was in a later class most likely the one after Ric Flair’s class. Ricky Steamboat was also trained by Verne Gagne. All three wrestlers did work in the AWA briefly before going on to bigger and better things.
If you ever want to review another Sgt. Slaughter match I recommend his alley fight against Pat Patterson from 1981 (which is on the WWE Hall of Fame DVD that came out in 2004) or his NWA World tag team title match teaming up with Don Kernodle vs. Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood from March of 1983 which was contested in a steel cage match.
I’m sure Gorilla Monsoon would not be a fan of the original ECW product (he was also not a fan of some of the things WWE was doing while he worked for them) and I doubt he would have worked for ECW. The reason being is that besides having a lifetime contract after Vince Jr. bought the company from his father is that he was paid a percentage from every live WWE event (unlike the wrestlers who were only paid for the shows they were on he was paid from every live event).
I do kind of wonder sometimes what Gorilla and Lou Thesz would think of today’s pro wrestling product.
Thanks for the history. And for the record Lou Thesz would chokeslam Gorilla through six flaming tables.
Loved the podcast, though your discussion of who was the hottest Fantastic was a little creepy. Like you said, I never got the sex appeal of them, the Fabulous Ones, or the Rock ‘n Roll Express. My personal favorite of these guys was Steve Keirn who, after dropping the hot teen idol gimmick, became Skinner. Ha!
Glad to see that Sheiky Baby got some love – I just rewatched he and Nikolai taking the belts at Wrestlemania I…he had some SERIOUS heat at this point. Too bad he never had a real run with the World Title.
We just try and keep it real and if our discussions take us to magical places about the Fantastics so be it.
Steve Keirn was awful. I think he possibly had the worst pro wrestling action figure of all time.
Sheik would’ve been a great champ but don’t know if it would’ve fit in the WWF model at the time, maybe NWA or some other regional promotion.
Re: the Iron Sheik clip: I found this:
The lawyer (Mickey Sherman) wrote a book a few years back and talked briefly about representing the Iron Sheik in this case. He knew the judge was a big WWF fan, so he came up with this idea to “interview” these character witnesses WWF-style. He said the judge loved it and the Sheik got off with a slap on the wrist!
Thanks! I will have to find that book.
I love calling Iron Sheik “Sheiky Baby”.
It doesn’t sound like active people would be the typical clientel at Ernie’s Roadhouse.
Like most Americans I’m sure, I totally bought in to the “Iran and Russia are bad” propoganda of the mid-80’s. I still can’t watch Rocky IV without getting at least a little pissed.
I love anytime I get to hear about the time Dre picked up the Rock N Roll Express from the airport. I still haven’t seen that match with the Void Effect.
That Omni show Gordon Solie was plugging in that bit after the podcast sounded super awesome.
Yes Cyndi Lauper, sometimes people can be dumb, gastardly dumb.
I wish I could have Captain Lou as a character witness if I ever get into trouble with the law.
I was listening to the Iron Sheik court case audio thinking Sheik’s in trouble if these are really his character witnesses. Incredible to read his got of with a slap on the wrist.
What’s the origin of Sheiky Baby?
Ernie’s Roadhouse seemed like every restaurant I ever went to in the south when I visited my grandparents.
Is there video of the RnR/Void Effect match? Possible OSWP material.
I have no idea who first coined the name “Sheiky Baby”.
A video does exist of the Rock N Roll Express vs. The Void Effect, but I don’t have it. I haven’t hassled the Drakes for a copy in years.
My only comment is as follows: I am happy you guys didn’t pick the Hogan/Slaughter match from Mania VII in LA. Horrible match. Not USA-ish.
And my last name is pronounced “Dar-see.” You guys got it right. Wanted to help you guys out if you guys try again and pronounce it.
Keep up the hard work, and I’ll keep up listening to the most awesome old-school podcast in my truck when I go on long trips! Hopefully each show will help keep my mind off of the horrible gas mileage I get and the expensive gas bill I will have when I fill up next! 🙂
Don’t worry, I hate the whole Slaughter/Hogan feud. Keep on truckin’….
Hey guys, I loved this show. Every bit of it was so much fun. And it’s great how much you guys shout me out. Thank you, always, for that!
I enjoyed that Sgt. Slaughter also got to be a part of G.I. Joe, even having his own squad of Joes to command, called Slaughter’s Marauders. Why that was never a tag team, I don’t know.
I love how much Mean Gene Okerlund loves the term ‘expontulate’. I heard him use it a lot in his time.
Dean –
I was a big Slaughter GI Joe fan and thought about including the commercial at the end but thought it was too obvious and went with something more obsure.
Mean Gene was pretty awesome no matter what he said.
I love how Sheik used to call Gene Okerlund, “Gene Mean”.
I’ve been a bit busy, but recently caught up with this. The but where you read out my message had me laughing out loud on the train and a woman told me off!