Autopsy Confirms Ultimate Warrior Died Of Heart Disease

WWE Hall Of Famer The Ultimate Warrior suffered a fatal heart attack according to an autopsy released yesterday. Born as James Hellwig, the man known as Warrior clutched his chest outside of a hotel April 8th and collapsed while walking with his wife. He was taken to a hospital where he never regained consciousness. The autopsy shows Warrior died as a result of heart disease via natural causes, meaning no drugs and alcohol were in his system. He was 54, and survived by his wife and two daughters.

Warrior was just on his way out of New Orleans after attending Wrestlemania week, which is the biggest wrestling event of the year. According to TMZ, his death came the day after appearing on television three nights in a row, his last performance being a speech given to a live audience on Monday Night RAW. The speech read as follows…

"No WWE talent becomes a legend on their own. Every man's heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe their final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them believe deeper in 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. In the back I see many potential legends. Some of them with warrior spirits. And you will do the same for them. You will decide if they lived with the passion and intensity. So much so that you will tell your stories and you will make them legends, as well. I am Ultimate Warrior. You are the Ultimate Warrior fans. And the spirit of The Ultimate Warrior will run forever!"

Warrior had a strange relationship with many in the WWE. In 1991, he requested amendments to his contract during an interview with owner Vince McMahon. He was later suspended, which caused him to resign. Warrior returned in 1992 with more creative control over his character but was fired by Vince McMahon after testing positive for steroid use. He returned in 1996 to be fired again after taking too much time off to grieve his dead father. McMahon defended his decision by stating Warrior had not seen his father in over 10 years and it was openly known he didn’t care much for him. Warrior then left wrestling with the WWE for good, but the bad blood between the two played out in various interviews for years to follow.

Luckily, this year was one of redemption between the relationship of Warrior and the WWE. After years of silence, Warrior was announced as a DLC for the videogame WWE 2K14. Months later, it would be revealed that Warrior was being inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining many of his colleagues who were already inducted. The Ultimate Warrior's biggest claim to fame in the wrestling world is being the first Intercontinental and World Heavyweight champion, and the first man to ever pin Hulk Hogan in a PPV event.

He'll be missed.

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.