10 Times Vince McMahon Got Revenge

4. The Self-Destruction Of The Ultimate Warrior

vince mcmahon
WWE

Few men have been as enthusiastic at burning bridges with the WWE as Jim Hellwig, known to a hyped-up world as the Ultimate Warrior, and few have been given as many second chances. He quit over being suspended after demanding a massive pay rise in 1991, and returned briefly the next year before quitting or being fired allegedly over allegations of steroid and human growth hormone use.

After yet another return in 1996, he was let go after repeatedly failing to show up for house shows. The flurry of lawsuits that followed this ugly sequence of events was what ultimately made Vince decide he had finally had enough of the Warrior.

For Vince, 'having enough' meant 'engage in an act of vengeance-fuelled character assassination'. The outcome was The Self-Destruction Of The Ultimate Warrior, a bizarre DVD that depicted the Warrior as reckless, unprofessional and selfish. It was a uniquely spiteful act since burying their past stars was hardly in the WWE's money-making playbook. Warrior, inevitably, sued for libel, and while the lawsuit was dismissed, Vince's festering hatred was definitely not.

The blood feud between Vince and Hellwig only cooled in 2014, when The Ultimate Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame - as it turned out, shortly before his death.

Contributor

Ben Counter is a fantasy and science fiction writer, gaming enthusiast, wrestling fan and miniature painting guru. He was raised on Warhammer, Star Wars and 1980s cartoons that, in retrospect, were't that good. Whoever you are, he is nerdier than you.