| The Ultimate Warrior | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Warrior in 2014, the day before his death | |
| Birth name | James Brian Hellwig |
| Born | (1959-06-16)June 16, 1959 Crawfordsville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | April 8, 2014(2014-04-08) (aged 54) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Blade Runner Rock[1] Dingo Warrior[1] Jim Hellwig[1] Jim Justice The Ultimate Warrior The Warrior[1] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[2] |
| Billed weight | 280 lb (127 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | "Parts unknown"[3] Queens, New York "One Warrior Nation" |
| Trained by | Bill Anderson Rick Bassman Red Bastien[1] |
| Debut | November 23, 1985 |
| Retired | June 25, 2008 |
Warrior (bornJames Brian Hellwig; June 16, 1959 – April 8, 2014) was an Americanprofessional wrestler andbodybuilder. Best known by hisring nameThe Ultimate Warrior, he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, nowWWE) from 1987 to 1992, as well as a short stint in 1996. He also notably spent a few months inWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1998, in which he was known asThe Warrior.
After a career in bodybuilding, Warrior turned to professional wrestling. From 1985 to 1986, he was paired with fellow former bodybuilder Steve Borden, later known asSting, asthe Blade Runners. The two split when Warrior left to pursue a singles career inWorld Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW). Under the ring nameDingo Warrior, he was a one-timeWCWA Texas Heavyweight Champion.
In 1987, he joined the World Wrestling Federation, and became atwo-timeWWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion within two years. In the main event ofWrestleMania VI, in 1990, Warrior won theWWF Championship in a title vs. title match overHulk Hogan, making him the first wrestler to hold both titles concurrently. Posited as the new face of the company, he had a falling out with chairmanVince McMahon over a pay dispute, and unsuccessfully attempted to leave the WWF, with which he was under contract. Warrior returned atWrestleMania VIII, but by November 1992, he had been released; it was later revealed that this was due to steroid use.
In 1993, he legally changed his name to the mononym "Warrior" and was credited as a co-writer for a comic book based on his name and likeness. Warrior returned to the WWF atWrestleMania XII, but lasted four months, as he began no-showing events. Two years later, he joined World Championship Wrestling (which had tried to hire him in 1995), being used in a much-maligned storyline with Hogan, which culminated atHalloween Havoc. Warrior retired from professional wrestling and subsequently embarked on a public speaking career, but wrestled one final match in Spain in 2008.
Warrior died on April 8, 2014, at the age of 54 inScottsdale, Arizona. On the preceding three nights inNew Orleans, he had been inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame, appeared atWrestleMania XXX, and made his final public appearance onMonday Night Raw, returning to the promotion after an acrimonious separation in 1996.
Warrior was born in 1959 as James Brian Hellwig,[4] in Crawfordsville, Indiana, about 50 miles northwest ofIndianapolis. He was the oldest of five children and was raised by his mother (along with, later, his stepfather) after his father left his family when he was 12. His father died at 57 and a grandfather died at 52.[5] The family moved and he graduated fromVeedersburg's Fountain Central High School and attendedIndiana State University for a year.[6]
Prior to his career in professional wrestling Hellwig was an amateur bodybuilder,[7] competing in a number ofNPC contests and winning the 1984 NPC Mr. Georgia crown.[8] Hellwig started training with weights when he was 11 years old and described himself as "the small, insecure kid who wasn't into any sports".[7] He moved to California where, after seeing bodybuilderRobby Robinson, he decided to take up the sport. His first contest took place inFlorida, where he placed 5th. Later, while he was attendingLife University inMarietta, Georgia, he won the Junior Atlanta contest and placed 5th at the 1981AAU CollegiateMr. America. In 1983, he won the AAU Coastal USA, before taking the Mr. Georgia title the following year. His last bodybuilding contest was 1985's Junior USAs, which was won by future IFBB Pro, Ron Love. Hellwig finished 5th.[9]
In 1985, after spending six weeks in California training for a bodybuilding contest, he was invited to join a group of bodybuilders – Garland Donoho, Mark Miller, andSteve Borden – to form a professional wrestling team. Warrior accepted the invitation and abandoned his bodybuilding career as well as his plans to become achiropractor.[10][11][12]
Hellwig began his professional wrestling career as Jim "Justice" Hellwig of Powerteam USA, the group of bodybuilders trained by Red Bastien and Rick Bassman.[13] Hellwig and fellow traineeSteve Borden (who later had success as "Sting") formed atag team called The Freedom Fighters (Hellwig was known as Justice and Borden was called Flash).
