The Ultimate Warrior apparently broke down in tears in front of contest architect Pat Patterson shortly after this mesmerising masterpiece with Hulk Hogan - he was right to be overcome with such emotion.
'The Ultimate Challenge' was incredible effort from both. Not overly busy with big spots, the clash timed the ones it used to utter perfection and was performed with remarkable grace by two behemoths not always known for their artful delivery.
It mattered not that 'The Hulkster' cleverly took back his spot by handing the WWE Championship off himself, even if the seeds of that sly spot would grow fruits by the end of the year. In the moment at least, and in the glory of an encounter few expected to be as great as it was, Warrior looked even greater than the two-belt-sporting Superstar he'd been crowned as. It was all downhill from here.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
