Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6097 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-10-17
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 186 minutes

Customer Reviews

Ultimately Fascinating
Although this DVD is essentially a character assassination of Jim Hellwig from various former colleagues, it delivers just as well as an informative and intriguing biography of his on-screen character, the Ultimate Warrior.

The DVD covers at length Hellwig's lack of in-ring ability, the clever booking constantly required to get him over and his lack of social skills in the locker room. In fact, one feels that too much of the DVD is given over to personal gripes - but in the telling of these sometimes bitter anecdotes, some of the most revelatory interviews ever released by WWE are created. One example is a wonderful tale of how Andre The Giant once decided to teach Hellwig a lesson with a fist between the eyes as Warrior came off the ropes, the kind of thing that would seem totally innocuous to an unknowing fan but which all the locker room would understand.

The aforementioned story is told by Bobby Heenan, one of many old faces who come across well on the DVD, along with Ted Dibiase and Hulk Hogan. The most interesting stories come from this trio, particularly centering on how Hellwig was received in the locker room, and the general feeling towards his multiple firings and re-hirings. As mentioned, some of the stories are among the most open and honest I have heard on a WWE release. Some less welcome contributions - although generally accurate and informed - come from Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler, neither of whom worked with the Warrior for long.

But despite the grumbling, there are also contributions from Edge and Christian, included because they attended Wrestlemania 6 as fans of the Warrior. Reassuringly, they still recognise the value of the Warrior to the fans. Yes, he was booked and marketed very well, and wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and Rick Rude worked tirelessly to get him over. But it was the Warrior himself that they (and I) got excited about back then. He looked great, his music was electrifying and his entrance was truly explosive. Whatever issues his colleagues had, there is no denying that Jim Hellwig created something special which got fans going. In fairness, Vince McMahon acknowledges the value of Hellwig as a performer, and was not stupid enough to discount his draw with the fans. On the DVD, Vince is also probably the only contributor who defends Hellwig as a person.

Because of all the above and some great retro WWE footage, this DVD is well worth purchasing. The extras are also interesting, as you see some of Warrior's most impressive matches (there aren't many to choose from), including the legendary Wrestlemania 6 title match with Hogan, which was as good as it could possibly have been considering the protagonists. Also included is the cage match with Rick Rude from Summerslam 90 (made a success by Rude) and the retirement match with Randy Savage from Wrestlemania VII (as Hogan says, it was virtually impossible to have a bad match with Savage). There is also the pointless inclusion of his squash Intercontinental title victory over the Honky Tonk Man from Summerslam 88, which is so short it is already included in the documentary itself. This would have been better replaced by his tag match with Hogan against Sgt. Slaughter, Col. Mustafa and Gen. Adnan at Summerslam 91, due to its unpredictable atmosphere and the fact Hellwig was fired as soon as he came back through the curtain.

Ultimately degrading and ultimately fascinating
Normally WWE honours wrestling legends with their DVD releases. And whenever that happens, they always do an excellent job in portraying their legacies as they're supposed to be portrayed. That they were great wrestlers/characters who contributed so much to the wrestling business and should never ever be forgotten.

In the case of The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior, WWE shows that they can do just as good a job at burying a guy as they can worshipping a guy. And it really frightens me how easily they could've done this same burial to Bret Hart if he hadn't agreed to partake in The Bret Hart Story project.

Regardless of this negative portrayal of one of the biggest stars in WWE's illustrious history, The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior is actually very enjoyable to watch. Reason being is that it has that same level of high-quality production and presentation that WWE puts into its documentaries. And it's the Ultimate Warrior we're talking about here.

Right away, the story dives into how the Warrior's career started out. And like all wrestlers' life stories, it's compelling to learn of Jim Hellwig's beginnings in wrestling. And it's worth noting that during the first few moments of this, everyone pretty much gives an impartial, `giving credit where credit is due' view of the Warrior and his talents. And it's excellent to see things about the Ultimate Warrior being attributed to greatness, particularly his ring entrance and awesome music. The Warrior's entrance was always the stuff of legend and it's great to be recognised as such.

This isn't an ENTIRELY degrading WWE production. Guys like Chris Jericho, Christian (Cage) and Steve `Brooklyn Brawler' Lombardi make fair comments about the Warrior and give him deserving praise about his skills and accomplishments. The naysayers also acknowledge his charisma, talents and how big a star he became and I'm happy to see this, especially during moments like when Warrior crushed the Honky Tonk Man to become the Intercontinental Champion.