The Freedom Fighters debuted in the Memphis, Tennessee-basedContinental Wrestling Association (CWA) promotion, run byJerry Jarrett, in November 1985. The team played babyfaces at first, but fans were actually slow to take to the hulking duo in a territory that had featured sympathetic "good guy tag teams" like theRock 'n' Roll Express andThe Fabulous Ones. They were quickly turned heel under "coach" Buddy Wayne[14] and soon afterwards managerDutch Mantel.[15] They left the CWA in January 1986.
In March 1986, the Freedom Fighters – now known as the Blade Runners – joined theOklahoma-basedUniversal Wrestling Federation (UWF). Hellwig was "Blade Runner Rock" and Borden was "Blade Runner Sting". According to Joseph Laurinaitis (akaRoad Warrior Animal), UWF ownerBill Watts created the Blade Runners and the intent was to make them a parody ofThe Road Warriors.[16] They were part ofEddie Gilbert's Hotstuff International group, before disbanding in June 1986 when Hellwig left the UWF.[17]
In June 1986, Warrior debuted in theDallas, Texas-basedWorld Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) promotion, where he wrestled for $50 a night. He has stated that he adopted the ring name "Dingo Warrior" after a member of the WCCW locker room remarked that he looked like "a warrior".[10] This stood in contrast with a claim made by Road Warrior Animal, who stated that the Dingo Warrior was a recreation of Warrior's Blade Runner gimmick and was an attempt to present himself as an offspring ofThe Road Warriors.[16]
Initially, Warrior was still a heel in the territory, managed byGary Hart, although he was cheered during a heel versus heel feud with WCWA World Heavyweight ChampionRick Rude after the two fell out during a tag match. After switching managers toPercival Pringle III, Warrior turned babyface permanently after a falling out with fellow Pringle protegesBuzz Sawyer andMatt Borne after a six-man tag match. Warrior formed a tag team withLance Von Erich, and the duo began competing for theWCWA World Tag Team Championship. On November 17, 1986, Warrior and Von Erich defeatedMaster Gee (substituting for championBuzz Sawyer) andMatt Borne to win the title. They held the Championship until December 1 of that year, when they lost to Al Madril andBrian Adias.[18]
In 1987, Warrior began competing for theWCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship, losing toBob Bradley in a tournament final on January 12. He won the title from Bradley on February 2 of that year. The title was held up in April 1987 after Warrior left the WCCW. He was reinstated as champion upon returning, but vacated it once more upon resigning from WCCW to join theWorld Wrestling Federation, where he adopted the ring name The Ultimate Warrior.[19] Warrior began appearing on house shows in June and was initially billed as The Dingo Warrior in house card promos byGene Okerlund, but soon had his name modified. There is a dispute over who created the full Ultimate Warrior name.Bruce Prichard stated thatVince McMahon did not know what a "Dingo" Warrior was, but because there was the "Modern Day Warrior"Kerry von Erich andThe Road Warriors there should not be one more simple warrior, but the Ultimate Warrior.[20] Warrior claimed after one of his first matches, McMahon had him do a pretaped promo. It was there Vince said "we want you to do Warrior, but we don't want Dingo." The Warrior then proceeded to cut the promo and stated that he was not this warrior or that warrior, he was The Ultimate Warrior.[21] Warrior made his final appearance with WCCW in June 1987.
Hellwig joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in June 1987. First competing on house shows under his Dingo Warrior moniker, he defeated a series ofjobbers, includingSteve Lombardi,[22]Barry Horowitz[23] andMike Sharpe.[24] He made his television debut as The Ultimate Warrior on the October 25 episode ofWrestling Challenge, where he defeated another jobber,Terry Gibbs.[25] As The Ultimate Warrior character, Hellwig became known for his impassionedbabbling, incomprehensible commentary and high-energy ring entrances, which featured him racing into the arena full speed, bursting into the ring, and violently shaking the ring ropes up and down. He was also known for his distinctive pattern of face paint. After several months of defeating jobbers, he was pinned for the first time in the WWF by fellow WWF rookie/future rivalRick Rude on December 28, 1987.[26] In early 1988, Warrior entered into his first real WWF feud with fellow strongmanHercules Hernandez. The two faced off on the February 7, 1988, airing ofWrestling Challenge, where Hercules was disqualified for using his steel chain.[27] Warrior then grabbed ahold of the chain and in the midst of a tug of war over it, the chain snapped.[27] This led to a match atWrestleMania IV, where Warrior was victorious in his pay-per-view debut.[26] Warrior lost twice by pinfall shortly thereafter: cleanly toAndré the Giant in April in Italy,[28] and toDino Bravo, who put his feet on the ropes for leverage, inMontreal in June.[29] In the summer of 1988, he wrestledBobby Heenan in a series ofweasel suit matches, in which Warrior won by sleeper hold.
