He was paranoid, mistrusting, and abrasive, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth. The guy I met lived up to every bit of his horrible reputation. Warrior had blown me off all week, and I wound up actually meeting him for the first time on the afternoon of WrestleMania, after the show had already started and Vince McMahon had already gone to the ring to do commentary. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, but the process wound up being less than positive. It was 1996 and Vince McMahon told me I would be competing in my very first WrestleMania against one of the most revered Superstars of all time, the Ultimate Warrior, who was returning to the WWE after being gone for many years. There was bad blood on both sides, and at one point, it was inconceivable that the Ultimate Warrior would come back to the WWE, let alone be inducted into the Hall of Fame.Įven my first impression of Warrior was not a favorable one. He was unhappy with almost everything in WWE and incredibly outspoken about his opinions without any regard for the consequences. Warrior had a storied past with WWE, both in and out of the ring. It was a moment he thought would never happen, and a moment I will never forget. I walked over to him and whispered in his ear, “It was all worth it, just to see that.” He smiled back and simply said, “Thank you.” He was beaming with pride, because on each of his arms, escorting him to the stage, were his two beautiful daughters, Indy and Mattie. Everyone expected intensity and for him to rant and rave in his speech, but in that moment I saw one of the toughest hard-as-nails men in this world standing there with a single tear rolling down his unpainted face.
I stood with eager anticipation and looked over my shoulder to see one of the biggest legends in the history of our business, the Ultimate Warrior, right before he was inducted into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame.
It was a night twenty years in the making. The book, which you can order now, also features touching introductions from Warrior's wife, Dana, and his friend, Triple H, which you can read below. More than just a biography of the WWE icon, the immersive tome is a visual experience filled with unique bonus materials, including a recreation of Warrior's Oregon state wrestling license, the sheet music to his unforgettable theme music, and a replica of the mask he wore on his final Raw appearance. WWE is paying tribute to the amazing life and legacy of Ultimate Warrior in the new book, " Ultimate Warrior: 'A Life Lived 'Forever'". The Game provides an early sneak peek at "Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived 'Forever,'" an exciting and in-depth chronicle of the WWE Hall of Famer's incomparable life and in-ring career.