10 Wrestlers You Can Tell HATED Working For WWE

8. The Ultimate Warrior

Ultimate Warrior Vince McMahon 1996
WWE.com

The Ultimate Warrior, if nothing else, was a man of conviction.

He didn't care about alienating virtually the entire world, if it did not subscribe to his über-libertarian principles. Terminal illness was a sign of weakness (see: the disgusting remarks levelled at Bobby Heenan). Homosexuality was a sign of weakness (see: his infamous "queering don't make the world work" comments). Warrior also co-wrote a comic in which it was heavily implied he raped Santa Claus - possibly because he indiscriminately handed out gifts to kids the world over, irrespective of whether they were gay or cancer-stricken or didn't work hard.

All of which makes his 1996 return to the WWF strange - and it was already bloody strange, in and of itself. Warrior believed in the principles of hard work and went to crazy, lawsuit-triggering lengths to protect his own image. He killed two birds with one stone when he both worked (strictly speaking) a drastically reduced schedule, appeared on RAW wearing a cap because he couldn't be bothered to do his hair, and smoked a cigar despite his self-professed role model status.

It was almost - almost - as if he was a passionless, hypocritical con artist doing the bare minimum for a quick buck.

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 current Undisputed WWE 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!