The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy Thursday, county spokeswoman Cari Gerchick said. The feud never took place, as Warrior was involved in an alleged pay dispute with WWF owner Vince McMahon over the SummerSlam main event, where Warrior was teamed with Hulk Hogan in a handicap match against Sgt. only love We talked, both forgave each other, we hugged, we shook hands as we told each other I love you, I am so sad, God bless his beautiful family". Hellwig was one of pro wrestling's biggest stars in the late 1980s. [1] A rematch with Intercontinental Champion Goldust, on the May 27 episode of the show, ended in a double countout, thus eliminating both men from the tournament and eventually giving Vader a bye into the semi-finals. Document 1852 P.January 27, 2006. In one instance, he mentioned that "queering doesn't make the world work" during a speech at the University of Connecticut. They held the Championship until December 1 of that year, when they lost to Al Madril and Brian Adias.[18]. Ultimate Creations Inc. vs. WWE Inc. From $19.84. The downfall of The Ultimate Warrior continued in one of the most controversial moments in WWE history at the 1991 edition of SummerSlam. The 54-year-old wrestler's given name was James Brian Hellwig.
Upon his return, he received a degree of creative control over his bookings. [83] On September 18, 2009, Warrior's lawsuit in Arizona was dismissed. The 54-year-old wrestler's given name was James Brian Hellwig. The Ultimate Warrior joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in June 1987. PACER.GOV. The first was the WarGames match at Fall Brawl, where he competed as a member of Team WCW, competing against 8 other wrestlers for a shot at Goldberg's WCW World Heavyweight Championship at Halloween Havoc. In 1987, he joined the World Wrestling Federation, and became a two-time WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion within two years. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others, it makes them bleed deeper and something larger than life, then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized." The Ultimate Warrior - A war of words! The couple had two daughters together. [17] Warrior went on to feud with Savage, and the rivalry culminated in a "Career-Ending" match at WrestleMania VII which Warrior won, forcing Savage to retire. [105] WWE released Ultimate Warrior: The Ultimate Collection, a 3-DVD, 540 minute-compilation of matches and stories, which portrayed Warrior far more positively, on April 1, 2014. Authorities in Phoenix, Ariz., say former pro wrestler The Ultimate Warrior died of cardiovascular disease. In the same clip he spoke positively about Vince McMahon for the first time on his channel. Warrior interacted in full wrestling costume with Westway's wacky character, "Mean Joe Greed. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them bleed deeper in something that's larger than life, then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized by the storytellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honor him, and make the running the man did live forever.". [61], After retiring in 1998, Warrior only wrestled a single match on June 25, 2008, against Orlando Jordan in Barcelona, Spain. WEB. [115], Warrior was awarded a posthumous Slammy Award for Return of the Year in December 2014. [122][123] WWE responded, "It is offensive to suggest that WWE and its executives had anything but altruistic intentions in honouring Connor and his legacy with the Warrior Award", adding that "moving forward the award will be given annually to acknowledge other unsung heroes among WWE's employees and fans. (It was later revealed in a 2010 interview with Bearer that, in preparation for the segment, he and his team had to remove the airtight rubber seal or "gasket" from around the coffin's lid and drill air holes in said lid to allow for breathable space, so that Warrior would not suffocate because "he had enough brain damage as it was, and we wouldn't want to give him any more", implying that Warrior had been faking his own death the whole time. Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Former columnist and writer after five years with Sports Illustrated, Markazi has also written for Slam, King, Vibe and Playboy. Document 178 P.January 4, 2006. 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. Yep, he may not be getting younger, but you just can't take the wrestling fan away from him. Slaughter's gimmick at the time was a traitor who had betrayed America by aligning himself with an Iraqi (kayfabe) military general, General Adnan. [78], Warrior and the WWF engaged in a series of lawsuits and legal actions in 1996 and 1998,[79] where both parties sought a declaration that they owned the characters, Warrior and Ultimate Warrior, under both contract and copyright law. [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. Standing out than the rest, Ultimate Warrior became one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE (back then in the WWF). News of his death spread the next day on sites such as Bing, Facebook, and Twitter. By SyanArt. Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig; June 16, 1959 - April 8, 2014) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball, Alonso says Aston 'living a dream,' eyes podium, Top moments from Brady, Manning, Jordan and other athletes hosting 'Saturday Night Live'. Ed Mazza. After rejecting an earlier request to grant a title shot to Savage, Sensational Sherri interjected herself in the Warrior's championship match to distract him. The Ultimate Warrior visits the Funeral Parlor: Superstars, April 13, 1991 | WWE This video is either unavailable or not supported in this browser Error Code: MEDIA_ERR_SRC_NOT_SUPPORTED Technical details : The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported. The DVD featured clips of his more notable feuds and matches along with commentary from WWE stars past and present (most of which are unflattering), with Triple H (by this point one of WWE's top main eventers and the husband of Vince McMahon's daughter Stephanie McMahon) adding that his WrestleMania debut loss against Warrior at WrestleMania XII left him with mixed emotions, saying that Warrior "ruined the experience" for him and was "one of the most unprofessional guys" he's ever performed with. On November 17, 1986, Warrior and Von Erich defeated Master Gee (substituting for champion Buzz Sawyer) and Matt Borne to win the title. [9], In 1985, after spending six weeks in California training for a bodybuilding contest, he was invited to join a group of bodybuilders Garland Donoho, Mark Miller, and Steve Borden to form a professional wrestling team. [13] Hellwig and fellow trainee Steve Borden (who later had success as "Sting"), formed a tag team called The Freedom Fighters (Hellwig was known as Justice and Borden was called Flash). They looked so proud.". 7778. They led the WWE's transformation from a promotion running weekend arena shows and Saturday morning TV into one booking events at the largest stadiums around the world with millions watching every Monday night. He was 54. They divorced in 1992. It was also mentioned on ABC News, HLN and CNN. "No WWE talent becomes a legend on their own," he said. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. The two musclebound speedo sporters . Document 178 P.January 3, 2006. [108][109][110] Reportedly almost immediately after Warrior's death, WWE sent two senior officials to Arizona to assist his widow in handling personal things such as grocery shopping so that she could focus on being with her and Warrior's daughters.[111]. He won the championship in front of 67,678 fans at Toronto's SkyDome in a match billed as "The Ultimate Challenge." He made his debut with the promotion when it was known as the World Wrestling Federations in 1987 and wrestled on and off for the sports entertainment empire until 1996. In 1990 The Ultimate Warrior began a string of victories. Case 2:06-cv-00535-ROS. Warrior occasionally referenced his respect for the Founding Fathers of the United States, and also enjoyed books like Homer's Odyssey and James Allen's As a Man Thinketh. About the Show. Warrior was admittedly a heavy user of steroids during his professional wrestling career. See photos of Ultimate Warrior and more great wrestlers in our Legends of Wrestling photo gallery. Paul Bearer and the Undertaker have a special treat for the Ultimate. In 1987, Warrior began competing for the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship, losing to Bob Bradley in a tournament final on January 12. Warrior accepted the invitation and abandoned his bodybuilding career as well as his plans to become a chiropractor.[10][11][12]. First competing on house shows under his Dingo Warrior moniker, he defeated a series of jobbers, including Steve Lombardi,[22] Barry Horowitz[23] and Mike Sharpe. The Ultimate Warrior was one of pro wrestling's biggest stars in the late 1980s. Waiting inside the chest was a spitting cobra which bit Warrior in the face. The cause of death is not known yet. He had also wrestled a tour of Germany for Otto Wanz's Catch Wrestling Association (CWA) promotion where he defeated Ulf Herman. 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. Case 2:06-cv-00535-ROS. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. 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. 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. The Ultimate Warrior would defeat Randy "Macho Man" Savage the next year at WrestleMania. Ultimate Creations Inc. vs. WWE Inc. PACER.GOV. James Hellwig died on April 8, 2014, in Scottsdale, Arizona. The ULTIMATE WARRIOR-3 DISK DVD or 2 DISK BLU-RAY Sets-DVD DISK 1: Ultimate Warrior Life Story and Ring Career, Singles Matches against Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Sgt. Descend into Parts Unknown, load the spaceship with the rocket fuel and unleash this 3-Disc set, but beware. Slaughter, Colonel Mustafa, and General Adnan. First published on April 14, 2014 / 5:17 PM. Scottsdale, Ariz., police spokesman Sgt. The two faced off on the February 7, 1988 airing of Wrestling Challenge, where Hercules was disqualified for using his steel chain. On the October 12 edition of Monday Nitro, he teamed with Sting to defeat Hogan and Bret Hart by disqualification. Our heart is with his wife Dana and his two daughters." The Ultimate Warrior, the former WWE professional wrestling champion, has died at 54. He was 54. Two years later, he joined World Championship Wrestling (who had tried to hire him in 1995), being used in a much-maligned storyline with Hogan, which culminated at Halloween Havoc. FEEL THE POWER!!!!!!!!!!! The Ultimate Warrior is one of the most enduring Superstars in WWE history, a former world champion and Hall of Famer who will be the subject of A&E's Biography Sunday night. His lungs breathe their final breath. Apr 9, 2014, 12:55 AM EDT | Updated Apr 10, 2014. He wanted $550,000 for performing at WrestleMania VII, a guaranteed number of working days, travel accommodations and a higher percentage of merchandise sales. James Hellwig or as popularly known in the wrestling world as the "Ultimate Warrior" dies at the age of 54. Like I said, Jim dying was the best thing ever happened to her. 