[1991-04-30-WWF-Primetime Wrestling] Interview: Ultimate Warrior

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Ultimate Warrior does a solemn interview reflecting on being locked in the casket, with even Warrior and Heenan being sort of cordial. This felt like an attempt to humanize Warrior, and it continues to baffle me how much better they have used him in 1991 since dropping the title. Vince and Warrior in those outfits next to each other is amusing.

[shoe]

I agree they have used him much better in 91. This was a good piece of business. Though any child I knew I wouldn't allow him near Warrior.

[PeteF3]

Whether it's intentional or not, Warrior comes off as not really wanting to talk about his experience before being prodded on the issue by McMahon (and Heenan). That actually adds to the effect, even as Warrior still babbles about the places he's been. Warrior comes off as a man who's been through hell but comes back to point out that Undertaker hasn't faced him eye-to-eye yet. Warrior is probed about his inability to fell the Undertaker with his clotheslines on SNME, and he goes back to his self-doubt at WM7 in a nice touch.

 

Yep--this is the most human Warrior yet. He really comes off as someone who isn't really believing what he's saying, but he doesn't come off as cowardly, just relatable, moreso than he ever was as champion, or at least until the beginning of the Savage feud.. I don't think the toughest badass in the world would be eager to scream threats after almost being suffocated in a casket. Vince attempts a self-esteem boost involving the studio audience at the end which does come off as rather phony.

[Kevin Ridge]

Warrior seems blown up just sitting there talking. Very different than the normal insane type of Warrior interview. He talks about what it was like to be in casket. This is as subdued as I’ve ever seen him.

[soup23]

This felt ad libbed to me as Vince and Warrior were stepping all over each other. Warriors outfit is beyond ridiculous and he has some playful interaction with Bobby. I do like how serious Warrior is playing up the Taker attack and Vince has to prod the crowd to get riled up at the end.

[...TG]

Vince and Warrior in those outfits next to each other is amusing.

 

Not to mention Heenan's "China Club" sweatshirt, which he's wearing over a black collared shirt. Prime Time had some baffling wardrobe choices for sure.

[garretta]

One thing we know for sure after watching this segment: Warriorspeak doesn't sound impressive at all when it's spoken in a normal voice. They either needed him to talk exclusively like a normal person or have him come in screaming at a hundred miles an hour like he usually did. There's really no in between, nor should there be. That said, this still was a solid setup for the Warrior/Taker feud to come.

 

Heenan actually asked the better questions here, or at least seemed more like an interviewer. Vince was too into the lurid details for my taste. Come to think of it, he's been that way with most interviews he's done with injured wrestlers. There's a difference between emphasizing the details of an attack to inspire the fans to buy tickets and enjoying others' pain, and Vince veered too far to the enjoyment side for my taste here.

 

Another sign that Heenan's leaving ringside: Not even a halfhearted attempt at trash-talking or insulting a man who's beaten and humiliated him and his men more often than anyone not named Hogan.

[dawho5]

I agree that Warrior-speak sounds slightly more ridiculous this way. but seriously, this is the most I've liked a Warrior interview/promo pretty much ever. This is a guy I can get behind, somebody who clearly has self-doubts but refuses to allow them to beat him. That's something us "normals" can get behind. Stuff like this could have been a huge boon to Warrior as a champ.