Yul Brynner
from the trailer for The Ten Commandments (1956)
Born	Yuliy Borisovich Bryner (1920-07-11)July 11, 1920 Vladivostok, Far Eastern Republic
Died	October 10, 1985(1985-10-10) (aged 65) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1941–85
Spouse	Virginia Gilmore (m. 1944–1960) «start: (1944)–end+1: (1961)»"Marriage: Virginia Gilmore to Yul Brynner" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Yul_Brynner) (divorced) Doris Kleiner (m. 1960–1967) «start: (1960)–end+1: (1968)»"Marriage: Doris Kleiner to Yul Brynner" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Yul_Brynner) (divorced) Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume (m. 1971–1981) «start: (1971)–end+1: (1982)»"Marriage: Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume to Yul Brynner" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Yul_Brynner) (divorced) Kathy Lee (m. 1983–1985) «start: (1983)–end+1: (1986)»"Marriage: Kathy Lee to Yul Brynner" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Yul_Brynner) (his death)
Parents	Boris Yuliyevich Bryner Marousia Dimitrievna Blagovidova

Yul Brynner (Russian: Юлий Борисович Бринер, Yuliy Borisovich Bryner; July 11, 1920  – October 10, 1985)^[1] was a Russian-born stage and film actor.^[2] He was best known for his portrayal of Mongkut, king of Siam, in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the film version; he also played the role more than 4,500 times onstage. He is also remembered as Rameses II in the 1956 Cecil B. DeMille blockbuster The Ten Commandments, General Bounine in Anastasia and Chris Adams in The Magnificent Seven. Brynner was noted for his distinctive voice and for his shaven head, which he maintained as a personal trademark long after adopting it for his initial role in The King and I. He was also a photographer and the author of two books.

Early life[link]

Yul Brynner was born Yuliy Borisovich Bryner in 1920.^[3][4] He exaggerated his background and early life for the press, claiming that he was born Taidje Khan of part-Mongol-Tatar parentage, on the Russian island of Sakhalin.^[5] In reality, he was born at home in a four-storey residence at 15 Aleutskaya Street, Vladivostok, in the Far Eastern Republic (present-day Primorsky Krai, Russia).^[6] He also occasionally referred to himself as Julius Briner,^[1] Jules Bryner, or Youl Bryner.^[3] A biography written by his son, Rock Brynner, in 1989 clarified these issues.

His father, Boris Yuliyevich Bryner, was a mining engineer whose father, Jules Bryner, was Swiss, and whose mother, Natalya Iosifovna Kurkutova, was a native of Irkutsk and was partly of Buryat Mongol ancestry.^[7] His mother, Marousia Dimitrievna (née Blagovidova), came from the intelligentsia and studied to be an actress and singer; she was the granddaughter of a doctor who had converted from Judaism to the Russian Orthodox Church.^[7]

He was also part Romani on his mother's side, and in 1977, he was named Honorary President of the International Romani Union, an office that he kept until his death.^[8][9]

Brynner's declaration of intention form for naturalization in the United States from 1943

After Boris Bryner abandoned his family, his mother took Yul and his sister, Vera Bryner, to Harbin, China, where they attended a school run by the YMCA. In 1934 she took them to Paris. By 1940, Brynner had returned to China and he emigrated from Dairen aboard the S.S. President Cleveland, arriving in the U.S. October 25, 1940.^[3] During World War II, Brynner worked as a French-speaking radio announcer and commentator for the U.S. Office of War Information, broadcasting propaganda to occupied France.^[10]

Career[link]

Yul Brynner began acting and modeling in his twenties and early in his career he was photographed nude by George Platt Lynes.^[11] After his radio work during World War II Brynner moved into the nascent television industry, directing and acting in live productions in New York. In 1949 Brynner made his film debut in Port of New York, his only film with his natural head of hair.^{[citation needed]}

His best-known role remains that of King Mongkut of Siam in the Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical The King and I which he played 4,525 times on stage over the span of his career. He appeared in the original production and later touring productions as well as a 1977 Broadway revival, London Production in 1979 and another Broadway revival in 1985. He also appeared in the film version for which he won an Academy Award as Best Actor and in a short-lived TV version (Anna and the King) on CBS in 1972. Brynner is one of only nine people who have won both a Tony Award and an Academy Award for the same role. His connection to the story and the role of King Mongkut is so deep he was mentioned in the song "One Night in Bangkok" from the 1984 musical Chess whose second act is set in Bangkok.

