RIP Ultimate Warrior

He was 54.

 

Not buying it, and I hope not. Just saw him on Raw last night, and he was inducted into WWE Hall of Fame over the weekend.

 

http://deadspin.com/5506969/dead-wrestler-of-the-week-the-ultimate-warrior/1559112088/+Sean-Newell

 

WWE confirms?
http://www.wwe.com/

WWE is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the most iconic WWE Superstars ever, The Ultimate Warrior. Warrior began his WWE career in 1987 and quickly went on to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history. Warrior became WWE Champion at WrestleMania VI, defeating Hulk Hogan in an epic encounter. We are grateful that just days ago, Warrior had the opportunity to take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame and was also able to appear at WrestleMania 30 and Monday Night Raw to address his legions of fans. WWE sends its sincere condolences to Warrior’s family, friends and fans. Warrior was 54 and is survived by his wife Dana and his two daughters.

 

It's on the front page of TMZ. I'm sure it won't be long before it's everywhere.

 

Sorry boss. Move along if you wish. Curious that EVERY site is basing its report on the same info, and there is no detail. Not that there would be much detail so quickly, but it's all from the same source, apparently.

 

This isn't the WWE reporting on some story it knows nothing about. The damn guy was inducted into their Hall of Fame three days ago, was at their marquee event two days ago and was in the ring giving what sounded in retrospect a lot like a goodbye speech one day ago. I'd venture to guess this multi-million dollar company would be the first to know and the first to issue a public comment on a story this big.

 

An excerpt of Warrior's promo on Monday Night Raw last night, via Deadspin:

No WWE talent becomes a legend on their own. Every man's heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe a final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others, and makes them bleed deeper and something larger than life, then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized. By the storytellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honor him and make the running the man did live forever. You, you, you, you, you, you are the legend-makers of Ultimate Warrior. In the back, I see many potential legends. Some of them with warrior spirits. And you will do the same for them. You will decide if they lived with the passion and intensity. So much so that you will tell your stories and you will make them legends, as well. Ultimate. You are the Ultimate Warrior fans. And the spirit of Ultimate Warrior will run forever!

 

We've been discussing it there, but it also is appropriate that it appears here, especially considering that millions of people saw him on TV all weekend and last night. And as much as the WWE has had some tasteless storylines through the years, ever since Chris Benoit, they sure as shit aren't going to treat death like a storyline.

 

Nearly 20 years ago, the investigative reporter at my station was doing a piece on wealthy people who defaulted on their student loans (as I recall - it was something like that, anyway). One of those people was the Ultimate Warrior, and the somewhat small-in-stature reporter did an ambush interview confronting the Warrior leaving the gym. That reporter had to have the biggest balls in the business.

 

TMZ is reporting he collapsed outside his hotel in a parking lot in Arizona while he was with his wife. No word on whether or not this is good enough for Walter Lippmann though.

 

RIP.

May your grief be tempered by the fact that his making it to 54 was a minor miracle in and of itself. He was probably living on borrowed time for at least 15 years, with all the abuse he put himself through.

A fan apparently tweeted this pic after he met Warrior in the airport on Tuesday morning: