Sergeant Slaughter really was a sergeant of Marines

As if Robert Rudolph Remus wasn't already a badass wrestling name on its own, upon becoming one of the now-WWE's most beloved Superstars, Remus chose the stage name "Sergeant Slaughter." It was appropriate at the time, even wearing his character's trademark Smokey Bear-style campaign hat: Remus was not only a United States Marine, he was also a Drill Instructor.

Remus will now be known as "Sergeant Slaughter" until the end of time, his beloved character has transcended wrestling into areas even Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson hasn't been able to invade. The WWE's NCO is not only one of the Superstars that turned wrestling into mainstream entertainment worldwide, his definitive strong chin is also in the G.I. Joe universe, as well as the WWE Hall of Fame. Getting there was tough going, though.

The man we know as Sgt. Slaughter started his wrestling career way back in the early 1970s, when wrestling was little more than a regional patchwork of stunts and characters, far removed from the international spectacle we know of it today. That all changed when Vince McMahon consolidated wrestling and updated its stodgy image over the course of some thirty years or more. Sgt. Slaughter came to the then-WWF in 1980 as a villain – a "heel" in wrestling terms. But it wasn't until just before 1984 that Remus's character found the popularity we know of today.

He's so popular, he still comes around the ring.

It was at this time a heel known as the "Iron Sheik" emerged as the World Champion. The Sheik is arguably one of wrestling's greatest villains ever – and every great villain needs a hero. Or in the world of wrestling, a "face" – also known as a babyface, one of the good guys. Enter America's Drill Instructor: Sgt. Slaughter. His feud with the Iron Sheik catapulted the two to mainstream stardom, making Slaughter the second most popular face, second only to Hulk Hogan. It was the pinnacle of his wrestling career. He would take a heel turn in the days of the 1991 Gulf War, sympathizing with the Iraqis and feuding with Hulk Hogan, even losing the World Championship as a result.

Still, it's a long way from Parris Island to Madison Square Garden and Sgt. Slaughter packed both.