Less than a year after his WWF television debut, Warrior, a surprise substitute for the injuredBrutus Beefcake, won theIntercontinental Heavyweight Championship, defeatingThe Honky Tonk Man in a 27-secondsquash match at the inauguralSummerSlam on August 29, 1988, and ending Honky Tonk's long reign at 454 days.[26] As champion, he captained a team atSurvivor Series '88, where he was the sole survivor, pinningOutlaw Ron Bass andGreg Valentine in succession to win the match for his team.[26]
As 1989 began, Warrior entered a feud withRick Rude over the Intercontinental title. The feud was sparked at the 1989Royal Rumble, where the two met in a "super posedown". After Warrior drew the support of the live crowd in their judging of the contest, Rude attacked Warrior and choked him with a steel bar. This led to a championship match atWrestleMania V, where Rude pinned Warrior to win the title with the help of his managerBobby Heenan, who held down Warrior's foot from outside the ring as he was being pinned.[30] AtSummerSlam, Warrior defeated Rude to regain the title and become a two-time Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion.[30] Warrior then began a feud withAndré the Giant, leading to a number of house shows in which Warrior defeated André in short squash matches,[30] establishing Warrior as a main event level talent. The feud culminated atSurvivor Series where the two captained opposing teams. Warrior eliminated André by knocking him out of the ring, where he was counted out. Warrior was again the sole survivor, pinningArn Anderson and Bobby Heenan to win the match.[30]
The Warrior received a push as WWF's main event level successor toHulk Hogan, who had remained wrestling's biggest star throughout the 1980s. Following a few confrontations with Hogan, most notably at the 1990Royal Rumble, the Warrior was written in as Hogan's opponent in the main event forWrestleMania VI at theSkyDome in Toronto. The match was billed as "The Ultimate Challenge", as both Hogan'sWWF Championship and Warrior's Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship were on the line. Warrior pinned Hogan after a Warrior Splash to become the only wrestler to hold both championships simultaneously.[31] Warrior vacated the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship (whichMr. Perfect then won in a tournament), as WWF rules prohibited a wrestler from holding both titles.[32]
After WrestleMania, Warrior successfully defended the championship againstHaku,Mr. Perfect andTed DiBiase. AtSummerSlam, he retained the title over Rick Rude in a steel cage match.[31]"Macho Man" Randy Savage was also introduced as a potential rival after interfering in aThe Main Event IV title match at the behest of DiBiase.[31]
Warrior was inserted into the feud betweenThe Legion of Doom andDemolition, leading to victories for the Warrior and LOD in six-man tag team matches in house shows as well as the October 13, 1990, airing ofSaturday Night's Main Event XXVIII. The feud culminated atSurvivor Series, where The Warriors (Ultimate Warrior, LOD and Kerry Von Erich) defeated The Perfect Team (Mr. Perfect and Demolition). For the third consecutive year, Warrior was the sole survivor for his team. He later survived the "Grand Finale Match of Survival" with Hulk Hogan.[31]
In January 1991, Warrior facedSgt. Slaughter at theRoyal Rumble. Slaughter'sgimmick at the time was a traitor who had betrayed America by aligning himself with an Iraqi (kayfabe) military general,General Adnan. In the context of theGulf War, this made Slaughter one of the most hated heels at the time. After rejecting an earlier request to grant a title shot to Savage,Sensational Sherri interjected herself in the Warrior's championship match to distract him. Her interference eventually led to a Savage sneak attack, where he struck Warrior over the head with a metal scepter and allowed Slaughter to pin Warrior to win the title.[17] Warrior went on to feud with Savage, and the rivalry culminated in a "Career-Ending" match atWrestleMania VII which Warrior won, forcing Savage to retire.[33]
The next chapter of Warrior's career was an encounter withThe Undertaker, after Undertaker and his manager,Paul Bearer, locked Warrior in a coffin on the set of Bearer'sFuneral Parlor. WWF officials worked feverishly to break the casket open, finally revealing Warrior's seemingly lifeless body, and the torn fabric inside of the coffin indicating Warrior's desperate struggle to get out. Warrior was finally revived by the officials performingCPR. (It was later revealed in a 2010 interview with Bearer that, in preparation for the segment, he and his team had to remove the airtight rubber seal or "gasket" from around the coffin's lid and drill air holes in said lid to allow for breathable space, so that Warrior would not suffocate because "he had enough brain damage as it was, and we wouldn't want to give him any more", implying that Warrior had been faking his own death the whole time.[34]) This led toJake "The Snake" Roberts offering to give Warrior "the knowledge of the dark side" in order to prepare Warrior to take his revenge on the Undertaker. This involved Roberts giving Warrior three "tests" shown on WWF television in consecutive weeks. For the first test, Roberts locked Warrior once again inside the same coffin as previously.[35]
