TPB
11-12-2009, 05:12 AM
Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig on June 16, 1959) is a retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s as the Ultimate Warrior, during which time he won the WWF Championship and pinned Hulk Hogan in the main event of WrestleMania VI. Hellwig legally changed his name to Warrior in 1993. He wrestled both as a heel and as a face. Warrior retired from professional wrestling in 1999 and embarked on a public speaking career. On June 25, 2008 he returned to wrestle one final match, and defeated Orlando Jordan in Barcelona, Spain in a match booked by the Italian Nu-Wrestling Evolution promotion.
Early life
Warrior was born as James Brian Hellwig. He was the eldest of five children, and was raised by his mother (along with, later, his stepfather) after his father left his family when young James was 12. He spent a year at Indiana State. It was also during this time he began to compete in amateur bodybuilding.
Mid-South Wrestling | Universal Wrestling Federation (1985–1986)
Hellwig began his professional wrestling career as Jim "Justice" Hellwig of Powerteam USA, the group of bodybuilders trained by Red Bastien and Rick Bassman. Hellwig and Borden, who would later go on to success as "Sting", formed a tag team known as the Blade Runners, with Hellwig changing his ring name to "Blade Runner Rock".
World Class Championship Wrestling (1986–1987)
In 1986, Warrior debuted in the Fort Worth, Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling promotion, where he wrestled for $50 a night. He adopted the ring name "Dingo Warrior" after a member of the WCCW locker room remarked that he looked like "a warrior".
Warrior formed a tag team with Lance Von Erich, and the duo began competing for the WCWA World Tag Team Championship. On November 17, 1986, Warrior and Von Erich defeated Master Gee (substituting for champion Buzz Sawyer) and Matt Borne to win the titles. They held the Championship until December 1 of that year, when they lost to Al Madril and Brian Adias.
In 1987, Warrior began competing for the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship, losing to Bob Bradley in a tournament final on January 12. He won the title from Bradley on February 2 of that year. The title was held up in April 1987 after Warrior left the WCCW. 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 Ultimate Warrior. There is dispute over who created the Ultimate Warrior name. Bruce Prichard stated that Vince McMahon didn't know what a "Dingo" Warrior would be, but because there was the "Modern Day Warrior" Kerry von Erich and the Road Warriors there should not be one more simple warrior, but The Ultimate Warrior. However, Warrior claims after one of his first matches, McMahon had him do a pretape promo. It was there Vince said we want you to do Warrior, but we don't want Dingo. The Warrior then proceeded to cut the promo and stated that he wasn't this warrior or that warrior, he was The Ultimate Warrior.
World Wrestling Federation (1987–1991)
As a World Wrestling Federation (WWF) performer, the Ultimate Warrior was known for his high-energy ring entrances, which featured him racing into the arena at full speed, bursting into the ring, and violently shaking the ropes up and down. He was also known for his distinctive pattern of face paint.
Warrior enjoyed two stints as Intercontinental Champion, defeating The Honky Tonk Man (in 31 seconds at the first ever SummerSlam in 1988) and Rick Rude at SummerSlam 1989. The Warrior was heralded as the wrestler to become the biggest star of the 1990s, and the successor to Hulk Hogan, who had remained wrestling's biggest star throughout the 1980s. Following a few confrontations with Hogan, most notably at the 1990 Royal Rumble, the Warrior was written in as Hogan's opponent for WrestleMania VI.
