WWE The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior: DVD Review

It’s no secret. I love professional wrestling. I’ve been a fan of professional wrestling since August 29th, 1988 when I watched my first wrestling card, SummerSlam 88. On that very card a wrestler named “the Ultimate Warrior” won the Intercontinental Championship. History was made that night. The love for wrestling was born in my soul, and the Ultimate Warrior became a household name in sports entertainment.

Originally named Jim Helwig, now legally changed to “The Warrior,” the man who sported the bright face paint and the frenetic charisma was known as “The Ultimate Warrior” in the WWE. Vincent Kennedy McMahon decided to establish the Ultimate Warrior’s career on a DVD; thus, “The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior” was created.

The DVD is an interesting piece if you’re a fan of the WWE back in the late 80's-early 90's and if you’re a fan of the Warrior. The DVD has some interesting key events and issues that the Warrior endured on the WWE and the WCW. Events like his biggest feuds with the likes of Hercules, “Ravishing” Rick Rude, Andre the Giant, Macho King Randy Savage, and Hulk Hogan. However, the all around message in the entire DVD was Jim Helwig aka the Ultimate Warrior was greedy, conniving, embarrassing, confused, and treated the wrestling industry as if it was a stepping stone for instant fame and fortune.

Some issues I agree with Vince McMahon and the WWE. When I was a kid growing up, I was a Hulkamaniac. I loved Hulk Hogan. I NEVER liked the Ultimate Warrior. While Hulk Hogan may not sell a finisher, he at least sold moves. The Ultimate Warrior didn’t sell jack-squat. If a man punched the Warrior the Warrior would just head-bang and not sell it. I wasn’t sold on the Ultimate Warrior.

The DVD has stars like Chris Jericho, Christian, and Edge in which they talk about the Ultimate Warrior’s promos. To say the least, the Ultimate Warrior’s promos were....different. I will say that the WWE and Vince McMahon did NOT try to humiliate the Warrior with this DVD. Jim Helwig did that on his own. The Warrior literally thought that he was from “parts unknown,” which always confused me as a kid. I would always tell my mother, “does he not know that parts unknown means they don’t know where you’re from?”

A lot of great interviewees were present including Ted DiBiase, Hulk Hogan, Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan, and Jim Ross. However, one interview that I thought was strange was the one with Triple H. The interview had to be an old interview, because Hunter is seen holding the old WWF World Title. It’s interesting to see Hunter speak derogatory statements about the Ultimate Warrior being unprofessional and greedy; yet, Hunter has a history of being those very things, unprofessional and greedy.

The interviewees talk about how “green” the Ultimate Warrior was in which he was a person that no one wanted to work with. The Ultimate Warrior was too fast, too sloppy, and too unorthodox. Bobby Heenan mentions an encounter in which Andre the Giant literally stuck his fist out and punched the Warrior in the face almost knocking the Warrior out in front of a live audience.

What is interesting about the DVD is the interviews done by Mr. Hulk Hogan himself. Hogan pretty much contradicts himself and tries to stroke his ego on this DVD. For example, Hogan says that the Warrior thought he was bigger than wrestling. Well, he must have learned that from Hulk Hogan, because Hogan thinks the same thing. To answer the question, they’re both not even close to being bigger than wrestling.

Hulk Hogan even admits that he was upset when the Warrior said that Hogan has defeated men, the dead, and even giants, but he’s never beaten a warrior. Hogan said that it was a boundary that shouldn’t have been crossed. Sorry to say, but truth hurts, Hogan. You know, like when a ten year old kid made a fool out of you on the golf course? Wow, the one REAL sport Hulk Hogan plays, and a ten year old kid kicks his butt. Stick to the fake sport, Hogan, you know where a 52 year old guy can beat up a guy 20 years younger than him.

The DVD elaborates on some important issues of how self-destructing the Ultimate Warrior was, but it seemed like the WWE and Vince McMahon were just trying to play the “lesser of two evils” when it came to the Ultimate Warrior and the WWE. I’m sure the Ultimate Warrior was a basket case and hard to work with, I can’t really judge on that, but some comments that were made were obvious BS liners.

For example, in WrestleMania 8, the Ultimate Warrior came back from being fired after asking Vince for a lump sum of cash. Vince said “I gave him a chance, because I knew it would be good for the fans.” First off, that comment is an ultimate load of crap. Vince brought the Warrior back, because at that time Hulk Hogan QUIT the WWE and Vince needed someone who was equivalent to Hulk Hogan, I.E. the Ultimate Warrior. Vince did it for business, not for the fans.

It seemed like everyone had something negative to say about the Ultimate Warrior, which some I believe and some I’m saying, “shut up, you big baby.” I remember Jerry Lawler was complaining about the Ultimate Warrior wearing a “Warrior” baseball cap and how it was unorthodox to the Warrior’s image. Right, and the Undertaker having Limp Bizkit play as his theme song is just a deadman being a deadman, right? I was thinking, “wow, it seemed like the Warrior didn’t do anything right. He can’t even wear a baseball cap without getting besmirched.”

What else is interesting about the DVD is when Vince brought up how the Warrior missed a lot of shows that had him advertised to wrestle. It was because of this that the Warrior was once again fired from the WWE. No fault to Vince, I don’t blame Vince for firing the Warrior. But, what is so odd is, didn’t John Cena miss a lot of house shows that had him advertised to wrestle? Yet, John Cena is still on the roster? John Cena is no Stone Cold, but he does resemble a lot of the Ultimate Warrior. A guy with little to no talent, cheap heat, a lousy gimmick, a million dollar body, and missing house shows. Fool Vince once, shame on you, fool Vince twice shame on him.

My all around reaction of the Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior was this. It was an interesting DVD to say the least. It was a little silly and funny at times, but all around it does live up to what it was, self-destructing. I thought it was kinda odd that the WWE just packaged together a DVD about the Ultimate Warrior just to tear his image apart piece by piece. Of course you can say that he did it to himself. What’s next, the “self-destruction of Scott Hall?”

The DVD followed the Ultimate Warrior’s career pretty good; however, the feud with the Undertaker was missing along with any interviews with Mark Calaway aka the Undertaker. It was disappointing not to see any Undertaker/Warrior footage because it was a great feud at that time. I would have loved to revisit the time when the Warrior was trapped in a casket and having the WWE staff pry it open with a crowbar only to have the Warrior lay motionless and the inside of the casket be tore to pieces.

Not a bad DVD, definitely a rental. I’m not sure about buying it, unless you’re a mark for the WWE or if you absolutely hate the Ultimate Warrior.

The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior = 6 ½ out of 10.