Between 1988 and 1992, the Ultimate Warrior was one of the most popular men in
wrestling.  Motivation and strength gave him what was needed to achieve what any one
person could ever hope for in the business.  First, he won the Intercontinental Title on two
occasions and then dethroned the WWF World Champion in one of the biggest matches ever
to take place.  He was a national hero.

 The Warrior made his professional debut in 1985 and joined “Power Team USA,” led by
Rick Bassman out of Los Angeles.  One of teammates would later gain stardom as Sting.  
After the group disbanded, the Warrior and Sting both ventured out into the professional
circuit.  They traveled to the Mid-South Territory where he became known as “Justice” and
Sting would work as “Flash.” Together, they were the Freedom Fighters.  

 After gaining some experience, they went to south to the Universal Wrestling Federation
based in the Louisiana region.  The Warrior altered his name once again and was known as
“Rock.” Rather than remain the Freedom Fighters, they were known as the Blade Runners.  
Their team never took off despite their wrestling abilities.  His partner decided to remain in
Louisiana while the Warrior traveled to Dallas and joined the World Class organization.  He
changed his name to the “Dingo Warrior.” He gained a following quickly.

 The Dingo Warrior formed a tag team with Lance Von Erich and on November 17, 1986,
they beat Brian Adias and Al Madril to capture the WCCW World Tag Team Title.  They lost
the belts to Adias and Madril in a rematch on December 1st at Fort Worth.  He competed in
the vacant WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title Tournament in early 1987 and had a good
showing for himself.  He was defeated in the finals by Bob Bradley.  On February 2, 1987, he
beat Bradley for his first major singles belt.  The Warrior remained the Texas Champion until
June when he was beaten by Al Perez.

 The World Wrestling Federation signed to him a contract and he appeared as the Dingo
Warrior upon arrival.  The name would soon become the “Ultimate Warrior.” His quick sprint
to the ring with his catchy music immediately earned favoritism with audiences everywhere.  
The Warrior was intensely powerful and seemed to be directed towards wrestling fame.  He
got into a feud with another WWF strongman, Hercules Hernandez.  In February ’88, the
Warrior broke the metal chain that Hercules carried around with him.  A month later, he was
teaming with Don Muraco in several locations against the “Mighty” Hercules and his crew.  
The Warrior made his pay-per-view debut on March 27th at the Convention Center in Atlantic
City.  He beat Hercules.

 Through the summer of ’88, his popularity was topping the charts and he became the third
most popular man in the WWF behind Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage.  He received an
Intercontinental Title match against the Honky Tonk Man on August 29, 1988 at SummerSlam
in New York City.  The Warrior won the bout in 28-seconds and captured the I-C Belt.  He
teamed with Sam Houston, Jim Brunzell, the Blue Blazer and Brutus Beefcake against Ron
Bass, Danny Davis, Honky Tonk Man, Greg Valentine and Bad News Brown at the second
annual Survivor Series in Richfield, Ohio.  The Warrior pinned Bass and Valentine to win the
bout for his team.  He was the only man left in the end.

 During WrestleMania V on April 2, 1989, the Warrior was cheated out of the Intercontinental
Title.  He wrestled “Ravishing” Rick Rude, who had his manager Bobby Heenan in his corner.  
After a suplex by the Warrior from the outside ring apron in, Heenan grabbed the Warrior’s
leg and Rude fell straight down onto the champ.  Heenen held his leg while the referee
counted three.  Incensed, the Warrior got a hold of Heenan after the match.  He gorilla
pressed the manager over his head much to the delight of the crowd.  The Ultimate Warrior
regained the championship on August 28th in East Rutherford.  Roddy Piper walked out and
offered some assistance.  He won his Survivor Series tag team match on November 23rd in
Chicago.  For the second year in a row, the Warrior remained as the sole survivor.

 He entered the Royal Rumble in January 1990 and didn’t actually hit the ring until the early
20’s.  He took on a number of opponents and eliminated the same.  The WWF World
Champion and fan favorite, Hulk Hogan attacked the ring and before they knew it, they were
the only two left.  An alert crowd watched their two champions face each other in the middle
of the squared circle, circling and finally bumping each other off.  Each of them dropped
down and bounced off the ropes until a double clothesline leveled both.  They laid
unconscious as a third man hit the ring.  Then a fourth.  The Barbarian and Rick Rude had
entered the match, ending the fan favorite vs. fan favorite match.  Rude and Barbarian nearly
had the World Titleholder over the top rope when the Warrior stopped them.  He saved the
man he fought minutes earlier.  Hogan repaid the I-C Champ when he attacked the three men
tangled in fisticuffs.  The Warrior was flipped over the top rope and eliminated in the
process.  Before running back to the dressing room, he reentered the ring and dropped both
Rude and the Barbarian.  Hogan was left alone and later won the bout.

 The Warrior-Hogan feud was just beginning.  Bookers scheduled Hogan and the Warrior to
team together during an edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC.  The date was
January 27, 1990.  Their opponents were Mr. Perfect and the Genius.  It seemed that Hogan
and Warrior together would be an unbeatable combination.  And they did win.  During one
pummel session, the Warrior took out both enemies with clotheslines.  When Hogan walked
into a Warrior clothesline, fans were confused.  They weren’t sure who to root for nor did they
know if the attack was intentional or not.  Many thought the Warrior had gone heel.  The two
men faced each other and a match was inevitable.  Soon enough, it was announced.  The
headline bout for WrestleMania VI in Toronto, Ontario at the newly built Skydome.

 The Warrior faced Dino Bravo and his cast on February 23rd in Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena
during the Main Event.  With Bravo was his manager, Jimmy Hart, and the Earthquake, who
was running all over the prelim circuit.  After pinning Bravo, Warrior was attacked by the
Earthquake and laid out for a splash.  Hogan ran out and paid him back for the save at the
Royal Rumble.  Hogan stated that he wanted the Warrior to be one-hundred percent for
WrestleMania.  Again, the two champs met face-to-face in the ring, arguing.

 WWF President, Jack Tunney had made the match a title vs. title bout and both men were
prepared.  The Warrior entered the ring first.  Nearly 70,000 fans watched the contest at the
Skydome.  The twenty-two minute contest ended when Hogan missed a legdrop and the
Warrior hit a splash after bouncing off the ropes.  A three-count was made and the Ultimate
Warrior won the WWF World Heavyweight Title.  He also became the first man in history to
hold the World Title and the Intercontinental Title at the same time.  A torch had been
passed.  A highlight of the match was when the Warrior pressed Hogan above his head and
slammed him to the canvas.

 It was announced afterwards by Tunney that there would never be a rematch.  The
Intercontinental Title was declared vacant soon thereafter and a new tour began.  In the
Orient.  In Tokyo, he beat Ted DiBiase on April 13, 1990 before another spectacular crowd.  
On WWF Television, Rick Rude began an intense training regimen and challenged the
Warrior for the World Title, reminding everyone that he had a pinfall victory over the
champion.  Officials set a special cage match between Rude and Warrior for Monday Night,
August 27th at SummerSlam in Philadelphia.  At the 10:05 mark, the Warrior beat Rude and
retained his title.

 He formed one the most accomplished Survivor Series tag teams ever on November 22nd in
Hartford.  The Warrior teamed with former NWA World Champion, Kerry Von Erich and former
AWA and NWA World Tag Team Champions, the Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) against
Demolition and Mr. Perfect.  He pinned Perfect to remain as the sole survivor for the third
year in a row.  The Warrior advanced to a special Survivor Series match at the end of the
show with the fan favorites who had survived their matches.  Hulk Hogan and Tito Santana
joined him against Ted DiBiase, Warlord, Rick Martel, Hercules and Paul Roma.  Five-on-
three.  He pinned Hercules in the finale and only the Warrior and Hogan remained.  The two
celebrated in the ring together before 16,000 screaming fans.

 Many wondered if a rematch was on the horizon, despite the WWF President’s earlier ruling
that there would never be one.  At the Royal Rumble, the Warrior gave the Iraq Supporter,
Sergeant Slaughter a shot at the World Title.  The night was January 19, 1991 and the city
was Miami in South Florida.  A stunned Miami Arena crowd watched Randy Savage hit the
Warrior with his scepter, leading to Slaughter’s pinfall victory.  The Ultimate Warrior had been
beaten for the heavyweight championship of the World.  Savage became his number one
enemy.  A special retirement match was set for WrestleMania in Los Angeles.  He pinned his
opponent and sent him packing.  At that show, Hogan beat Slaughter for the World Title.

 Two days after WrestleMania at a television taping in Las Vegas, the Warrior was attacked
by the Undertaker and locked in a casket.  Officials did what they could to open the grave
before it was too late.  Fans were outraged at the portrait of near death, but their hero
remained okay.  He wrestled the Undertaker through the spring and early summer at house
shows.  The Warrior teamed with Hogan at SummerSlam against Slaughter, General Adnan
and Colonel Mustafa on August 26th in New York.  Sid Justice was imported to be the special
referee.  Hogan pinned Slaughter in the finals.