But guys like Ted DiBiase, Bobby Heenan, Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross (surprisingly), Vince McMahon among many more are not ashamed at all to tear down the Ultimate Warrior most of the time. Especially during the discussion of his interviews, where they dub them as rambling, ranting and incoherent nonsense. Although I admit that some of the Warrior's stuff was just blurted out with no real creativity, I found potential there and believe his interviews got better and more refined as the years passed.

When his feuds with the late great Rick Rude and Andre the Giant are discussed, Warrior is buried even further as the naysayers say that they essentially carried him throughout the whole duration of those programs. While both Rude and Andre are true legends and should be acknowledged as such, Warrior really deserves more than this. Okay, he was in no way a technical wrestler but so what? A lot of legendary wrestlers were limited but did that ever stop them from being great performers and having classic matches? No. The same rule applies to the Ultimate Warrior.

When the documentary finally covers the Ultimate Challenge at WrestleMania VI, where the Ultimate Warrior scored his unforgettable WWE Championship victory over Hulk Hogan, it's treated as it should be. One of the greatest moments in the history of WWE and wrestling itself. Everyone acknowledges it as a truly awesome moment and quite right, too. Even though there's still a few nitpicks, Warrior's WWE title reign is generally regarded as unforgettably great. And you soon realise that it's really not the Ultimate Warrior the wrestler that's being targeted here. It's Jim Hellwig the human being.

Aside from people saying they had personal problems with working the Warrior, there's also the issue regarding SummerSlam 1991, where Warrior held Vince up for more money according to WWE. Things definitely take a darker, uglier tone here, as it's no longer funny. It's serious. The Warrior's real-life name change, his subsequent returns and departures, his lawsuit against WWE and the disaster of his WCW run all paint an ugly picture of Jim Hellwig.

But is it all JUSTIFIED? Well, given the Warrior's dubious reputation and his VERY controversial and disgusting response to WWE's invitation to give his side of the story (which I HAVE read), I can understand why WWE have done this. I think what shocks me the most about this DVD release is to see Vince McMahon and the WWE tear down one of their greatest stars in such a frightening way.

So why am I giving this high marks, then? Because as I said, this has typical high-quality WWE production and presentation values. This is another excellent documentary that's boosted by an extremely fascinating subject matter. And it's very compelling viewing because of it. It also ends well with people giving the Ultimate Warrior his due and acknowledging him as one of the truest legends of all time.

Backed up by a classic selection of matches against the likes of Hulk Hogan, Rick Rude, Macho Man Randy Savage and Honky Tonk Man, some interesting extra stories regarding the Warrior and a truly hilarious impersonation by Christian (Cage) of the Ultimate Warrior, this DVD is one of WWE's most outstanding releases. It's controversial and that's its greatest strength. As Eric Bischoff has said, controversy creates cash.

If you're die-hard fans, The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior will please because of its subject. But it's guaranteed to offend many fans of someone who may or may not deserve to be portrayed this way. Frankly, you're guess is as good as mine when it comes to deciding for yourself the kind of person he is/was. Whatever the case, this is fascinating viewing and more than merits a look.

ah the memories!
lets head back in time,my time firstly,i got into wwf as it was then in 1992,the royal rumble to be precise,what an event,from there i got all the videos prior to that and many of them after,so for me i saw the ultimate warrior in his more hated backstage days as a wrestler,in summerslam 1991,he held vince mcmahon to ransom over his pay cheque and was fired after the match,he came back a while later and thats when i saw him more,i liked him,thought he was great and liked his music and style but i was always a hogan fan,that was my childhood hero,for many the ultimate warrior was their hero but the man had an ego,a bad attitude and couldnt be trusted,plus when i look back,he wasnt a great wrestler,as bobby the brain states here,he had the style of a man that came from the gym,straight into the ring and knew nothing of the business' history and who to respect.
All of this is probably true,however this dvd charting the rise and fall of the wrestler,is very one sided,the ultimate warrior doesnt appear today giving his side of events,mind you,he is a bit of a recluse,he is also mad in the head if what we hear is too be believed.
The dvd talks us through the career of the warrior with interviews with howard fink,jerry the king,hulk hogan,who didnt like him either,jim ross and most importantly vince mcmahon,they all praise him more or less but then they sweep the legs from under him and slag him off,none the least bobby the brain who hates the man.
The ultimate warrior certainly thought alot of himself,he travelled to matches alone ,dressed alone and forged no friendships of note,but he had his own reasons im sure,although we aint gonna learn them here.
This is a good dvd,pretty educational but spot on for entertainment,the bonus matches are good and highlight how popular he was and how effective in the ring he could be,the honky tonk match is one quick highlight,the warrior wasnt the greatest wrestler this world has seen but he fitted the time when he was most successful,a fine dvd,but certainly one sided.