Dana Warrior Comments on Anniversary of The Ultimate Warrior’s Death

One year ago Wednesday, The Ultimate Warrior died unexpectedly of a heart attack following an appearance on the post-WrestleMania edition of “Monday Night Raw.” Warrior collapsed near his hotel, and was unable to be revived.

Dana Warrior, who recently appeared at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony to give the Warrior Award to Connor “The Crusher” Michalek, posted a lengthy message on her social media commemorating her husband. A portion of it can be found below.

“WARRIORS ARE REQUIRED NOT TO HIDE FROM PAINFUL ANNIVERSARIES…

Warriors my heart is crushed as I write this. At this time a year ago I still had him. At this time he was still walking and talking and breathing…I could reach out my hand and I could touch him. I could hear his breath, see the tiny hairs on his arms, feel the scruff of his stubble, hug him, kiss him, hold his hand and smile into his eyes as he brushed hair away from my face. A year later I do not have the privilege of any of those things. How can that be?

I’m going to tell you something I’m a little embarrassed to say. I have never unpacked my husband’s bags from last year’s Hall of Fame/ Wrestlemania weekend. They sit in a far nook of my house I walk by often. Every single time I see his red and black bags I tell myself I should pull off the bandaid and put his things away….but I cannot. If I unpack those bags he will never be here to repack them. He will never again choose the essentials to place in each case. His hands will never zip the zippers, his strong arms will never carry them to the car and he will really and finally be irrevocably gone.

Warriors, I know this is irrational but I will always tell you the truth and the truth is sometimes I think those suitcases will need to stay packed forever just so I don’t have to let him go…at least not all the way.

The single hardest thing I had to do this entire year might surprise you. WWE needed me to get his ring gear together for AXXESS which I am so glad that I did now and was entirely delighted to do when they asked..until I began the process. I would start out strong then end up in a puddle because the smell of him was in every fiber of those pieces along with his spirit. I cannot explain why I felt him most strongly digging into those boxes but the tears that dripped off my face and onto the his ring gear fabric were so much wetter and more painful than I could aptly describe. There was nothing that went with those monster tears, no sound, no hiccups, no sniffles, just the splash of rain puddle tears that felt as though they would never ever stop..but eventually, like every storm, they did. I touched the fabric, held his strings, ran my hand over his jackets and actually put my little feet into his giant boots. I cried thinking I could put my feet in these epic boots but I could never fill his shoes. There will ever only be one Warrior…and he was ULTIMATE!

You warriors out there give me so much credit for being strong but I fear that is not always true. This morning I do not feel strong. I feel sad and cheated. I wanted happily ever after with my husband…he was my guy and I loved him ferociously. I, of course, would not trade the beautiful years we had, even knowing the crushing pain that follows the loss. Still, perhaps I’m greedy, but today especially, I want more. We fought a lot of hard battles. We had a lot of tough things to face. I was looking forward to that time we slowed down just a stitch and soaked in the beauty of what we fought so hard to achieve. My goodness, I am so sad that will never be.”

More from the passage can be found here.

Editor’s Note

A heartfelt and somber message. A shame he was taken so soon, but he got the “ultimate” send-off.

Follow @JonAlbaSFC