Lancers
El Dandy
Oh you
Posts: 7,951
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Post by Lancers on Apr 9, 2014 0:25:29 GMT -5
I've been trying to recalibrate my thoughts on this...
The last 72 hours for a wrestling fan have been monumental to say the least. On Saturday, we saw three men in particular, Scott Hall, Jake Roberts and Warrior, honored for their contributions to the WWE. Three men that traveled down some uncharted, bumpy and desolate roads over these past 15 to 20 years. It seemed nearly impossible that the journey of these men would ever lead to the destination of which they ended up on that stage in New Orleans. But there they were. And all of them with smiles on their faces. It was a happy ending for anyone who was inspired by them or rooted for their return from their depths.
Warrior's road wasn't self-destructive the way Scott and Jake experienced. Warrior's issues was much more between himself and Vince McMahon instead of a bottle of alcohol or pills. Two very strong, stubborn personalities that clashed so much that Vince and his company put out a DVD basically salting the earth and torching the bridge that could carry either man to the other side of the creek. To see Warrior being onstage at the HOF in front of his peers was something that is nothing short of a miracle.
As he spoke, there was a lot in his mind. He seemed to have difficulty articulating what was still unsettled within him. He seemed very gracious of the opportunity, especially to show his two young daughters that their dad was at one point, a live action superhero who built a legion of adoring fans all around the world. But you can sense there was an unresolved feeling towards that DVD ten years ago and whatever issues that existed between him and the people he worked with.
He namedropped a lot of people that he felt were deserving of acknowledgement that even the most hardcore of fans probably never heard of before, showcasing that while there may have been differences of opinion on particular political issues, there was a generous and thoughtful man that still existed inside all the layers of complexities.
To see him on Monday was sorta peculiar. He clearly was not as healthy as I imagined he would be. He was gassed walking to the ring and could barely shake the ropes, which I figured was more of a product of him being in his mid-50s than anything else. Now that he's passed, the way he moved in the ring and, as many have alluded to, the words he said in his final promo is cryptic and damn near prophetic. And less than 24 hours later, he is gone. Just like that. The eeriness of the timing cannot be understated.
Warrior's energy was always otherworldly, but for Warrior, the prodigal son of the WWE for nearly 20 years, his passing after burying the hatchet and receiving closure once and for all will add to the aura of the man who embodied every drop of his blood to live vicariously through the performer that once reigned supreme.
R.I.P. Warrior and my deepest condolences to his wife and two daughters.
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Post by Error on Apr 9, 2014 0:26:05 GMT -5
If people want to mention the possibility of someone not being able to meet their hero, they can. There is no reason to argue over something like that. News like this brings out all sorts of emotions, thoughts and talking points, as long as they are not offensive or trouble causing they can be mentioned.
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Toxik916
Hank Scorpio
Sacramento Proud
Posts: 6,208
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Post by Toxik916 on Apr 9, 2014 0:26:35 GMT -5
Watching Wrestlemania 6 right now. It was his defining moment and how I will always remember him, a champion.
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Bub (BLM)
Patti Mayonnaise
advocates duck on rodent violence
Fed. Up.
Posts: 37,742
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Post by Bub (BLM) on Apr 9, 2014 0:26:53 GMT -5
In honor of what Warrior said about one of the "greatest of all time" calling him a good guy.
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Post by CMPunkyBrewster on Apr 9, 2014 0:27:20 GMT -5
I posted this on my Facebook. Thought I might share it here. I'm just blown away right now.
Yes, he turned into a super-conservative wackjob later in life, but the Ultimate Warrior played a huge role in my childhood. I had hair like him, made my Mom, Wendy Boom Boom Konzelmann, use a ridiculous amount of her eye shadow to paint my face like him, I would run around in my underwear with shredded shirt sleeves around my arms and legs to try to look like him, I owned every possible thing with his image on it, from bookbags to action figures to 2 plywood toy boxes. His message (albeit difficult to decipher) of believing in yourself and the power within you is one that more people, myself included, should learn to follow.