In 1951^[12] Brynner shaved his head for his role in The King and I.^[13] Following the huge success of the Broadway production and subsequent film, Brynner continued to shave his head for the rest of his life though he would sometimes wear a wig for certain roles. Brynner's shaved head was very unusual at the time and his striking appearance helped to give him an iconic appeal.^[14] Some fans shaved off their hair to emulate him,^[15] and a shaved head was often referred to as the "Yul Brynner look".^[16][17][18]

Brynner made an immediate impact upon launching his mainstream film career in 1956 and quickly gained superstar status after appearing not only in The King and I that year but also in starring roles in The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston which remains one of the top five highest grossing films in history when adjusted for inflation and Anastasia with Ingrid Bergman. Brynner, at 5'10", was reportedly concerned about being overshadowed by Heston's height and physical presence in The Ten Commandments and prepared his impressive physique seen in the film with an intensive weight-lifting program.^{[citation needed]}

He later starred in films such as the epic Solomon and Sheba (1959), The Magnificent Seven (1960), Taras Bulba (1962) and Kings of the Sun (1963). He co-starred with Marlon Brando in Morituri (1965), Katharine Hepburn in The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969) and William Shatner in a film version of The Brothers Karamazov (1958). He played the titular role of The Ultimate Warrior (1975) and starred with Barbara Bouchet in Death Rage (1976). Among his final feature film appearances were in Michael Crichton's Westworld (1973) and its sequel Futureworld (1976). Brynner also appeared in drag (as a torch singer) in an unbilled role in the Peter Sellers comedy The Magic Christian (1969).^[19]

Photographer, author, and musician[link]

In addition to his work as a performer, Brynner was an active photographer and wrote two books. His daughter Victoria put together Yul Brynner: Photographer (ISBN 0-8109-3144-3) a collection of his photographs of family, friends, and fellow actors, as well as those he took while serving as a UN special consultant on refugees. Brynner wrote Bring Forth the Children: A Journey to the Forgotten People of Europe and the Middle East (1960) with photographs by himself and Magnum photographer Inge Morath and also The Yul Brynner Cookbook: Food Fit for the King and You (1983 ISBN 0-8128-2882-8).

A student of music from childhood, Brynner was an accomplished guitarist and singer. In his early period in Europe he often played and sang gypsy songs in Parisian nightclubs with Aliosha Dimitrievitch. He sang some of those same songs in the film The Brothers Karamazov. In 1967 he and Dimitrievitch released a record album The Gypsy and I: Yul Brynner Sings Gypsy Songs (Vanguard VSD 79265).

Personal life[link]

Brynner was married four times, the first three ending in divorce. He fathered three children and adopted two.

He and his first wife, actress Virginia Gilmore (1944–1960), had one child, Yul Brynner II, who was born on December 23, 1946. His father nicknamed him "Rock" when he was six in honor of boxer Rocky Graziano, who won the middleweight title in 1947. Rock is a historian, novelist, and university history lecturer at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York and Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut. In 2006, Rock wrote a book about his father and his family history titled Empire and Odyssey: The Brynners in Far East Russia and Beyond. Rock regularly returns to Vladivostok, the city of his father's birth, for the "Pacific Meridian" Film Festival.

His daughter Lark Brynner (born 1959) was born out of wedlock and raised by her mother, Frankie Tilden, who was 20 years old when her daughter was born. Brynner supported her financially. His second wife, from 1960 to 1967, Doris Kleiner, was a Chilean model whom he married on the set during shooting of The Magnificent Seven in 1960. They had one child, Victoria Brynner (born November 1962), whose godmother was Audrey Hepburn.^[20]

His third wife, Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume^[21] (1971–1981), was a French socialite, the widow of Philippe de Croisset (the victim of a car accident; he was the son of French playwright Francis de Croisset and a publishing executive). Brynner and Jacqueline adopted two Vietnamese children: Mia (1974), and Melody (1975). The first house that he ever owned was the Manoir de Cricqueboeuf, a sixteenth-century manor house that he and Jacqueline purchased.^[21]

At the age of 63, he married his fourth wife, Kathy Lee, a 24-year-old ballerina from a small town in Malaysia whom he had met in a production of The King and I in which she had a small dancing role. They remained married for the last 2 years (1983–1985) of Brynner's life.^[22] According to Marlene Dietrich's daughter Maria Riva (as she wrote in her memoir Marlene Dietrich, 1994), he had a passionate affair with the famous actress during the first production of The King and I.

Citizenship[link]

Brynner, a Russian-born citizen, renounced his naturalized US citizenship in June 1965 at the US Embassy in Berne, Switzerland for tax reasons. He had lost his tax exemption as an American resident abroad by working too long in the U.S. and would have been bankrupted by his tax and penalty debt.^[21]

Death[link]

Plaque for Yul Brynner

Brynner died of lung cancer on October 10, 1985 in New York City, the same day as his Battle of Neretva co-star Orson Welles.

