The Ultimate Warrior debuted in WWE 35 years ago today. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014 and tragically passed away shortly after. Ultimate Warrior died at the age of 54 on April 8, 2014. WWE has since created the Warrior Award in his honor. Shad Gaspard was the recipient of this year’s Warrior Award.
WWE uploaded a video today featuring several of today’s most popular superstars discussing their favorite moments of The Ultimate Warrior’s career to pay tribute to the wrestling legend on the anniversary of his debut. He debuted in WWE 35 years ago and defeated Terry Gibbs.
Drew McIntyre said that WrestleMania VII was his favorite moment of The Ultimate Warrior’s career and claimed to have worn out the VHS tape of the event watching it with his brother growing up. The Ultimate Warrior defeated Randy Savage at the event.
The Miz stated that Ultimate Warrior was his favorite wrestler growing up. The Miz joked that his favorite “moment” of the Hall of Famer’s career was whenever he cut a promo because you couldn’t really understand what he said. The Miz added that he has “load the spaceship with the rocket fuel” embedded in his head.
Sheamus revealed that his favorite Ultimate Warrior moment was at SummerSlam 1988. The Ultimate Warrior demolished The Honky Tonk Man in quick fashion at the event. The Celtic Warrior added that it is moments like that one that will stick in fans’ heads forever.
Tamina Snuka told a story of The Ultimate Warrior signing a jacket for her when she was younger and her dad gave it to her on Christmas. Natalya selected his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame as her favorite moment from his career.
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson also discussed how The Ultimate Warrior influenced their career. Gallows picked Warrior’s return at WrestleMania 8 as his favorite moment. You can check out the video presented by Mattel below.
Each year, WWE presents the Warrior Award at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It’s given to people who are courageous, honorable and have overcome adversity.
Over the past several years, wrestling fans have pleaded with WWE to name the award after someone else, anyone else, due to The Ultimate Warrior’s history of racist, homophobic, hateful and downright cruel public statements.
Ultimate Warrior’s Beliefs
The Ultimate Warrior had made many controversial statements before his passing on Apr. 8, 2014. He wrote blog posts and spoke publicly about his offensive personal beliefs.
Vice published an article with several quotes from The Ultimate Warrior, like mocking Heath Ledger’s and Bobby Heenan’s death. He also made offensive remarks regarding the LGBT community and the black community.
In 2005, The Ultimate Warrior shared some of his problematic beliefs with students at The University of Connecticut. A video of the speech was published on Youtube. He expressed that the LGBT community and Kwanzaa were illegitimate during his speech.
“…In the classrooms across this country, minds are being trained anti-truth, anti- discipline, anti-virtue, anti-American. We are training minds in this country and the schools across this nation literally to be anti-mine, and this continued idiotic assault to rationality and reason upside down on its head and supplant feelings for thinking so much so that every word of every concept in every act of every action no longer have any meaning has compromised not only our republic but our humanity altogether to an offensive of world relativity where everything is just as legitimate as everything else, where there are no absolutes. No right or wrong. No true or false,” said the Ultimate Warrior.
He continued, “… The broadest and most despicable illustration of this most destructive consequence of moral relativity is that barbarism today is as legitimate as civilization. Nothing subject to moral relativity is left out to these two extremes. That the bums is as legitimate as the businessman.” The Ultimate Warrior brought up homosexuality. However, a female student groaned in displeasure, and he made a sexist remark. He shared, “…Let me come down off my politically correct horse, that queers are as legitimate as heterosexuals. He also shared he believed homosexuality wasn’t legitimate. When asked why by upset students, he said “reality.” He also said “…That Kwanzaa is just as legitimate as Santa Claus at Christmas.”
Dana Warrior on Her Husband Past
The widow of the Ultimate Warrior, Dana Warrior, shared before his passing that he changed his heart thanks to his daughters. It’s unclear precisely what that means, but fans will never know if he changed his views or became accepting of others. Unfortunately for the Warrior Family, The Ultimate Warrior has a documented history of controversial and offensive comments.
Wrestling fans believe that WWE can have someone else’s name attached to the award.
