10 Pictures Of The Ultimate Warrior Like You've Never Seen Him
The Ultimate Warrior is one of the most enigmatic and controversial figures in pro wrestling history. On one hand, Warrior was a larger-than-life almost superhero-like character who resonated greatly with older and younger fans alike. On the other hand, Warrior was a deeply flawed human with a superiority complex towards the very sport that made him a megastar.
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Regardless, there's no denying the impact Warrior had on pro wrestling during his brief, yet intense runs. Through the art of photography, a few images of Warrior have been captured throughout the years that show a different side and add more layers to an already complex man.
10 Getting Hardcore
The hardcore style of pro wrestling didn't become universally accepted until the mid to late 90s. Around that time, ECW was beginning to gain some traction from fans due to its extreme style. In the '80s and early '90s though, hardcore wrestling was never seen in WWE or WCW.
Even steel chair spots were reserved for special occasions. That's why it's a bit odd to see an image of The Ultimate Warrior wielding a steel chair. Still, it happened during a steel cage match with Sgt. Slaughter. In hindsight, it would've been interesting to see how Warrior would've faired in a hardcore match.
9 Being A Bit Silly
It's been said by many life-long contributors to the sport that the business aspect of pro wrestling can mess with a performer's head. Wrestlers have been known to get inflated egos and even develop paranoia while in the business. Warrior was one of the performers known for being notoriously paranoid.
With that in mind, it was always a treat to see The Ultimate Warrior let his guard down a bit and be a little silly. After all, many of Warrior's biggest fans were children. Seeing him playfully strum a guitar or wearing a silly safari hat only served to humanize him a bit and make him even more popular.
8 Having A Good Time In WCW
It has been over 20 years now since WCW closed its doors for good. Still, WCW remains a huge topic among pro wrestling fans. Truthfully, WCW doesn't have the best reputation as far as performers enjoying their time there, especially in the later years. Surprisingly though, The Ultimate Warrior made a pit stop in WCW in 1998. In hindsight, his brief time in WCW was an unmitigated disaster.
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During his time there, Warrior worked a pretty bad program with Hollywood Hogan which culminated in arguably one of the worst matches ever at Halloween Havoc 1998. Considering the flop that was Warrior's WCW run, it's nice to find a picture of Warrior seemingly having a good time with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Diamond Dallas Page. Those good times wouldn't last long.
7 Digging A Grave With Jake Roberts
By 1991, the bloom had come off the rose as far as The Ultimate Warrior being the top star in WWE. Still, that didn't mean that Warrior would be completely fazed out of the show. In the back half of 1991, Warrior found himself being attacked by The Undertaker and being locked inside a casket. This led to a brief pairing between Warrior and the sadistic Jake "The Snake" Roberts.
Roberts was taking Warrior under his wing to try and teach him the ways of the dark side. The pairing led to some pretty interesting vignettes but was never paid off. However, this great image of Warrior digging a grave while being flanked by Roberts emerged that only made fans wish they would've gotten a conclusion even more.
6 Being A Talk Show Guest
During the 80s, Hulk Hogan's massive appeal helped take WWE from a regional promotion to a national brand. Hogan's mainstream popularity helped WWE grow by leaps and bounds. When Randy Savage stepped into WWE's top spot, he also excelled as a mainstream ambassador.
Naturally, when The Ultimate Warrior stepped into that role, similar things were expected of him. Unfortunately, Warrior proved to not be on par with Hogan and Savage as far as dealing with the mainstream media. It wasn't for a lack of trying though. Warrior even made an appearance on Live With Regis & Kathie Lee, it just didn't feel the same as having Hogan or Savage on.
5 A Gary Hart Disciple
Many knowledgeable pro wrestling fans hold Gary Hart in high esteem. Hart is widely regarded as a pro wrestling genius for his contributions to the sport as a booker and manager. As a manager, he stood side by side with some of the biggest stars of the Territory Days including The Great Kabuki, Abdullah The Butcher, and Bruiser Brody.
One name fans might be surprised to see as a Gary Hart disciple is The Ultimate Warrior, or Dingo Warrior as he was known at the time. It didn't last long but during Warrior's time in WCCW, he was briefly under the tutelage of the legendary, Hart.
4 Starring In A Music Video
Being the top star in WWE comes with a lot more responsibilities than simply showing up to an arena and wrestling night after night. As the company's flag bearer, the WWE Champion is expected to represent the company in a myriad of mainstream media. This includes pop culture cameos.
As a way to try and get The Ultimate Warrior more mainstream exposure during his WWE Championship reign, Warrior was set to appear alongside Phil Collins in a music video spoof for Collins' one-hour TV special. The appearance created a bit of a buzz but nothing close to Hulkamania levels.
3 Laughing With Vince McMahon
Many adages apply to the crazy world of pro wrestling. Perhaps the truest of these sayings is "Never say never" and "Time heals all wounds." In the case of The Ultimate Warrior's relationship with Vince McMahon, they were certainly right. At one point in time, Vince McMahon and The Ultimate Warrior had an incredible relationship. Then, for many reasons, the relationship disintegrated.
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Luckily, before tragically passing away in 2014, Warrior was able to mend the relationship with McMahon. It was heart-warming to see Warrior and McMahon sharing a laugh on the WWE Hall Of Fame 2014 set. It would sadly be one of the last special moments shared by the pair.
2 His Final Match
Today, the average pro wrestling career has been extended significantly. In previous eras, a performer in their 40s would've been considered old and washed up. Nowadays, it seems like many of the industry's biggest names don't even begin to hit their stride until their mid to late 30s.
In 2008 however, The Ultimate Warrior was well into his late 40s when he surprisingly decided to step foot in the ring one final time. The match took place at an independent wrestling show in Spain. Warrior would defeat Orlando Jordan in his final match. A pretty unceremonious end to an incredible career.
1 A New Father
Whether right or wrong, many men self-identify through their chosen profession. The Ultimate Warrior was a bit more complex than that though. Perhaps that's why Warrior was such an outcast in the world of professional wrestling. Maybe Warrior's indifference towards being an all-time great wrestler intimidated his peers.
Regardless, Warrior's time on this Earth wasn't measured by the number of wrestling accolades he was able to accrue. His legacy wasn't a match or a promo. Instead, it was being a father. That's why Warrior accepted his 2014 WWE Hall Of Fame induction with his daughters by his side. Because at that moment, just like in this one where he's holding his newborn baby, his life was perfect and complete.
