In California, he was known as "The Freeway Killer.". #OTD in 1969 Bob Kalsu, who started nine games at right guard during his 1968 rookie season, has left the Buffalo Bills to be inducted into the Army. Owing to her great skills, she reached the rank of Sergeant and served as a United States Marine Corps Military Police officer before getting discharged in 2014. Lacey Evans is a legit badass tho!! Two tours of Vietnam, yeah. Former WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, for example, joined the army after graduating from college, following in his father's footsteps. Read the Rules! 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. As for what hes said since things have really blown up over the last few weeks? Ventura graduated from the physically and mentally demanding Basic Underwater Demolition School or BUD/S one of the elements of Navy SEAL training. The Staff Sergeant booked her in a wrestling match on the show and that's where it all began. 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. The late wrestler Freddie Blassie has won the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship during his professional career. Photo credit: ihorror.com. Mr. Kennedy currently runs a wrestling school known as The Academy. 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. 8 William Bonin. This came up on the WON board, but I'll post here too. 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. Before his career in WWE, Kirchner enlisted as a paratrooper with the elite 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, N.C. He served in the Marines from 2008 to 2012. 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. Jay Swingler vs Nicholai Perrett Purse Payouts | How Much Both Earn from PPV Money? Lashley had a very impressive career in MMA and he was also successful in amateur wrestling. During that period he served as a member of the Underwater Demolition Team. Currently performing under the SmackDown brand in WWE, Lacey Evans is the only female wrestler to be the part of this list as she served in military back in the year in 2009. 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. He built his strong physique during his time as a professional wrestler in the WWE. Over the years WWEhas had an excellent relationship with the United States Armed Forces. In NXT, he ended up forming The Forgotten Sons faction, with the gimmick as former military veterans whose country turned its back on them. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Stuart Parker. Having performed as MMA fighter in Bellator and StrikeForce, Bobby Lashley started his wrestling career in 2005 and performed magnificently in the largest promotion WWE. . Part of the issue, too, is that Slaughter is an undisputed legend in pro wrestling. Military experience: Graduated from the U.S. 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. It probably wont surprise you to learn that Sgt. 10. 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. Enlisting at age 17 and serving for four years, Saturn pushed himself to the limit to become an elite U.S. Army Airborne Ranger. Instead, he pursued a career in pro wrestling. . He enlisted from 2007 to 2011 and did two tours of Afghanistan. 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. Ventura was a member of the United States Navy from 1969 to 1975. Having won WWF European Championship and WWF Hardcore Championship, Perry Saturn is also present in the list for his services in United States military. In the 1990s, Perry Saturn won championships in the three major sports-entertainment organizations WWE, WCW and ECW. RELATED:Jaxson Ryker's Babyface Character On WWE RAW Is One Of The Worst In Years. He did his research, the wrestler added. The powerhouse out of Junction City, Kansas has had plenty of good fortune during his stints with WWE. Booker worked his way up from wrestling in local venues to national stardom, first with World Championship Wrestling, then WWE. Wrestlers That Served in the Military. UFC Referees Salaries | Herb Dean Highest Paid MMA Official With $500k Salary, Most Expensive UFC Fighters Contracts Deals. Lacey Evans competed in NXT before moving to the main roster where she had her first feud with one of WWE's biggest stars, Becky Lynch, for the RAW Women's Championship. Servo won a 10-round decision as Ambers watched from ringside. William George Bonin was a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. At 6-foot-10, Detroit, Michigans Kevin Nash was one of wrestling's biggest stars in the 1990s both literally and figuratively. 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 Verne Gagnes wrestling office., The article that set off the latest controversy was originally published in the March 24, 1985, issue of theBaltimore Suns Sun Magazine, which featured Slaughter on the cover. However, she later decided to leave service and pursue a wrestling career. To make things official, he later, saved Eddie Gilbert from the Sheiks antics. Nash was a big name in World Championship Wrestling and in WWE. The 34-year-old joined Impact Wrestling last June. Orton had great passion for joining the military and he struggled very hard to get into it. If there is any change, we will make them available here. . Outside of wrestling, Randy Orton has also starred in two action movies; 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded and The Condemned 2. 