Knowing he was dying of cancer, Brynner starred in a run of farewell performances of his most famous role, The King and I, on Broadway from January 7 to June 30, 1985, with Mary Beth Peil as Anna Leonowens. His last performance marked the 4,633rd time he had played the role of the King.^[23]

Throughout his life Brynner was often seen with a cigarette in his hand. In January 1985, nine months before his death, he gave an interview on Good Morning America, expressing his desire to make an anti-smoking commercial.^[24] A clip from that interview was made into a public service announcement by the American Cancer Society and released after his death. It includes the warning "Now that I'm gone, I tell you don't smoke. Whatever you do, just don't smoke. If I could take back that smoking, we wouldn't be talking about any cancer. I'm convinced of that."^[25] This advertisement is now featured in the Body Worlds exhibition.

He is interred in France on the grounds of the Saint-Michel-de-Bois-Aubry Russian Orthodox monastery near Luzé between Tours and Poitiers.

Honors and awards[link]

Brynner has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6162 Hollywood Blvd.

Other[link]

His childhood home in Vladivostok is now a museum.

In 1952 he received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of The King in The King and I (musical).

He won the 1956 Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the King of Siam in The King and I and made the "Top 10 Stars of the Year" list in both 1957 and 1958.

In 1985 he received a Special Tony Award honoring his 4,525 performances in The King and I.^[26]

Filmography[link]

Features:

• Port of New York (1949)
• The King and I (1956)
• The Ten Commandments (1956)
• Anastasia (1956)
• The Brothers Karamazov (1958)
• The Buccaneer (1958)
• The Journey (1959)
• The Sound and the Fury (1959)
• Solomon and Sheba (1959)
• Once More, with Feeling! (1960)
• Testament of Orpheus (1960)
• Surprise Package (1960)
• The Magnificent Seven (1960)
• Goodbye Again (1961)
• Escape from Zahrain (1962)
• Taras Bulba (1962)
• Kings of the Sun (1963)
• Flight from Ashiya (1964)
• Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964)
• Morituri (1965)
• Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
• The Poppy Is Also a Flower (1966)
• Return of the Seven (1966)
• Triple Cross (1966)
• The Double Man (1967)
• The Long Duel (1967)
• Villa Rides (1968)
• The Picasso Summer (1969)
• The File of the Golden Goose (1969)
• Battle of Neretva (1969)
• The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969)
• The Magic Christian (1969)
• Adiós, Sabata (1971)
• The Light at the Edge of the World (1971)
• Romance of a Horsethief (1971)
• Catlow (1971)
• Fuzz (1972)
• Night Flight from Moscow (1973)
• Westworld (1973)
• The Ultimate Warrior (1975)
• Death Rage (1976)
• Futureworld (1976)

Short subjects:

• On Location with Westworld (1973)
• Lost to the Revolution (1980) (narrator)

Stage work[link]

• Twelfth Night (December 2–13, 1941) (Broadway)
• The Moon Vine (February 11–27, 1943) (Broadway)
• Lute Song (February 6 – June 8, 1946) (Broadway)
• The King and I (March 29, 1951 – December 17, 1955) (Broadway and national tour)
• Home Sweet Homer (January 4, 1976) (Broadway)
• The King and I (Revival) (May 2, 1977 – December 30, 1978) (Broadway and national tour)
• The King and I (Revival) (January 7 – June 30, 1985) (Broadway)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yul Brynner

• Yul Brynner at the Internet Broadway Database
• Yul Brynner at the Internet Movie Database
• Yul Brynner at the TCM Movie Database
• Yul Brynner at AllRovi

YUL or Yul may refer to:

• Yul Brynner, Russian-American actor
• Yul Kwon, winner of Survivor: Cook Islands
• Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, an IATA airport code
• IATA railway code for Montreal-Dorval passenger rail station

See also[link]

• Yule
• Yule (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

William "Bill" Boggs III (born July 11, 1946) is an Emmy Award–winning American television presenter and journalist.

Boggs was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently the celebrity correspondent for the syndicated My Generation television show airing on PBS, featuring interviews inspired by his 2007 HarperCollins book, Got What it Takes?: Successful People Reveal How They Made It to the Top. The book includes interviews with Renée Zellweger, Donald Trump, Sir Richard Branson, Clive Davis, Joe Torre, and others. He has also published a novel, At First Sight, with Grosett and Dunlap publishers.^{[citation needed]}

A former news anchorman for WNBC in New York, Boggs also presented several game shows for CBS. He created the first national restaurant review show, TV Diners, for the Food Network, and spent many years hosting the network's first non-cooking show, the celebrity interview show, Bill Boggs' Corner Table. Boggs co-executive produced and hosted TV's first syndicated stand up comedy series, Comedy Tonight in the late 1980s.^{[citation needed]}

