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PARKS'S BLOG: Many hurdles to clear before Warrior sets foot in WWE May 8, 2008 - 11:24:13 AM
Last week, The Warrior did a radio interview to hype his first match in several years, which will take place in Spain this summer against Orlando Jordan. He made some news and opened some eyes by suggesting he fight Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 25 next year.
Aside from Bruno Sammartino, Warrior was the last guy I'd ever guess would come crawling back to the wrestling business. He has been so anti-wrestling in the past (though sometimes, it's hard to tell given his unique writing style) on his website, it really makes one wonder why he's choosing to not only make his in-ring return, but also, propose returning to WWE, a company he seems to have no love lost for.
Perhaps Warrior is getting nostalgic for the good ol' days. He has seen the way former wrestlers are being acknowledged on TV and in the Hall-of-Fame, and maybe he wants a piece of that pie. WM 25 will be held in Texas this year, a region that Warrior spent some of the early days of his career. Could you imagine the induction speech? This change-of-heart could also explain why he's wrestling Jordan in his comeback match. After all, Jordan is bi-sexual and Warrior doesn't exactly have a history of tolerance when it comes to people with different orientations than him. Maybe his proposed return to WWE has to do with money; I doubt he's getting many offers for speaking engagements, what with his controversy at speeches in the past.
Warrior's interest has been established.....but what about WWE? With one exception, Vince McMahon is well-known for his penchant for putting aside personal differences if he can make a buck off the guy (or gal). Plus, Vince loves taking back wrestlers who said they'd never work for him again.
I think a Vince vs. Warrior feud could draw, but after the initial pop, it may be difficult to keep Warrior face. WWE fans have been trained to think of him as a joke, especially after the release of his "Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior" DVD. And any fans left from the Monday Night Wars will recall his disastrous WCW run. He has limitations that WWE would have to mask to make this successful.
Could Vince trust Warrior? Not only trust him in a match, but trust him to behave backstage and in media appearances, not to mention live TV, where he'll be given a mic to work with. Speaking of which, I'd tune in just to see a Santino-Warrior face-off. And would it be in WWE's best interest to hire a guy who went on TV as recently as this past summer to pretty much endorse the use of steroids?
As a fan, I would love to see a short, intense Warrior vs. Vince feud that would culminate in a match at WrestleMania 25. It could be a train-wreck, but it would be entertaining. WWE must be aware of Warrior's comments and they have to be at least considering the offer. But there are many questions WWE has to answer and tons of hurdles to clear before this becomes reality.
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