Every morning when I wake up, I typically check my phone right away to see if there are any work related texts I need to know about. Had a text from my brother, which isn't all too odd considering we have been talking about wrestling for days, just like any other wrestling fan around this time of year, but the message was about The Ultimate Warrior having passed away at the age of 54 less than 24 hours after an appearance on Raw, having not only made it into the WWE Hall of Fame, but also having made peace with Vince McMahon, which in and of itself is a story.
I remember seeing Warrior as The Dingo Warrior in World Class Championship Wrestling on ESPN before his big run with the WWE. When he was presented on WWE television, I immediately knew who he was, but just figured he would be another guy settling into a role for the WWE and never thought he would become the sensation he did. What is even more remarkable is the tremendous impact he had on this profession, considering his major run only lasted four years, and his world title run lasted for less than one.
The short version of the story involving The Ultimate Warrior and Vince McMahon during Warrior's heyday is that in 1991, he basically did something known as "holding a promoter up", basically threatening to leave when in a major position unless certain financial aspects we're met in his contract. Vince, who was setting up Summerslam, sent him back an original letter stating that he would absolutely meet all his demands and then some, and Warrior performed on the show as scheduled. Following the event, Warrior was handed a subsequent letter suspending him immediately for his conduct, and while he returned in mid 1992, that didn't last and he was released under questionable circumstances a few short months later.
Yes, there were Warrior appearances scattered here and there throughout the years that followed. Another WWE run, another termination under disputed circumstances. A WCW run that saw him do some interesting stuff while wrestling a total of four matches. He wrestled one more time, for Nu Wrestling Evolution in 2008 against Orlando Jordan, had made an appearance for Northeast Wrestling at The Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY in 2012, and then we had this past weekend. The induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. The Wrestlemania appearance. The promo on Raw (that is absolutely eerie in hindsight) of which an excerpt is here:
"No WWE talent becomes a legend on their own. 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 immortalized. By the story tellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honor him and make the running the man did live forever. You, you, you, you, you, you are the legend makers of Ultimate Warrior. In the back I see many potential legends. Some of them with warrior spirits. And you will do the same for them. You will decide if they lived with the passion and intensity. So much so that you will tell your stories and you will make them legends, as well. I am Ultimate Warrior. You are the Ultimate Warrior fans. And the spirit of the Ultimate Warrior will run forever!"
He had come and made peace with his past this weekend. And he got to say thank you and go out on top of the world, appearing in front of the most rabid fans on the most intense wrestling weekend in the world, and he certainly leaves a legacy that many of us are not soon to forget.
Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior - Highlight Video!
