Has there ever been a wrestler that has divided opinion more than the Ultimate Warrior?

There doesn't seem to be any middle ground with Warrior and almost every wrassling fan has an opinion on his career. A true great or a fortunate flash in the pan? I am with the latter. I'm old enough to remember watching him as a child and I was never sold on him. His ring-run was the epitome of awesomeness but after that it soon fell flat. I get that ring work is not the be-all and end-all but to say that Warrior was limited inside the squared circle is putting it mildly, the guy stunk! Okay his promo's were entertaining but only because they were absolute bonkers and nonsensical to the point where they actually struck a chord.

The general consensus is that his matches with Hogan (Wrestlemania 6) and Savage (Wrestlemania 7) were his best and I'd have to agree with that. The Hogan bout was monsterous at the time and deserves it's praise. The Savage match in my opinion is his best ever but Savage could make watching paint dry entertaining he was THAT good, possibly the best ever in my book. I think it was gaffer that called Savage the original Mr Wrestlemania and I couldn't argue with that at all.

Any of you guys know of any other Warrior matches that equal or better these?

What do you guys think of the Ultimate Warrior? Was you a fan? If not, why not?

Cheers guys.

I think it's wrong to say Warrior was limited simply because almost everyone is limited in some regard, Warrior's best match for me was at SummerSlam 89 against Rick Rude, he showed he could safely perform loads of moves, granted most where power moves but he also came off the top rope, a guy his size who could move at his speed was definitely more than just limited.

He was green as hell when he got to the WWF and in 88 he was over but wasn't really getting any better but when Savage turned Heel in early 89 he and Warrior worked with each other in the run up to Mania 5 and the improvement in him was immense and very quick, then he worked with Rude too, he leanred a lot about ring psychology in 1989 and I thought between WM6 and WM7 he had his best ever year and his two Mania matches with Hogan and Savage for me stand the test of time

He never hung around long enough to expect the same kind of status as Hogan but that was also a masterstroke whether it was intentional or not, he left people wanting more and the longer he was away the bigger his legend grew, for me he was bigger than Hogan from SummerSlam 89-90 and for that reason he deserves his place in History as one of the best Pro Wrestlers, to be classed as bigger than Hogan for a while during Hogan's peak years isn't something to be dismissed

Gaff, do you think WWF creative dropped the ball on his return in 92 when they put him in a ridiculous feud with Papa Shango or was this some kind of punishment for his (supposed) hissy fit at Summerslam 91?

He returned at Wrestlemania 8 when Hogan was deliberating over a hiatus and my take was he was brought back in to regain that torch - so to speak - but was inexplicably placed into mid card status.

I'm sure that he was brought back on big money? His second stint with the company has always baffled me. Surely if you have this megastar back on your books you'd make good with it?

Papa Shango was just meant to be his bridge feud before he got to Sid Justice, he was meant to go over Sid at SummerSlam 92 and from what I remember reading the original plan was for him to win the 93 Rumble and win the WWF Title at WrestleMania IX from Ric Flair

I remember reading that they where looking to build a stable of Sid, Perfect and someone else around Flair and Warrior was to be the guy who finally bested them, Sid left almost as soon as Warrior returned so that got nixed, Warrior then got catapulted into the title picture and because they kept the title on Savage there was no real top heel talent to feud with Warrior since Jake left after WM8 and Taker was turned face, obviously Warrior got sacked before Survivor Series 92 so any hope that he'd have won the Rumble died a death

Top stuff gaf. I didn't know any of that. Flair/Warrior would have been interesting to say the least. I'm sure Bruce Pritchard said on the destruction of Warrior DVD that they were planning to throw Warrior into a feud with Taker somewhere down the line?

I am going to lock this thread soon because

TUW > everything else that ever existed. FACT!

Adam D wrote:I am going to lock this thread soon because

TUW > everything else that ever existed. FACT!

FreekShow wrote:Top stuff gaf. I didn't know any of that. Flair/Warrior would have been interesting to say the least. I'm sure Bruce Pritchard said on the destruction of Warrior DVD that they were planning to throw Warrior into a feud with Taker somewhere down the line?

The initial plans way back in 91 before Warrior got fired the first time was for Warrior/Undertaker at WrestleMania VIII which is weird to think about becuase if that happened there would never have been a streak

Seems to be an age thing to me! If you were born between 1975 - 1983 you prob (like me) the warrior was amazing! If you were born before or after these dates you just don't get it Ha!

With you there VDT! I think warrior was fantastic. Also dont want to generalise but seems his rep is better in The UK and Europe than the USA

Warrior is like the Smiths or Stone Roses who's legend grew due to the fact they didn't over stay there welcome too long.

He had the look, a believe gimmick, his promos were insanely good & for me his match with Savage at Wrestlemania is still the greatest Mania match that didn't involve Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels.

Wrestlers that dismiss his importance I think are jealous & bitter he's the only guy that threated the greatest run in pro wrestling history (Hogan 84-91). Jim Hellwig should be remember as one of the greatest superstars ever

Oh yeah he's also the only guy ever to completely squash Triple H.... An achievement that will never be matched

And to think if Warrior hadnt been involved in that pay dispute in 92 he would likely have gone over The Undertaker at Wrestlemania and Taker would have been 1-1. The angle with Taker and Jake Roberts showed a different, vulnerable side to Warrior and its a shame it got nixed.

Cena - I love the guy, other's hate him!

I'd have loved to see where Warrior/Jake/Taker went, I've got a fair idea as the pplans where for Warrior/Taker to head into 1992 then onto Mania but I think it would have been a cracking angle

I was a fan of the Warrior. When you look back with 20 years of other stars to compare you do wonder how on earth you liked and enjoyed the gimmick. Arm tassles and what not. He has quite the cult status based on the whole candle burning bright for such a short time. I know watching him on Wrestling Challenege during the 'Funeral Parlour' in 1991 and thinking yes this is the feud when the Taker attacked him and then not so long after that the Saturday Night Main Event when Taker was ringside in a casket and came out and attacked the Warrior. I think that was when Hogan came out and made the save. This is from pure memory so I might be wrong.

His feud with Rick Rude was probably his best. I watchied the Rise and Fall of the Warrior and he wasn't well liked backstage. Heenan, Dibiase, Brawler all spoke out against him with his crazy pay demands. Ross gave a much balanced view remembering that UW was a work progress and that he was thrust upon to the Main Event too soon.

The guy was like a lightening rod and could just attract the crowd like nothing before. Running down the aisle, bouncing off the ropes and just generally being an absolute nutter! In my school years I don't think I had seen so many kids running down lobbies clotheslining others. Anyone around at the time remembers the the Hogan v Warrior WM6 match and despite it being very scruffy for a Main Event is still widely acknowledged as a significant moment in wrestling.

At the height of his popularity he fit the WWE profile. At the time the WWE weren't so much into 'wrestling' as a sport and most matches were holds and locks followed by a momentum flourish of big moves. Hogan and Warrior fitted this bill. Big guys, big moves and had the physique that could move mountains and rise to any challenege. Heels in the late 80's and early 90's were so much more technical and as result worked much more harder in the ring against the likes of the Warrior and Hogan.

Warrior just had that energy. Connected with the fans even if his promo's were like Mystic Meg on acid. Warrior/Roberts/Taker feud is on of the greatest never to happen. I so wanted a Taker/Warrior Mania match and I feel kind of robbed it never happened.

I do wonder what dimensions the Warrior character could've taken on had his success had a longevity to it. Would love to have seen how he would've faired in the 1998-2001 era in the WWE.