Former WWE star and pro-wrestling icon James Hellwig, better known by his ring name The Ultimate Warrior, has died at the age of 54. WWE executive, and wrestler in his own right, Paul “Triple H” Levesque broke the news via Twitter.
Saddened to announce the passing of the Ultimate Warrior. Icon and friend. My sympathy to his wife Dana and his daughters
— Triple H (@TripleH) April 9, 2014
The WWE has posted a statement confirming Warrior’s passing, “WWE is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the most iconic WWE Superstars ever, The Ultimate Warrior. Warrior began his WWE career in 1987 and quickly went on to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history.”
The Ultimate Warrior was one of the most widely known stars of the industry during the late 80s and early 90s, having enduring battles with other legendary figures such as Randy “Macho Man” Savage, “Ravishing” Rick Rude, and The Honky Tonk Man. But inarguably his most legendary moment came at WrestleMania VI in 1990 where he defeated Hulk Hogan for the (then known as) WWF Championship.
Warrior’s often unhinged and nonsensical interview style made him a cult figure amongst fans. And just this past weekend he participated in WWE’s WrestleMania XXX festivities, being inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame after a long estrangement. His final TV appearance was yesterday, appearing on the wrestling giant’s flagship show, Monday Night Raw.
The cause of death is not yet known.
