When The Ultimate Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014, he announced in his induction speech that there was more to come. He showed up on Monday Night Raw the next night and told fans he had come to an agreement to work with the WWE again. The Ultimate Warrior died the next day.
Dana Warrior, the widow of the Ultimate Warrior, announced on Ultimatewarrior.com on Sunday that she has signed a multi-year contract with the WWE to work as a brand ambassador for the company .
“This contract is affirmation of crossing into a new era of Warrior. The next phase honors the Warrior Women amongst us who carry the mantle too. WWE has been championing women emerging as athletes, executives, and business pioneers all along. I am honored to be amongst so many I admire and deeply respect.”
During his career with the WWE, Ultimate Warrior was one of the most popular athletes on the roster. He actually got his break back in the territory days when he teamed with a young Sting to form a team called The Blade Runners, managed by Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert.
He moved on to the Von Erich’s World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas and called himself the Dingo Warrior. When he heard that the WWE was coming to town, he swung a tryout match and impressed them enough to sign on with the company as the Ultimate Warrior.
He then worked the gimmick of a fast-paced, unstoppable powerhouse and tore through the roster. He was the man who ended the Intercontinental title reign of The Honky Tonk Man. After feuding with guys like Ravishing Rick Rude and Andre the Giant, Ultimate Warrior then took part in one of the WWE’s most legendary matches.
In the 80s, faces never fought heels, and if a face wanted to face Hulk Hogan for the world title, they were turned heel. As the super popular Intercontinental champion, Ultimate Warrior fought Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI and was allowed to remain a face for the match.
Ultimate Warrior won the title, and Hulk Hogan put him over in a passing-of-the-torch moment. However, his title reign was not as big as it should have been. He wanted more money and held up Vince McMahon for a bigger payday.
The Ultimate Warrior had some more success in the WWE, specifically with a huge feud with Macho Man Randy Savage that featured the best match of the Warrior’s career, but his time in the WWE ended 1992. He returned in 1996, but contract disputes caused him to leave for good.
The WWE was not happy with the way the Ultimate Warrior treated them, and they buried him in the most humiliating way possible. The Ultimate Warrior accused the WWE of not paying him the royalties based on his likeness (he had officially changed his legal name to Warrior Warrior) when he left.
The WWE responded by releasing a DVD called The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior . The entire documentary painted Ultimate Warrior as selfish and self-destructive, something that he worked hard to change the perception of over the years with the self-help and motivational work that he offered people.
After a stint in WCW, Ultimate Warrior finally retired from professional wrestling in 1998. It looked like the WWE, and Ultimate Warrior would never reconcile, as the WWE waited until after Macho Man Randy Savage died before they even inducted him into the WWE Hall of Fame.
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However, in 2013, the WWE reached a deal to include Ultimate Warrior in their WWE 2K14 video game. In 2014, the WWE inducted Ultimate Warrior into the WWE Hall of Fame, and the bridge was mended.
Since her husband’s death, Dana Warrior has worked with the WWE on occasion. She presented an award named after the Ultimate Warrior at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. She also has appeared with the WWE at some special events as well, and this new multi-year contract means the WWE will be helping the widowed mother, and she will help spread the word about the good that the company does around the world while keeping the memory of the Ultimate Warrior alive and well.
[Featured Image by WWE]