"I am burdened with glorious purpose."
-- Loki, The Avengers
In the fall of 2005, World Wrestling Entertainment released The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior, a DVD retrospective painting the former World Wrestling Federation Champion in a less than flattering light.
It sold pretty well, and quite frankly, I was one of the people who bought it. Hell, I even enjoyed it. Self-Destruction was a laugh riot, a collection of anecdotes and videos from Warrior's career, absent any recent reflections from the man himself. It was a total hit piece, reportedly produced because Warrior rebuffed WWE's requests to cooperate on a more balanced documentary.
I must have watched that DVD a dozen times, but I made a crucial mistake while doing so. Many viewers made the same mistake. We bought into it. And why not? It's not as though the Ultimate Warrior was by any means a good wrestler, and his promos were hardly the work of a master on the microphone. Warrior's greatest attributes were his impressive physique and his frightening intensity. Yes, that was the company line, though it was also pretty obvious to those who grew up watching him.
Then again, this was the man who was tapped to succeed Hulk Hogan as the face of the WWF--and as such, the face of professional wrestling. This was a man who somehow captured the imaginations of millions of wrestling fans, especially children and teenagers. This was a man who continues to be remembered fondly, despite his prejudices and eccentricities. And as such, there's a question that bears asking: the Ultimate Warrior wasn't that bad, was he?
The answer is, "Not quite as bad you remember."
