It was 1986. I was sixteen, and in tenth grade. I loved watching World Class Championship Wrestling, late Friday nights on an old cable TV station, after my family had gone to bed. I had to keep the sound low, so I sat pretty close to the television. My favorites were Chris Adams, and Gino Hernandez, as they battled those goody two shoes the Von Erich boys. However, one night, a huge man, with a mustache, arm tassels, and face paint came to the ring. I was intrigued at the “Dingo Warrior,” though a little thrown off by the name. I was too young to care about wrestling skills, and five star classic matches. Although Ric Flair was my favorite, Bruiser Brody was a close second, and I just enjoyed wrestlers that were interesting, and fun to watch. “Dingo Warrior” was fun to watch, as he dispatched the poor soul he debut against in WCCW. I continued to watch each week, as he won the tag titles with Lance Von Erich, and later the Texas Heavyweight Championship. One day he just seemed to disappear from WCCW.
I had a summer job at Hersheypark, and as such, always attended that WWF (at the time not WWE) house shows in the Hersheypark arena (now held in the Giant center). One night, me and my cousin were at a show, and as was the norm, purchased a program. I quickly pulled the paper out of it, that announced the evening’s lineup, and the opening match was “The Dingo Warrior” vs. Mike Sharpe! I was excited! I hadn’t heard that Dingo Warrior had moved on to the WWF, and my cousin, who didn’t watch small time wrestling companies like WCCW, had no idea who he was. I informed him that he was in for a treat, because Dingo Warrior was awesome, and he would destroy Sharpe, for sure.
The match was as great as I’d hoped, and my 16 year old mind had no idea that Sharpe likely had a lot to do with that. I was just excited to see my WCCW hero in a WWF ring. I couldn’t wait until he debuted on WWF television. That didn’t happen until October of 1987, and when it did, I was blown away! The Dingo Warrior had morphed into The Ultimate Warrior. I was a year older, and in eleventh grade now, but holy cow this guy was more intense than ever. The Din…I mean The Ultimate Warrior went on a two month tear through anyone he faced, before finally losing to another WCCW favorite of mine, Ravishing Rick Rude.
You can see many articles, videos, and WWE Network specials about The Ultimate Warriors run, so I won’t recap it here. I just wanted to point out another reason why “indy” wrestling is awesome. To see future greats before they are become “great” is a memorable thing. To attend indy shows, as I will be this Saturday, when I attend CZW’s “Best of the Best Tournament” in Vorhees New Jersey, meeting the wrestlers, and getting an up close view of their matches, before they become mega WWE, or TNA superstars, is a memory you’ll cherish forever. I get to see Drake Younger this Saturday, before he departs for WWE, and I am anxious to shake his hand, and tell other wrestling fans that “I knew him when.” Just like I knew The Ultimate Warrior when he was Dingo Warrior!
Thank you Jim, “The Dingo/Ultimate Warrior” Hellwig, for everything you gave me, and all wrestling fans everywhere. You were an inspiration, you will be missed, and forever remembered! Here I am in 1986, made up like one of my heroes, when I was 16 years old.
R.I.P. Warrior, Heaven needed a champion.