For the second test, Warrior was "buried alive" by Roberts.[35] For the third test, the Warrior entered a room full of snakes,[35] to find "the answer" in a chest in the middle of the room. Waiting inside the chest was aspitting cobra which bit Warrior in the face. As Warrior, weakened from the effects of the cobra's strike, Roberts made a heel turn and was joined by the Undertaker and Paul Bearer, revealing the three were working together all along. Roberts then uttered, "Never trust a snake."[35] The stage was now set for a feud between the Warrior and Roberts. The feud never took place, as Warrior was involved in an alleged pay dispute with WWF ownerVince McMahon over theSummerSlam main event, where Warrior was teamed with Hulk Hogan in a handicap match against Sgt. Slaughter,Colonel Mustafa, and General Adnan.[36]
On July 10, 1991, Warrior sent a letter to McMahon requesting inclusions in his new WWF contract. He wanted $550,000 for performing atWrestleMania VII, a guaranteed number of working days, travel accommodations and a higher percentage of merchandise sales. He remarked that $550,000 "was fair", and that"[Warrior] meant as much or more to the show than Hulk [Hogan]". He ended his letter with "Whatever your decision, I can and will live with it. Till then I remain home with one who cares".[37][38]
The WWF responded on July 13, agreeing to $550,000 for WrestleMania VII, a higher royalty rate and promising no other WWF performer would be paid more than him on WWF pay per views. McMahon personally ended the letter by saying, "I would like to express my deepest appreciation and admiration for you as a performer, as a member of the WWF family, as a man, and as my friend".[39][40]
Following WWF's annualSummerSlam event, Warrior was handed a letter dated August 26, 1991, from McMahon, saying Warrior was suspended effective immediately. Among other things, McMahon said, "You threatened to stay at home thereby not even appearing at Titan's major summer pay-per-view event SummerSlam. I had no choice but to accede to your exorbitant demands. This was a serious mistake on your part". McMahon later testified that the only reason the company agreed to the contract was to "acquiesce to his demands temporarily" to ensure Warrior would perform at the SummerSlam event.[41][42]
Upon receiving the letter, Warrior refused the suspension and left the WWF. Warrior formally sent a letter of resignation to the WWF in October 1991. The WWF refused to accept the letter since Warrior was under contract until September 1992.[43]
With Hulk Hogan about to leave WWF between mid-1992 and early-1993, McMahon contacted Warrior about returning. He made his comeback atWrestleMania VIII (to rescue Hulk Hogan from abeat down at the hands ofSid Justice andPapa Shango). Upon his return, he received a degree of creative control over hisbookings. One storyline involved Papa Shango, a "witch doctor", casting a spell over Warrior, causing him to convulse andvomit in very odd colors, though Warrior says he hated that story and had no control over it.[17] The Warrior was booked for a WWF Championship match against then-champion,"Macho Man" Randy Savage atSummerSlam in August 1992. The Warrior won the match by count-out, but not the title. In November 1992, Warrior was scheduled to team with Savage (as The Ultimate Maniacs) to faceRic Flair andRazor Ramon atSurvivor Series. Weeks before the event, Warrior was released for disputed reasons and replaced byMr. Perfect.[44]
The initial plan for Warrior's 1992 return was to eventually give him another run with the WWF Championship.[45] Indeed, WWF writers had originally intended that the Ultimate Warrior should be the one to accept Mr Perfect's services - up for offer to either Summerslam main event competitor[46] - turning heel in the process of winning the title. However these plans were scrapped at a late stage due to the Warrior's refusal to turn heel after considering the collapse in merchandise sales which would have resulted.[47] Furthermore, his return coincided with the government's crackdown on steroids in wrestling. Warrior was admittedly a heavy user of steroids during his professional wrestling career.[5] In his bookSex, Lies and Headlocks,ESPN writerShaun Assael stated that Canadian chemistMauro Di Pasquale, who had been hired in June to monitor the WWF's new drug testing program and was known for being tough towards anyone who failed a drug test,[48] nailed Warrior for steroid use in September and was able to successfully persuade McMahon, who was under federal scrutiny at the time for allegations of illegally supplying steroids to some of his wrestlers, to release Warrior from the company.[48] However, inWarrior: The Ultimate Legend, McMahon claims that it was Warrior's experimenting withgrowth hormone which led to his departure; Warrior was suspended and, in return, skipped dates as he took offense to McMahon's actions.[45] Warrior left the company on November 21, 1992, with his last match being a victory overKamala on November 8 inOrlando, Florida.[49]