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. T-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more, designed and sold by independent artists around the world. The Warrior has not only made it a living by living in another reality he also has made it his life. Less than a year after his WWF television debut, Warrior, a surprise substitute for the injured Brutus Beefcake, won the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, defeating The Honky Tonk Man in a 27-second squash match at the inaugural SummerSlam on August 29, 1988, and ending Honky Tonk's long reign at 454 days. The . Funeral Parlour with Ultimate Warrior (WWF, April 1991) 2,839,317 views Feb 12, 2008 7.4K Dislike Share Save picatostes67 9.24K subscribers Funeral Parlour segment (hosted by Paul Bearer), with. [33], The next chapter of Warrior's career was an encounter with The Undertaker, after Undertaker and his manager, Paul Bearer, locked Warrior in a coffin on the set of Bearer's Funeral Parlor. He ended his letter with "Whatever your decision, I can and will live with it. Specifically, according to TMZ, he and his wife were walking outside a hotel when he clutched his chest and collapsed. [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. December 29, 2020 | Ann Arbor, MI | Friend. Case 2:06-cv-00535-ROS. "[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". RELATED: 15 INSANE REAL-LIFE STORIES OF THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy Thursday, county spokeswoman Cari Gerchick said. The Ultimate Warrior's income source is mostly from being a successful Wrestler. Watch WrestleMania and other WWE Premium Live Events on Flow. [125], In 2017, WWE started promoting the "Unleash Your Warrior" breast cancer awareness campaign in partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, where Warrior's likeness was promoted on television by WWE wrestlers and breast cancer survivors. WWE has been criticized for using Warrior as the inspirational "emblem" of the campaign. He was 54. [65], On April 5, 2014, The Ultimate Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2014. It was there Vince said "we want you to do Warrior, but we don't want Dingo." [113] A wrestling themed episode of The Goldbergs, which aired on May 6, was dedicated in Warrior's memory. [87] The series was co-written with Jim Callahan and illustrated by the Sharp Brothers. NHL trade deadline: Winners and losers, including the Bruins, Devils and Bruce Boudreau? Warrior further appears as a playable character in WWE All Stars, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K16, WWE 2K17, WWE 2K18, WWE 2K19, and WWE 2K20. Roberts then uttered, "Never trust a snake. Warrior retired from wrestling that year. The Ultimate Warrior", "E3 2016: Sasha Banks to be part of WWE 2K17 roster", "Ultimate Warrior on WWE Hall of Fame: They need to tell the right story", "Ultimate Warrior's best tribute is new DVD set", "Hogan: I Want To Induct Macho Man Into Hall of Fame", "WWE Stars React to the Ultimate Warrior's Death", "WWE Wrestlers, Celebrities, and Wrestling Fans Are Heartbroken Over the News About The Ultimate Warrior's Death", "Ultimate Warrior dies: WWE and beyond react to loss of Hall of Famer", "WWE Officials Sent to Arizona to Help Ultimate Warrior's Widow", "See the WWE's touching tribute to the Ultimate Warrior", "WWE to pay tribute to Ultimate Warrior tonight on 'Monday Night Raw', "UFC Fighter Pays Tribute To Ultimate Warrior, SoCal Val Attends NXT Event, Birthdays", "WWE News: Official details on Ultimate Warrior book project scheduled release date, content, more", "Dana Warrior Had No Part Of 'Smut And Filth' Dark Side Of The Ring Episode On Ultimate Warrior", "2014 WWE Hall of Fame live coverage: Ultimate Warrior, Jake Roberts, Lita, Razor Ramon, Paul Bearer, and Carlos Colon", "WWE fan Connor Michalek to receive first-ever Warrior Award at 2015 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony", "[Updated with WWE statement] former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts blogs on Connor induction to WWE Hall of Fame, WWE's usage of Conner", "Former ring announcer Justin Roberts questions sincerity of WWE's relationship with Connor the Crusher", "[Updated With WWE Statement] Former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts blogs on Connor Induction to WWE Hall Of Fame, WWE's usage of Conner", "Former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand to receive WWE "Warrior Award", "WWE is Whitewashing The Ultimate Warrior's Bigoted Past", "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1992", "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years", "World Class Wrestling Association Tag Team Title", "The Ultimate Warrior's first Intercontinental Championship reign", "The Ultimate Warrior's second Intercontinental Championship reign", "The Ultimate Warrior's first WWF Championship reign", "Ultimate Warrior statue revealed at WrestleMania Axxess", "Jan 27 2014 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2013 Annual awards issue, best in the world in numerous categories, plus all the news in pro-wrestling and MMA over the past week and more", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Ultimate_Warrior&oldid=1140584463, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Articles with dead external links from May 2016, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, NWE World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Ranked No. Warrior claimed that if WWE wanted to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame they would have "to tell the right story" opposite of the one depicted in the 2005 DVD. [94] According to reports, Warrior clutched his chest and collapsed at 5:50p.m. while walking to his car with his wife outside of their hotel in Arizona. The Greatest Moments in Imagery & Video of the Most Intense and Entertaining Wrestler Ever The Ultimate Warrior! See photos of Ultimate Warrior and more great wrestlers in our Legends of Wrestling photo gallery. The Associated Press contributed to this report. He has stated that he adopted the ring name "Dingo Warrior" after a member of the WCCW locker room remarked that he looked like "a warrior". Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar. [35], For the second test, Warrior was "buried alive" by Roberts. By LevinPeters. Hello and welcome to my Warrior site, this will be a site dedicated to Warrior and wrestling collectors all over the world! Hogan even questioned Warrior's value, saying, "You gave the [WWF Championship] belt to The Ultimate Warrior and right away the revenue went down. [21] Warrior made his final appearance with WCCW in June 1987. Even in the brilliantly bonkers world of professional wrestling, the Ultimate Warrior stood out from the crowd. WEB. Jonathan Bachman/AP Images for WWE. He was also chosen as one of six legends to be included in the Defining Moments series of action figures. [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. Perhaps the most iconic wrestle mania moment is warrior over head slamming hulk hogan. He was 54-years-old. Perfect and Demolition). [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. Slaughter at the Royal Rumble. [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. the action is truly OUT OF CONTROL!!! [1], Warrior was scheduled to team with Shawn Michaels and Ahmed Johnson to face Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, and Vader at In Your House 9 later that month, but the WWF terminated Warrior's contract when he missed several house shows, taking time off allegedly to grieve the death of his father. Some said Warrior died from liver failure due to years of steroid abuse or that his signature arm tassels cut off his blood circulation. Warrior returned to the WWF at WrestleMania XII, but lasted four months, as he began no-showing events. [52] He made his first appearance on Monday Night Raw on April 8, where he gave an in-ring interview and credited the "voices" of the "warriors" (his name for members of the WWF audience) for his return; he was then interrupted by Goldust. Death Year: 2014 Death date:. In November 1992, Warrior was scheduled to team with Savage (as The Ultimate Maniacs) to face Ric Flair and Razor Ramon at Survivor Series. [27] Warrior then grabbed ahold of the chain and in the midst of a tug of war over it, the chain snapped. Warrior was again the sole survivor, pinning Arn Anderson and Bobby Heenan to win the match. Ultimate Warrior (nee Jim Hellwig) was 54 years of age when he died. PACER.GOV. He was replaced by Sycho Sid at in Your House 9. He was also known for his distinctive pattern of face paint. ", "Raw news: Bryan's first night as champ, Taker update, Cesaro joins Heyman, Warrior returns, RVD returns, Paige debuts & wins Divas Title, other NXT intros, more", "Ultimate Warrior dead days after WrestleMania 30 and Raw appearances", "Why the Ultimate Warrior Was Such a Legend", WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENTINC WWE Quarterly Report (10-Q) NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited), "Interview with the Ultimate Warrior Part 3 of 4", WWE: Ultimate Warrior files lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment, "The Ultimate Warrior Loses Lawsuit Against WWE", "Interview with the Ultimate Warrior Part 4 of 4", "An illustrated history of wrestling comic books", Warrior's Machete: Before the House of Hilton Bred Whores, Warrior's Machete: Warrior wins. Maricopa County spokeswoman Cari Gerchick says that's the finding from an autopsy conducted Thursday by the county Medical Examiner's Office. There were no signs of foul play, Clark said. Warrior disputes McMahon's explanation, claiming that the real reason why he did not show up to those events was a breach of contract by McMahon, in which WWF sold Warrior's merchandise without giving him a percentage. He won both the inaugural SummerSlam in 1988 and the Survivor Series of that year. 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. INCLUDES: ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs. HULK HOGAN - Title vs. PACER.GOV. In what can be referred to at some heavy-handed accusations against Dana Warrior, Jay Hellwig repeatedly referred to his brothers widow as fake, accusing her of being a gold-digger from the time he first met her when she was 22 and fresh out of college. Warrior haters lose again, "WARRIOR NEWS: Report Reported circumstances of Ultimate Warrior's death in Phoenix", "WARRIOR NEWS: Report Warrior appeared to be "very sick" prior to death, Hall of Fame special includes Warrior message, Jim Ross blogs on Warrior's legacy", "Ultimate Warrior autopsy: Wrestler died of heart disease", "Ultimate Warrior suffered fatal heart attack autopsy shows", "WWE.com Ultimate Warrior talks about his legendary career: WWE.com Exclusive", "Clash of the Toy-tans II: John Cena vs. ", "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.