I distinctly remember bugging the shit out of my parents to rent the video of Wrestlemania VI when I was a kid (this was before the days of wrestling being on prime time tv every week, so many times I would go MONTHS without seeing my beloved wrestling, so the Coliseum Videos were an absolute gift from the heavens to me). Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior, my 2 favorites, met in an epic battle with the WWF World Championship on the line. The Warrior prevailed, and little me went insane in the living room of our house on Barclay Drive. It was one of the greatest matches I had ever seen in my young life. It still is.
He was never the most talented guy in the ring, or the nicest guy outside of it, but his unbelievable energy and charisma redefined what the word 'exciting' meant within professional wrestling. Watching his matches was truly one of the highlights of my childhood, and one of the biggest reasons I decided to step into the ring myself 14 years later. He played a big part of instilling the dream of becoming a pro wrestler in me, and a huge part in the pride I felt in myself when I made that dream come true.
I'm glad that he and Vince McMahon were able to make their peace, and he was around long enough to take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame. It was an induction long overdue, for both the man and the fans.
Rest in peace, Warrior. You will truly be missed. Teach the afterlife all about Destrucity.
Always believe.
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willyjakes
Don Corleone
Dingleberry Don
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Posts: 1,646
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Post by willyjakes on Apr 9, 2014 0:27:47 GMT -5
Times like this I hate "the business" we get emotionally attached to the characters, the people...they become a part of our spirits in a way. They leave...sometimes for a long time...they come back, we get reattached.
And then they pass away. A lot of them...at a young age. It's just tragedy after tragedy. I hate what this business does to people.
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Post by thetower52 on Apr 9, 2014 0:27:54 GMT -5
It's truely amazing how many people from all walks of life have tweeted something about warrior My whole time line non wrestling world and wrestling world all saddened
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2014 0:28:17 GMT -5
You have no idea. If true, I can relate to what his wife went through. RIP Warrior. Prayers and condolences to his family. Same here, I saw my mom die in front of me and my dad slowly after, it IS the worse thing that can happen to a person, and right now I am legitimately crying....It's stupid I know, but Warrior is one of the few I actually looked up to, and I haven't been impacted like this since MCA from the Beastie Boys died... Just RIP... It is not. Don't ever let anyone tell you your feelings aren't valid. If you're sad, you're sad.
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Chad1m
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,664
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Post by Chad1m on Apr 9, 2014 0:28:56 GMT -5
I just used Amazon credit to buy a PSN card to get Ultimate Warrior as DLC from WWE 2K14.
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willyjakes
Don Corleone
Dingleberry Don
Sigs/Avatars cannot exceed 1MB
Posts: 1,646
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Post by willyjakes on Apr 9, 2014 0:29:19 GMT -5
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Cranjis McBasketball
Crow T. Robot
Knew what the hell that thing was supposed to be
Peace Love and Nothing But
Posts: 42,398
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Apr 9, 2014 0:29:34 GMT -5
I've been bummed all his time, though I just recalled Jericho's story of how Warrior would smash a cookie into dust and smell it, which he claimed was just as good as eating it...now I'm smiling.
Wish I his DVD wasn't sold out at Wal Mart last night, hope I can track it down quickly here in town, and relive him the way I remember him.
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FHgrad99
Vegeta
Never mind that s***, here comes Mongo!
Posts: 9,067
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Post by FHgrad99 on Apr 9, 2014 0:30:55 GMT -5
I think the most shocking thing about this is the timing of it coming just days after WrestleMania weekend. To me this is the most stunning wrestling death since Savage. I'm glad that he was able to apparently mend a number of fences before this happened.
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Bub (BLM)
Patti Mayonnaise
advocates duck on rodent violence
Fed. Up.
