The Ultimate Warrior has died

[timmy]

Hard to accept the loss of the Ultimate Warrior. I grew up watching him on TV.
For years I felt "cheated" that he didn't complete some of his "storylines".
I quit watching when he was gone, and I grew up.

Then after a decade, one of my best friends works for WWE, and as an adult that friend gets me sucked back in.
And I have even been lucky enough to work on some WWE toy projects over the years,
But always wondered about that could have been with the Warrior character.

After seeing Warrior at Hall of Fame and Raw, I felt he had completed his story. After 18 years I was satisfied.

Vince McMahon himself couldn't have scripted the final chapter for Warrior any better than God just did.
Through the HOF speech, he got to make peace with all before he left. And show his family how much he cared.

http://nypost.com/2014/04/09/why-the-ultimate-warrior-mattered-to-a-generation/

[JWLJN]

I'm still in shock. Although I learned late Tuesday night, Wednesday was just so surreal with the top two CNN website stories hitting so close to home (the school stabbing rampage was in my town.) He's the topic of my blog this week (link in sig), as I just couldn't imagine writing about anything else wrestling related.

Always Believe...

-J\/\/

[Random Axe]

I've been watching a bunch of his crazyass promos he cut on youtube and just laughing. There has NEVER been another superstar like him and there never will be. For whatever he lacked in ring skills he made up for exponentially in his sheer ability to entertain and excite. Before the Rock was the most electrifying man, Jim Helwig was pumping up his audiences far more and far better. I haven't watched wrestling in a very, very long time but am an old-school fan. I consider his surprise entrance at Wrestlemania 8 to be the single greatest moment I have ever witnessed in a ring. It's total goosebumps. Here's one of his best promos. I dare you not to laugh.

[Mikey]

I think a lot of the Warrior hatred was Vince's fault.

[JWLJN]

I think a lot of the Warrior hatred was Vince's fault.

To an extent, especially since the first DVD came out. But a lot of it was also the overwhelming wrestling mindset that came about for a variety of reasons in the mid '90s--"Oh my God, he couldn't wrestle, his 'workrate' was terrible!" The myth of "workrate" cracks me up to this day.

-J\/\/

[megomania]

I've been watching a bunch of his crazyass promos he cut on youtube and just laughing. There has NEVER been another superstar like him and there never will be. For whatever he lacked in ring skills he made up for exponentially in his sheer ability to entertain and excite. Before the Rock was the most electrifying man, Jim Helwig was pumping up his audiences far more and far better. I haven't watched wrestling in a very, very long time but am an old-school fan. I consider his surprise entrance at Wrestlemania 8 to be the single greatest moment I have ever witnessed in a ring. It's total goosebumps. Here's one of his best promos. I dare you not to laugh.

He did cut some great promos that were probably 100% affected by the juice. Even better though are his shoot videos he recorded on his YouTube channel where he basically crapped on Hogan over and over. He didn't care if anyone in the business liked him or not.

P.S. He hadn't gone by his birth name of Jim Hellwig since 1993 - he legally changed his name to just Warrior.

[megomania]

Was shocked to hear this after watching his live HOF speech on Saturday. RIP. The dude was always intense whether on or off the juice...I'm sure he put a huge strain on his ticker.

-Chris

[Hector]

Check this very early footage of James Hellwig and Steve Borden...both better known today as the Ultimate Warrior and Sting...

Wow...Hellwig was even bigger back then!

[Mego Superboy Prime]

This is a commercial many of you might not know about. Here is the Dingo Warrior from WCCW selling cars...had charisma from the very start.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fE0ZESNF7dE

[megomania]

Check this very early footage of James Hellwig and Steve Borden...both better known today as the Ultimate Warrior and Sting...

Wow...Hellwig was even bigger back then!

The Blade Runners...well, the Blade Runners later in WCCW

[Figuremod73]

I grew up a big fan of wrestling (was more into Nwa/wcw) in the mid to late '80s and a casual fan all thru the '90s. Knowing what those guys often go thru to become big names has sorta turned me off to it.

[Mego Superboy Prime]

You're welcome...

[madmarva]

That Hellwig and Borden video was from Memphis when Jerry Lawler ran the territory. So many of the wrestlers who would later make it big had stops in Memphis to get some seasoning. Memphis always had great promos and feuds. Not a lot of technical "wrestling" but we call it rasslin' anyway. In the early 1980s, the Saturday Morning Wrestling Show, which promoted the Monday night matches, was the No. 1 rated show in Memphis. It drew a bigger audience in the city and surrounding area than Dallas in its hey days.

[kerowack]

What's sad about that picture is, except for a couple , drugs all played a role in shortening life. I always have a hard time with that.

[jwyblejr]

Word has it he died of a heart attack. Steroids weren't involved.