Sergeant Slaughter
How popular was Sergeant Slaughter in the early 80’s before the boom of Hulk Hogan? He was so patriotic, that he signed a deal with Hasbro and got himself placed into the G.I. Joe line of action figures, even appearing on the Saturday morning cartoon!
He was everything American and when he turned Iraqi sympathizer in the summer of 1990, it was a total shock for all involved. His stint as the worlds most hated heel, was enough to transition the WWF title back on Hulk Hogan, but it came with death threats at Sarge.
In the fall of 1991, the Sarge would finally see the light and return to his American roots, thanks in part to Hacksaw Jim Duggan.