Posts: 37,742
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Post by Bub (BLM) on Apr 9, 2014 0:31:29 GMT -5
Same here, I saw my mom die in front of me and my dad slowly after, it IS the worse thing that can happen to a person, and right now I am legitimately crying....It's stupid I know, but Warrior is one of the few I actually looked up to, and I haven't been impacted like this since MCA from the Beastie Boys died... Just RIP... It is not. Don't ever let anyone tell you your feelings aren't valid. If you're sad, you're sad. I agree. I cried my eyes out when Christopher Reeve died. He was Superman in my childhood memories, and Warrior is the Ultimate Warrior in many of our childhood memories. It hurts to lose people who brought you joy during the most innocent and care-free time of your life.
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The Ichi
Patti Mayonnaise
AGGRESSIVE Executive Janitor of the Third Floor Manager's Bathroom
Posts: 37,650
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Post by The Ichi on Apr 9, 2014 0:34:03 GMT -5
f***, man.
f***.
R.I.P
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2014 0:34:06 GMT -5
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Oak: Certified Jade Hater
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Edgier than Wayne Brady, Harder than Chinese Arithmetic, and Higher than the ratings for Blade: The Series
TOP ROPE CATCH A VIBE YEAH I SWERVE WHEN I DRIVE
Posts: 15,412
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Post by Oak: Certified Jade Hater on Apr 9, 2014 0:34:10 GMT -5
Just..... f***.
It's heartbreaking to be a wrestling fan, because moments like these tend to make you wonder why you love wrestling and why you willingly put yourself through these moments. But at the same time, I doubt any one of us would trade it away, because moments like the HOF speech and Warrior's appearance on Raw make you appreciate the man and remind you why you love wrestling.
Reading this is bittersweet; as many have said, he was just on Raw. But at the same time, knowing that he accomplished so much in one weekend is just amazing. He got the recognition that he deserved, he finally reached the top of the mountain, and he was able to say goodbye to the fans that have loved him and idolized him when they were young.
Growing up, I learned about Warrior through old tapes. At seven years old I idolized him because he was this vibrant character that you couldn't help but notice. I cheered for him like crazy watching those old tapes and I cheered like crazy during his stint in WCW, because he was still that larger than life superhero to me.
My heart goes out to those poor girls who lost their father, the wife that lost her husband, and the mother that lost her son. As tough as it may be for wrestling fans who grew up as little warriors, I cannot even begin to comprehend the pain they are going through. I can only hope they one day find solace and peace.
Rest In Peace Warrior. And I hope he knows that he will never be forgotten.
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Post by Brickstone Kid on Apr 9, 2014 0:35:17 GMT -5
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Razor Gives It A 4/10
Unicron
Look At Me and My CRAZY Custom Title!
I'm back...and I'm pretty much the same as before.
Posts: 2,880
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Post by Razor Gives It A 4/10 on Apr 9, 2014 0:35:52 GMT -5
On a lighter note... {Spoiler} EDIT: spoilered for size
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2014 0:36:21 GMT -5
Same here, I saw my mom die in front of me and my dad slowly after, it IS the worse thing that can happen to a person, and right now I am legitimately crying....It's stupid I know, but Warrior is one of the few I actually looked up to, and I haven't been impacted like this since MCA from the Beastie Boys died... Just RIP... It is not. Don't ever let anyone tell you your feelings aren't valid. If you're sad, you're sad. I was devastated when Eddie passed, considering how much I respected the man, especially turning his life around. So I understand.
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repomark
Unicron
For Mash Get Smash
Posts: 3,074
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Post by repomark on Apr 9, 2014 0:37:07 GMT -5
Gutted. I got to see him shake the ropes live for the first time on monday, and even managed to get a hi five when he was leaving the ring. Now he is gone I am finding it very difficult to process.
One of my all time favourites. I am glad he was honored before he went and he seemed so genuinely happy and content.
RIP Warrior. You will never be forgotten.
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