Why Shad Gaspard Should be Considered
WWE announced that Shad Gaspard would posthumously receive the Warrior Award in the 2022 Hall of Fame. On May. 17, 2020, Gaspard and his son were caught in a strong current while swimming. When Lifeguards came to help, he instructed them to help his son first, and Gaspard disappeared at sea to be found dead days later. He passed away at 39 years old. He was beloved by his peers and fans, that also believed Gaspard should be honored by naming the award after him.
The company’s description of the Warrior Award is “…presented to an individual who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of The Ultimate Warrior.” Wrestling fans believe that Gaspard is a true embodiment of courage and compassion.
While The Ultimate Warrior is a wrestling legend, he has a problematic past. His past comments contradict what the WWE considers to be his character. Gaspard fits WWE’s criteria, and the company also believes because he’s receiving the award posthumously. Although it may come with WWE having to answer admit wrongdoing, the company should consider renaming the Warrior Award.
Ryback revealed on the latest episode of his Conversations with the Big Guy podcast that he was originally scheduled to face the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania 30.
Ryback stated:
“Mark Carrano actually had showed me the WrestleMania card early. They kind of have an idea of what they want to do, obviously, ahead of time, and they had on it Ryback versus Ultimate Warrior. And I just said, ‘cool.’ But, in my head, at the time, it was during my heel deal, that first one, where it probably wasn’t gonna be a favorable position for me as far as all that. But I was excited, because I figured it was his one last moment in WWE. So, I thought it would be really cool. I didn’t think I would necessarily be the right guy for that, because I didn’t know anything about him. I didn’t know what kind of shape he was in, if he could wrestle or not, but I 100 percent would have done it, because I did everything that they asked me there.”
Credit to Wrestlezone for the transcription
Ryback later noted that he loved the Ultimate Warrior growing up but that he had major reservations with the match, mainly that it would be “1 or 2 minute deal” and that it would be of no benefit to his character.
– “Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived ‘Forever’ won an award for Best Biography at the 2016 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards. They included this blurb on their announcement:
“Here, for the first time, the complete legend of The Ultimate Warrior is told in full. Filled with intense action and little-known details, ULTIMATE WARRIOR: A LIFE LIVED FOREVER is a celebration of the Superstar who left an inimitable mark on WWE and redefined sports entertainment for generations.”
– As seen below, Dolph Ziggler is currently in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention. It appears he’s providing coverage for both WWE and FOX Business’ Kennedy Nation program. Ziggler tweeted the following from Cleveland:
– Corey Graves will be back looking at WWE stars’ tattoos this Thursday as Superstar Ink returns to the WWE website. Below is a new promo for the show:
– Today’s wrestling birthdays include NXT star Gzim Selmani of Authors of Pain (22), ECW legend The Sandman (53) and WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior, who would have been 57.
– Bryan Alvarez noted on Wrestling Observer Live that the current plan is for at least 6 NXT wrestlers to join the main roster next month during the WWE Draft. As we’ve been reporting, WWE is already scouting fresh talent to join NXT later this year once that roster is thinned out due to call-ups.
– Below are matches for tonight’s WWE SmackDown:
Luke Gallows vs. Big Cass vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Aiden English
Baron Corbin vs. Zack Ryder
Rusev vs. Kalisto
Xavier Woods vs. AJ Styles
Natalya vs. Charlotte
Cesaro, Sami Zayn and Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho, Alberto Del Rio and Kevin Owens
– Batista has finished shooting his scenes for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Director James Gunn tweeted these props:
As seen on Monday’s RAW, Paul Bearer joins The Ultimate Warrior, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Amy “Lita” Dumas as the inductees in the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame. The two names that are being bandied about that have yet to be announced are Scott Hall and Mr. T.
In the case of Mr. T, there is a chance that he won’t be inducted simply as another addition to the celebrity wing of the Hall Of Fame, but instead a joint-induction that would include all of the WrestleMania I main event participants, which include Hulk Hogan, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff and “Cowboy” Bob Orton.
– The pre-sale for tickets to the WWE Elimination Chamber event in 2014 is currently ongoing at Ticketmaster.com. The pre-sale code for the event, which emanates from Minneapolis, Minnesota is CHAMBER.
