The Ultimate Warrior, who has died aged 54, was one of the most recognisable stars of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) circuit of the late 1980s and early '90s, winning millions of fans. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking news. Sign up for Peacock to watch. ", "WWE is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the most iconic WWE superstars ever, The Ultimate Warrior," read a statement from the company. December 29, 2020 | Ann Arbor, MI | Friend. [65], On April 5, 2014, The Ultimate Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2014. Get email updates about Ultimate Warrior delivered directly to your inbox. [47], Between November 1992 and July 1995, Warrior was semi-retired. [46] However, in Warrior: The Ultimate Legend, McMahon claims that it was Warrior's experimenting with growth hormone which led to his departure; Warrior was suspended and, in return, skipped dates as he took offense to McMahon's actions. Referring to his brother by his original nickname of Jim, Jay claimed that he had long been trying to talk about Warriors issues, only to see his comments deleted or blocked. Ultimate Warrior and His Death Leads to Disappointing Media Commentary In 1987, he joined the World Wrestling Federation, and became a two-time WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion within two years. His father died at 57 and a grandfather died at 52. [73] WWE claims that the theory that a different man returned to play The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VIII remains "perhaps the longest standing urban legend in WWE history". How I would have Loved to be a part of Warrior University. [66], Warrior had been largely alienated from his peers in professional wrestling in the decade before his death, and was sometimes described as a bitter man on bad terms with various wrestling figures such as Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan and Jake Roberts. [96], An autopsy revealed Warrior died of a heart attack caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. [50], On July 22, 1995, he returned to the ring for the National Wrestling Conference (NWC) promotion in Las Vegas, defeating The Honky Tonk Man. This involved Roberts giving Warrior three "tests" shown on WWF television in consecutive weeks. Shop unique Ultimate Warrior Funeral face masks designed and sold by independent artists. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. The third was his loss to Hogan at Halloween Havoc, in what is considered by many to be one of the worst wrestling matches ever staged. [114] The 2015 film The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown!, which stars The Flintstones and WWE Superstars and Divas, was dedicated to Warrior's memory. Commentary in the Fantasy Warfare package in, WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, Warrior's speech from his final public appearance on Monday Night RAW, The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior. Which non-quarterback group will define each top-25 team's season? [89] Warrior depicted celebrities who were newsworthy at the time of his blog (Heath Ledger and Paris Hilton). He also made an appearance on "Raw" and shook the ropes one final time in front of another crowd that went wild for the Warrior. The WWE said Warrior, who legally changed his name from James Hellwig to his. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy Thursday, county spokeswoman Cari Gerchick said. Case 2:06-cv-00535-ROS. Dana Hellwig (Dana Warrior)- Ultimate Warrior Jim Hellwig's Wife Watch WrestleMania and other WWE Premium Live Events on Flow. The Ultimate Warrior feuded with Rick Rude at the Royal Rumble in 1989, was defeated by Rick Rude at WrestleMania V and regained the Intercontinental championship at SummerSlam in 1989.. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. Warrior died on April 8, 2014, at the age of 54 in Scottsdale, Arizona. [31] "Macho Man" Randy Savage was also introduced as a potential rival after interfering in a The Main Event IV title match at the behest of DiBiase. The WWF refused to accept the letter since Warrior was under contract until September 1992. The Tragic Death of WWE Legend The Ultimate Warrior - Sportscasting [30] Warrior then began a feud with Andr the Giant, leading to a number of house shows in which Warrior defeated Andr in short squash matches,[30] establishing Warrior as a main event level talent. [66] The next day, Warrior appeared at WrestleMania XXX, and the following night delivered a promo on Raw, his first appearance on the show since his final televised WWF match in 1996. He collapsed April 8 while walking with his wife, Dana Hellwig, to their car at a Scottsdale hotel and was pronounced dead at a. [30] At SummerSlam, Warrior defeated Rude to regain the title and become a two-time Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion. In response, WWE said that the Unleash Your Warrior campaign and the Warrior Award "recognize individuals that exhibit the strength and courage of WWE's legendary character The Ultimate Warrior. Ultimate Warrior - Death, Career & Facts - Biography [57] Warrior's debut promo also unexpectedly lasted over 27 minutes, which was more than 20 minutes over its allotted time and forced Eric Bischoff to do a massive rewrite of Nitro on the spot, including re-adding a commercial break that was supposed to take place during the promo. 