Boggs appeared in several film and television dramas including Oz and Miami Vice. In New York City, he is also known for his stint in the 1970s as host of Midday Live on WNEW (now WNYW), succeeding Lee Leonard.^[1]

He debuted a solo stage show called Talk Show Confidential in 2003. The show, which includes stories and rare video clips from his years as a television talk show host, is currently running at the Triad Theatre in New York City.^[2]

Personal life[link]

He was briefly married to Canadian actress Linda Thorson; the couple have a son.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Bill Boggs at the Internet Movie Database
• Personal Website

Warrior
Ring name(s)	Warrior[1] The Ultimate Warrior[1] Dingo Warrior[1] The Dingo Blade Runner Rock[1] Jim "Justice" Hellwig[1]
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1]
Billed weight	275 lb (125 kg)[1]
Born	(1959-06-16) June 16, 1959 (age 53) Crawfordsville, Indiana
Billed from	Parts Unknown[1] Queens, New York (as The Dingo Warrior)
Trained by	Bill Anderson Rick Bassman Red Bastien[1]
Debut	November 28, 1985
Retired	June 25, 2008

Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig on June 16, 1959)^[2] is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1987 to 1991 and again in 1992 and 1996, and in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1998.

He won the WWF World Championship when he pinned Hulk Hogan in the main event of WrestleMania VI.^[3] Hellwig legally changed his name to Warrior in 1993. Warrior retired from professional wrestling in 1999 and embarked on a public speaking career. On June 25, 2008 he returned to wrestle Orlando Jordan in Barcelona, Spain defeating him in a match booked by the Italian Nu-Wrestling Evolution promotion. Warrior was described by World Wrestling Entertainment as having been "the ultimate archetype of strength and intensity",^[4] as well as having been "one of the most intense and physically impressive competitors to ever appear in the WWE".^[5]

Early life[link]

Warrior was born as James Brian Hellwig. He was the eldest of five children and was raised by his mother (along with, later, his stepfather) after his father left his family when young James was 12. He spent a year at Indiana State University. It was also during this time he began to compete in amateur bodybuilding.^[6]

Bodybuilding career[link]

Prior to his career in professional wrestling Hellwig was an amateur bodybuilder,^[7] competing in a number of NPC contests and winning the 1984 NPC Mr. Georgia crown.^[8] Hellwig started training with weights when he was 11 years old and has described himself as "the small, insecure kid who wasn't into any sports".^[7] He moved to California where, after seeing bodybuilder Robby Robinson, decided to take up the sport. His first contest took place in Florida where he placed 5th. Later, while he was attending Life University in Marietta, Georgia, he won the Junior Atlanta contest and placed 5th at the 1981 AAU Collegiate Mr. America. In 1983, he won the AAU Coastal USA, before taking the Mr. Georgia title the following year. His last bodybuilding contest was 1985's Junior USA's, which was won by future IFBB Pro, Ron Love. Hellwig finished 5th.

In 1985, after spending six weeks in California training for a bodybuilding contest, he was invited to join a group of bodybuilders – Garland Donoho, Mark Miller, and Steve "Flash" Borden – who were attempting to make the transition into professional wrestlers. Warrior accepted the invitation and abandoned his bodybuilding career and his plans to become a chiropractor.^[9]

Professional wrestling career[link]

Early career (1985–1986)[link]

Hellwig began his professional wrestling career as Jim "Justice" Hellwig of Powerteam USA, the group of bodybuilders trained by Red Bastien and Rick Bassman.

Hellwig and Steve Borden, who would later go on to success as "Sting", formed a tag team known as the Blade Runners, with Hellwig changing his ring name to "Blade Runner Rock" and Borden changing his name to "Blade Runner Flash". Debuting in the Memphis, Tennessee-based Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) promotion, run by Jerry Jarrett, the team played baby faces at first, but fans were actually slow to take to the hulking duo in a territory that had featured sympathetic "good guy tag teams" like the Rock 'n' Roll Express and The Fabulous Ones. They were quickly turned heel as The Blade Runners. The Blade Runners went on to wrestle for the Mid-South Wrestling promotion, which became the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) in 1986. They were part of Eddie Gilbert's Hotstuff International group, before disbanding in 1986 when Hellwig left the UWF.^[10] Years later in a TNA interview when Steve Borden was asked about teaming with Hellwig, Borden referred to the relationship with Hellwig as being a "Tense year and when we parted ways it wasn't a friendly part".

