[65], On April 5, 2014, The Ultimate Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2014. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy Thursday, county spokeswoman Cari Gerchick said. On board of directors for Jim Murray Memorial Foundation. Mark Clark said Warrior collapsed while walking with his wife to their car at a hotel, and was pronounced dead at a hospital. 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." He was 54. Warrior put on a mask that resembled his famous face paint and cut a promo about 24 hours before his death that seems eerie now. A report from Wrestling News cited a comment on The Ultimate Warriors official Facebook page, with the man claiming to be the late WWE Hall of Famers brother, Jay Hellwig. Warrior interacted in full wrestling costume with Westway's wacky character, "Mean Joe Greed. [30] At SummerSlam, Warrior defeated Rude to regain the title and become a two-time Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion. Warrior died on April 8, 2014, at the age of 54 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. 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. 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. [54] He formed a stable opposing Hollywood Hulk Hogan's New World Order (nWo):[55] the "One Warrior Nation" using the initialism oWn as a play on the name nWo. He was the oldest of five children and was raised by his mother (along with, later, his stepfather) after his father left his family when he was 12. He'd shake the ropes and grunt and howl while the crowd went wild for the popular good guy. As the melee progressed, he dispatched Tito Santana and Shawn Michaels, while Hogan took out Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, Haku, and the Honky Tonk Man. [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. [31], Warrior was inserted into the feud between The Legion of Doom and Demolition, leading to victories for the Warrior and LOD in six-man tag team matches in house shows as well as the October 13, 1990 airing of Saturday Night's Main Event XXVIII. 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. The match was billed as "The Ultimate Challenge", as both Hogan's WWF Championship and Warrior's Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship were on the line. RIP Warrior. His lungs breathe their final breath. Jim Ross On Why Owen Hart Befriended The Ultimate Warrior Martha ____ The Greatest Moments in Imagery & Video of the Most Intense and Entertaining Wrestler Ever The Ultimate Warrior! 9 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the, Ranked. Superstars -- July 25, 1992. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Ultimate Creations Inc. vs. WWE Inc. [6], Between 1987 and 1989, he appeared in several TV ads for Westway Ford, a car dealership in Irving, Texas. The news of his death was announced by WWE who stated: [84], Warrior formally retired from wrestling in 1999 and had a short-lived career as a conservative speaker and commentator, partnering with conservative spokesman Daniel Pinheiro, denouncing left-wing politics. "[121] Former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts expressed disappointment at how WWE used portions of Warrior's Hall of Fame speech to promote the award, but left out Warrior's intentions of honoring WWE's off-screen employees. Hellwig finished 5th. Scottsdale, Ariz., police spokesman Sgt. Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. Best known by his ring name The Ultimate Warrior, he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) from 1987 to 1992, as well as a short stint in 1996. In this ultimate collection, the power of the Warrior is alive like never before! Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig; June 16, 1959 - April 8, 2014) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. WEB. Case 2:06-cv-00535-ROS. Warrior accepted the invitation and abandoned his bodybuilding career as well as his plans to become a chiropractor.[10][11][12]. The Freedom Fighters debuted in the Memphis, Tennessee-based Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) promotion, run by Jerry Jarrett, in November 1985. The Ultimate Warrior - Wikipedia He wanted $550,000 for performing at WrestleMania VII, a guaranteed number of working days, travel accommodations and a higher percentage of merchandise sales. They held the Championship until December 1 of that year, when they lost to Al Madril and Brian Adias.[18]. "No WWE talent becomes a legend on their own," he said. The downfall of The Ultimate Warrior continued in one of the most controversial moments in WWE history at the 1991 edition of SummerSlam. Slaughter, Colonel Mustafa, and General Adnan. The feud was sparked at the 1989 Royal Rumble, where the two met in a "super posedown". Scottsdale, Ariz., police spokesman Sgt. Reynolds, R.D. Get up to 20% off. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking news. [27] This led to a match at WrestleMania IV, where Warrior was victorious in his pay-per-view debut. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event and the worlds best TV and movies. "[124] As Of 2019, Sue Aitchison would be the first WWE employee to be given the warrior award. A family member of the Ultimate Warrior reveals shocking details about the late wrestler's life before he passed away in 2014. The two faced off on the February 7, 1988 airing of Wrestling Challenge, where Hercules was disqualified for using his steel chain. [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. Funeral Parlour with Ultimate Warrior (WWF, April 1991) One storyline involved Papa Shango, a "witch doctor", casting a spell over Warrior, causing him to convulse and vomit in very odd colors, though Warrior says he hated that story and had no control over it. "[35] The stage was now set for a feud between the Warrior and Roberts. "Every man's heart one day beats its final beat. Savage, who died in 2011, Hogan and Warrior were all enormous personalities with gaudy costumes and memorable catchphrases. he bellowed, as the New Orleans crowd chanted his name. There were no signs of foul play, Clark said. INCLUDES: ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs. HULK HOGAN - Title vs. After switching managers to Percival Pringle III, Warrior turned babyface permanently after a falling out with fellow Pringle proteges Buzz Sawyer and Matt Borne after a six-man tag match. Thank you for your self help. [70] Warrior married for the second time to Dana Viale on January 31, 1999. The Tragic Death of WWE Legend The Ultimate Warrior - Sportscasting [1] The following night on Monday Night Raw, Warrior defeated Isaac Yankem, DDS. During his time away from the WWF, Warrior opened the short-lived "Warrior University", a professional wrestling school based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Wear a mask, wash your hands, stay safe. [17], In June 1986, Warrior debuted in the Dallas, Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) promotion, where he wrestled for $50 a night. [53] Warrior challenged for Goldust's Intercontinental Championship at In Your House 7; Warrior won the match by countout, but did not win the title. [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. [17] The Warrior was booked for a WWF Championship match against then-champion, "Macho Man" Randy Savage at SummerSlam in August 1992. He was 54. [26], As 1989 began, Warrior entered a feud with Rick Rude over the Intercontinental title. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. Ultimate warrior gave me energy like I never feltI know he is now God's warrior. [118][119] Miranda, who died in 2002, was part of the WWE merchandise department for more than 20 years. Like I said, Jim dying was the best thing ever happened to her. Hellwig joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in June 1987. He wanted a bigger cut of merchandise . [1] Warrior defeated Jerry Lawler at King of the Ring,[1] and defeated Owen Hart by disqualification on the July 8 episode of Monday Night Raw. [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. In the context of the Gulf War, this made Slaughter one of the most hated heels at the time. [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. Yep, he may not be getting younger, but you just can't take the wrestling fan away from him. Born William Alvin Moody, he will most likely be remembered by his ring names 'Paul Bearer' and 'Percival Pringle III', as a professional wrestling manager for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWFlater WWE). He was 54-years-old. Ultimate Warrior Obituary (1959 - 2014) - Grand Rapids, MI - Grand The Ultimate Warrior speaks during the WWE Hall of Fame Induction at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, April 5, 2014. 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. [35], For the second test, Warrior was "buried alive" by Roberts. Warrior retired from wrestling that year. We have estimated The Ultimate Warrior's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. [117], During his April 2014 Hall of Fame speech shortly before his death, Warrior proposed that the "Jimmy Miranda Award" should be created to honour WWE's behind-the-scenes employees. 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. 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. At SummerSlam, he retained the title over Rick Rude in a steel cage match. [24] He made his television debut as The Ultimate Warrior on the October 25 episode of Wrestling Challenge, where he defeated another jobber, Terry Gibbs. Following a few confrontations with Hogan, most notably at the 1990 Royal Rumble, the Warrior was written in as Hogan's opponent in the main event for WrestleMania VI at the SkyDome in Toronto. A WWE-sponsored biography, entitled Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived Forever: The Legend of a WWE Hero, was released in 2015. Why Did Ultimate Warrior Die at 54? | Dr. Gabe Mirkin on Health