10 Wrestlers Who Stopped Trying (But WWE Pushed Anyway)

9. Ultimate Warrior - 1996

No Try Zone
wwe.com

The Ultimate Warrior’s 1996 return was unadulterated sh*t.

He wrestled one acceptable match, against Owen Hart, on the Monday Night RAW broadcast on July 8 - the same show on which Gorilla Monsoon announced the indefinite suspension levelled at him because he couldn’t be a*sed to turn up for three consecutive house shows. Warrior made excuses, of course, but he just wanted money for nothing. Warrior did the following of note:

- Squashed Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a fair enough development.

- Smoked a cigar in a match with Goldust, who had a bum knee at the time. What else was Warrior going to do? Carry the workload?

- Wore a cap on RAW because he couldn’t bring himself to even look the part.

Incredibly, even after all this, with Steve Austin getting hotter and hotter and negotiations with Mike Tyson well underway, a desperate Vince McMahon still offered Warrior a contract in December of 1997. Not moving with the times during the only time he moved with the times:

Ladies and Gentlemen, Vince McMahon.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!