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. The third-generation Superstar holds the record for being the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in the company and he has also main evented WWE WrestleMania twice. He never went into battle before leaving the military and joining WWE. Adora is a United States Army veteran. I support the United States Marine Corps. Throughout 1984, then, Slaughter was, at a minimum, as big of an attraction as Hulk Hogan, if not bigger. The now 60-year-old originally got his big break in WWE using the ring name Diesel. Lacey Evans, the Lady of NXT, also served in the Marine Corps. During the 1980s, Corporal Kirchner displayed pride in his service and competed in WWE, including a memorable victory against Nikolai Volkoff in a Flag Match at WrestleMania 2. Read the Rules! WWE Chairman Vince McMahon himself is a supporter of the U.S. military. Professional wrestling itself is a rigorous industry to work in, as it requires a lot of training, sacrifice and endurance. The 43-year-old WWE star comes from a military background. He competed in ECW and WCW for several years before joining WWE in January 2000. He also joined Army college and after showing his brilliant fighting skills in inter-college competitions, started his professional career. The former fire truck mechanic officially joined AEW in December 2019. As Diesel, Nash was even able to capture the WWE (then WWF) Championship. At the tender age of 18, Johnny Cash (pictured here with Bob Dylan) joined the Air Force, serving in Texas and Germany before receiving an honorable discharge after four years of service in 1954. Bobby Lashley made his initial WWE debut in 2005 and his overall tenure in the company saw him becoming the ECW World Champion, United States Champion and Intercontinental Champion. Last, but not least, we have Randy Orton. Nov 11, 2020 happy Veterans Day Randy Orton (marines) Lacey Evans (marines) Jaxson Ryker (marines) Montez Ford (marines) Bobby Lashley (army) Kevin Nash has earned massive success during his wrestling career. Gary Sinise is a well-known actor who played Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump in 1993. 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. It did not take him long to find his calling and surpass the legacies of both his father and grandfather in becoming WWEs Apex Predator. Remus may have, at least briefly, had regrets after that one. These wrestlers served in different branches, including the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force. All of which misses the point. Despite never serving with the armed forces, John Cena strives to support those who serve and veterans in his professional and personal life. Slaughter well, Robert Remus, the man behind the wrestling gimmick never served in the military. Like many young men of his generation, Gagne answered the call of duty and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Check out his weekly wrestling history podcast, Between The Sheets, on all major podcast platforms, and subscribe to his Substack at BabyfacevHeel.com. Your login session has expired. Slaughter.. Well, I always thought he was in the Marines! exclaimed the former member of the WWF creative team and talent relations department through laughter. WWE CEO (and owner) Vince McMahon is an outspoken supporter of the military. 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. Debuting in, , he was a journeyman throughout the rest of the decade, starting under his real name before switching to other gimmicks like Bob Slaughter and the masked Super Destroyer Mark II. on television. Sgt. After Big Swole graduated from high school, she went to college. He is still signed with promotion on Legends contract. Perry Saturn is one of only a handful of wrestlers who have had success in the original ECW, WCW, and WWE. The 32-year-old then received a WWE tryout in 2017. That is, to show that Slaughter was even lying to his fellow wrestlers about serving. Randy Orton, the legend killer, the apex predator. 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, hes clearly speaking as Bob Remus and still claims to have served in the Marine Corps. That said, he further committed to military service six months ago on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast, recorded before a live audience at the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa. Bobby has military background as his father was a drill sergeant in United Stated Army. In 2016, Trish Adora started wrestling in a few promotions like IGNITE Wrestling, American Combat Wrestling, and Go Wrestle. Not everyone has the quality to wrestler with any weight category and then put up worth watching. Owing to his brilliance in the ring, he was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994. After his short stint in the military, Orton decided to continue the legacy of his father and grandfather, becoming a professional wrestler in 2000 and debuting for the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling promotion in St. Louis. This led to his recruitment into the United States Army. Recently, Evans competed in the Mae Young Classic, advancing to the second round after defeating Taynara Conti. FINALLY Someone Gets It FINALLY Someone Recognizes It FINALLY Someone Understands Who @_SgtSlaughter Is, he wrote, adding God Bless You @JackPosobiec and the same message for all who have served the country. Wrestling boards archives (2005-2006) Off-Topic archives (2015) Off-Topic archives (2014) Off-Topic archives (2013) Despite the differences, these men and women mostly served their countries with honor. For those unfamiliar, the school is essentially 61-days of intense leadership training. Although his father and grandfather both worked in the wrestling business, Orton chose to join the U.S. Marine Corps after his graduation. However, the former WWE champ had a rough go of it in the military. He began his pro wrestling career in the 90s and he went on to win a championship in three of the biggest companies during that time. Nonetheless, fans might not know about a few other former WWE Superstars who have also joined the military. 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. Sign up for BINGE to watch. However, she dropped out a year later and joined the U.S. Air Force. Government records reveal Slaughter, a.k.a. 11/15 * Zeb Colter. The current American politician Jesse Ventura has spent a wonderful career in professional wrestling world where he has his hands on multiple achievements. Please logout and login again. WWE Network. Bryant then put in a Freedom of Information Act request about Remus, quickly resulting in a letter confirming that, indeed, the wrestler never served. So I thought, Well, thats probably what Ill do. After all, it, Well, yes. Blues legend Chester Arthur Burnett served in the Army for two and a half years. Lacey Evans has only been wrestling since 2014 and is already headlining pay-per-views. 