“Every man’s heart one day beats its final beat, his lungs breathe their final breath and if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them believe deeper in something larger than life, then his essence, his spirit will be immortalised.”
These would be among the final words that wrestling fans would ever hear from the Ultimate Warrior. Spoken less than 24 hours before he collapsed outside his Arizona hotel, later being pronounced dead in hospital.
At the time most probably didn’t think much of those words. Elements of death, darkness, and the unknown were commonplace in the Warrior’s promos and interviews throughout his entire career. Looking back though, mere days later, those same words contain an eerie foreshadowing that no one could have foretold.
I am left feeling somewhat hollow. Like many, I was still reeling from the shock of The Undertaker’s Streak being broken, something that seems rather insignificant now, to then be told that the Ultimate Warrior had passed away, one of my childhood idols, I was numb. I didn’t know how to feel.
I’ll admit, the Warrior may have lost some of his luster in my eyes. Legally changing his name to Warrior always seemed odd to me. I felt it was simply a way for him to try and keep the rights to his character. And of course there were his polarizing views regarding anything from homosexuals to former colleagues like Hulk Hogan. Over time the Ultimate Warrior had become a punchline and it was fashionable to almost be ashamed of cheering for someone so “crazy”. However, the last few months of Warrior’s life tell a story of redemption.
The Warrior is one of those few men whom I thought would never enter the WWE Hall of Fame, but then it happened. Despite all of the bad blood, the bridges burned, it is possible to come back. It was a storybook ending to his life, being recognized by his peers, having his daughters join him onstage.
If there is one lesson to be learned, it is that of forgiveness. Over the last week I have seen so many pictures of Warrior shaking hands and smiling and embracing fellow superstars whom he had heat with, as well as Vince McMahon himself, with whom Warrior had numerous issues. Yet, as Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, none of that mattered.
Many wrestlers have said in the last two days, that over WrestleMania weekend they were able to speak with Warrior and bury an old hatchet, proving that you never know what life may throw at you, and petty disagreements aren’t worth it in the grand scheme of things. That looking back on a man’s career, there are so many things that are more important than poking fun for changing his name.
A name and a spirit that will live on in his children. I once thought it was silly for his daughters to have the surname Warrior, like it was something they would be “stuck with” for the rest of their lives. However, now I look on it as something they can be, and most likely are, proud of. A Warrior is defined as a brave or experienced soldier or fighter. In the world of professional wrestling, their father was indeed that. A warrior in life, a warrior in death, may you rest in peace.
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Main Photo Credit via @stephmcmahon
