His Best Feud: The Ultimate Warrior

[The Brain]

Here we are for the second installment of the best feud topic. I got some pretty good replies from the Jake Roberts thread (I have since added a poll if you want to go back and vote). I think Jake is pretty popular with a lot of people on these forums. I’m going to switch to a guy who maybe is not so popular. The Ultimate Warrior.

There’s no doubt Warrior was one of the most popular guys in the WWF during the late 80’s and early 90’s. I think as fans grew up and learned more about the Warrior and the business in general, his popularity has suffered dramatically. Nevertheless he was a major part of the WWF for a few years and had some big feuds. Here are my rankings:

10. Dino Bravo
9. Papa Shango
8. Andre The Giant
7. Jake Roberts
6. Hercules
5. Honky Tonk Man
4. Hulk Hogan
3. Undertaker
2. Randy Savage
1. Rick Rude

Well I didn’t plan it this way. I picked Warrior at random, but it turns out the same guy who was #1 for Jake is #1 for Warrior. I believe the Ultimate Warrior’s best feud was with none other than Rick Rude. Rude always had a gimmick where he bragged that he had a far superior physique than anyone else. The babyface announcers would often say they felt Warrior was more impressive than Rude. This would lead to a pose down at the 1989 Royal Rumble. This was to be judged by the fans’ reaction so we all knew how that would turn out. As the Warrior was getting his applause Rude attacked him from behind. He left Warrior beaten like no one ever had before. This would lead to an Intercontinental Title match at WrestleMania V. By this point Warrior had been around for about a year and a half and looked unstoppable. He may have even been undefeated, but I’m not sure. At nine years old I didn’t think the pretty boy Rick Rude had any chance at beating The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania. With the help of the always hated Bobby Heenan, Rude shocked me and the wrestling world by pinning Warrior for the IC title at Mania. The feud would continue throughout the summer until Warrior regained the title at SummerSlam. I really liked the matches these two had during their feud. Rude always somehow found a way to get a good match out of the Warrior. They would meet again a year later. This time it was for the World Title at SummerSlam 90. I don’t think many people thought Rude had a chance of taking the world title, but that’s what we thought at WrestleMania V. Warrior ended up winning that match and sadly Rude would leave the company shortly after. I think this feud was great for both guys. For Rude, pinning the Warrior at Mania shot him to another level in the WWF. For Warrior, he got a series of matches with someone who could make him look good in the ring.

A few side notes: I didn’t intend on making another list where Rude would be the top guy although it does give me even more respect for him. Maybe he should be the next topic. After making this list I realize that most of Warrior’s feuds weren’t that great. I would like to rank his feud with Jake higher, but I don’t remember them actually having a match. Although the match with Hogan is one of the most famous in WWF history, that is more of a well hyped match than an actual feud. The matches with Andre were horrible. It’s not Andre’s fault. He was at the end of his career and could barley get in the ring at the time. I think Rude and Savage are easily the top two and everything else is far behind.

So that’s my opinion. I’m looking forward to reading yours.

 

[CKDaimen]

You know to add fun to this thread for me I wanted to guess my #1 before opening and seeing the opinions. I think you hit the nail on the head. Before opening, I was wrestling between Savage and Rude before deciding on Rude. While Savage and Warrior had more of an epic feel to their matches, especially Wrestlemania 7, that match is VERY forgotten, Rude and Warrior had more intensity, hatred, and overall animosity to their fued, helped by Bobby Heenan. I could be wrong but I even think Rude gave Warrior his first loss at Wrestlemania 5 to take the IC strap. They also had a big time steel cage match at Summerslam and just an uninterrupted fued. Savage and Warrior never really had a long term uninterrupted fued...by the time Summerslam 92 came around they were both huge babyfaces so you couldn't have a long term fued between two babyfaces.

Keep up the great work. You're two for two with dead on lists and I'm loving this series.

 

[wrestling fan 666]

This is one that is interesting. At first, I remember his feud with Undertaker where he was trapped in the coffin in an interview. His feud with Jake comes to mind as well for Jake was a great psychological wrestler and the way he got under his skin was classic. You can't call Hogan a feud when you only have one match-that doesn't constitute a feud to me. Andre, was just sad. He was beating the giant in seconds all over the country while Andre was the main event at Wrestlemania 3. The greatest antagonist in the WWF at the time was Rude. He was a perfect combination of psychological wrestling and had the skills to back it up. He never got the due he deserved and he truly needs to be in the Hall of Fame.

