A FAREWELL TO ONE OF WRESTLING’S MOST ICONIC CHARACTERS

Sadly, The Ultimate Warrior is no more.

One of the most colourful and well known characters in wrestling history, James Brian Hellwig, passed away on April 8, 2014, at the age of 54, just three days after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

According to TMZ, Warrior collapsed at 5:50 PM while walking to his car with his wife in Arizona outside of their hotel. He was pronounced dead shortly later.

Before he turned to professional wrestling, James was a promising amateur bodybuilder, competing in a number of NPC events and eventually winning the 1984 Mr. Georgia contest.

However, he found his calling in wrestling and quickly rose through the professional ranks to become what the WWE itself said was “As devastating and intense as any Superstar who stepped through the ropes…”.

As kids , we didn’t get to watch much TV in my younger days but The Ultimate Warrior was one of my highlights.

I clearly remember watching him run out on the ring in a frenzy, and being in absolute awe of the man. I thought he was the real deal of course. He was larger than life, owned the ring, tossed huge men around like skittles, and was built like a Greek warrior god.

The way he shook the ropes and roared, the way he stomped around the ring and beat his chest…this clearly was no mere mortal. He was without a doubt the re-incarnation of some of the fiercest warriors in history.

During what turned out to be his final appearance on Raw, less than 24 hours before his death, Warrior gave a speech to the fans and wrestlers past and present.

During the speech he said:

“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 believe deeper in something larger than life then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized. By the story tellers, 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 lived 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 the Ultimate Warrior will run forever!”

Love him or hate him, whatever personal circumstances he has gone through in his meteoric career, The Ultimate Warrior deserves his place as “one of the most recognizable Superstars in WWE history.

This is The BodyForge salute to The Warrior, a legend and a permanent icon of wrestling.

Condolences go out to all his family at this sad time in their lives.

 

Comments