On April 2, 2011, the night before WrestleMania XXVII they, along with Paul Ellering were inducted into the Hall Of Fame by Dusty Rhodes. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Mike Hegstrand was born on January 26, 1957 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA as Michael James Hegstrand. Puke, supposedly attempting to rescue Hawk, climbed after him, only to apparently throw Hawk over the side (with a special effect being used to make it appear as though fans could see Hegstrand's body plunging a fatal distance behind the screen); Puke then revealed that he had been enabling Hawk's drug addiction in order to kill him and take his place in the Legion of Doom. He was 46 years old. [7], During the Attitude Era, in which the WWF moved towards a more "adult" product, the Legion of Doom was placed into a storyline incorporating Hegstrand's real-life drug addiction and alcoholism, against the wishes of both Hegstrand and Laurinaitis. Neither man knew at the time that they would make wrestling history that day. When Animal returned, he initially wore a hockey goalie mask to protect his eye. In August 1993 Hawk made sporadic appearances in World Championship Wrestling as a mystery partner of Dustin Rhodes and later as a replacement partner when Davey Boy Smith left the promotion but nothing permanent ever came of it, and Hawk left after Starrcade in December 1993. When they lost the titles in February 1992 they were briefly taken off television, only to return with long-time manager Paul Ellering by their side, as well as a wooden dummy called “Rocco”. Two weeks before he died he wrestled his final match with Ted DiBiase in Oshawa, Ontario against Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Marcus "Buff" Bagwell. In order to stabilize the team, a third member, Puke, was introduced later known as Droz. During that time, Sting and Lex Luger had won the WCW World Tag Team Championship and the Warriors challenged them, to no success. On the March 28, 2011 episode of Raw, it was announced that the Road Warriors would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2011. When Animal returned, he initially wore a hockey goalie mask to protect his eye. Road Warrior Hawk in a WWF photo shoot from the early 90s. He was famous for his partnership with Joe Laurinaitis, a.k.a. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Hegstrand said that he felt tired and went to take a nap. Animal returned to WWE in mid-2005 and decided to dedicate his entire run to Hegstrand, including his tag team title victory with Heidenreich at The Great American Bash. Laurinaitis and Hegstrand became born-again Christians in 2003 and appeared at a number of Christian wrestling events run by Ted DiBiase and Nikita Koloff hoping to reignite their tag-team career. That victory also led to Team USA winning the International Tournament held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Join Facebook to connect with Dale Watts and others you may know. (Popular rumor at the time cited a heart condition on Bill Eadie's part, but this has been discredited in recent years. In November 1997 the Legion of Doom faced the newly formed New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn) and shockingly lost the titles to the upstart team. The Road Warriors with manager Paul Ellering, sometime between ‘83-84 [Photo courtesy of Mike Leotis] "Before the match, Ole tells us ‘Go out there and just kick the shit out of these guys because you don’t know how to work and if they’ve got a problem with it, they can go get a job somewhere else,’" Hawk said in a 2000 shoot interview. [40][3] He was 46 years old. Outside of The Road Warriors, Hawk was a sporadic challenger for world heavyweight championships on pay-per-view from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. [8] They were so in demand that they started to split their time between the AWA and the National Wrestling Alliance until finally leaving the AWA for big money contracts with the NWA and a huge push for the monster duo. Both members of the Legion of Doom thought the gimmick was stupid, as did most of the fans and it led to Hawk quitting the WWF,[29] leaving Animal on his own for the first time in nine years. When his wife checked on him at about 1 a.m., he had died of a sudden heart attack. photo: wwe.com Michael and his wife, Dale, had purchased a new condo in Florida and were looking forward to moving. He confirmed this in a shoot interview in 2007. At the time of his death, Hawk and Animal were working on a book about their careers. )[citation needed] However, fans did not react as strongly to this new Demolition team as they had to the original configuration, and the feud was considered a disappointment. Carmella / Charlie Chaplin (17 episodes, 2017-2019) Pat Buck. After high school, he had various odd jobs to make ends meet such as a butcher. He net worth has been growing significantly