For those that know me/follow me on Twitter, it's pretty evident I'm a big wrestling fan. Heck, the first post I ever made on TKP was about 2,500 words comparing the ACC to WCW in its dying days.
Former WWE Champion Ultimate Warrior passed away last night. Sadly, wrestling deaths have become a dime a dozen over the past 20 years, but the timing of Warrior's passing is crazy even by wrestling standards.
After being estranged from WWE for 16 years - and out of wrestling pretty much altogether since 1998 - Warrior, born Jim Hellwig, age 54, returned to the promotion that made him famous this weekend.
Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Saturday night, appeared center stage before 70,000 fans at WrestleMania XXX Sunday night, then appeared on Raw Monday night. Tuesday night, Warrior collapsed while walking with his wife outside a hotel in Phoenix.
In hindsight, the promo Warrior cut Monday night is insanely eerie. He essentially gave his own eulogy on live television 24 hours before passing.
What were you favorite Warrior memories? While I was more of a Crockett/NWA/WCW guy growing up, I did love WWE as well. Warrior's inane promos are hard to forget and his WWE Championship win over Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI was a childhood favorite. Plus, his entrance song was the most metal wrestling theme of all time.
"The family that I live for only breathes the air that smells of combat."
- RIP Ultimate Warrior
Comments
This is too bad. He was my favorite wrestler when I was young in the late 80s and early 90s.
My only real remaining memory of him was a sad one for me, and the event that pretty much drove me from WWF. It was when the Undertaker put him in the casket. I was a very sad little horse.
I loved when he teamed up with the Macho Man and together became "Ultimate Maniacs." Probably the best tag-team name of all time!
Here is a good article from SBNation saying goodbye to the Warrior. I was more of a Hulkamaniac and never a huge fan of the Ultimate Warrior, but there's no doubt he was a big part of my childhood.