Thoughts on Ultimate Warrior's 96 run

[IronSheik]

I get a chuckle watching retrospective YouTube videos at just how controversial Warrior wearing a baseball cap seems to be. What's your thoughts on Warrior in a baseball cap, and the 96 Federation run as a whole?

 

[TheScarlettChad]

It's just very strange that he wore a baseball cap, isn't it? 

[Callum1993]

I think on Prichard’s podcast(to be taken with a grain of salt) I think the reasoning was that Warrior was afraid of getting cut by the glass so wore the hat. 

[Rockbus2]

The absolutely black face paint is certainly speaking volumes about the amount of effort he was putting into things. 

[Supremo]

Warrior’s extremely lucky that the one time he wore a baseball cap coincidentally was the same night he had a framed photo smashed over his head. What are the odds?

I always like how fake this image looks. As if created by AI. “The People’s Posse,” truly the biggest Trio of July 1996. No other faction formed in any other promotion around this time had a chance to compete.

Has any ever addressed what the plan was if Warrior didn’t sulk off? Would they have actually done Shawn vs. Warrior at some point? Imagine that! Shawn probably throwing a massive tantrum whilst simultaneously giving Warrior his best match ever. Warrior pitching no-selling the Sweet Chin Music.

[BarryOVega]

I was 11 when he came back for Mania 12 and even I wasn't that fussed, he seemed like a relic even then compared to Bret at his peak, Diesel who'd gone back to being cool as fuck after Survivor Series and Taker and HBK

I imagine if he'd stuck around he'd have had his version of the Codyverse where they kept him away from the proper main event programs (despite probably paying him more than anyone else) and then he'd have flounced when they asked him to put HBK over

[IronSheik]

I like many, was totally mesmerised by his aesthetic in the late 80s early 90s. I was over the moon when he returned in 92 and if I'd been watching wrestling in 96 I'm sure I'd have been excited. 

I've heard wrestlers and people like Prichard and Cornette say numerous times that he "didn't draw as champion, then had diminishing returns at the next two stints" but if he had so little value why on fucking earth did Vince offer him a minimum $750k annual minimum with ridiculous merch percentage in 1997? Having just months earlier told Bret he couldn't afford him? That makes me think he perhaps didn't draw as much as Hogan, but still had a drawing power of some kind. 

 

P.S.

Cap aside, the all black face paint looked shit IMO.

[The King of Old School]

I stopped watching Wrestling for a few years probably by the middle of 93 or so and to be fair I think i heard from a mate who still watched that Warrior was coming back after a few years off and that got me back interested a bit.

Didn't last long mind as even with my new eyes who hadn't seen anything for a few years he just looked massively out of place at that time.

Edited Friday at 08:31 AM by The King of Old School

[Maikeru]

The KOTR qualifying match he had with Goldust on May 27, 1996 wasn't bad at all - hadn't seen it until very recently.

[tiger_rick]

They should have pushed him to the moon. The man was jacked. His incoherent promos were a riot. He couldn't work but no-one really gave a fuck because he looked like that. That the WWF Title didn't end up on him was a crime. Justice for Ahmed.

Warrior should have stayed at home after he squashed Trips.

[AshC]

With the nature of their characters, he'd have quite possibly ended up working Mankind at some point.  A program I've never really contemplated before. Unless you do the heel turn against Shawn and he's on the other side of the fence. Mankind, with all the steam of the Undertaker feud, vs Warrior... 🤔 

[wandshogun09]

I don’t even wanna think about the stupid shit Foley would’ve done to himself in an attempt to get watchable matches out of Warrior in 96. He might’ve actually died.

They should’ve done Warrior vs Ahmed at least once during that stint though. For a laugh. 

[Chico Torres]

We got Road Warrior Ahmed, just imagine the power of destructicity that would be unleashed had we seen The Ultimate Ahmed in addition to the Legion of Ahmed. The Ahmed Warrior with face paint and tassels. Pearl River Plunge followed by a Warrior Splash. The promos. The possibilities are endless. If only.

[AshC]

There would have never been the need for an Attitude Era if we got Ultimate Ahmed. Imagine Vince doing the Mania VI intro for Warrior vs Big Tone at Mania XIII. Bischoff and Paul E. coming down at the end, putting their blazers down in the middle of the ring. 

[TheScarlettChad]

The Ahmed Era would've fed families.