in 2018-19. Sharkey thought that Hegstrand, along with Joe Laurinaitis, Rick Rood and Barry Darsow could make it big in professional wrestling. His friends said that he and his wife Dale had recently bought a condominium near their current home and were packing their boxes the night before. Married Dale Watts. Both members of the Legion of Doom thought the gimmick was stupid, as did most of the fans and it led to Hawk quitting the WWF, leaving Animal on his own for the first time in nine years. Neither man knew at the time that they would make wrestling history that day. Hawk was known for often beginning his promos with his trademark yell of "WELLLLLLLLLLLLLL!..." Road Warrior Hawk was born on 26 January, 1957 in Saint Paul, MN, is an American professional wrestler. While living in Minneapolis, Hegstrand attended Patrick Henry High School where he graduated in 1976. Dale Watts. 1 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with, Ranked No. a The Road Warriors reign with the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship, with Genichiro Tenryu, began December 7, 1988 after Ted Turner's purchase of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from Jim Crockett, Jr. and having it renamed World Championship Wrestling. [15][16][17] During their initial run in the Mid-Atlantic region of the NWA, they helped popularize the WarGames match,[11] the Scaffold match,[18] and their trademark Chicago Street Fight. Laurinaitis and Hegstrand became born-again Christians in 2001 and appeared at a number of Christian wrestling events run by Ted DiBiase and Nikita Koloff hoping to reignite their tag-team career. Self / Pat Buck (17 episodes, 2019-2020) Jeremy Fritz. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 26 January. Hegstrand traveled back home with Rood. Dick was a 1966 graduate of Warrior Run High School and attended Bloomsburg State College. After packing boxes on October 19, 2003, Hegstand told his wife that he was feeling tired and wanted to turn in for the night early. In May 1995, he reappeared in WCW. He was billed as "Crusher Von Haig" and wrestled in Vancouver. On June 22, 2002 International Wrestling Superstars, Road Warriors Animal & Hawk defeated the Headshrinkers for the World Tag-Team Championship. He was married to Dale Watts and Judy Pendzimas. [6], When Paul Ellering was looking to put together a stable of heels in Georgia Championship Wrestling called The Legion of Doom it was decided to pair Laurinaitis with Hegstrand and change their names to "Animal" and "Hawk" respectively; thus, The Road Warriors were born. His friends said that he and his wife Dale had recently bought a condominium near their current home and were packing their boxes the night before. He was known to professional wrestling fans around the world as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the legendary tag team, The Road Warriors (or as the Legion of Doom). - Brian Knobbs and Johnny B. Badd (w/ Missy Hyatt) defeated Erik Watts and Paul Roma ... - Road Warrior Hawk defeated Big Bubba ... - Tony Nas defeated Austin Blackburn and Dale … He headlined the inaugural 1993 edition of ECW's premier annual event, November to Remember.[5]. and ending with his catch phrase of "OOOOOOOOOH, WHAT A RUUUUUUUUUUUUSH! Anderson gave them the name the Road Warriors. Animal's partner for the night would find himself in legal trouble. However, fans did not react as strongly to this new Demolition team as they had to the original configuration, and the feud was considered a disappointment. Hegstrand said that he felt tired and went to take a nap. Hawk competed as a singles wrestler in Europe, Australia, and Japan and although he won nearly every singles match he competed in, he was usually seen (by North American and Japanese fans at least) as a tag team wrestler. He died on October 19, 2003 in Seminole, Florida, USA. Animal and Hawk made a surprise appearance on Raw on May 12, 2003 when they took on Kane and Rob Van Dam for the World Tag Team Championship. Michael Hegstrand (September 12, 1957 – October 19, 2003) was an American professional wrestler.He is best known as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as The Road Warriors (The Legion of Doom in WWF), with Road Warrior Animal.Outside of The Road Warriors, Hawk was a sporadic challenger for world heavyweight championships on pay-per-view from the late 1980s to the … To look more intimidating the two shaved their heads into Mohawks and started wearing studded dog collars, leather chaps, and face paint. They were so in demand that they started to split their time between the AWA and the National Wrestling Alliance until finally leaving the AWA for big money contracts with the NWA and a huge push for the monster duo. At 46 years old, Road Warrior Hawk height is 6′ 3″ . were repackaged as Legion of Doom 2000 with manager Sunny, although she did not stay with the team for long. Also Sid