World Class Championship Wrestling (1986–1987)[link]

In 1986, Warrior debuted in the Dallas, Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) promotion, where he wrestled for $50 a night. He has stated that he adopted the ring name "Dingo Warrior" after a member of the WCCW locker room remarked that he looked like "a warrior".^[9] Warrior formed a tag team with Lance Von Erich, and the duo began competing for the WCWA World Tag Team Championship. On November 17, 1986, Warrior and Von Erich defeated Master Gee (substituting for champion Buzz Sawyer) and Matt Borne to win the title. They held the Championship until December 1 of that year, when they lost to Al Madril and Brian Adias.^[11]

In 1987, Warrior began competing for the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship, losing to Bob Bradley in a tournament final on January 12. He won the title from Bradley on February 2 of that year. The title was held up in April 1987 after Warrior left the WCCW. He was reinstated as champion upon returning, but vacated it once more upon resigning from WCCW to join the World Wrestling Federation, where he adopted the ring name Ultimate Warrior.^[12] Warrior began appearing on house shows in June and was initially billed as The Dingo Warrior in house card promos by Gene Okerlund, but soon had his name modified. There is dispute over who created the Ultimate Warrior name. Bruce Prichard stated that Vince McMahon did not know what a "Dingo" Warrior would be, but because there was the "Modern Day Warrior" Kerry von Erich and the Road Warriors there should not be one more simple warrior, but The Ultimate Warrior.^[13] However, Warrior claims after one of his first matches, McMahon had him do a pretaped promo. It was there Vince said we want you to do Warrior, but we don't want Dingo. The Warrior then proceeded to cut the promo and stated that he was not this warrior or that warrior, he was The Ultimate Warrior.^[14]

In the late 1980s, while Warrior was still wrestling in Texas, he appeared in several TV ads for Westway Ford, a car dealership in Irving, Texas. Warrior interacted in full wrestling costume with Westway's wacky character, "Mean Joe Greed."^[15][16]

World Wrestling Federation (1987–1991)[link]

As a World Wrestling Federation (WWF) performer, the Ultimate Warrior was known for his high-energy ring entrances, which featured him racing into the arena at full speed, bursting into the ring, and violently shaking the ropes up and down. He was also known for his distinctive pattern of face paint. His first feud was with Hercules Hernandez, who he defeated at WrestleMania IV. Warrior enjoyed two stints as WWF Intercontinental Champion, defeating The Honky Tonk Man (in 13 seconds at the first ever SummerSlam in 1988) and Rick Rude at SummerSlam 1989. The Warrior was heralded as the wrestler to become the biggest star of the 1990s, and the successor to Hulk Hogan, who had remained wrestling's biggest star throughout the 1980s. Following a few confrontations with Hogan, most notably at the 1990 Royal Rumble, the Warrior was written in as Hogan's opponent in the main event for WrestleMania VI at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The match was billed as "The Ultimate Challenge", as both Hogan's WWF World Championship and Warrior's WWF Intercontinental Championship were on the line. Warrior pinned Hogan after a Warrior Splash to become the first wrestler to hold the WWF World Championship and WWF Intercontinental Championship simultaneously. Warrior vacated the Intercontinental title, as WWF rules prohibited a wrestler from holding both singles titles.

After WrestleMania VI, Warrior continued to build his popularity with successful defenses against the likes of Haku, Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude and Ted DiBiase.^[17] "Macho King" Randy Savage was also introduced as a potential rival after interfering in a Saturday Night's Main Event title match at the behest of DiBiase. In January 1991, Warrior faced Sgt. Slaughter at the Royal Rumble. Slaughter's gimmick at the time was a traitor who had betrayed America by aligning himself with an (kayfabe) Iraqi military general, General Adnan. In the context of the Gulf War, this made Slaughter one of the most hated heels at the time. After rejecting an earlier request to grant a title shot to Savage, Sensational Sherri interjected herself in the Warrior's championship match to distract him. Her interference eventually led to a Savage sneak attack where he eventually struck Warrior over the head with a metal scepter, and Slaughter pinned Warrior to win the WWF World Championship.^[10][18][19] Warrior would go on to feud with Savage, and the rivalry culminated in a 'Career Ending' match at WrestleMania VII with the Warrior victorious, forcing Savage to retire.

The next chapter of Warrior's career was an encounter with The Undertaker, after Undertaker and his manager, Paul Bearer, locked Warrior in a coffin on the set of Bearer's Funeral Parlor. WWF officials worked feverishly to break the casket open, finally revealing Warrior's seemingly lifeless body, and the torn fabric inside of the coffin indicating Warrior's desperate struggle to get out. Warrior was finally revived by the officials performing CPR. This led to Jake "The Snake" Roberts offering to give Warrior "the knowledge of the dark side" in order to prepare Warrior to take his revenge on the Undertaker. This involved Roberts giving Warrior three "tests" shown on WWF TV in consecutive weeks. For the first test, Roberts locked Warrior inside of a coffin for a second time.^[20]