Between November 1992 and July 1995, Warrior was semi-retired. During his time away from the WWF, Warrior opened the short-lived "Warrior University", aprofessional wrestling school based inScottsdale, Arizona.[50]
In January 1993 he wrestled as the Dingo Warrior, defeatingHercules Hernandez in Billerica, Massachusetts, forKiller Kowalski's International Wrestling Federation.[51]
In April 1993, he toured Europe for World Wrestlings Superstars in Germany and that same year he also played the role of "The Swordsman" in the action movieFirepower.[52]
On July 22, 1995, he returned to the ring for the National Wrestling Conference (NWC) promotion in Las Vegas, defeatingThe Honky Tonk Man. He had also wrestled a tour of Germany forOtto Wanz'sCatch Wrestling Association (CWA) promotion where he defeatedUlf Herman.[50]
On February 10, 1996, he defeatedJimmy Garvin in an independent show in Princeton, West Virginia.[53]
Warrior returned to the WWF on March 31, 1996, defeatingHunter Hearst Helmsley atWrestleMania XII.[54] He made his first appearance onMonday Night Raw on April 8, where he gave an in-ring interview and credited the "voices" of the "warriors" (his name for members of the WWF audience) for his return; he was then interrupted byGoldust.[55] Warrior challenged for Goldust's Intercontinental Championship atIn Your House 7; Warrior won the match by countout, but did not win the title.[1] The following night onMonday Night Raw, Warrior defeatedIsaac Yankem, DDS.[1] A rematch with Intercontinental Champion Goldust, on the May 27 episode of the show, ended in a double countout, thus eliminating both men from the tournament and eventually givingVader a bye into the semi-finals.[1] Warrior defeatedJerry Lawler atKing of the Ring,[1] and defeatedOwen Hart by disqualification on the July 8 episode ofMonday Night Raw.[1]
Warrior was scheduled to team withShawn Michaels andAhmed Johnson to face Owen Hart,Davey Boy Smith, and Vader atIn Your House 9 later that month, but the WWF terminated Warrior's contract when he missed several house shows, taking time off allegedly to grieve the death of his father. WWF ownerVince McMahon claimed that Warrior had not seen his father in ten years and did not care much for him; therefore, he did not take Warrior's excuse for missing house shows at face value. Warrior disputes McMahon's explanation, claiming that the real reason why he did not show up to those events was a breach of contract by McMahon, in which WWF sold Warrior's merchandise without giving him a percentage. He was replaced bySycho Sid atIn Your House 9.[55]
WCW signed Warrior "at great expense" in May 1998.[56] He formed astable opposing Hollywood Hulk Hogan'sNew World Order (nWo):[57] the "One Warrior Nation" using the initialism oWn as a play on the name nWo.[58] Highlights of the storyline included Warriorkidnapping and "converting"The Disciple and frequent instances of "magic smoke" knocking out all of the nWo members except for Hollywood Hogan and covering Warrior's movement through a trapdoor in the ring. The trapdoor was responsible for nearly paralyzingDavey Boy Smith, when he awkwardly fell on it during a match atFall Brawl 98.[59] Warrior's debut promo also unexpectedly lasted over 27 minutes, which was more than 20 minutes over its allotted time and forcedEric Bischoff to do a massive rewrite ofNitro on the spot, including re-adding acommercial break that was supposed to take place during the promo.[60]
Warrior only participated in three matches in WCW. The first was theWarGames match atFall Brawl, where he competed as a member of Team WCW, competing against 8 other wrestlers for a shot atGoldberg'sWCW World Heavyweight Championship atHalloween Havoc.Diamond Dallas Page won the match by pinningStevie Ray. On the October 12 edition ofMonday Nitro, he teamed with Sting to defeat Hogan andBret Hart by disqualification. The third was his loss to Hogan at Halloween Havoc, in what is considered by many to be one of the worst wrestling matches ever staged.[61] During the bout, Hogan attempted to "blind" The Warrior using flash paper, but was unable to light it properly, and as a result The Warrior was forced to briefly sell the move despite the flames clearly not touching him in any way. The match came to an end whenHorace Hogan hit Warrior in the back with a chair, allowing Hogan to score the pinfall.[62]
WCW claimed that attempts were made to save the storyline though Warrior claimed in interviews and convention appearances that the only reason he was brought back was so Hogan could get a win over Warrior in return for Hogan's WrestleMania job. Warrior's last appearance in WCW was on the November 9, 1998, episode ofMonday Nitro, when he came to the rescue of The Disciple who was being attacked by members of The nWo. Warrior retired from wrestling that year.[63]
