Since this is my first editorial, I suppose I should introduce myself.
My name is Josh. I’m 27 years old and have been watching professional wrestling since WCW Clash of the Champions 1992. As a child, the characters and the heroes are what attracted me to professional wrestling. Today, however, I appreciate wrestling for very different reasons. I love the athleticism. I love the level of wrestling talent displayed. I love the storytelling. I love professional wrestling for the art form that it is, and the many different ways that it presents its beauty, which is why I’m hoping to write a series of editorials discussing the many ways in which professional wrestling can be beautiful, beginning today. So, here we go…
The Beauty Of Professional Wrestling : Beauty in the Wake of Tragedy
On Tuesday April 8th, 2014, the wrestling world lost a legend when the Ultimate Warrior’s life was tragically and suddenly cut short. I, like many, was completely floored when I read the news. Hoping for a hoax, I began an internet search to clear things up. However, as more and more media outlets were reporting the news, the reality set in that Warrior was gone.
I sat on the sofa, tablet in hand, as more details of his death began to appear. I thought of his daughters losing their father at such young ages. I thought of his wife, and was terrified at the thoughts that must have been running through her mind as she watched him collapse. I thought of his mother, now having the unenviable task of burying her child. I thought of many things, none of which were particularly happy. That is, until I decide to watch the Hall of Fame again.
Skipping ahead to Warrior’s acceptance speech, I began to tearfully watch as his daughters proudly escorted their father to the podium. When he began addressing his family, a thought stuck me. What if he knew that his health was failing? What if he knew that his time left on this Earth was becoming increasingly limited? The more I thought about it, sadly, the more everything made sense. Then I began to smile as I watched the rest of his speech, and it became beautiful.
Warrior had not wrestled since 2008, when he met Orlando Jordan for the Nu-Wrestling Evolution World Heavyweight Championship, which was just one match after having been retired for nearly ten years. Before that, he had a slightly longer, similarly inconsequential run in WCW against Hulk Hogan. One could argue that Warrior truly retired from professional wrestling in 1996 when he and WW(F) parted ways. Essentially the Warrior was not seen for 18 years.
These 18 years were not kind to Warrior. A now infamous documentary was produced, titled “The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior.” This documentary served only to tarnish Warrior’s legacy and turn his once proud fans against him. I’m not going to speculate on the validity of what was said about Warrior. I can only say that none of it was kind. This lead to a lawsuit between Warrior and the WWE, which was the final of many lawsuits between the two since he left in 1996. For Warrior and the WWE to ever do business again seemed highly impossible. However, as it always is with professional wrestling, the impossible happened.
In July 2013, Warrior was announced as a pre-order bonus superstar in WWE 2K14, with Warrior filming a vignette for the game. Finally, things were looking up for Warrior and his fans. Then, in January 2014, Warrior was announced as the first official inductee to the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame class. After nearly 18 years in what Warrior himself called “Exile,” he was, at long last, coming back to the WWE.
Over Wrestlemania Weekend, Warrior got the chance to bury old hatchets with old rivals. He also got the chance to rekindle old friendships. Warrior got the chance to right his wrongs, as did everyone who wronged him. 18 years of wounds were finally healing. Then, the night came for his big speech came at the Hall of Fame.
As I said earlier, I’ve watched the speech more than once now. The first time I watched his speech, they seemed “Par for the course” as most of these type of speeches seem. However, after hearing of his untimely passing, the second viewing told a much different story.
Many people, in death, want to find a way to make sure their families know just how much they mean to them. They want to repair any bridges that they’ve burned. They also want to connect to the ones that they’ve lost throughout their life. In many ways, people want to have a chance to say one final “Goodbye.” After everything Warrior said and did in his final days, I’d say he got to say his “Goodbye” on the grandest of stages.
During his speech, Warrior finally had a proper chance to tell his side of the story between he and the WWE. He defended himself against all of the accusations others had thrown at him. He apologized to anyone that he upset during his career. He addressed the fans in attendance, and smiled as they offered him their embrace, which, by the look of his face, he was all too happy to accept.
More importantly, he got to speak to his family. He told his wife and mother just how much he loved them, wile their tears steamed down their smiling faces. He told his daughters that, no matter what happens to him, he will always love them. These are things that people say to console grieving families, but in this instance, they go to hear it directly from Warrior’s mouth. His speech was a personal one, and a beautiful one.
The Warrior’s return was not over, though. The next night at Wrestlemania 30, the previous night’s Hall of Fame inductees took to the stage as is the annual custom. Everyone except Warrior, that is. Then, the music hit, and the over 70,000 in attendance erupted. Warrior got to make one final appearance at the “Show of Shows,” and feel the rush that only hearing that many people cheer for you can do. Then, came the next night on Raw.
Warrior’s music once again hit, and the crowd once again went insane. As Warrior approached the ring, he donned his trademark airbrushed trench coat and ascended the stairs to enter the ring. Before he entered the ring, he did his signature “rope shake,” which put a smile on everyone’s face. He picked up a microphone and started to talk. Before he really got started, he reached in his pocket and pulled out an Ultimate Warrior mask and put it on. His transformation complete, the Ultimate Warrior gave a promo that only the Ultimate Warrior could give. In this, Warrior had come full circle.
From headliner to a man exiled, the Warrior’s comeback was a heroic trek. He had a headlining induction into the WWE’s Hall of Fame. He got to hear over 70,000 people scream his name at Wrestlemania 30. He then got to step into a wrestling ring one last time, and for a moment, become the Ultimate Warrior.
This is beautiful.
Rest In Peace Warrior.
Side Note
I hope that everyone who read my editorial enjoyed it. I apologize if the editorial was either too long, grammatically incorrect, or just plain not good. Feel free to leave feedback, as my goal is to be a writer that you can all come to enjoy. Thank you.
