Because of this, I am dedicating this week's Flashback Friday to my memories of The Ultimate Warrior.
Don't expect some career retrospective or informational knowledge about Jim "Warrior" Hellwig, this is MY Flashback Friday and MY memories of one of the biggest personalities the WWF/WWE has ever known.
I was born in 1985 and during my childhood, there were few things that mattered to me: Ninja Turtles, Video Games, and Pro Wrestling. This was before I got wise to the business, so to me, it was all still real. These were still these larger-than-life entities that I watched beat the living hell out of each other. I was hooked the minute I started tuning in.
Sure we all can remember watching Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and so on, but we all can agree that the person who would get us the most excited to watch was the Ultimate Warrior.
And man, you got excited the second you heard that music start. You were on your feet and screaming as soon as that note dropped cause you knew it was gonna get loud and exciting like NOW!
The man ran full speed down to the ring, tassels and hair trying their damndest to keep up, he would jump up to the ring apron and shake the ropes so hard you thought he might rip them out of the turnbuckles. The ground shook and you could barely hear yourself think with all the noise.
He looked like a cross between He-Man and a rockstar. He would pick people up with ease and clothesline opponents out of their boots.
He was the real deal and a WWF/WWE icon in the making.
Before kids wore all the wristbands and shirts of their hero John Cena, we had the Ultimate Warrior; we had the tassels, we had the wristbands, we had the face paint, we were Warriors!
Sure, he sometimes couldn't control his own power. People didn't like working with him, Vince McMahon fired him over contract disputes, The Self-Distruction of the Ultimate Warrior is a thing, I watched it. But that's not the point.
The Ultimate Collection was recently released and it will be what people remember most. People remember the matches, people remember Wrestlemania VI when Warrior beat Hogan to gain the WWF Championship. He was the face of the company. I also remember where I was when this happened...
Wrestlemania VIII, we thought Warrior was gone, Hogan was getting beat up by Sid Justice and Papa Shango, then we hear the music and we all rise to our feet. He was back and looked better than ever!
We were the One Warrior Nation.
Sure, many of my favorite wrestlers have since passed on; Randy Savage, Curt Hennig, Eddie Guerrero. But the Warrior was more than that, he meant more to so many people and the world lost an amazing performer, and a great presence. Hellwig was given this persona and he took it and (literally) ran with it, causing millions of people to go absolutely crazy, including me.
Thank you Warrior for filling my childhood with so many memories and giving your talents to the world, you will be missed. They better watch out because you are running, full speed, at the Holy Gates, and they will welcome you.
R.I.P.
Ultimate Warrior
1959 - 2014
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