arrives in a limo and Randy Hales has some words. During the match, The New Age Outlaws attacked L.O.D. However, it took place before the title was renamed the WCW World Tag Team Championship. After leaving WCW they returned to the WWF where the Legion of Doom took part in the feud between ”Stone Cold” Steve Austin and the Hart Foundation, siding with Austin. [8] In 2000, during a tour in Australia, Hegstrand was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that stopped him from wrestling for a short while. The Powers of Pain even went so far as to injure Animal's eye (kayfabe) during a weightlifting competition. Despite being heels at the time and using brutal tactics against Stan Lane and "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton, once again they were cheered by the crowd. WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Big Van Vader (Since 3/17/1993) WCW International World Heavyweight Champion: Rick Rude (Since 9/19/1993) WCW United S Find Dale Watts online. Sadly, he would never wake up. Animal had briefly competed as the Road Warrior before Ellering paired him up with fellow Chicagoan Hawk to form the Road Warriors. While the Road Warriors never officially broke up, Animal started making an increasing number of solo appearances after they left the WWF as Hegstrand struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and generally did not appear at many wrestling shows during this time. Family Life. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 46 years old? Discover Road Warrior Hawk's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. After leaving WCW they returned to the WWF[36] where the Legion of Doom took part in the feud between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and the Hart Foundation, siding with Austin. Thus, he always fought either mid-card opponents or made teams with better-known singles stars. [citation needed]. Sting was the final inductee and was inducted by Ric Flair. [34][35] The rise of the New World Order precluded further challenges, and they headed back to the WWF. The move paid off instantly as they won the inaugural Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament and feuded with the top stars of the NWA such as The Four Horsemen and The Russian Team (which included the Road Warriors’ old training buddy Barry Darsow, then wrestling as Krusher Khrushchev). In July 1995, he helped Sting in a feud against Meng and Kurasawa, but a proposed singles feud with Kurasawa fell through due to an arm injury (in kayfabe Kurasawa broke Hawk's arm using a cross armbreaker, to let Hawk rest). Sharkey thought that Hegstrand, along with Joe Laurinaitis, Rick Rood and Barry Darsow could make it big in professional wrestling. After high school, he had various odd jobs to make ends meet such as a butcher. The WWE Hall of Famer’s death was confirmed by his family on his official Twitter account. All Star Wrestling (1994) [7] The two dominated NJPW's tag team ranks for a while through their two wins of the IWGP Tag Team Championship,[9] but no North American promoter thought about bringing them as a team, due to Sasaki's affiliation with NJPW. [37] The Legion of Doom also became 2 time tag-team champions on October 7, 1997 when they defeated The Godwinns. He is a member of famous Wrestler with the age 46 years old group. He was married to Dale Watts and Judy Pendzimas. [19], In 1988 the Road Warriors engaged in a violent feud with The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord), the first team that could truly match the Road Warriors in power (and who were one of the most well known Road Warrior clones). The stable was s… [30] Hawk left ECW in 1994. [9] In November 1997 the Legion of Doom faced the newly formed New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn) and shockingly lost the titles to the upstart team.[9]. 1986. Later in 2003, Hawk made an appearance with the All World Wrestling League, a take-off of the 'original' Big Time Wrestling that was owned by The Original Sheik who died earlier that year; it was run by the sons of The Sheik, Eddie and Tom Farhat. Over his career, he and his good friend, Joe (Road Warrior Animal) at one time or other held the world tag team titles from every major pro wrestling organization, including the NWA, AWA, WWE (or WWF) and WCW. Two weeks before he died he wrestled his final match with Ted DiBiase in Oshawa, Ontario against Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Marcus "Buff" Bagwell. They called Hawk and I into a room and said, 'Hey, you know that movie Road Warrior?' [28] Due to his health, Ax was replaced by a new member of Demolition, Crush. They also appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in late 2002 and early 2003 as part of a group that opposed Vince Russo’s faction Sports Entertainment Xtreme but only wrestled one actual match for the company.