Welcome Back Splashers! This DVD We’re going to cover an older DVD The Self-Destruction Of The Ultimate Warrior.
I was a big fan of the Ultimate Warrior back when I was a kid. I Loved playing as him in the video games, and I had his pull-out’s from WWE magazine on my wall. So why am I reviewing a DVD that basicly steps all over a wrestler I loved? Good question, here’s a few to tide you over.
There has been talk about The Ultimate Warrior(Jim Helwig) being inducted into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame. The Warrior was actually offered for the HOF one time before, but money issues seemed to be the key factor from him being inducted.
For those of you who follow my blogs, You know that I recently covered Jake the Snake’s DVD: Pick Your Poison. There was a segment in his documentary where Jake talked about his feud with The Warrior, and how he acted behind the curtain. Jake actually had to ASK permission to do the feud with the Warrior. The Warrior gave him a quick yes and told him be better do his spots right, and then slammed the door in his face. Jake had been with the WWF for nearly 8 years while the Warrior had only been there for about 4. The rest of this story comes later when The Warrior blackmails Vince.
The Self-Destruction of The Ultimate Warrior
Most WWE DVD’s are 3 discs, but this 2 DVD documentary is packed full with historical matches and extra bonuses. These bonuses mostly tell stories of The Warrior behind the screen, that continued to paint a picture of what The Ultimate Warrior was really like. One of these stories was told by “Millionaire” Ted DiBiase, who was at an autograph signing with The Warrior and his former “Blade Runner” tag-team partner “Sting”. But The Warrior wanted nothing to do with either man, and would only sign autographs if he had a booth set up alone.
Enter the Warrior
In the early 80′s he was known as “Rock” of the Blade Runners. Even back then he wore the same paint face and similar arm and leg bands. He eventually parted ways with Sting, and changed his name to “The Dingo Warrior”. He actually entered the WWE under that name and wrestled a few matches until Vince decided that name wasn’t marketable. Vince eventually came up with The Ultimate Warrior.
Throughout this DVD, people like Jim Ross, Vince McMahon, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and wrestlers from the present and past all gave their candid thoughts.. They all agree when The Ultimate Warrior first arrived his intensity and drive for success was undeniable. As Jim Ross pointed out: “He was the only wrestler who ran to the ring”. His music and entrance alone captured the audience by storm every time. The fans in the arena and at home loved the Ultimate Warrior.
“Millionaire” Ted DiBiase talked about how The Ultimate Warrior was unable to have a good match on his own. DiBiase said if The Warrior did have a good leader in the ring, then the matches needed to be short. The majority of the Warrior’s career, most of his matches lasted 1-3 minutes. He won his first Intercontinental Championship title in less that 3 Minutes at SummerSlam. He Beat The Honky Tonk Man, who was the longest reigning Champion (15 months)
From Parts Unknown
Jerry “The King” Lawler talked about the concept of being from “Parts Unknown”. Lawler said it humanized that character, The Ultimate Warrior needed to be larger than life. Christian, Edge, and even “Mean” Gene Okerlund joked about the location to “Parts Unknown”.
The Ultimate Warrior was Intercontinental Champion now, and things begin move at even more of a rapid rate. The Warrior is on almost every wrestling magazine, fans are buying Warrior products, and sales are going up. In this DVD The Only time they gave the Warrior any real compliments was as a “product” or his entrance..never as a wrestler. Even Hulk Hogan talked about how his unique character was selling to the fans.
What Did He Say?
Another issue The Ultimate Warrior had that this DVD shows, was his inability of doing an interview. Even in his first Interview with “Mean” Gene Okerlund, he cuts Gene off and starts yelling and babbling on like an idiot. So the WWE just gave him camera time to do his little “Warrior Speeches”, which was always a solo act. This DVD shows several clips of these Warrior Speeches, and I thought they were funny as hell.
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan said “He may have had a great body, great entrance, and great music,but once he hit the ring boy it was over”. Heenan and Steve Lombardi talked about how hard it was to work with him inside the ring. The Warrior would always move way too fast in his matches. Heenan talked about one time when The Ultimate Warrior was fighting Andre the Giant in a series of matches. After 2 nights of the Warrior hitting Andre too hard with the clothesline, Andre Teaches him a lesson on night 3, as the Warrior runs into an unexpected fist. He made it clear in the ring, and around the locker room that the didn’t like The Warrior.
The Ultimate Challenge
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and “Millionaire” Ted DiBiase also did not care for The Ultimate Warrior. They both said that he had no passion for the business. He had been given everything on a platter but was never appreciative. Then the DVD goes through the highlights of the “Ultimate Challenge Feud”, between Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior.
The “Ultimate Challenge” as you all know, was Hogan’s World Title for The Ultimate Warrior’s I.C. Title at WrestleMania 6. This was the first time in WWF history both titles would be at stake. Another “ first” was having two “ baby-face” wrestlers face each other. Lastly, Ultimate Warrior was very first to beat Hulk Hogan clean. To this day it is one of the most historical feuds in WWF/WWE history.