For the second test, Warrior was "buried alive" by Roberts. For the third test, the Warrior entered a room full of snakes, to find "the answer" in a chest in the middle of the room. However, waiting inside the chest was a King Cobra, which (kayfabe) bit Warrior in the face. As Warrior weakened from the effects of the cobra's strike, Roberts was joined by the Undertaker and Paul Bearer, revealing the three were working together all along. Roberts then uttered, "Never trust a snake."^[20] The stage was now set for a feud between the Warrior and Roberts. However, the feud would never take place, as Warrior was involved in an alleged pay dispute with WWF owner Vince McMahon over the SummerSlam main event, where Warrior was teamed with Hulk Hogan in a handicap match against Sgt. Slaughter, Colonel Mustafa, and General Adnan. The WWF alleged that Warrior threatened to no show the event unless he was paid for his previous WrestleMania appearance. According to Vince McMahon, Warrior was paid that amount then fired immediately after SummerSlam.

Return to the WWF (1992)[link]

With Hulk Hogan about to leave WWF in mid-1992, McMahon contacted Warrior about returning. He made his comeback at WrestleMania VIII (to rescue Hulk Hogan from a beat down at the hands of Sid Justice and Papa Shango). When he made his return, he looked smaller and his hair was shorter, leading to a rumor that Hellwig had died and it was a different person (hinting it was Kerry Von Erich) performing the character.^{[citation needed]}

Upon his return, he received a degree of creative control over his bookings. One storyline involved Papa Shango, a "witch doctor," cast a spell over Warrior, causing him to convulse and vomit in very odd colors, though Warrior says he hated that story and had no control over it.^[10] The Warrior was booked for a WWF Championship match against then-champion, "Macho Man" Randy Savage at SummerSlam in August 1992. The Warrior would win the match by count-out but not the title.

In November 1992 Warrior was scheduled to be the tag team partner of Randy "Macho Man" Savage, to be known as the Ultimate Maniacs to face Ric Flair and Razor Ramon at Survivor Series. However, weeks before the event, Warrior was released for disputed reasons.

Semi-retirement (1992–1996)[link]

Between November 1992 and July 1995, Warrior was semi-retired. During his time away from the WWF, Warrior opened the short-lived "Warrior University", a professional wrestling school based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

In December 1992, he wrestled as the Dingo Warrior against Hercules Hernandez in Billerica, Massachusetts, for Killer Kowalski's International Wrestling Federation.

In 1993, Jim Hellwig played the role of "the swordsman" in the action movie Firepower.

In March 1995, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) introduced The Renegade as Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage's "ultimate weapon", using ring attire and mannerisms that closely resembled Warrior's and many people believe The Renegade either was the Warrior or that WCW pretended he was, neither of which is true. In July 1995, he returned to the ring for the National Wrestling Conference (NWC) promotion in Las Vegas, defeating The Honky Tonk Man. He had also wrestled a tour of Europe for Otto Wanz's Catch Wrestling Association (CWA) promotion.

Return to the WWF (1996)[link]

After three and a half years spent mostly outside the wrestling limelight, Warrior returned to the WWF in March 1996, squashing Hunter Hearst Helmsley at WrestleMania XII. He made his first appearance on Monday Night Raw on April 8, where he gave an in-ring interview and credited the "voices" of the "warriors" (his name for members of the WWF audience) for his return; he was then interrupted by Goldust. Warrior challenged for Goldust's WWF Intercontinental Championship at In Your House 7; Warrior won the match by countout, but did not win the title. The following night on Monday Night Raw, Warrior defeated Isaac Yankem. A rematch with Intercontinental Champion Goldust, on the May 27 edition of the show, ended in a double countout. Warrior defeated Jerry Lawler at the King of the Ring, and defeated Owen Hart by disqualification on the July 8 edition of Monday Night Raw. Warrior was scheduled to team with Shawn Michaels and Ahmed Johnson to face Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, and Vader at In Your House 9 later that month, but the WWF terminated Warrior's contract when he took time off allegedly to grieve the death of his father. WWF owner Vince McMahon claimed that Warrior had not seen his father in ten years and did not care much for him; therefore, he did not take Warrior's excuse for missing bookings at face value. Warrior disputes McMahon's explanation, claiming that the real reason why he no showed those events was a breach of contract by McMahon, in which WWF sold Warrior's merchandise without giving him a percentage. He was replaced by Sycho Sid at In Your House 9.

World Championship Wrestling (1998)[link]

WCW signed Warrior in 1998 and gave him a degree of creative control over his matches,^[21] He created a storyline where he formed a stable opposing Hogan's (now going under his heelish "Hollywood" gimmick) New World Order: the "One Warrior Nation." The acronym oWn (One Warrior Nation) was a play on the name nWo. Highlights of the storyline included Warrior kidnapping and "converting" The Disciple and frequent instances of "magic smoke" knocking out all of the nWo members except for Hollywood Hogan (and covering Warrior's movement through a trapdoor in the ring).

