Life or Death Awaits....The Death of the Ultimate Warrior!



This is an ACF Special Bulletin, and it's a sad one.

Let's take a moment from all the crusading for animation and talk about the one other thing me and Stefan have a lot in common: wrestling.

Yes it's true, me and Stefan are fans of wrestling, mostly with the old school variety and some modern ones like Kofi Kingston and Daniel Bryan.  Although I am not a big fan what I use to be, but I still like the good ol' days when it's less talk and more action, except with people like Hulk Hogan and the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin and such.  Where am I going with this, you ask?  I'll tell you.  It is about the one wrestler I was a big fan of growing up in the 90s and that's the Ultimate Warrior.

James Brian Hellwig, better known the wrestling world as the Ultimate Warrior, has died, a few days after WrestleMania and one day after RAW.  He was 54 years old.  The Ultimate Warrior was one of my favorite wrestlers growing up back when wrestling was entertaining at best.  He was known for his wild, aggressive style in the ring, whether it's shaking the ropes or going berserk towards his opponent and the one noticeable trait is his facepaint.  Prior of being the Ultimate Warrior, he was once partners with the man who eventually became the man known as Sting, another favorite wrestler of mine and Stefan's.  The Warrior was best known for tree things and this is what I remember:

1.  Beating the Honky Tonk Man for the Intercontinental Championship as quickly as the Elvis wannabee held it for long time at Summerslam 88.

2. The big one.  Winning the WWF championship at WrestleMania VI by beating another legend, Hulk Hogan. And....

3. Defeating The Late "Macho Man" Randy Savage in a Career Match at WrestleMania VII. Truely a Legendary battle between Legends.

Although my favorite, the Warrior was no stranger to controversy.  First, changing his name from Jim Hellwig to Warrior for starters. Then, the Warrior was one of many wrestlers who were tested for steroids at the time.  The Warrior isn't the smartest guy in the world, but he is not perfect, none of us are.  This cause so much problems for many years between him and the WWE.  So much that they went so far, making an unauthorized documentary called "The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior" where those who knew him bashed constantly (unless they were paid to say stuff like that).  Besides, I don't want to remember the Warrior for his troubled behavior, I want to remember him for he once was, a decent wrestler who understood this business more than anybody and...he gets my blood pumping everytime I see him and/or listen to his theme music.

Fast forward to today. After all this hostility all these years ago, it was finally buried once and for all, when the Warrior, along with Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Scott Hall aka Razor Ramon, were inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame. After all these years, the Warrior finally got the respect he so rightfully deserves.  No word on the cause of his death, but it's all the years of steroids and pain killers that has come back to haunt him, almost in the same manner that Eddie Guerrero went through.  He is survived by his wife, Dana and his two daughters.

Update: We have learned that the Warrior died from natural causes.

Whether you love him or hate him, the Ultimate Warrior has left his mark on the wrestling world.  And I know it sounds silly but, when I do things I like to do and I know Stefan does, too, we all have a little Warrior within ourselves.  And we will continue to use his essence to do the things we like to do. I will leave you now with his final speech before he died and believe me, they couldn't be more true.  Godspeed, Warrior and like the quote from Soul Caliber:

"THE LEGEND WILL NEVER DIE!"

“No WWE talent becomes a legend on their own. Every man’s heart one day beats its final beat, his lungs breathe their final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others, and makes them bleed deeper, than something larger than life, then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized by the storytellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honor him and make the running the man did live forever.

“You, you, you, you, you, you are the legend makers of Ultimate Warrior.

“In the back I see many potential legends, some of them with warrior spirits. And you will do the same for them. You will decide if they live with the passion and intensity. So much so that you will tell your stories and you will make them legends as well. I am Ultimate Warrior. You are the Ultimate Warrior fans. And the spirit of Ultimate Warrior will run forever.”

*TAPS plays

James Brian Hellwig aka The Ultimate Warrior
(June 16, 1959 - April 8, 2014)

This has been a ACF Special Report