101 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 19:31. Warrior, whose birth name was Jim Hellwig before legally changing it in 1993, is one of the subjects for the third season of the wrestling docuseries that premieres May 6 (VICE, 9 p.m.) with a. For the first test, Roberts locked Warrior inside of a coffin for a second time. [6], Prior to his career in professional wrestling Hellwig was an amateur bodybuilder,[7] competing in a number of NPC contests and winning the 1984 NPC Mr. Georgia crown. Warrior retired from wrestling that year. Funeral Parlour with Ultimate Warrior (WWF, April 1991) [26], As 1989 began, Warrior entered a feud with Rick Rude over the Intercontinental title. Hellwig was one of pro wrestling's biggest stars in the late 1980s. Hellwig finished 5th. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Maple Leaf Gardens -- June 2, 1991. Ultimate Warrior Obituary - Death Notice and Service Information Professional wrestling veteran Bruno Sammartino, who attended the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony alongside "Warrior" -- an inductee -- last week, told CBS', He added, "He had two beautiful little daughters that he has, and they were on stage with him. According to Joseph Laurinaitis (aka Road Warrior Animal), UWF owner Bill Watts created the Blade Runners and the intent was to make them a parody of The Road Warriors. Originally, Warrior was asked to help with the production of the DVD, but as he refused to work with WWE (citing he did not want to be associated with their promotion), there had been some resulting animosity between Warrior and WWE over the Warrior claiming bias on the part of WWE. All rights reserved. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. [81] The DVD has provoked some controversy due to Warrior's own allegations of libel by WWE against him. During his time away from the WWF, Warrior opened the short-lived "Warrior University", a professional wrestling school based in Scottsdale, Arizona. [60], WCW claimed that attempts were made to save the storyline though Warrior has claimed in interviews and convention appearances that the only reason he was brought back was so Hogan could get a win over Warrior in return for Hogan's WrestleMania job. In 1987, Warrior began competing for the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship, losing to Bob Bradley in a tournament final on January 12. The Ultimate Warrior, one of the most colorful stars in pro wrestling history, has died, the WWE said. By HandTs Shop. Ultimate Warrior ABC Sitcom Planning Tribute to WWE Star EXCLUSIVE 8.6K 4/21/2014 12:35 AM PT The guy behind the ABC sitcom " The Goldbergs " is a hardcore Ultimate Warrior fan -- which is. On the preceding three nights in New Orleans, he had been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, appeared at WrestleMania XXX and made his final public appearance on Monday Night Raw, returning to the promotion after an acrimonious separation in 1996. [80], On September 27, 2005, WWE released a DVD documentary focusing on Warrior's wrestling career, titled The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior. The Ultimate Warrior visits the Funeral Parlor: Superstars, April 13 After a career in bodybuilding, Warrior turned to professional wrestling. [74] WWE announcer Tom Phillips claims that the rumors likely originated from Gene Okerlund's WCW Hotline as well as the WCW debut of Warrior doppelgnger The Renegade. The warrior was captivating. 'Dark Side of the Ring' will show side of Ultimate Warrior we haven't seen During his time in the WWF, he captured the WWF World Heavyweight Championship and won the WWF Intercontinental Championship on two occasions. As the melee progressed, he dispatched Tito Santana and Shawn Michaels, while Hogan took out Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, Haku, and the Honky Tonk Man. Warrior is survived by his wife, Dana, and his two daughters. Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig; June 16, 1959 - April 8, 2014) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. Ultimate Warrior Funeral Face Masks for Sale | Redbubble Sign up for BINGE to watch. Ultimate Warrior Death - Wrestler Deaths Dennis Winship Lynn Massachusetts. The Freedom Fighters debuted in the Memphis, Tennessee-based Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) promotion, run by Jerry Jarrett, in November 1985. They divorced in 1992. He ended his letter with "Whatever your decision, I can and will live with it. The WWE said Warrior, who legally changed his name from James Hellwig to his. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. James Hellwig, Wrestling's Ultimate Warrior, Dies at 54 [35] For the third test, the Warrior entered a room full of snakes,[35] to find "the answer" in a chest in the middle of the room. His last bodybuilding contest was 1985's Junior USAs, which was won by future IFBB Pro, Ron Love. Paul Bearer (1954-2013) - Find a Grave Memorial Ultimate Warrior Funeral Gifts & Merchandise for Sale He brought up how Owen Hart tried to be friends with Warrior. [64], On July 15, 2013, Warrior was featured in a WWE 2K14 game trailer and revealed he was in the roster as a pre-order bonus. It will be interesting to hear Dana Warrior's side of the story, though she has yet to issue any comment as of this writing. Since I last updated this site a lot has happened, I've gotten a few new items and the biggest news of all is that Warrior man himself has passed away..This was really . He also notably spent a few months in 1998 for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he was known as The Warrior. So, how much is The Ultimate Warrior worth at the age of 55 years old? he bellowed, as the New Orleans crowd chanted his name. Ultimate Warrior: 10 Dream Feuds Fans Never Got To See About the Show. Why Did Ultimate Warrior Die at 54? | Dr. Gabe Mirkin on Health Warrior -- real name James Hellwig -- was a true WWE legend . Her interference eventually led to a Savage sneak attack, where he struck Warrior over the head with a metal scepter and allowed Slaughter to pin Warrior to win the title. Our heart is with his wife Dana and his two daughters. Superstars -- April 13, 1991. The team played babyfaces at first, but fans were actually slow to take to the hulking duo in a territory that had featured sympathetic "good guy tag teams" like the Rock 'n' Roll Express and The Fabulous Ones. [45] Warrior left the company on November 21, 1992 with his last match being a victory over Kamala on November 8 in Orlando, Florida. [41][42], Upon receiving the letter, Warrior refused the suspension and left the WWF. Warrior | Pro Wrestling | Fandom "[101] In 2011, WWE called him "one of the most recognizable" wrestlers in WWE history, praising his ability to draw power from "the WWE Universe", and further spoke of his impact as having "brought Hulkamania to its knees" at WrestleMania VI, "retired the Madness at WrestleMania VII and press slammed a slew of the greatest legends of his era". Ultimate Warrior on Paul Bearers Funeral Parlour Superstars April 13, 1991 Ultimate Warrior vs. [19] Warrior began appearing on house shows in June and was initially billed as The Dingo Warrior in house card promos by Gene Okerlund, but soon had his name modified. [27] Warrior then grabbed ahold of the chain and in the midst of a tug of war over it, the chain snapped. Posited as the new face of the company, he would fall out with Vince McMahon over a pay dispute, and attempted to leave the WWF, which was rejected. [5] In his book Sex, Lies and Headlocks, ESPN writer Shaun Assael stated that Canadian chemist Mauro Di Pasquale, who had been hired in June to monitor the WWF's new drug testing program and was known for being tough towards anyone who failed a drug test,[46] nailed Warrior for steroid use in September and was able to successfully persuade McMahon, who was under federal scrutiny at the time for allegations of illegally supplying steroids to some of his wrestlers, to release Warrior from the company. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. He collapsed April 8 while walking with his wife, Dana Hellwig, to their car at a Scottsdale hotel and was pronounced dead at a hospital. He reconciled with McMahon and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Ultimate Warrior would defeat Randy "Macho Man" Savage the next year at WrestleMania. I'm on my own now. WWE Legend Ultimate Warrior Dead at 54 Photos - ABC News Perfect, Haku, Triple H, Owen Hart, Earthquake, Greg Valentine, Rick Rude, Randy Savage, Goldust, Ric Flair, Nailz, Sid Justice and more. By SyanArt. Ultimate warrior gave me energy like I never feltI know he is now God's warrior. "[71][72], Warrior returned to the WWF at WrestleMania VIII after nearly eight months on hiatus since SummerSlam 1991. He was reinstated as champion upon returning, but vacated it once more upon resigning from WCCW to join the World Wrestling Federation, where he adopted the ring name The Ultimate Warrior.