[38]. The CAC 2020 Tag Team Award will go to the Road Warriors! After high school, he had various odd jobs to make ends meet. Animal returned to WWE in mid-2005 and decided to dedicate his entire run to Hegstrand, including his tag team title victory with Heidenreich at The Great American Bash. Hegstrand died on October 19, 2003 in the early morning in his home in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. An imposing figure due to his size and love of power lifting, he was a very effective bouncer. In 2001, Hegstrand was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that stopped him from wrestling for a short while. When he joined New Japan Pro Wrestling he was immediately paired with Kensuke Sasaki, then simply known as a good mid-carder, as the Hell Raisers (Sasaki adopting the face paint and gimmick Power Warrior). Hawk returned in January 1996, but this time, he also brought Animal back with him as his back had finally recovered enough for him to return to active competition. He would work as a bouncer at Grandma B's in the Twin Cities where he caught the eye of Eddie Sharkey, a well known wrestling trainer. The Road Warriors immediately signed with the World Wrestling Federation and were pushed into a feud with Demolition (which once again included their old training partner Barry Darsow). Joseph Michael Laurinaitis (September 12, 1960 – September 22, 2020), better known by his ring name Road Warrior Animal (or simply Animal), was an American professional wrestler.Along with Road Warrior Hawk, he was one half of the tag team The Road Warriors/The Legion of Doom. In July 1995, he helped Sting in a feud against Meng and Kurasawa,[33] but a proposed singles feud with Kurasawa fell through due to an arm injury (in kayfabe Kurasawa broke Hawk's arm using a cross armbreaker, to let Hawk rest). View the profiles of people named Dale Watts. The angle abruptly ended when the Powers of Pain left the NWA after finding out they were booked against the Road Warriors in a series of Scaffold Matches and they did not want to get hurt by falling off the scaffold.[7]. [39] Although Hawk and Animal came up short in their attempt to become three-time champions, it was clear that Hawk had defeated the demons that had once kept him from competing, and the Road Warriors had hopes of returning to WWE. Dale W Hardin, Dale W Hegstrand, Dale Watts Hegstrand and Dale S Watts are some of the alias or nicknames that Dale has used. On June 22, 2002 International Wrestling Superstars, Road Warriors Animal & Hawk defeated the Headshrinkers for the World Tag-Team Championship. His real name is Michael Hegstrand. The Road Warriors immediately signed with the World Wrestling Federation[27] and were pushed into a feud with Demolition (which once again included their old training partner Barry Darsow). were repackaged as Legion of Doom 2000 with manager Sunny, although she did not stay with the team for long. Soon growing weary of the road and becoming homesick. Although Hawk and Animal came up short in their attempt to become three-time champions, it was clear that Hawk had defeated the demons that had once kept him from competing, and the Road Warriors had hopes of returning to WWE. b Hawk and Animal's reign with this championship also happened after Ted Turner bought and renamed the promotion. 47 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003, One Night Tag Team Tournament (1990) – with, This page was last edited on 8 February 2021, at 07:14. Near the end of 1988, the Road Warriors captured the NWA World Tag Team Championship from The Midnight Express whom they mauled in short order to win the titles in New Orleans. When his wife checked on him at about 1 am, he had died of a sudden heart attack. We will be joined by @PaulElleringWWE and @RWAnimal who will receive the award. It was while working as a bouncer at Gramma B's in the Twin Cities that he caught the eye of Eddie Sharkey, a well known wrestling trainer. On April 2, 2011, the night before WrestleMania XXVII they, along with Paul Ellering were inducted into the Hall Of Fame by Dusty Rhodes. Watts played their reunion scene with heart-tugging conviction, turning a thankless third-string role into something oddly powerful. Structural Info. His wife is Dale Watts (m. 1998–2003), Later in 2003, Hawk made an appearance with the All World Wrestling League, a take-off of the 'original' Big Time Wrestling that was owned by The Original Sheik who died earlier that year; it was run by the sons of The Sheik, Eddie and Tom Farhat. The Ultimate Warrior's wife Dana inducted Lunden and spoke of her recent return to the public eye and openly discussing her breast cancer diagnosis in addition to becoming a spokeswoman for Susan G. Komen. He confirmed this in a shoot interview in 2007.) [8] In Georgia they won the NWA National Tag Team Championship four times[9] before moving on to bigger promotions such as the American Wrestling Association in the US and All Japan Pro Wrestling in Japan, winning tag-team titles wherever they went. challenged D-Generation X in a Tag Match. As a singles wrestler, Hawk found success in Europe, winning the CWA World Heavyweight Championship.