I was as surprised as anyone when The Ultimate Warrior was announced as the first entrant in the WWE Hall of Fame 2014 class, given his history with the company. When thinking about The Ultimate Warrior, most can’t help but think of him as being a little bit crazy. The nonsensical promos he used to cut about “needing the rocket fuel” and outer space and fancying himself a God, the snorting and heavy breathing. Was it an act? Clearly that isn’t how he would act in public, but for a man who legally changed his name to “Warrior” (which is his children’s legal surname) you do have to wonder if he was really all there.
In 2005 WWE released a DVD called The Self-Destruction of The Ultimate Warrior which showcased his crazy antics in the ring and had many of his peers discussing his attitude and professionalism (or lack thereof) in and out of the ring. That said, Warrior mesmerized a generation of fans, myself included, with his energy and enthusiasm.
While I can’t speak for anyone but myself, what drew me to The Ultimate Warrior wasn’t just the bright colours he wore, or the vibrant paint emblazoned on his face, or the energy he brought with him as he ran to the ring and shook the ropes. What ultimately (no pun intended) drew me to the Warrior was that he was an alternative to Hulkamania. He was something different for those who didn’t bleed the red & yellow of Hulkamania. For those who were sick of the “say your prayers, eat your vitamins” mantra, the Warrior was the shot in the arm that was desperately needed.
The Warrior represented a youthfulness that Hogan lacked, which is funny since there is only six years between them. But that shows what kind of energy that Warrior brought with him to the ring. He had power and agility. The only thing he lacked was the more technical aspects, but that was masked by his over-the-top persona.
A hit with fans right out of the gate, Warrior received a big push and won the Intercontinental Championship within less than a year of his debut on WWF television. A feat made all the more impressive as Warrior was the man to put an end to The Honky Tonk Man’s one year, two months and 27 day title reign, a record that still holds up to this day.
His popularity didn’t waiver as he had a long standing feud with “Ravishing” Rick Rude and fellow Heenan Family member André The Giant. Warrior would even go on to body slam André on a couple of occasions, seemingly eclipsing Hulk Hogan, but it would be WrestleMania VI where The Ultimate Warrior would shine as Hulk Hogan’s opponent.
The SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario was the site of WrestleMania VI and the host for The Ultimate Challenge. Then Intercontinental champion,The Ultimate Warrior versus then WWF champion Hulk Hogan in a title vs. title match. While neither man was technically gifted, it still goes down as one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time. It’s certainly on my list. It was a great back and forth match that played both men out to be virtual equals. The Warrior came out on top in what was supposed to be a passing of the torch, unfortunately things don’t always go as planned and while Warrior had a good run as Champion, and an epic match with “Macho Man” Randy Savage at WrestleMania VII, it wasn’t long before troubles started to show.
Warrior’s first departure from the company was over contract disputes, and believing he was worth more than what he was offered. It was only about a year later that he would return, fighting a darker array of opponents in men like The Undertaker and Papa Shango. He didn’t quite reach the success of his first run, never winning any titles and only challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship at Summer Slam 92 before leaving again, this time due to steroid use allegations.
It would be four years before The Ultimate Warrior would again grace a World Wrestling Federation ring and with a new generation of wrestlers filling the locker room, it seemed like his presence was more of a novelty than anything else. He had brief feuds with a young Triple H, Goldust and Jerry “The King” Lawler, although not doing much to help any of their respective careers. Warrior’s last run here was more of a flash in the pan. It’s still interesting that during the DVD they showed a poster for a WWF house show where it stated the WWF World title match would be Warrior against Vader.
His brief turn in WCW seemed to be, not so much a novelty but as a name who could be placed up against Hulk Hogan and his nWo who was a credible threat, however his stint in WCW didn’t amount to much either. Aside from one sided mirrors and bad fireballs, it was the last time WCW Nitro beat WWF Raw is War in the ratings.
I will say this of Warrior. He’s done what many wrestlers struggle to do; he walked away from the business. With the exception of one match in 2008 against Orlando Jordan for Nu-Wrestling Evolution, Warrior hasn’t really wrestled since his time in WCW over 15 years ago. A lot of guys get addicted to the spotlight and to the reactions of the fans. Instead, Warrior began getting different reactions as a motivational speaker, and has embraced social media as a way to inspire.
Throughout his career, some have called him a legend, some have called him crazy, but the night before WrestleMania XXX, the man whom is known simply as Warrior will enter the WWE Hall of Fame.
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