Today I woke to one of the most heartbreaking stories in the wrestling world. The Ultimate Warrior, my childhood hero, the man who got me hooked on the WWE has sadly passed away.
At first when I saw the news my initial reaction was that it was a hoax - I mean I'd literally just watched him give an awe-inspiring speech having made his return to Monday Night Raw this week, having got inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame Saturday night (see my Hall of Fame tribute I posted a month or so ago) and then being paraded at WrestleMania 30. But soon WWE Superstars began to tweet their respects and reality sunk in - kind of anyway.
The Ultimate Warrior was my childhood hero. He got me hooked on wrestling, I worshipped this man. He was full of intensity and everyone I knew that loved wrestling, wanted to be this man. So to hear of his death, is very hard to accept. Especially having seen him so prominently feature in the WWE in the last 7 days. It just makes it so much harder to accept. However I do take a little comfort that he was able to have that oppurtunity to have his career properly recognised and highlighted. The fact he was able to have his wife and 2 kids attend the Hall of Fame ceremony, he clearly loved his family and it was clear it meant the world to him having had them there. The fact he was able to deliver a touching speech, in which you could tell his genuine love & passion for the business & the WWE and you sensed a genuine relief that he had patched things up and was a part of the WWE once more. He was genuinely honoured to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and have the fans chant his name once more. The fact he was a part of WrestleMania 30 and paraded to the fans. Having not been with the WWE since 1996. It was an emotional moment, the warrior had come home. The following night on Monday night Raw he made an appearance, making a poignant speech that will live long forever as being his last public appearance. It makes me happy knowing he got the reception he did and to have the New Orleans crowd chant his name. I am happy that he was able to have that oppurtunity.
But that doesn't make his death any easier. I was genuinely excited about the role Warrior was going to play in the WWE in his ambassadorial role and he seemed genuinely keen to inspire the younger generation. Sadly he won't be able to do that. But scrolling through Twitter this morning, reading many various tweets, particularly from WWE superstars & staff, it was evidently clear to me just what an impact the Warrior made on today's superstars. He inspired many of today's Superstars and they got hooked on wrestling because of him, just like me.
It's only been the last 7 days that I've really appreciated just how well respected he was within the business. The Warrior was a passionate man, who cared about the business & it's future and cared deeply about his family. We can only send our thoughts, prayers & condolences to his family. Whilst the Warrior is now gone, his legacy will live on, even more prominently now, as there will be sooo many tributes in the coming days and weeks. Raw on Monday will inevitably be emotional and I'm certain that he will have a more than suitable tribute. It's been a whirlwind few days of extreme highs to the lowest of lows. I will never forget the Ultimate Warrior, he was my hero, an icon, a legend and irreplaceable and will forever be remembered.
I could spend ages paying tribute to him. If you want a snapshot of his career please feel free to check my article on his Hall of Fame Induction
But for now I'm just going to leave a selection of tweets for you to read from WWE Superstars & fans alike, who paid their tribute to the Ultimate Warrior.
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