So, my top 3 feuds for Warrior would be 'Taker, Jake, and number one Rude. Savage came a close 4th for me.

 

[Fallen Angel 21.3]

i would have to say promo wise it would have to be his fued with papa shango they had some real freaky shit happen but the matches sucked, and pure wrestling i would have to go with Hulk Hogan there wrestle mania match was one of the best that happened at wrestle mania

 

[Pickle]

By this point Warrior had been around for about a year and a half and looked unstoppable. He may have even been undefeated, but I’m not sure.

I'm not sure about undefeated, there may have been some co's or dq's or something. But I know for a fact he'd never been pinned. In fact, when Rude challenged Warrior to a steel cage world title match a year and a half later at SS90, the storyline going in was that Rude was still the only man to ever pin the Warrior, and he could do it again.

That said, there is no doubt in my mind that the #1 is Rude. That was just some damn fine storytelling. The beginning of the feud started naturally, with Rude getting jealous of Warrior's physique. Then they managed to surprise the audience with the title change at WM. And then build for months to the rematch. Both guys, and Bobby Heenan, did amazing work in getting the audience interested and making us care.

Next, would be Warrior/Savage, but I don't think the feud would even rank if it were for anyone else. While Warrior/Savage had great, great build, and ended on a great, great match, that was really it. Two months of Savage fucking around with Warrior, and then ONE match. I would have watched this feud for months, with multiple matches. But we only got two months. It was great for what it was, but compared to most other great feuds, it isn't much.

And then all of Warrior's other feuds just don't hold up. Undertaker slamming his hand in a coffin, appearing in Hogan's mirror and quoting Batman, getting cursed by Papa Shango, stealing Goldusts wig and Marlena's cigar. Beyond his two big feuds, nothing else made me really care about Warrior. But guess that says a lot about how talented Rude and Savage were.

 

[Alanson]

Rick rude.. i'll always remember beina little guy, and one of their intercontinental title matches. I believe it was saturday nights main event.

 

[Space Volcano]

I guess his best feud was either with Hogan or Rude. But I voted "Sgt. Slaughter", because that was the guy who finally beat him and rid us of the jerk.

 

[johnnyblaze3:16]

im gonna vote savage the retirement match made warrior look unbeatable three elbow drops and still he kicked out on macho unbeliveable but would some one please educate me on to why he left? please clear that up ive never really known

 

[S prince]

yes it seems that him vs rude was the best rivalry they had. warrior really didnt have much rivalries to speak of long term, not like a hogan/savage or hogan/andre type rivalry. warriors were quick and done with. as a young kid, i loved wrestlemania 6 more than life it self. hogan v. warrior. it was the greatest. watching now on youtube, how awful of a match that was lol. it almost robs me of my childhood watching that crap now. how many sleeper holds can they throw in one match? also, as much as i idolized the warrior as a kid, his retirement match with savage, was a great match thru and thru, but the ending? what the hell was that? he didn't even end it with a warrior splash. the ending was so abrupt with no anticipation, it almost felt to me as a viewer that it was botched. i dont know? maybe someone else can confirm this?

 

[Deadman4ever34]

I think his best was Rick Rude, Rude carried Warrior across every match ... My second would be Randy Savage, they were entertaining and had more store build to the feud .... I think the best feud that they missed was Warrior vs Undertaker, but who knows how WWE would have screwed that up lol

 

[Mark0820]

im gonna vote savage the retirement match made warrior look unbeatable three elbow drops and still he kicked out on macho unbeliveable but would some one please educate me on to why he left? please clear that up ive never really known

He was fired for embezzling money from VKM. He threatened to no show a Summerslam main event if VKM didn't pay him a certain amount of money. Vince paid, then fired him immediately after the match.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I'm going to have to go with Hogan. Their confrontation at the 1990 Royal Rumble was one of those goosebump moments, and they had a memorable match at WM VI. Besides his match with Savage, I think the WM match with Hogan is the really the only match of Warrior's that's memorable.

 

[johnnyblaze3:16]

thanks for explaining that i never knew why but the savage no warrior splas was kinda botched so yea rude then

 

[NSL]

How can anyone not say Rick Rude? His entire "feud" with Hogan was based off one match, and I really hope you're not including the shitfest that they called a feud in WCW.

Everything he did with Rude worked like gold. It was boiling until Royal Rumble, and then they made a boring segment like a Pose-Off look interesting. Their matches through the year were solid, and the cage match ranks among my favorites of all time.