[9]. finisher in the game) Michael P.S. Being forced to act out Hegstrand's personal demons onscreen eventually proved too much for both Hegstrand and Laurinaitis, and both men quit the company shortly after the "Puke killed Hawk" incident.[29]. Michael Hegstrand (January 26, 1957 – October 19, 2003) was an American professional wrestler. On an episode of Monday Night Raw, L.O.D. On July 3, 1982, he married the former Tina M. Bull, who survives. Associated With. Ninth St., Watsontown, died Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009, at Kramm Nursing Home, Watsontown. Michael James Hegstrand (January 26, 1957 – October 19, 2003) was an American professional wrestler.He is best remembered as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as the Road Warriors (WCW) or The Legion of Doom (WWF), with Road Warrior Animal. After being the “Uncrowned champions” for a long time, the Road Warriors’ run with the tag-team titles was short-lived. An allergic reaction to shellfish while in Japan after WrestleMania VI was the real cause of Eadie's temporary health problem. Together they had a son, Justin, who was an amateur wrestler but never participated in professional wrestling. He was billed as "Crusher Von Haig" and wrestled in Vancouver. When his wife checked on him at about 1 a.m., he had died of a sudden heart attack. Their interview style was vicious, yet charismatic and a bit humorous. Crooked referee Teddy Long used a fast count to cheat the Road Warriors out of their titles. There isn't enough space to list all of their titles and accomplishments, but one more can be added in April!pic.twitter.com/bm4jwpBgTl", "catch Wrestling Association Title Histories", "Sat. Dale Watts Hegstrand, age 53, Belleair, FL 33756 View Full Report Known Locations: Belleair FL, 33756, Indian Shores FL 33785, Seminole FL 33776 Possible Relatives: Jaime Marie Bryan, Marion P Hardin, Michael James Hegstrand [9] After being the "Uncrowned champions" for a long time, the Road Warriors’ run with the tag-team titles was short-lived. The rise of the New World Order precluded further challenges, and they headed back to the WWF. Dale Watts (m. 1998–2003), Judy Pendzimas (m. 1986–1991). Born March 4, 1948, in Lewisburg, he was a son of the late Franklin R. and Ruth (Wenrick) Fisher. [9] When they lost the titles in February 1992 they were briefly taken off television, only to return with long-time manager Paul Ellering by their side, as well as a wooden dummy called "Rocco". His wife is Dale Watts (m. 1998–2003), Judy Pendzimas (m. 1986–1991). He was an actor, known for Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows (1998), Royal Rumble (1998) and WWE Raw (1993). The Legion of Doom also became 2 time tag-team champions on October 7, 1997 when they defeated The Godwinns. [9] In their last year with the NWA, the Warriors feuded mainly with The Varsity Club,[20][21][22] The Samoan Swat Team,[23][24] and The Skyscrapers[25][26] before leaving the NWA in the summer of 1990. At the time of his death, Hawk and Animal were working on a book about their careers. Needing a quick replacement, Ole Anderson gave Hegstrand a call, and he accepted the booking to team with Laurinaitis. He was able to overcome its effects and returned to a regular working schedule later on. After several unsuccessful challenges the L.O.D. update: Great TV show, WWE multiple releases, Austin talks WWE Hall of Fame, Best night for Bellator, PPV predictions, NWA Hall of Fame, James Storm headlines benefit show, Devitt takes another title", "LOOKING AT THE NWA LEGENDS FANFEST AND WHY IT'S STILL IMPORTANT ALL THESE YEARS LATER | PWInsider.com", "Lawler, McMahon, Road Warriors among PWHF Class of 2011", "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1995", "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years", "One Night Tag Team Tournament " Tournaments Database " CAGEMATCH - the Internet Wrestling Database", "Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame", Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame profile, Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament, Creative Control/The Harris Brothers (Gerald/Ron Harris and Patrick/Don Harris), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Road_Warrior_Hawk&oldid=1005550326, Sportspeople from Pinellas County, Florida, Expatriate professional wrestlers in Japan, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, IWS World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with, World Japan Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with, IPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with, MAWA Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Doug Gibson and.