R.I.P.
Originally shared by WWE King Of Fans® #WWEKOF
Sources reports that WWE had a camera crew following TheUltimateWarrior and his family around for the entire #WrestleMania weekend in New Orleans. The footage was for a future project to focus on his return. On the same note, Warrior stayed at a different hotel than the rest of the WWE crew in New Orleans and mostly hung out with just his family.
TMZ spoke to people that were with The Ultimate Warrior during WrestleMania weekend in New Orleans and they note that he looked to be in rough shape all weekend.
They noted that he appeared to be in constant pain, sweaty and looked very uncomfortable. It was apparent to the people around him that something was seriously off. People also took notice when Warrior looked weak after doing his signature rope shake on #RAW.
TMZ reports that The Ultimate Warrior was seen clutching his chest moments before he collapsed outside of an Arizona hotel on Tuesday, according to their law enforcement sources who spoke with eye witnesses.
They report that Warrior was walking down a hallway at the Gainey Suites Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ, headed toward his car with his wife, when he stopped, clutched his chest and went down. He never recovered.
Sources told TMZ that officials believe Warrior suffered a “catastrophic medical event” and so far, there is no evidence to show drugs or alcohol were a factor in his death. All signs point to massive heart attack. An investigation is underway and an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.
Details on exactly how The Ultimate Warrior passed away on Tuesday have not been released yet but below is the statement from Scottsdale police spokesman Sergeant Mark Clark, mentioning a catastrophic medical condition:
“On April 8 at 5:50 pm 54-year-old “Warrior” James B Hellwig collapsed while walking with his wife to their car at the Gainy Suites Hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz. Scottsdale Fire transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead soon after arrival. At this point in the investigation, it appears as though a catastrophic medical condition caused his death.”
Super sad.
I’m actually getting hit harder than this than I would have thought – I didn’t watch wrestling when Warrior was in his prime, and most of what I know about him outside the ring is about his well-publicized homophobic views, which sucks.
But the combo of seeing him live at Wrestlemania and on RAW with the suddenness of his passing really got to me! Something about reconciling with a place that you did so much for after so long, and having that environment be so positive in that moment, and then bam, it’s all over – really sad for me.
The other way to look at it Nathan Paoletta is that he got to reconcile with that place before dying, something most of us never get the chance to do.
That’s a good point, and I think adds to the overall emotional weight of the whole thing (as opposed to “hey, an old wrestler died”, which is much more abstract to me).
I was reading a transcript of his promo on RAW and shit. It’s hard to think he didn’t know that was the last thing he would be able to say in the ring.