Ultimate Warrior Changed The Game For Wrestling
Despite the criticism he received during and after his career, many still believe that The Ultimate Warrior managed to help the WWF/WWE turn into the mega monster we see today.
Growing up, wrestling was the world to me. With an array of athletes to choose from, it wasn’t that easy picking between Hulk Hogan, Junkyard Dog, Rick Flair and the many others that Vince McMahon turned into superstars. But then came this enegergetic guy with strings wrapped around his arm, war paint on, and just super hype all the time.
While most wrestlers walked to the ring calm with a grace about them, my favorite, ran to the ring as if being chased by law enforcement. How could anyone not get excited about The Ultimate Warrior?
He starred in the WWF (now WWE) from 1987-92 and 1996. He worked for WCW, WCCW, CWA, Mid-South Wrestling and UWF. During his early days in 1985-86, he teamed with Sting as the Blade Runners (Rock and Flash) with manager Dirty Dutch Mantell and later Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert, before becoming the Dingo Warrior in World Class Championship Wrestling.
In 1990, the Ultimate Warrior was heralded as the wrestler to become the biggest star of the 1990s and the successor to Hulk Hogan. Following a few confrontations with Hogan, most notably at the 1990 Royal Rumble, the Warrior and Hogan met in the main event of WrestleMania VI at the SkyDome in Toronto.
After each legend kicked out of the other’s finisher, Warrior finally pinned Hogan with a Warrior Splash to become the first and only wrestler to hold the WWF Intercontinental and World championships simultaneously.
A winner of WWF’s two top belts, Warrior vacated the Intercontinental title as WWF rules prohibited a wrestler from holding both. While he would go on to have a great career, for me, it was never about the wins and losses.
What he brought to the sport was the pure energy that was missing. Forget the drugs that were involved as those were the times those professional wrestlers were living in. Watching an Ultimate Warrior match was like watching your favorite movie over knowing the outcome but still getting the goosebumps over and over.
I admit, wrestling is not the same for me. And the truth is, it hasn’t been since he retired. The Ultimate Warrior was and still remains the only reason I ever tuned in to the sport in the first place. When he left, so did I. That’s how deep my loyalty runs.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