 The Warrior disappeared during the celebration afterwards and seemingly left the sport.  He
made his return to the World Wrestling Federation on April 5, 1992 in Indianapolis, when he
ran out and saved Hulk Hogan from a double-team by Sid Justice and Papa Shango.  His
WrestleMania appearance was his first on a WWF Card in eight months.  The Warrior’s initial
match was two nights later in Toledo during a television taping.  He pinned Papa Shango.  It
was not long before he was gunning for the World Champion.  “Mean” Gene Okerlund
interviewed Warrior and the champion, Randy Savage, at a television taping in Glens Falls,
New York on June 29, 1992.  Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect got in the middle of the interview and
began to talk trash.  The two then attacked Savage.  The Warrior made the save.

 Savage and Warrior began to talk because Savage did not want his help.  The match was
set-up for SummerSlam.  Savage against The Ultimate Warrior for the WWF World
Heavyweight Championship.  Over 80,000 fans attended the show live in London, England on
Saturday, August 29th.  He won by countout in 28:00, but Savage remained the champ.  He
again left the WWF.  Speculation erupted each year afterwards that he was retired.  When
Hulk Hogan was signed by WCW in 1994, many thought the Warrior would again emerge for
probably the biggest rematch of the ’90s.

 Nothing happened and the Ultimate Warrior remained on the sidelines.  Talk of his return to
the WWF was one of early 1996’s top rumors.  Many stated that he was going to participate
in the Royal Rumble, which never happened.  During a live edition of Raw on February 19,
1996, a promotional video was shown of the Warrior, clearing up some of the talk.  His return
was going to happen…but where and when was the question.  Who would he be going after?  
The World Title?  It was all a question.  It was announced on March 11th that the Warrior was
going to appear at WrestleMania and wrestle an up-and-comer named Hunter Hearst
Helmsley.  The hype had begun, and there was reason for it.

 The Warrior made his first pay-per-view appearance since 1992 on March 31, 1996 in
Anaheim.  He pinned Helmsley in a short bout.  It seemed he was back to his old ways, ready
to dominate all who appeared on the other side of the ring from him.  An interview segment
with Vince McMahon on April 8th was interrupted by Goldust.  The Warrior gave him a smack
before it was over.  A Warrior-Dust feud was growing on the horizon.  Later in the month, the
Warrior met Goldust for the Intercontinental Title.  He won the match by countout, but did not
capture the belt.  The Warrior wrestled Dr. Isaac Yankem on the April 29th, live showing of
Raw.  He won by pinfall in a very quick fashion.

 The Warrior beat Owen Hart at In Your House VIII on May 26th in Florence, South Carolina.  
Both the Warrior and Goldust were eliminated from the running for participation in the King of
the Ring Tournament with their double-countout on May 27th.  He also entered a feud with
Jerry Lawler, who tried to sneak attack him during the Goldust match.  He had comments
about Lawler on the 10th of June during an interview with Vince McMahon.  Warrior wrestled
the former AWA Champion and semi-active wrestler on June 23rd in Milwaukee at the King of
the Ring.  Warrior pinned Lawler in less than five-minutes.  He had a rough go of things on
July 8, 1996.

 WWF President Gorilla Monsoon first announced that the Warrior was indefinitely
suspended from the organization and reasons were sighted.  Although he was suspended,
the Warrior did wrestle on the show against Owen Hart.  He won by disqualification after
being attacked by Jim Cornette’s troops.  Vader dropped him to the match with a powerbomb
and he was carried from the ring. It seemed Monsoon was correct.  The Warrior was
suspended from the WWF and never appeared again.

 Many fans were initially confused.  There was no return for revenge.  Nothing.  More talks
began about where and when he would show up next.  Finally, he signed with WCW.  A debut
was made by the Warrior on August 17, 1998 in Hartford, Connecticut.  He faced Hulk Hogan,
Eric Bischoff and The Disciple in the ring, saying that a revolution was about to begin.

 The “OWN,” One Warrior Nation, was formed.  For several months, the Warrior regained a
popularity not seen in years, but it wasn’t before long that he disappeared again.  Jim Hellwig
was the man who portrayed the Ultimate Warrior in the WWF and then the Warrior in WCW.


TITLE HISTORY:

 -WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion (1987) defeated Bob Bradley
 -Co-holder of the WCCW World Tag Team Title (1986) w/ Lance Von Erich
 -A two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion
         -Defeated The Honky Tonk Man (1987)
         -Defeated Rick Rude (1989)
 -WWF World Heavyweight Title (1990-’91) defeated Hulk Hogan





Research by Tim Hornbaker
Ultimate Warrior Wrestling History
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