– The following is the official synopsis for the previously reported Ultimate Warrior DVD that WWE will be releasing in April of 2014:
“He is one of the most colourful and intense Superstars of all time, the Ultimate Warrior! Now for the first time ever, WWE honors his illustrious career with this ultimate collection of bone-crunching matches. Feel the power of the warrior – featuring battles against his biggest rivals such as Hulk Hogan, Jake Roberts, Ravishing Ric Rude, Sgt. Slaughter and more!
WWE fans have long awaited another Warrior DVD since the controversial release of 2005?s ‘Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior’. Finally, with over 7 hours of matches from this larger than life Superstar, this action on this home entertainment release is truly OUT OF CONTROL!!”
The following are highlights from a recent interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T:
On WrestleMania compared to other events: “WrestleMania is the biggest deal of them all [major sporting events.] I mean its the spectacle of a lifetime. If you ever have the chance to be a part of it. I mean you guys got to experience the SuperBowl and now you’re going to be able to experience WrestleMania. It’s going to be awesome. Compared [to the SuperBowl] as far as what’s the biggest. Let me tell you WrestleMania is the biggest spectacle that I’ve ever seen and been a part of.”
On the new WWE Performance Center: “I haven’t had a chance to get there as often as I need to. I have my own facility in Houston. I’m trying to filter the wrestling business. You know, more and more students are trying to get it from all different perspectives. But I’ll tell you the training center is something that we’ve needed for quite some time just so the avid fan always wonders ‘How do I get into this business?’ And for us to promote it! Now, we have our own form of something that you can come down and be a part of, try to get into this business. You know there are a lot of kids out there that I feel like we might be losing. We need to advertise a little more and show these guys that you can have a great career in professional wrestling, and the longevity is great as well.”
On The Ultimate Warrior in the WWE Hall Of Fame: “Everybody’s wondering if the Ultimate Warrior is going to go in [the Hall of Fame,] that’s one thing… Ultimate Warrior is probably the one guy that people have been wondering for many, many years, just like Bruno Sammartino. It would be great to take his place in immortality. He deserves it. Hew was great for what he did for the time in wrestling… Back in the day, those guys really were trailblazers, they were one of the reasons that I wanted to be one of those guys.”
On his prediction for the WrestleMania 40 main event: “Dean Ambrose versus Dolph Ziggler.”
-The arena where WWE SmackDown and WWE Main Event was taped on Tuesday night in Ottawa was reportedly heavily papered. According to live fan reports, the entire camera side, as well as the upper deck, were covered for television due to the seats being empty.
-Prior to the start of the WWE television tapings, a WrestleMania 29 video package aired, where apparently not only John Cena, but The Rock, were heavily booed by the Canadian fans in attendance.
-And finally, prior to the beginning of the tapings, a WWE 2K14 video game promo featuring WWE legend The Ultimate Warrior aired, where he reportedly received a massive pop from the crowd.
-WWE Superstar CM Punk recently made his argument for The Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage to be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. In a new tweet, Punk wrote:
“Ultimate Warrior. Better be hall of fame bound. Savage too. All them Poffos.”
-WWE posted the latest edition of “Backstage Fallout” for this week’s RAW on their official YouTube channel. The description for the video reads: “Miz tangos with Fandango, and the Divas division breaks down.”
Check out the RAW “Backstage Fallout” for this week below:
-As noted earlier today, Ric Flair appeared at the SummerSlam Axxess festivities in Los Angeles. Additionally, “The Nature Boy” will also be a part of the special 2K Sports party later today in Los Angeles.
-Also scheduled to appear at the 2K Sports party today is WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio.
-Despite rumors, Hulk Hogan is not scheduled for anything related to WWE in Los Angeles this weekend. Following the Brooke Hogan release in TNA Impact Wrestling on Friday, rumors began swirling that “The Hulkster” would appear at some of the WWE-related activities in Los Angeles this weekend.
-And finally, WWE legend The Ultimate Warrior is in Los Angeles today. Warrior is on hand for some 2K Sports-related obligations, as he is part of the upcoming WWE 2K14 video game.