After retiring in 1998, Warrior only wrestled a single match on June 25, 2008, againstOrlando Jordan in Barcelona, Spain.[64] Warrior won the match and the Nu-Wrestling Evolution World Heavyweight Championship, but immediately vacated the title.[65]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Warrior's speech from his final public appearance on Monday Night RAW |
On February 20, 2013, Warrior confirmed on his official YouTube channel that he would appear at "WrestleCon" on April 7, 2013. In the same clip he spoke positively aboutVince McMahon for the first time on his channel. His appearance was so popular that a second print run of tickets had to be ordered.[66]
On July 15, 2013, Warrior was featured in aWWE 2K14 game trailer and revealed he was in the roster as a pre-order bonus.[67]
On April 5, 2014, The Ultimate Warrior was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame Class of 2014.[68] The next day, Warrior appeared atWrestleMania XXX, and the following night delivered a promo onRaw, his first appearance on the show since his final televised WWF match in 1996.[69][70] During what turned out to be his final public appearance, Warrior gave a speech to the fans and wrestlers past and present as his Ultimate Warrior character.[71]
Warrior married Shari Lynn Tyree on October 2, 1982.[citation needed] They remained together for the majority of Warrior's WWF career before divorcing on March 22, 1991, two days beforeWrestleMania VII.[72] Warrior married for the second time to Dana Viale on January 31, 1999. The couple had two daughters together.[6]
Between 1987 and 1989, he appeared in several TV ads for Westway Ford, a car dealership inIrving, Texas. Warrior interacted in full wrestling costume with Westway's wacky character, "Mean Joe Greed."[73][74]
Warrior returned to the WWF atWrestleMania VIII after nearly eight months on hiatus sinceSummerSlam 1991. Due to the drastic change in his appearance (shorter, blonder hair and a smaller physique), rumors began circulating that a new wrestler was playing the role. At the time it was rumored to beKerry Von Erich, who was then under contract to the WWF. Some said Warrior died fromliver failure due to years of steroid abuse or that his signature arm tassels cut off his blood circulation.[75] WWE claims that the theory that a different man returned to play The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VIII remains "perhaps the longest standing urban legend in WWE history".[76] WWE announcerTom Phillips claims that the rumors likely originated fromGene Okerlund's WCW Hotline as well as the WCW debut of Warrior doppelgängerThe Renegade.[77]
In 1993, Hellwig legally changed his name to themononym Warrior.[78][79] This one-word name appears on all legal documents pertaining to Warrior, and his children carry the Warrior name as their legal surname.[80]
Warrior and the WWF engaged in a series of lawsuits and legal actions in 1996 and 1998,[81] where both parties sought a declaration that they owned the characters, Warrior and Ultimate Warrior, under both contract and copyright law. The court ruled that Warrior was legally entitled to use the gimmick, costuming, face paint designs, and mannerisms of the "Warrior" character.[82]
On September 27, 2005, WWE released a DVD documentary focusing on Warrior's wrestling career, titledThe Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior. The DVD featured clips of his more notable feuds and matches along with commentary from WWE stars past and present (most of which are unflattering), withTriple H (by this point one of WWE's top main eventers and the husband of Vince McMahon's daughterStephanie McMahon) adding that his WrestleMania debut loss against Warrior atWrestleMania XII left him with mixed emotions, saying that Warrior "ruined the experience" for him and was "one of the most unprofessional guys" he's ever performed with.[83] The DVD has provoked some controversy due to Warrior's own allegations of slander by WWE against him. Originally, Warrior was asked to help with the production of the DVD, but as he refused to work with WWE (citing he did not want to be associated with theirpromotion), there had been some resulting animosity between Warrior and WWE over the Warrior claiming bias on the part of WWE.[84] In January 2006, Warrior filed another lawsuit against WWE in anArizona court over the depiction of his wrestling career inThe Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior DVD.[85] On September 18, 2009, Warrior's lawsuit in Arizona was dismissed.[86]
Warrior formally retired from wrestling in 1999 and had a short-lived career as aconservative speaker and commentator, partnering with conservative spokesman Daniel Pinheiro, denouncingleft-wing politics. In one instance, he mentioned that "queering doesn't make the world work" during a speech at theUniversity of Connecticut.[87] Warrior explained those comments on his website as meaning that the human race would die out if everyone were a homosexual.[88]
In 1996, Warrior published a comic book titledWarrior, featuring himself as the main character.[89] The series was co-written with Jim Callahan and illustrated by the Sharp Brothers.