Warrior only participated in three matches in WCW. The first was the War Games main event, where he and eight other wrestlers including Bret Hart, DDP and Stevie Ray competed for the #1 contender spot to the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at Fall Brawl, which Diamond Dallas Page won. On WCW Monday Nitro, he teamed with Sting to defeat Hogan and Bret Hart by disqualification, a match in which he had little participation; he was tagged in for a short exchange with Hart, then singlehandedly chased several nWo members down the entry way, whipping them with Hogan's belt. The third was his loss to Hogan at Halloween Havoc, in what is considered by Eric Bischoff to be one of the worst Main Event pay-per-view wrestling matches ever.^[22] In the Halloween Havoc match, the timing of the maneuvers and hits was poor; an arm injury that Warrior received at WarGames further slowed the action. An attempt to "blind" Warrior with a fireball backfired when Hogan faced complications igniting a piece of flash paper, causing the fire to go up in Hogan's face instead. The match came to an end when Horace Hogan hit Warrior in the back with a chair while Eric Bischoff had referee Nick Patrick distracted. Hogan then scored the pinfall.

WCW claimed that attempts were made to save the storyline though Warrior has claimed in interviews and convention appearances that the only reason he was brought back was so Hogan could get a win over Warrior in return for Hogan's WrestleMania job. Warrior's last appearance in WCW was on the November 9, 1998 edition of Nitro, when he came to the rescue of The Disciple who was being attacked by members of nWo. Warrior announced his retirement the following year.

Nu-Wrestling Evolution (2008)[link]

During an April 19, 2008 Nu-Wrestling Evolution (NWE) event in Madrid, Spain, Warrior was presented with an award celebrating his professional wrestling career in front of over 15,000 attendees. During the presentation, NWE Heavyweight Champion Orlando Jordan mocked a fan of Warrior's, resulting in a heated argument between Warrior and Jordan. As a result of the exchange, a match between Warrior and Jordan was scheduled for June 25, 2008 in the Palau Municipal d'Esports de Badalona in Barcelona, marking Warrior's first match in nearly 10 years. After much hype, On June 25, he finally made his much anticipated return to pro wrestling when he faced Jordan for the NWE Heavyweight Championship. Warrior promoted the show on his website and trained with Rob Van Dam during the summer. Notably, the match lasted over 12 minutes - the Warrior did a top rope flying body press and a top rope superplex and defeated Jordan with his clothesline/shoulder tackle finish. After winning the match and the NWE Championship, Warrior spoke the crowd for a moment and immediately vacated the title.

Personal life[link]

Warrior married Shari Lynn Tyree on October 2, 1982. The couple met in Dallas, Texas at the famous Million Dollar Saloon strip club where Shari was working at the time.^[23] They remained together for the majority of Warriors' WWF career before divorcing on March 22, 1991, two days before WrestleMania VII.^[24] Warrior married for the second time in 2000 to Dana. Together they have two daughters: Indiana Marin "Indy" Warrior (born 2000) and Mattigan Twain Warrior (born December 16, 2002)

Trademark and libel litigation[link]

In 1993, Hellwig legally changed his name to Warrior. This one-word name appears on all legal documents pertaining to Warrior, and his children carry the Warrior name as their legal surname.

Warrior and the WWF engaged in a series of lawsuits and legal actions in 1996 and 1998,^[25] where both parties sought a declaration that they owned the characters, Warrior and Ultimate Warrior, under both contract and copyright law. The court ruled that Warrior was legally entitled to use the gimmick, costuming, face paint designs, and mannerisms of the "Warrior" character.^[3][26]

On September 27, 2005, WWE (formerly the WWF) released a DVD documentary focusing on Warrior's retrospective wrestling career, entitled The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior. The DVD featured clips of his more notable feuds and matches along with commentary from WWE stars past and present (most of which are unflattering), with Triple H (by this point one of WWE's top main eventers and the husband of Vince McMahon's daughter Stephanie McMahon) adding that his WrestleMania debut loss against Warrior at WrestleMania XII left him with mixed emotions, saying that Warrior "ruined the experience" for him and was "one of the most unprofessional guys" he's ever fought.^[27] The DVD has provoked some controversy due to Warrior's own allegations of libel by WWE against him. Originally, Warrior was asked to help with the production of the DVD, but as he refused to work with WWE (citing he did not want to be associated with their promotion), there has been some resulting animosity between Warrior and WWE over the Warrior claiming bias on the part of WWE.^[28] In January 2006, Warrior filed another lawsuit against WWE in an Arizona court over the depiction of his wrestling career in The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior DVD.^[29] On September 18, 2009, Warrior's lawsuit in Arizona was dismissed.^[30]

