The Ultimate Warrior SummerSlam 1991 Controversy, Explained
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- Even though in the long-run former WWE Champion The Ultimate Warrior didn’t actually spend too long under the WWE banner, he made enough of an impact in a short space of time to become a major star and one of the most popular stars of the era. This made it even more of a controversy and scandal when it came to SummerSlam 1991. Due to the heat between him and Vince McMahon, and some of the issues that arose, he wasn’t the most popular of individuals among his coworkers, and he struck up heat with other big names at the time.
In the late 1980s and early 90s, WWE was ruled by two monstrously over babyfaces, Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior. Chosen to be the next face of WWE by Vince McMahon, The Ultimate Warrior would become a popular world champion. His limited skill set and disastrous ego, however, limited his success and cost him becoming a long-time star.
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At no time was Warrior more sabotaged by his own elevated self-worth than just before SummerSlam 1991, when at the height of his popularity, he decided to cash in at the worst time and make the most over-the-top demands of Vince McMahon. The chairman didn’t back down and instead suspended one of his top stars. The Ultimate Warrior’s career would never be the same.
UPDATE: 2023/07/016 09:00 EST BY ANDREW KELLY
Even though in the long-run former WWE Champion The Ultimate Warrior didn’t actually spend too long under the WWE banner, he made enough of an impact in a short space of time to become a major star and one of the most popular stars of the era. This made it even more of a controversy and scandal when it came to SummerSlam 1991. Due to the heat between him and Vince McMahon, and some of the issues that arose, he wasn’t the most popular of individuals among his coworkers, and he struck up heat with other big names at the time.
The Ultimate Warrior Became The Face Of WWE
The Ultimate Warrior first arrived in WWE in the summer of 1987. His heart-pumping entrance, high energy level, and wickedly cool makeup made him an instant star. A year after his debut he would topple The Honky Tonk Man and become the Intercontinental Champion. Two years later, his popularity would be so immense that he would be the equal of Hulk Hogan, the most popular wrestler alive. The two clashed at WrestleMania 6, and in a shocking conclusion, The Ultimate Warrior defeated the almost unbeatable Hulk Hogan. The message was clear. Hogan’s star was diminishing. The Ultimate Warrior would take the torch and lead WWE to new heights.
That didn’t happen. The Ultimate Warrior’s championship reign was a dud. There was no Hogan rematch. Instead, he defended his title against the likes of Mr. Perfect and Rick Rude before being put in a long storyline with the Legion of Doom. By January 1991, McMahon pulled the plug at The Royal Rumble, where The Ultimate Warrior dropped the title to Sgt. Slaughter.
The Ultimate Warrior Clashed With Vince McMahon
The Ultimate Warrior still had a high caliber match at WrestleMania 7, beating “The Macho Man” Randy Savage, but it was clear that he wasn’t the next Hulk Hogan. He was popular with the fans, but he couldn’t be the sole star to carry the company. At SummerSlam 1991, The Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan were put back together as a tag team where they would face Sgt. Slaughter, Colonel Mustafa, and Colonel Adnan. It was set to be a fun match, with the heroic Americans sure to be victorious over the evil heels. Behind the scenes, however, no fun was being had.
A month before SummerSlam, The Ultimate Warrior sent a letter to Vince McMahon with a list of demands. He wanted an extra half million dollars. He also wanted a set schedule and a higher percentage of merchandise sales. His reasoning was that he was just as important to WWE if not more than Hulk Hogan. In his letter, he threatened to no-show SummerSlam if his demands weren’t met. Not wanting to put his SummerSlam main event in jeopardy, Vince McMahon reluctantly agreed to The Ultimate Warrior’s demands, but the chairman had a plan. As soon as the match was over, he was going to fire The Ultimate Warrior.
Vince McMahon Stands Up To The Ultimate Warrior
When The Ultimate Warrior walked backstage after SummerSlam he was handed a letter written by McMahon stating that he was suspended indefinitely, effective immediately. “You have become a legend in your own mind,” McMahon wrote. The Ultimate Warrior in turn tried to quit WWE, but as he was still under contract for another year, McMahon refused, instead paying his number two star to sit at home. The Ultimate Warrior wasn’t seen again until next year’s WrestleMania 8 when a desperate McMahon reached out because Hulk Hogan was set to leave WWE. The Ultimate Warrior received a huge ovation when he appeared at the biggest event of the year, showing up to help out Hulk Hogan after he was attacked by Papa Shango and Sid Justice.
The magic couldn’t be recaptured, however. A few months later, after testing positive for steroids, The Ultimate Warrior was fired by WWE. He would briefly return in 1996 and show up for a short time in WCW in 1998, but his moment was gone. He and McMahon’s egos had refused to budge when maybe a simple conversation could have led to a positive outcome. The two would eventually make up, and the week preceding his death saw The Ultimate Warrior celebrated and put into the WWE Hall of Fame. He would also use the time to make amends with those he wronged. His career will always be a “what if” though. If The Ultimate Warrior hadn’t sent Vince McMahon that letter in 1991, how would his career have turned out?
The Ultimate Warrior Made Enemies Due To SummerSlamn 1991
In the Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior DVD, it was revealed that those involved in the SummerSlam 1991 main event were willing to resort to drastic measures to fix things. Hulk Hogan, who at the time was a loyal member of WWE and Vince McMahon, along with his arch-nemesis at the time Sgt Slaughter, were allegedly set to join forces and physically resolve the issue with Warrior. Thankfully, things didn’t escalate to this, and McMahon did in fact “resolve” the situation himself.
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Hogan and Slaughter weren’t the only stars fuming at Warrior, as Jake Roberts carried a lot of animosity towards him too. Prior to SummerSlam, a feud was in the works between Roberts and Warrior, which would have no doubt been strong given Roberts’ track record of great feuds in the era. Roberts embarked on a heel turn which would see him go toe-to-toe with a major megastar babyface, but due to Warrior’s antics, this was thrown out the window, leaving Roberts unhappy at the loss of business and money. On an episode of the Snake Pit podcast, Roberts revealed that in 2014, Warrior did issue an apology his way.
"He's the one who apologized to me. I was going to drop him and Thank God I didn't because he turned and said, 'Jake I need to talk to you. I've got to apologize to you, man.' He said, 'I know I really screwed you over bad, man, and I really, really sincerely mean this. I am so sorry, so very sorry,' and that totally disarmed me. How are you going to punch a guy after he said that?" (H/T WrestlingInc)
