I didn't really know what to expect when presented with the man I briefly idolized as a kid, who was now in his early 50s and long removed from any interest in the wrestling industry. The Warrior's history since that period between the '80s and early '90s is a murky and often troubled one, marked largely by spats with WWE and WCW management, as well as some controversial comments out of the ring. Before the demo, we were told that the Warrior would be making an appearance both in the game-a first for this particular lineage of games-and in the room. For a hyperactive 10-year-old kid, he was basically the best thing.įlash forward 21 years, and I'm standing in a hotel conference room in New York City, watching a demonstration of WWE 2K14, the latest game in what used to be THQ's long-standing wrestling game franchise, and the first under the banner of new publisher 2K Games. In the ring, he was fast, absurdly powerful, and wildly unconventional. I loved the character for his insane, nonsensical promos, which often sounded more like the threatening ramblings of a genuine psychopath than a wrestling promo.

I came in to the WWF's '80s boom a bit late, so by the time I was watching with any regularity, the Warrior had already arrived on the scene and begun ascending toward the federation's upper echelon.

Description: Growing up, the Ultimate Warrior was one of the first wrestlers I ever gravitated toward.