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The Warrior rebutts TJ Madigan
By
The WARRIOR -- For SLAM! Wrestling
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  The Warrior during his stint in WCW.
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TJ, hello. Warrior here. I receive over 500 e-mails a day; it was
natural someone would forward me your
article. I appreciate parts of it and take umbrage with others.
To begin, as the creator, owner and performer of Ultimate Warrior, I
find no disagreement with your pro-Ultimate Warrior points. In fact, you
make my case -- your article is an excellent affirmation entirely
supporting the same line of defense I use to defend for my career when
others throughout the industry, pseudo-friends and foes, want to
irrationally bash it as if the character wasn't an impact player or even
go further and speak of his career as if it did not exist at all.
Ultimate Warrior "got over" (sounds like he's still "over", even with
you) and was enjoyed because he struck a chord, pure and simple.
Others -- many, many others -- had the same opportunity and they failed.
It's the truth --take it or leave it. I realize my immodesty, confidence
and self-esteem bothers people, but I'm proud of what I accomplished
during my Sports Entertainment career and am not embarrassed to defend
its worth. The critics are the ones who should be ashamed, especially
those who tell untruths.
It may surprise you and those like you (part despising criticaster/part
zealous fan) to hear me say it, but I've had much less to do with
perpetuating the legend of the Ultimate Warrior persona than all those
who keep excitedly reliving him through their remembered childhood
fantasies, only later to ridicule the character now that they've "grown
up" and gotten oh, so mature. I appreciate it.
Now, be honest, who's swerving who?
You haven't read anything at my site. If you had, you could not honestly
make (and mean) the statements you have about the contents of my
numerous posts. It would be impossible. There is a disclaimer right on
the front/menu page telling that the writings are a combination of
different writing voices (you're a writer, you understand that, yes?
no?), all relevant to an incredible and sincere learning process I set
out on and want to tell others about. The story about that, and the
story behind my name change which you take a potshot at, are endearing
and empowering. Only a nincompoop with a cold, cruel heart could find
otherwise.
I have countless communications and professional relationships that
refute every letter of every word of every sentence you write attempting
to ridicule my writings. Frankly, that kind of criticism has become very
worn out and boring. Blatantly absurd. Each time someone comes to my
site expecting to discover the discombobulation and outer-space rhetoric
they've been told they will find, they end up writing me at great length
telling me the only thing they disbelieve is how well I've articulated
my views and how proud they are to know they followed my career. Simply
put, they tell me they are glad to now know the man behind the face
paint. They get it:
When one achieves chronological maturity, it is important to think and
act that way. The organizations I work with across the country are some
of the most-respected organizations on the planet. Anyone who wants to
know can find out for themselves; those who don't, just don't want to.
I have worked very hard to build another career, invested intellectually
in myself and had to prove myself all along the way. Every speech I have
ever given at conferences and forums is asked for in transcript; no
others are. And they aren't asked for so they can be sleazily marked-up
and used as the sick satire vulgarly displayed at abundant tasteless
wrestling sites that are frequented by those, who like you, find fun in
making false claims. Your vague, unsubstantiated critiques are simply
another affirmation, of sorts, that we live in cultural times where
virtue is reviled and vice is praised. I will, though, accept your
reference to Lord of the Rings, on its success merits alone. Who's
swerving who?
I will meet you halfway and acknowledge that my announcement was
somewhat of a swerve, albeit creatively done; a play on words. But I
will add that those who have come to know me should look at themselves
for wantonly expecting that an announcement was coming that I would
return to work for the McMahons.
I guess in this industry that's putridly natural, seeing how every other
"shooter" went back and choked on their pride and God knows what else. I
happen to have a stiffer backbone and deeper sense of pride and
integrity. I happen to believe that what a man says he is, that's what
he should be. That's what my word means. And not even a stroke
can make me go back on it. You read that last sentence right, it's no
swerve.
Warrior
The Warrior currently does speaking engagements for the Young
America's Foundation (www.yaf.org), and one of his primary messages to his
audience is that the "power in your life comes from using your mind not
your muscles." He contacted SLAM! Wrestling to respond to T.J. Madigan's
November
1st column in the Calgary Sun. "The Ultimate Warrior's career gets
bashed probably more than anybody else," he told SLAM! Wrestling's Greg
Oliver. "Take the career for what it was." The 44-year-old Warrior is
tired of being derided for moving on with his life, and now dwelling on
the past like many of his wrestling contemporaries. He writes regular
posts for his web site, www.ultimatewarrior.com and encourages fans to
head there to read more of what he has to say. He can be emailed at mrwarrior@earthlink.net.
RELATED LINK:
Our Ultimate Warrior story archive