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. Part of the issue, too, is that Slaughter is an undisputed legend in pro wrestling. He began his run with the company back in 1994, managing Jeff Jarrett. . He spent a long career, fighting professional matches for more than 20 years. The 5-foot-8 WWE star was a military police officer who served for 5 years. Konnan has not performed in WWE, but also in Impact Wrestling, Major League Wrestling and many other promotions. Still he is signed with Impact where he is a member of the creative team. Did any WWE wrestlers serve in the military? 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. 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. . Sign up for Peacock to watch. Vince McMahon has also hired several former U.S. Army members over the years. pic.twitter.com/K7IaKYn4. His conduct eventually led to his premature dismissal. His first WWE run lasted for nearly a year between 1993 and 1994. Slaughter name was given to him in the Marines and that the gimmick as presented was inspired by The D.I., Norton asks him if he ever participated in any blanket parties a la the famous scene in Full Metal Jacket. 13/15 * Jaxson Ryker. Peyton Walsh prepare for. It was during this time that she discovered pro wrestling. Slaughter, he perfected the act, becoming one of the biggest stars and top villains in the business almost overnight. The Viper is definitely a future WWE Hall of Famer. David Bixenspan is a freelance reporter who lives in Brooklyn. SSG Warren Swan. Slaughter is a wrestling star who rose to prominence in the 1980s. He also described how it felt being in a combat zone. 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. 12/15 * Steven Cutler. Later in his career, as part of a WWE storyline, he became an Iraqi sympathizer who defeated The Ultimate Warrior for the WWE World Championship. Aug 31, 2019 259 Dislike Save My Master 1.25M subscribers All 13+ WWE Wrestlers Who Served In The Military [HD] Have you recognized that a lot of our WWE superstar actually started their career. While no, his real name is not Bob Slaughter, Remus was still making a clear distinction as early as late 1984 that Sgt. UFC Fighters Insurance | How Much UFC Pay To The Injured Fighters? 5 Konnan. As a wrestler, The Hollywood Fashion Plate captured the prestigious NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Rocker Ted Nugent evaded the draft in the 1960s by taking drugs and acting crazy. Cutler spent nearly seven years in WWE, where he became part of the Forgotten Sons stable. Orton would eventually be discharged, which is why there was so much pushback over him playing a Marine. She was in the Marines. My idea of a perfect evening is to cook a steak, build a fire and relax. Published Apr 20, 2012. He did his research, the wrestler added. Got out in 74, went in in 68. Its like Paul Newman. Jessie "The Body" Ventura is a retired pro wrestler out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Slaughter, hes clearly speaking as Bob Remus and still claims to have served in the Marine Corps. Slaughter would return to the WWF shortly after the traffic jam, changing his villainous ways to a good guy after about a year. Steve Culter joined WWE in 2014 after spending two years wrestling in different promotions. Honorable mentions: Verne Gagne Corporal Kirchner Konnan Zeb Colter Paul Bearer Crush Steven. The 57-year-old enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and went through basic training. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar. What a pleasure it was to bring smiles to the faces of those who sacrifice so much for our freedom at the 15th annual WWE Tribute to the Troops. Vera is a veteran of the US Air Force and a former UFC fighter. During the the Attitude Era, the groups were popular yet controversial. 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. She spent five years in service and completed his bachelors degree. The 29-year-old Georgia native is an intimidating presence in the ring and is known for her deadly right hand. There's no doubt that Lacey Evans will one day reach the top of the mountain in WWE by capturing her first Championship. Orton then decided to follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a professional wrestler. After the troll put Slaughter on a pedestal as having always been there for the troops, the wrestler responded in very Boomer-y fashion. When co-host Sam Roberts asked Remus how long he was out of the Marines when he started wrestling, the result was another halted answer: After he was on leave for six months, Remus claimed. After a successful year-long run doing strong business with great matches (primarily against Bob Backlund and Pat Patterson), he moved on to Jim Crockett Promotions in the Carolinas, another famously lucrative territory, eventually causing a massive traffic jam in Greensboro for the climactic cage match of his biggest feud in the region, with tag-team partner Don Kernodle, against Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood. Preparing himself to become a CIA agent, Raven joined the University of Delaware to study criminal justice. Among them was Lacey Evans. The 34-year-old served in Afghanistan. (It doesnt help, though that, even then, he would make the distinction to reporters that he was a real Marine, like in, Remus has long given and continues to give out-of-character interviews where, despite being introduced as Sgt. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. When I leave here, Im Bob Slaughter. Slaughter character or even Remus, frankly being a valor thief at his peak, when kayfabe was still strong, past a few mid-1980s Marines. Mr. Kennedy was in line for a major push during his time in WWE but it did not turn out the way he expected. Before pursuing a career in professional wrestling, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash was a basketball player. Joe action figure in the late '80s when he became a spokesman for the brand and did voice-over work . 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. Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. However, before he showed up in professional wrestling, Colter was a member of theU.S. Armys 25th Infantry Division. Debuting in December 1973, he was a journeyman throughout the rest of the decade, starting under his real name before switching to other gimmicks like Bob Slaughter and the masked Super Destroyer Mark II. Freddie loved his country more than his personal profits.