Firstly, Warrior's star power cannot be disputed. The mainstream attention in the aftermath of his untimely death this year was telling: it was heartwarming to see just how many people Warrior had inspired during his life. He was, and still is, a genuine legend of the wrestling business. Back in 1990, at Wrestlemania 6, Ultimate Warrior defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWF Heavyweight Championship. This was Vince McMahon's first attempt to create a new Top Guy for the 1990s. Hulk Hogan had been around for a while, and McMahon thought he had found a new man to build his company around. Warrior defeated Hogan with both the WWF and Intercontinental Championships on line, in what may as well have been called a "This Is Our New Hero From Now On By The Way Guys" match. Everything about how the match was built and booked was setting up Warrior as the new leader of the WWF. All of this however, went to Warrior's head. Backstage politics and Warrior's ego kept him from thriving as the company's Top Guy and he ended up leaving the company in the summer of 1991. Though he returned (briefly) shortly after, his momentum had broken. Vince had returned to Hulk Hogan as his leading star and Warrior was never able to ascend to the heights he reached at Wrestlemania 6. This experience is another reason why the modern-day WWE rely so heavily on John Cena. Vince has been burnt before by people like Warrior putting themselves before the company.
Michael Palmer is a contributor at whatculture.com and thelineofbestfit.com, and he probably likes WWE slightly more than most people would call "healthy".