In one of the most famous matches in wrestling history, Ultimate Warrior faced Hulk Hogan on April 1, 1990, at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The event was billed as "The Ultimate Challenge", as both Hogan's WWF World Championship and Warrior's Intercontinental Championship were on the line. The match began with a show of strength from each man, as Warrior shoved Hogan back into a corner, then Hogan did the same to Warrior. Warrior then brought Hogan to his knees using a Greco-Roman knuckle lock, only for Hogan to regain his feet and once again do the same to Warrior. The match continued in this way, with numerous shifts in momentum, and neither wrestler able to maintain his advantage. A couple of notable spots included Warrior knocking Hogan out of the ring with a clothesline, with Hogan (kayfabe) injuring his knee in the fall. Hogan limped back into the ring, shook off the injury, and retaliated with a series of punches to the face. Later on, Hogan locked Warrior in a lengthy sleeper hold. Warrior eventually fought his way free, went to shake the ropes for his trademark adrenaline rush, then scored with three consecutive clotheslines. The match finally reached its climax when Warrior performed his Gorilla Press Drop on Hogan, followed by the Warrior Splash and a pin. Hogan kicked out of the pin, then proceeded to "Hulk Up" (Hogan's own trademark adrenaline rush), and hit Warrior with the Big Boot, setting him up for the Atomic Leg Drop. However, Warrior rolled out of the way, avoiding the move, and scored another Warrior Splash, which pinned Hogan for the 3 count. Warrior's victory complete, he then remained in the ring to celebrate with a spectacular post-match firework display.
After winning the WWF World Heavyweight Championship from Hogan, Warrior continued to build his popularity with successful defenses against the likes of Rick Rude and Ted DiBiase. Then, in January 1991, Warrior faced Sgt. Slaughter at the Royal Rumble. Slaughter's gimmick at the time was a traitor who had betrayed America by aligning himself with a (kayfabe) Iraqi military general, General Adnan. In the context of the Gulf War, this made Slaughter one of the most hated heels at the time. Warrior wore red, white, and blue colors to the ring, indicating his American allegiance. The match began with Warrior performing a double clothesline on Slaughter and General Adnan, then breaking and tearing apart an Iraqi flag. Warrior went on to dominate the match, until a surprise appearance in the arena by Sensational Sherri, who distracted Warrior from ringside. Warrior then chased Sherri down the aisle towards the exit, only to be ambushed by Randy Savage, who Sherri was managing at the time. Savage hit Warrior with a light stand, then ran off. Warrior slowly regained his senses, managing to return to the ring before being counted out. Warrior then received a sustained beating from Slaughter, but had regained his advantage when Sherri and Savage returned to interfere once again. This interference culminated in Savage striking Warrior over the head with a metal sceptre, which allowed Slaughter the opportunity to pin Warrior for a 3 count. In a stunning upset, Warrior had lost the title he had won from Hogan less than a year earlier. Hogan was given the title shot at WrestleMania VII, defeating Slaughter to regain the title he had lost to Warrior. Warrior, meanwhile, defeated Savage in a retirement match, forcing him to retire.
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. This memorable WWF event was made particularly shocking by the (kayfabe) appearance that Warrior's life was in danger as Bearer sealed the casket shut, and Vince McMahon frantically reminded the audience that he had a limited air supply. WWF officials worked feverishly to break the casket open, finally revealing Warrior's seemingly lifeless body, and the torn fabric inside of the coffin indicating Warrior's desperate struggle to get out. Warrior was finally revived by the officials performing CPR.
This led to Jake "The Snake" Roberts offering to give Warrior "the knowledge of the dark side" in order to prepare Warrior to take his revenge on the Undertaker. This involved Roberts giving Warrior three "tests" shown on WWF TV in consecutive weeks. For the first test, Roberts locked Warrior inside of a coffin for a second time. For the second test, Warrior was "buried alive" by Roberts. For the third test, the Warrior entered a room full of snakes, to find "the answer" in a chest in the middle of the room. However, waiting inside the chest was a King Cobra, which (kayfabe) bit Warrior in the face. As Warrior weakened from the effects of the cobra's strike, Roberts was joined by the Undertaker and Paul Bearer, revealing the three were working together all along. Roberts then uttered the famous line: "Never trust a snake."
These events provided one of the most memorable feud storylines in WWF history. The stage was now set for a match between the Ultimate Warrior and Jake Roberts. However, the match would never take place. In August 1991, Warrior was involved in an alleged pay dispute with WWF owner Vince McMahon over the SummerSlam main event, teaming him with Hulk Hogan against Sgt. Slaughter, Colonel Mustafa, and General Adnan. WWE alleges that Warrior threatened to no show the event unless he was paid a certain amount of money. According to Vince McMahon, Warrior was paid that amount, then fired immediately after SummerSlam. Warrior has since responded on his website to these allegations by stating he was owed money stemming from work performed at WrestleMania VII. Whatever the case, as a result of the dispute Warrior was out of the WWF, and his career ground to a halt.
