Ex-creative team member on Vince McMahon struggling to work with controversial former WWE star
Former WWE creative team member and commentator Hugo Savinovich has recalled how Vince McMahon found it difficult to do business with The Ultimate Warrior.
Warrior worked for WWE from 1987 to 1992 before returning for another short spell with the company in 1996. The 2014 WWE Hall of Fame inductee had a strained relationship with many people in WWE, including Vince McMahon.
Speaking to Pro Wrestling Defined’s Jonathan O’Dwyer, Savinovich said Warrior’s stubbornness over the portrayal of his character led to disputes with WWE’s Chairman.
“His world was I think like a private world of The Ultimate Warrior, where not too many people were invited in,” Savinovich said. “I think it was very hard for Vince to do business with him when he came back because he will not see anything else but that superhero of Ultimate Warrior. Meanwhile, as a creative, it was hard to get him into a position of doing something in the storyline because you never knew looking at his eyes if he got it, if he understood it.”
The Ultimate Warrior famously threatened to no-show SummerSlam 1991 due to a financial disagreement with Vince McMahon. The WWE Chairman suspended Warrior after the pay-per-view before allowing him to return in 1992.
Vince McMahon reconciled with The Ultimate Warrior
Despite their complicated relationship, The Ultimate Warrior joined Vince McMahon’s WWE Hall of Fame in 2014. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame by Vince’s wife, Linda McMahon.
Hugo Savinovich added that there was not much difference between The Ultimate Warrior’s on-screen persona and the man behind the character.
“Ultimate Warrior was just consumed by being The Ultimate Warrior,” added Savinovich. “And sometimes there was no reasoning. I don’t think that he ever stopped being The Ultimate Warrior. I think he was 24 hours. It wasn’t just the name change to The Ultimate Warrior.”
The Ultimate Warrior passed away on April 8, 2014, at the age of 54 after suffering a heart attack. The previous night, he appeared on WWE RAW for the first time in 18 years.
Please credit Pro Wrestling Defined and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.