Warrior maintained a blog on his personal website titled "Warrior's Machete", where he discussed his personal life, his personal views on politics,sexuality, patriotism, and his legacy as a wrestler, amongst other topics. There were numerous instances where Warrior used his blog to address his viewpoint on members of his wrestling past (Vince McMahon, Road Warrior Animal, The British Bulldog, Owen Hart, Hulk Hogan,Lex Luger);[90] historical (Martin Luther King Jr.,George Washington) or religious figures (Jesus).[91] Warrior depicted celebrities who were newsworthy at the time of his blog (Heath Ledger andParis Hilton).Warrior occasionally referenced his respect for the Founding Fathers of the United States, and also enjoyed books like Homer'sOdyssey and James Allen'sAs a Man Thinketh.[92][93] In 2012, he started selling "Weapons of Wisdom", inspirational 6×9 pieces of watercolor paper with drawings, quotes, and doodles on them by the Warrior himself.[94] He also used the blog to post replies to letters from fans.[95]
Warrior died on April 8, 2014, in Scottsdale, Arizona. He had been inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame on April 5, appeared atWrestleMania XXX on April 6, and made his firstRaw appearance in almost 18 years on April 7, the day before his death.[96] According to reports, Warrior clutched his chest and collapsed at 5:50 p.m. while walking to his car with his wife outside of their hotel in Arizona. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at age 54.[97] Warrior's colleagues said Warrior appeared frail during WrestleMania weekend, and said that he was sweating profusely and breathing heavily backstage.[98]
An autopsy revealed Warrior died of a heart attack caused byatheroscleroticcardiovascular disease.[99][100][101]
Although Warrior's relationship with WWE was strained at times,[102] more recently WWE has recognized him as one of the company's most popular legends.[2] WWE described him as being "As devastating and intense as any Superstar who stepped through the ropes...", further saying that "The Ultimate Warrior may be the most enigmatic man to ever hold the WWE Championship."[103] In 2011, WWE called him "one of the most recognizable" wrestlers in WWE history, praising his ability to draw power from "the WWE Universe", and further spoke of his impact as having "broughtHulkamania to its knees" atWrestleMania VI, "retired theMadness atWrestleMania VII and press slammed a slew of the greatest legends of his era".[104]
Warrior appeared in theMattel Legends figures line in both Series 4 and Series 6. He was also chosen as one of six legends to be included in the Defining Moments series of action figures. Most recently he was one of a number of figures in the WWE Superstars line of Mattel action figures in an assortment called "World Champions". Warrior further appears as a playable character inWWE All Stars,WWE Legends of WrestleMania,WWE 2K14,WWE 2K15,WWE 2K16,WWE 2K17,WWE 2K18,WWE 2K19,WWE 2K20,WWE 2K22,WWE 2K23, andWWE 2K24. InWWE All Stars, in which Ultimate Warrior appears as one of the "Legends", WWE stated that he was the "ultimate archetype of strength and intensity", and further stated that "without question, the Ultimate Warrior has etched his name in the pantheon of WWE greats".[105][106] In 2005, WWE releasedThe Self-Destruction of The Ultimate Warrior DVD, which portrayed Warrior in a negative light. Warrior claimed that if WWE wanted to induct him into theWWE Hall of Fame they would have "to tell the right story" opposite of the one depicted in the 2005 DVD.[107] WWE releasedUltimate Warrior: The Ultimate Collection, a 3-DVD, 540 minute-compilation of matches and stories, which portrayed Warrior far more positively, on April 1, 2014.[108] Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 5, 2014, the night beforeWrestleMania XXX.[68]
