General Adnan Talks Controversial 1990s WWE Storyline With Sgt. Slaughter
Former WWE, NWA, and AWA star Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie (aka General Adnan while in WWE) joined VOC Nation's Wrestling with History with Ken Resnick, Bruce Wirt, and Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Brady Hicks. Adnan commented on his feelings about America during his WWE run in the early 90s, his angle with Sgt. Slaughter turning on America, the US flag burning controversy, and how deeply invested fans became with that story.
Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Adnan said he originally went to Vince McMahon and told him his feeling about the war between the US and Iraq, thinking it would make for an interesting WWE story.
"If you study history, Kuwait was inside the map of Iraq," Adnan said. "The British took it and they started using it as a resting place when they travel. Later on, [the British] returned it to the people who lived there and all the sudden they had a war. America came in and attacked Saddam Hussein and it was a huge thing. I went to Vince [McMahon] and [told him my feelings on what was happening, and said that I should team up with] Sgt. Slaughter. We could both team up and make some money."
Adnan noted the things he said about America on WWE TV at the time were actually how he felt.
"That was legit, there was no bulls— about it," Adnan stated. "I am from Baghdad, Iraq. They bombed my country and they killed my family. They killed relatives from my family. Now [they are trying to] take Kuwait from Baghdad and they killed soldiers too. I mean I was really pissed."
Sgt. Slaughter has previously noted Vince had asked him to burn the American flag on TV, but it was something Slaughter refused to do, instead burning Hulk Hogan's shirt. Adnan said the flag was burned at some shows (likely house shows) and at one point he was approached by the FBI and CIA, asking him to "cool it down."
"We were burning the flag [at various shows]," Adnan recalled. "I was wrestling one time, five people came to the ring and wanted to talk to me. [They were] from the FBI and CIA. He said, 'The White House if very upset, but we cannot touch you. This is a free country. Do what you want, but I'm asking you to stop doing what you're doing. Take the flag, put it away, and cool it down.' We decided not to take the flag in the middle of the ring anymore."
Adnan also noted how serious wrestling fans took the story, going as far as to burn Sgt. Slaughter's house.
"They burned his house," Adnan stated. "The people hated him so much. They warned his wife and his kids [ahead of time]. When they left, they burned his house?.with Sarge and I, they believed everything we did."
You can check out the full interview here.
Wrestling with History is live every Wednesday night at 9:30 pm ET on the VOC Nation Radio Network. Former WWE and AWA broadcaster Ken Resnick and VOC Nation Founder Bruce Wirt take listener calls, emails, and tweets, and talk to pro wrestling's most interesting personalities.
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