Motivational speaking[link]

Warrior formally retired from wrestling in 1999 and had a short-lived career as a conservative speaker and commentator, partnering with conservative spokesman Daniel Pinheiro, denouncing left-wing politics. In one instance, he mentioned that "queering doesn't make the world work" during a speech at the University of Connecticut.^[31] Warrior explained those comments on his website as meaning that the human race would die out if everyone were a homosexual.^[3][32]

Writing[link]

In May 1996, Warrior began publishing a comic book, titled Warrior, featuring himself as the main character. The series was co-written with Jim Callahan and illustrated by the Sharp Brothers. The title sold well for the first two months, before sales slowed down. The comic was canceled in early 1997.

Warrior maintains a blog on his personal website titled "Warrior's Machete", where he discusses his personal life, his personal views on politics, sexuality, patriotism, and his legacy as a wrestler, amongst other topics. There have been numerous instances where Warrior has used his blog to address his viewpoint on members of his wrestling past (Vince McMahon, Road Warrior Animal, The British Bulldog, Owen Hart, Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger);^[33] historical (Martin Luther King, George Washington) or religious figures (Jesus).^[34] Warrior depicts celebrities who were newsworthy at the time of his blog (Heath Ledger and Paris Hilton). Warrior occasionally references his respect for the Founding Fathers of the United States, and also enjoys books like Homer's "Odyssey" and James Allen "As A Man Thinketh". ^[35][36] He recently started selling off "Weapons of Wisdom", inspirational 6×9 pieces of watercolor paper with drawings, quotes and doodles on them by the Warrior himself.^[37] He has also used the blog to post replies to letters from fans.^[38]

Legacy[link]

Although Warrior's relationship with the WWE has been strained at times, the WWE, in more recent times, has recognized him as one of the Legends of the company.^[39] WWE described him as being "As devastating and intense as any Superstar who stepped through the ropes...", further saying that "The Ultimate Warrior may be the most enigmatic man to ever hold the WWE Championship."^[40] In a recent review of a fantasy match between John Cena and Warrior, the WWE described him as having been "One of the most recognizable Superstars in WWE history", and further spoke of his impact, describing how "The Ultimate Warrior brought Hulkamania to its knees on The Grandest Stage of Them All at WrestleMania VI, retired the Madness at WrestleMania VII and press slammed a slew of the greatest legends of his era."^[41] In WWE All Stars, in which Ultimate Warrior appears as one of the Legends, WWE stated that he was the "ultimate archetype of strength and intensity," and further stated that "without question, the Ultimate Warrior has etched his name in the pantheon of WWE greats".^[42]

Warrior appears in the Mattel Legends figures line in both Series 4 and Series 6. He was also chosen as one of six legends to be included in the Defining Moments series of action figures. Warrior further appears as a playable legend in WWE All Stars and WWE Legends of Wrestlemania.

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Running splash,^[1] sometimes to a face down opponent, and usually preceded by a gorilla press drop^[1]

• Signature moves
  • Atomic drop
  • Big boot
  • Leaping shoulder block^[1]
  • Multiple running clotheslines^[1]
  • Scoop slam
  • Vertical suplex

• Entrance themes
  • World Class Championship Wrestling
    • "The Warrior" by Scandal (1986–1987)
  • World Wrestling Federation
    • "Unstable" by Jim Johnston (1987–1991, 1992, 1996)
  • World Championship Wrestling
    • "One Warrior Nation" (1998)

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Nu-Wrestling Evolution
  • NWE World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Comeback of the Year (1992)
  • PWI Feud of the Year (1991) vs. The Undertaker
  • PWI Match of the Year (1990) vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI
  • PWI ranked him #101 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[43]

• World Class Wrestling Association
  • WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[12]
  • WCWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Lance Von Erich^[11]

• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[19]
  • WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times)^[18]

• World Wrestling Superstars
  • WWS Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Most Overrated (1989–1991)
  • Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler (1989, 1990)
  • Worst Feud of the Year (1989) vs. André the Giant
  • Worst Feud of the Year (1992) vs. Papa Shango
  • Worst Feud of the Year (1998) vs. Hulk Hogan
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1989) vs. André the Giant on October 31
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1998) vs. Hulk Hogan at Halloween Havoc
  • Worst Wrestler (1988, 1998)

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Warrior on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons

Professional wrestling portal

• Official website

• Warrior's channel on YouTube

• UltimateWarrior TV's channel on YouTube made in 2008 to promote his Barcelona match against Orlando Jordan.