Many people in the WWE believe when The Ultimate Warrior beat Hulk Hogan, Hogan passed the torch to The Warrior. The Ultimate Warrior’s career’s had peaked, but his ego was about to into overdrive. Vince McMahon expected The Warrior to be the face of the WWE for the next 10 to 12 years, but The Warrior series of events would keep him from that destiny.
True Colors:
The DVD quickly goes over the “Macho King” Randy Savage Vs. Ultimate Warrior feud at WrestleMania 7.The Match is for Ultimate Warrior’s Title over Savage’s Career. It was another big win at WrestleMania.
The Ultimate Warrior next feud was with Sgt Slaughter who was playing a heel this tine round. He a was playing the role of an Iranian deserter type , and had 2 Iranian comrades. Warrior had fought him several times, and it was supposed to end at SummerSlam. Warrior was to team up with Hogan, and Slaughter was teaming up with one of his guys. Right before the match The Warrior Blackmails Vince McMahon for a disclosed amount of money. He Told him if he didn’t pay him right there, right now he would not wrestle. Vince paid The Warrior, but fired him the second he got out back with Vince. Vince even told him why he was firing him.
The Ultimate Warrior was gone. Many thought he would never return to the WWE. However The Warrior returned 1 year later, but he looked much different. His hair was cut short, and it was no longer frosted blonde. Also his muscles wasn’t as cut. He looked completely different. At the time there were several rumors about The real Ultimate Warrior being dead. That was of course just a rumor. As I fast forward over the next few years, The Ultimate Warrior continues to miss random events. The Warrior seemed to be more and more about himself as he kept returning. The WWF would help promote his “Warrior” Magazine, and he even opened up “The Warrior Academy”. He would spend more time plugging his products than entertaining the fans. The last straw was around 7/96 when The Warrior was gone for 10 days because of a family emergency. This would be the last time The Ultimate Warrior would be seen on WWE TV, but “The Warrior” would have one more chapter to write…
O.W.N.:One Warrior Nation
Two years would pass and, during that time Jim Helwig would legally change his name to “The Warrior”. It was another opportunity for his peers to gawk at him and his awkward behavior. During the same time the WWE was in a fierce war with WCW. To this day they are known as “The Monday Night Wars”, and is the biggest battle between two wrestling companies in history. The WCW was stealing every WWE/WWF talent they could get to get ahead in ratings, and eventually crush the WWE. In hopes to push ratings further they signed The Warrior in 1998, because he was still a big fan attraction.
Just like in the WWF, The Warrior had some of the most incredible entrances, with over the top pyro, and even a “Warrior” spotlight. However just like the WWF, once he got in the ring to do a promo it was all over. The Warrior had not learned a single thing from his two year hiatus. On the night he debuted, when he confronted Hulk Hogan who was still leading the N.W.O. With Eric Bichoff, The ratings were expected to go through the roof. However as “Mean” Gene Okerlund pointed out, the ratings sunk. Hulk Hogan and Eric Bichoff also recalled that night, and both agreed The Warrior would just go on, and on, and on.
I remember thinking when The Warrior arrived in WCW “he won’t last”. I thought this at the time only, because he spent the majority of his TV time doing promo’s. He only had 3 matches and none of them were any good. Even his “rematch” with Hulk Hogan at Halloween Havoc was a hack job. Shortly after Halloween Havoc, The Warrior was gone from WCW. According to Eric Bichoff, they were hoping to sign him for a 2-3 year contract, however he was asking for an insane amount of money. Once again, the Warrior fell off the radar, this time there may be no return nor redemption for The
Ultimate Warrior…
Many believe that this DVD is a personal bashing of The Warrior’s character. Jim Helwig(aka The Warrior) is surely for one. I believe you reap what you sew. The bad wrestling, and interviews, is not why The Warrior went up in flames, and his peers “helped” by throwing gas on the fire. The Warrior obviously had no passion for the business called “professional wrestling”. He got the biggest prize handed to him, and treated his peers like crap.
I went to his site, where he post his blogs, where he rambles on about politics and religion. I tried to read some of them but they made about as much sense as some of his promos in the 80′s I think Edge said it perfectly: “I think the tassels on his arm were tied too tight, that it cut off circulation to his brain.”
If you were a fan of The Ultimate Warrior, I’m not sure how to judge this DVD for you. While the bonus matches themselves show some of his most historical (and better) matches Honky Tonk Man for I.C. Title, Rick Rude in a Steel Cage for World Title, Macho Man (Career vs Title), and several others. But the documentary as you have read, shows you another side of a wrestler you have never seen. Despite this DVD, and despite The Warrior’s actions behind the curtain, no one can deny that “The Ultimate Warrior” will be one of the biggest names in wrestling history.