Continued Next Post...
Early life
Warrior was born as James Brian Hellwig. He was the eldest of five children, and was raised by his mother (along with, later, his stepfather) after his father left his family when young James was 12. He spent a year at Indiana State. It was also during this time he began to compete in amateur bodybuilding.
Mid-South Wrestling | Universal Wrestling Federation (1985–1986)
Hellwig began his professional wrestling career as Jim "Justice" Hellwig of Powerteam USA, the group of bodybuilders trained by Red Bastien and Rick Bassman. Hellwig and Borden, who would later go on to success as "Sting", formed a tag team known as the Blade Runners, with Hellwig changing his ring name to "Blade Runner Rock".
World Class Championship Wrestling (1986–1987)
In 1986, Warrior debuted in the Fort Worth, Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling promotion, where he wrestled for $50 a night. He adopted the ring name "Dingo Warrior" after a member of the WCCW locker room remarked that he looked like "a warrior".
Warrior formed a tag team with Lance Von Erich, and the duo began competing for the WCWA World Tag Team Championship. On November 17, 1986, Warrior and Von Erich defeated Master Gee (substituting for champion Buzz Sawyer) and Matt Borne to win the titles. They held the Championship until December 1 of that year, when they lost to Al Madril and Brian Adias.
In 1987, Warrior began competing for the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship, losing to Bob Bradley in a tournament final on January 12. He won the title from Bradley on February 2 of that year. The title was held up in April 1987 after Warrior left the WCCW. 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 Ultimate Warrior. There is dispute over who created the Ultimate Warrior name. Bruce Prichard stated that Vince McMahon didn't know what a "Dingo" Warrior would be, but because there was the "Modern Day Warrior" Kerry von Erich and the Road Warriors there should not be one more simple warrior, but The Ultimate Warrior. However, Warrior claims after one of his first matches, McMahon had him do a pretape promo. It was there Vince said we want you to do Warrior, but we don't want Dingo. The Warrior then proceeded to cut the promo and stated that he wasn't this warrior or that warrior, he was The Ultimate Warrior.
World Wrestling Federation (1987–1991)
As a World Wrestling Federation (WWF) performer, the Ultimate Warrior was known for his high-energy ring entrances, which featured him racing into the arena at full speed, bursting into the ring, and violently shaking the ropes up and down. He was also known for his distinctive pattern of face paint.
Warrior enjoyed two stints as Intercontinental Champion, defeating The Honky Tonk Man (in 31 seconds at the first ever SummerSlam in 1988) and Rick Rude at SummerSlam 1989. The Warrior was heralded as the wrestler to become the biggest star of the 1990s, and the successor to Hulk Hogan, who had remained wrestling's biggest star throughout the 1980s. Following a few confrontations with Hogan, most notably at the 1990 Royal Rumble, the Warrior was written in as Hogan's opponent for WrestleMania VI.
In one of the most famous matches in wrestling history, Ultimate Warrior faced Hulk Hogan on April 1, 1990, at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The event was billed as "The Ultimate Challenge", as both Hogan's WWF World Championship and Warrior's Intercontinental Championship were on the line. The match began with a show of strength from each man, as Warrior shoved Hogan back into a corner, then Hogan did the same to Warrior. Warrior then brought Hogan to his knees using a Greco-Roman knuckle lock, only for Hogan to regain his feet and once again do the same to Warrior. The match continued in this way, with numerous shifts in momentum, and neither wrestler able to maintain his advantage. A couple of notable spots included Warrior knocking Hogan out of the ring with a clothesline, with Hogan (kayfabe) injuring his knee in the fall. Hogan limped back into the ring, shook off the injury, and retaliated with a series of punches to the face. Later on, Hogan locked Warrior in a lengthy sleeper hold. Warrior eventually fought his way free, went to shake the ropes for his trademark adrenaline rush, then scored with three consecutive clotheslines. The match finally reached its climax when Warrior performed his Gorilla Press Drop on Hogan, followed by the Warrior Splash and a pin. Hogan kicked out of the pin, then proceeded to "Hulk Up" (Hogan's own trademark adrenaline rush), and hit Warrior with the Big Boot, setting him up for the Atomic Leg Drop. However, Warrior rolled out of the way, avoiding the move, and scored another Warrior Splash, which pinned Hogan for the 3 count. Warrior's victory complete, he then remained in the ring to celebrate with a spectacular post-match firework display.
