Hulk Hogan Beats Sgt. Slaughter and WWE's Best, Worst Patriotic Moments Ever

Independence Day rightfully brings with it a renewed sense of patriotism in the United States.

It is a day in which Americans celebrate the founding of their country and the freedoms it gives them as citizens.

Throughout WWE history, Vince McMahon has woven patriotism into his company's top storylines and promoted American heroes to top spots in the company.

Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Sgt. Slaughter and Hacksaw Jim Duggan are just a few of the Superstars to admirably represent the red, white and blue in battles against evil entities from lands far and wide.

In the process, they have been responsible for some of the most memorable moments of patriotism in wrestling history.

There have been a number of poor, unsuccessful attempts at patriotic characters or moments feeding off love for country.

They, luckily, are few and far between.

In honor of the Fourth of July, relive those few clunkers and erase them from your mind with the finest patriotic moments to ever unfold on WWE programming.

The Worst Patriotic Moments in WWE History

Before we get to the best, most memorable and unforgettable patriotic moments in WWE history, it is important to take a look at the worst and least effective ones.

Why did they not work?

Generally speaking, the tone, booking or Superstars involved have proven their downfalls.

   

Jack Swagger: Real American

This is not at all reflective of the babyface persona that confronted Rusev and attempted so valiantly to wrest the United States Championship away from him.

No, Swagger's original Tea Party-esque persona alongside Zeb Colter was mean-spirited and intolerant. It spoke out against Mexican immigrants and reflected the views of a small portion of the United States.

While the character was WWE Creative's attempt at staying timely and relevant, it tapped into a nastiness that simply has no place in wrestling.

      

The Patriot Loses

In 1997, Bret "Hitman" Hart was riding a wave of pro-Canada sentiment. While that made him an icon in his home country, it made him a hated and despised villain stateside.

Enter The Patriot, who was as red, white and blue as they came. Sporting the colors of Old Glory from his head to his toes, he was the American hero the country needed to combat the maple leaf-loving Hart.

At Ground Zero, the masked American would challenge Hart for the WWE Championship. Fans were behind Patriot, hoping he would bring the top prize in sports entertainment back to the USA. Instead, he was beaten clean in the center of the ring.

America lost and Hart continued his tyrannical reign atop the company.

   

Mr. America

In 2003, Hulk Hogan was fired from WWE during a storyline rivalry with Mr. McMahon. Returning under a mask, disguising his true identity, Hogan took on the moniker of "Mr. America." Clad in red, white and blue, he entered arenas across the country to The Hulkster's "Real American" theme song.

For all of the patriotic colors, he never really did anything all that American.

He continued his feud with McMahon, teamed with unlikely friend Zach Gowen and combatted "Rowdy" Roddy Piper as if he had not quite figured out the heyday of that rivalry was long gone.

The character faded into obscurity when Hogan disappeared from WWE programming, becoming a punchline to a joke rather than a beloved American persona.

   

Muhammad Hassan

The Muhammad Hassan character began as an admirable attempt to divert hatred for Muslim-Americans. Hassan, flanked by Daivari, was introduced to the audience via vignettes in which he questioned why those in the United States hate him despite his growing up in the country with hardworking parents.

Unfortunately, it would be only a few weeks before Hassan was turned into a stereotypical foreign villain.

Soon, he was beaten down and buried by Hulk Hogan before being dismissed from WWE programming following a controversial booking decision by management shortly after a major terrorist attack in London.