 

[DaGhost]

Definitely Rude, but man that is all thanks to Rick Rude. I didn't appreciate how good a worker Rude was at the time, but now seeing video of him and just about anyone, you can see how good he really was.

DaGhost

 

[Nature Boy]

For me it would be Randy Savage and Rick Rude.

So hard to pick between the two as both feuds were like dynamite!

The matches they had were the Warriors best, and the promos and storylines going into and coming out of the matches were some of the best the WWF ever did in my opinion.

 

[oogieboogie]

As good as the Rick Rude feud was i am gonna say the Undertaker feud was my favourite.

I think it was more so cos at the time i was worried, thinking 'oh my god there is no way UW is gonna win'. It was a feud which made UT so much more dominant then UW.
There was a Saturday Nights Main Event when UT was in the ring and UW was unable to closeline him and it took a few attempts, any remember that?

I was disappointed to not have seen a match between them at a ppv. The only matches they had were at house shows and being in the UK never got a chance to see them, until like a year or so ago.

 

[FromTheSouth]

I think Warriors three most memorable encounters were with Rude, Savage, and Hogan.

The biggest match Warrior ever had was with Hogan. This is indisputable. Wrestlemania VI had to put on a main event that would draw as big as WM V's Hogan/Savage. They didn't have two years to build the feud, so they had to go with the match that would make the biggest impact. Warrior was on fire. At Summer Slam the previous year, he beat Rick Rude to win back his IC title. The kids loved the guy, and he was surpassing Hogan in popularity. The match was for the hearts of the kids. The problem is, it wasn't a feud. It was a respect face/face match. Warrior earned a title shot and cashed in. There was no issue between the two. The promos leading up to were laudatory toward each other.

His feud with Savage actually had an issue. Savage cost Warrior the title vs. Slaughter. The "Macho King" hit Warrior with the scepter he carried around. Sherri's mysticism was supposedly fucking with Warrior. It turned into a career vs. career match that would set up Savage's last WWE run as a face. Everyone, at some point, was involved here. Taker, Jake, Savage, Warrior, and others all had a role to play in the two year story between Warrior's winning the title and Savage's turning. I would have picked this one, but Warrior's involvement seemed nothing more than a plot point in a Savage story. Warrior's best feud cannot be one where he is not the focal point. It also can't be one where he talks to his hands.

We are left with Warrior's greatest rival. Two of Warrior's best matches were against Rude. The IC title match where Warrior won thanks to Piper's ass was a good match. There was good heat in the build up. It is easy to forget how dominant Rude was as IC champ. Warrior was built up as the last hope to get that belt off of Rude at SummerSlam '89 for the sake of the company, and he did. The next year, at SummerSlam '90, Rude got his rematch, but it was in a cage for Warrior's WWF Championship. Warrior, not known for his technical skill or endurance, did the best he could in a fifteen minute match. Rude carried most of the action, but Warrior seemed to actually sell for him, and the match was semisuspenceful. I applaude the effort in this match.

The Rude and Warrior feud lasted for nearly 18 months, and featured three good matches, including two of Warrior's top ten. Rude seemed to bring the best out of Warrior, and there was always good build. Warrior was superover and Rude could draw heat from an ice cube. The story was good enough to make a three star match a four star match, and for that reason, this was Warrior's best feud.

 

[PEP3]

My reason for choosing Rick Rude as Warrior's top feud is for an entirely different reason. Yes, they put on some incredible matches. And, yes, they brought out the best in each other's characters. However, there's one reason more than any other I'm choosing Rude as Warrior's top opponent. After managing in the company for nearly 5 years, Rick Rude finally brought the very first WWF title to Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's stable when he upended Ultimate Warrior!

Even though Heenan had managed some of the WWF's top heels during that time, not a single one managed to win championship gold. There was even kayfabe industry talk about Heenan being "cursed." Then Rude comes along, facing the seemingly indestructible Ultimate Warrior for the I-C title, and with Heenan's help, he finally managed to bring home the gold!

I remember going crazy when that happened! As a kid, I loved Bobby Heenan, and I was super excited that he finally had a champion to guide. Not to mention, Rude is one of my all-time favorites, so he was clearly my top choice.

Savage, for all the reasons others mention, is my #2 choice.

Now for the truly unpopular opinion: Even though I generally cheered heels a kid (and still do), as Warrior was approaching his WrestleMania showdown with Hogan, I remember thinking his promos were in-F'n-credible. Granted, 90-percent of the time I didn't know what the hell he was talking about, but I thought they were fairly amazing! They made him seem so interesting and "other-worldly." I ate that $hit up!