There is no word on cause of death.
The Ultimate Warrior was a brash and colorful character known for face paint, arm tassels and big entrances where he would race to the ring and then run around inside it, shaking and pulling on the ropes as if he was trying to rip them off the posts.
Although billed as hailing from "parts unknown," Hellwig was raised in Indiana.He defeated Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI in 1990 with one of his signature moves, "the big splash," to become champion of what was then known as the WWF (World Wrestling Federation).
He was also known for the gorilla press and an almost unrealistic strength. At one point, he managed to pick up and slam the 7'4" 520-pound Andre the Giant.
However, Warrior and the organization had a falling out, with lawsuits filed over the name and character. In 1993, he legally changed his name to Warrior to help with his effort.The two eventually settled, but didn't reconcile until recently, culminating in his Hall of Fame induction last week.
“If you really want the biggest bang for your buck, do something self-destructive, get exiled and still come back to headline the Hall of Fame," Warrior told the Orlando Sentinel last week. On Monday night, he appeared on WWE's "Raw," donning a mask that mimicked his old face paint.
"Every man's heart one day beats its final beat, his lungs breathe their final breath," he said at the event. "And if what that man did his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them believe deeper and something than 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.The post James Hellwig: AKA Ultimate Warrior Dies At 54 appeared first on Aphroden.