Just noticed this thread, I was posting all over FB and other forums yesterday about this very sad news. I first discovered The Ultimate Warrior when I was 14 yrs old in 1989, pretty much hooked after that. I was a die hard Wrestling nut right up until my mid twenties and still keep up to date with it as much as I can now.
I used to travel all over the UK when WWF(E) toured over here in the 90's and we used to hang out at the Hotels where the wrestlers were staying and take pics with them, chat and even have a few beers with them
Was lucky enough to see Warrior face Macho Man at Summerslam 92 at Wembley Stadium, awesome show! it was watching Warrior that inspired me to pick up my first set of weights when I was 15 and train as a wrestler under Prince Cheema in Leeds in the early 90's (goodtimes)
The thing about Warrior that stood out from all the other wrestlers was he did everything on his own terms, he was never a yes man, he believed in his own set of morals and he took no S**t from anyone. He truly appreciated his fans too, he's send workout tapes to folks I know here in the UK who asked for any tips, autograph's etc at no charge.
Seeing him at The Hall Of Fame on Saturday night was fantastic, escorted out by his 2 young daughters and seeing his wife & mother in the audience was very touching. His speech was heartfelt and honest. Loved the fact he got to say his peace and hear the adulation from the fans once more. He also got to bury any senseless grudges he had with Hogan, Nash, Roberts etc...
On Raw he looked uneasy and even a little frail, he looked like he was in pain as he walked. This was quite noticeable and I'm surprised it hasn't been addressed officially. He looked stiff and was obviously struggling. Still feeling quite sad today thinking about it. I'm so pleased he got to go into the HOF and address the fans one last time, everyone stated how happy he was to be back home. I really hope he wasn't suffering too much.
RIP Warrior
Always Believe