After winning the WWF World Heavyweight Championship from Hogan, Warrior continued to build his popularity with successful defenses against the likes of Rick Rude and Ted DiBiase. Then, in January 1991, Warrior faced Sgt. Slaughter at the Royal Rumble. Slaughter's gimmick at the time was a traitor who had betrayed America by aligning himself with a (kayfabe) Iraqi military general, General Adnan. In the context of the Gulf War, this made Slaughter one of the most hated heels at the time. Warrior wore red, white, and blue colors to the ring, indicating his American allegiance. The match began with Warrior performing a double clothesline on Slaughter and General Adnan, then breaking and tearing apart an Iraqi flag. Warrior went on to dominate the match, until a surprise appearance in the arena by Sensational Sherri, who distracted Warrior from ringside. Warrior then chased Sherri down the aisle towards the exit, only to be ambushed by Randy Savage, who Sherri was managing at the time. Savage hit Warrior with a light stand, then ran off. Warrior slowly regained his senses, managing to return to the ring before being counted out. Warrior then received a sustained beating from Slaughter, but had regained his advantage when Sherri and Savage returned to interfere once again. This interference culminated in Savage striking Warrior over the head with a metal sceptre, which allowed Slaughter the opportunity to pin Warrior for a 3 count. In a stunning upset, Warrior had lost the title he had won from Hogan less than a year earlier. Hogan was given the title shot at WrestleMania VII, defeating Slaughter to regain the title he had lost to Warrior. Warrior, meanwhile, defeated Savage in a retirement match, forcing him to retire.
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. This memorable WWF event was made particularly shocking by the (kayfabe) appearance that Warrior's life was in danger as Bearer sealed the casket shut, and Vince McMahon frantically reminded the audience that he had a limited air supply. WWF officials worked feverishly to break the casket open, finally revealing Warrior's seemingly lifeless body, and the torn fabric inside of the coffin indicating Warrior's desperate struggle to get out. Warrior was finally revived by the officials performing CPR.
This led to Jake "The Snake" Roberts offering to give Warrior "the knowledge of the dark side" in order to prepare Warrior to take his revenge on the Undertaker. This involved Roberts giving Warrior three "tests" shown on WWF TV in consecutive weeks. For the first test, Roberts locked Warrior inside of a coffin for a second time. For the second test, Warrior was "buried alive" by Roberts. For the third test, the Warrior entered a room full of snakes, to find "the answer" in a chest in the middle of the room. However, waiting inside the chest was a King Cobra, which (kayfabe) bit Warrior in the face. As Warrior weakened from the effects of the cobra's strike, Roberts was joined by the Undertaker and Paul Bearer, revealing the three were working together all along. Roberts then uttered the famous line: "Never trust a snake."
These events provided one of the most memorable feud storylines in WWF history. The stage was now set for a match between the Ultimate Warrior and Jake Roberts. However, the match would never take place. In August 1991, Warrior was involved in an alleged pay dispute with WWF owner Vince McMahon over the SummerSlam main event, teaming him with Hulk Hogan against Sgt. Slaughter, Colonel Mustafa, and General Adnan. WWE alleges that Warrior threatened to no show the event unless he was paid a certain amount of money. According to Vince McMahon, Warrior was paid that amount, then fired immediately after SummerSlam. Warrior has since responded on his website to these allegations by stating he was owed money stemming from work performed at WrestleMania VII. Whatever the case, as a result of the dispute Warrior was out of the WWF, and his career ground to a halt.
Continued Next Post...