Warrior had been largely alienated from his peers in professional wrestling in the decade before his death, and was sometimes described as a bitter man on bad terms with various wrestling figures such asVince McMahon,Hulk Hogan andJake Roberts. Hogan even questioned Warrior's value, saying, "You gave the [WWF Championship] belt to The Ultimate Warrior... and right away the revenue went down."[109] With Warrior's reconciling with the professional wrestling industry just before his death, some of his former adversaries offered their condolences. McMahon stated that "We are all so sad that the Ultimate Warrior has passed away. Our heart is with his wife Dana and his two daughters." Hogan said, "RIP WARRIOR. only love ... We talked, both forgave each other, we hugged, we shook hands as we told each other I love you, I am so sad, God bless his beautiful family". Roberts said that he was "Deeply saddened. We just had a great talk & buried a senseless hatchet. Talked working together. RIP Warrior. Taking solace we made peace." News of his death spread the next day on sites such as Bing, Facebook, and Twitter. It was also mentioned on ABC News, HLN and CNN.[110][111][112] Reportedly almost immediately after Warrior's death, WWE sent two senior officials to Arizona to assist his widow in handling personal things such as grocery shopping so that she could focus on being with her and Warrior's daughters.[113]
WWE paid tribute to Warrior on the April 14 episode ofRaw with a ten bell salute and a video.[114] TheWWE Network aired a lineup dubbed "Warrior Week" in Warrior's memory. The lineup included a four-part special.[115] A wrestling themed episode ofThe Goldbergs, which aired on May 6, was dedicated in Warrior's memory.[116] The 2015 filmThe Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown!, which starsThe Flintstones and WWE Superstars andDivas, was dedicated to Warrior's memory.
At theUFC Fight Night 40 weigh-ins, fighterLorenz Larkin wore an Ultimate Warrior mask, tassels and wristbands as a tribute.[117]
Warrior was awarded a posthumousSlammy Award for Return of the Year in December 2014. A WWE-sponsored biography, entitledUltimate Warrior: A Life Lived Forever: The Legend of a WWE Hero, was released in 2015.[118]
In 2021, Warrior's life was chronicled onA&E'sBiography: WWE Legends andViceland'sDark Side of the Ring.[119]
During his April 2014 Hall of Fame speech shortly before his death, Warrior proposed that the "Jimmy Miranda Award" should be created to honour WWE's behind-the-scenes employees.[120][121] Miranda, who died in 2002, was part of the WWE merchandise department for more than 20 years.[122]
In 2015, WWE introduced the Warrior Award for those who have "exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of the Ultimate Warrior."[123] Former WWE ring announcerJustin Roberts expressed disappointment at how WWE used portions of Warrior's Hall of Fame speech to promote the award, but left out Warrior's intentions of honoring WWE's off-screen employees.[124][125] WWE responded, "It is offensive to suggest that WWE and its executives had anything but altruistic intentions in honouringConnor and his legacy with the Warrior Award", adding that "moving forward the award will be given annually to acknowledge other unsung heroes among WWE's employees and fans."[126] As of 2019, Sue Aitchison would be the first WWE employee to be given the warrior award.[127]
In 2017, WWE started promoting the "Unleash Your Warrior"breast cancer awareness campaign in partnership with theSusan G. Komen Foundation, where Warrior's likeness was promoted on television by WWE wrestlers and breast cancer survivors. WWE has been criticized for using Warrior as the inspirational "emblem" of the campaign.Pro Wrestling Torch described Warrior in real-life having made public "vile, bigoted, hateful, judgmental comments about a cancer victim,Hurricane Katrina victims, homosexual people, a woman defending a gay man, and even Martin Luther King Jr." For example, when Bobby Heenan contracted cancer, Warrior said, "Karma is just a beautiful thing to behold."[128]Vice wrote that "completely whitewashing his past and elevating his likeness to a bland symbol of corporate altruism is shockingly tone-deaf, especially for a company that's at least outwardly trying to appear progressive, inclusive and diverse". In response, WWE said that the Unleash Your Warrior campaign and the Warrior Award "recognize individuals that exhibit the strength and courage of WWE's legendary character The Ultimate Warrior. Any attempt to distract from the mission of these initiatives and take the spotlight away from the honorees is unfortunately misguided."[129]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ultimate Warrior (career) | Randy Savage (career) | Los Angeles, California | WrestleMania VII | March 24, 1991 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)WCW hired Warrior at great expense in May 1998.
,Wrestlingdata.com,Internet Wrestling Database
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