It is often said that time heals all wounds. Whether or not that is true is highly debatable, but after this pass week it became evident that it can be in even the most extreme cases. After what seemed like an eternity at odds with Vince McMahon and the WWE (about 17 years to be exact), the Ultimate Warrior returned to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. This announcement was met with some trepidation on the part of most of the Internet Wrestling Community (IWC) because Warrior has been such a polarizing figure with fans and his former colleagues.

It’s not hard to understand why. Warrior had developed a reputation over the years as being hard to work with. Some questioned his ability in the ring. Others questioned his sanity for buying too far into his character. Not many people buy into their wrestling persona so much to legally change their name from James Hellwig to Warrior.

To say his relationship with the WWE was tumultuous would be an understatement. There have been lawsuits filed for trademark infringement over the name Warrior. The WWE famously release a DVD retrospective titled “The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior” that showed Warrior in a less than favorable light. Warrior refused to be involved with the project and later sued the WWE for libel. The case was eventually dismissed.

Perceived faults aside, it is not hard to understand why there is a large group of fans that idolize Warrior. His over the top personality, physically imposing build, and legendary promos ignite a sense of nostalgia amongst older fans. If you were born in the 80’s its hard not to have fond memories of Warrior. He was an integral part of WWE history and directly responsible for some of wrestling’s most memorable moments. Defeating The Honky Tonk Man in 27 seconds, “retiring” the Macho Man Randy Savage, and later forming one of the most maniacal tag teams of all time with the Macho Man Randy Savage, the Ultimate Maniacs. No moment had greater impact on this writer and most of wrestling fandom than the epic encounter between Warrior and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI.

Source: www.examiner.com/unknown

Warrior was being groomed to take over as the top wrestler in the company as Hulk Hogan’s career seemed to be winding down. After an epic confrontation at the 1990 Royal Rumble event, the stage was set for a match between the two. Warrior was the reigning and defending Intercontinental Champion, while Hogan was the WWF World Heavyweight Champion. That meant that not only would it be the companies top two good guys facing off, which at that point was almost unheard of, it was also a title for title match. The stakes were high and boy did the match itself deliver. No matter what your opinion of both Hogan and Warrior is there is no denying the contest held up to the hype. In the end, it was Warrior who stood tall with both belts after Hogan failed to kick out before the three count.

Warrior soon had a contract dispute with the WWE that led to his departure with the company. He would later return on numerous occasions and he even had a short stint with WWE’s rival WCW. While there he renewed his feud with Hulk Hogan, which didn’t last long.

Given how much time had passed and how many times the WWE and Warrior took shots at each other, it seemed the hopes of any type of reunion would be impossible. Flash forward to the launch of WWE 2K14 video game and the fans were greeted with a more than pleasant surprise:

Source: www.youtube.com/wwe2k14

Yes, the WWE reached out to Warrior and he and Vince McMahon were able to finally bury the hatchet.

Warrior was announced to be the first inductee to the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame, which is thought to be a pretty high honor amongst wrestlers. It is the ultimate sign of respect from the McMahon family and finally after all this time, Warrior was welcomed home with open arms.

Warrior appeared at the Hall of Fame ceremony, WrestleMania 30 and the Monday Night Raw following WrestleMania.

During Warrior’s last appearance he delivered a profoundly deep promo explaining how he feels about the WWE Universe:

“No WWE talent becomes a legend on their own. Every man’s heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe a final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others, and makes them bleed deeper and something larger than life, then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized. By the storytellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honor him and make the running the man did live forever. You, you, you, you, you, you are the legend-makers of Ultimate Warrior.”

There was no way to know exactly how prophetic his words would prove to be. If there is anything that can be taken from Warrior’s life and death it would be the following: Be yourself. Live your life with unapologetic confidence and no matter how much hate you may have built up inside learn how to forgive. Rest in piece Ultimate Warrior. You have been called back home… To Parts Unknown…