The Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude
SummerSlam '90
At the very first SummerSlam, the Warrior made history by breaking the Honkey Tonk Man's frustratingly long Intercontinental Championship reign. At the second SummerSlam, Warrior won back the Intercontinental Championship from Rick Rude. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.
By the time the third annual SummerSlam PPV came along, The Ultimate Warrior was at the top of the business, the reigning WWE Champion of the day. It was a fitting rivalry to take place within the confines of a steel cage, against Rick Rude – the man who would never become the world's heavyweight champion. Of course, Warrior would go on to win the match, retaining the title and putting an end to their year-long feud, before delivering one final shot to Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.
"For a lot of kids who grew up at the tail end of the 80's, and into the 90's, The Ultimate Warrior was the closet thing we had to a "real-life" Superhero. He was larger than life, with more energy and electricity than any man had the right to have. I remember kids who used to tape streamers or pieces of paper to their arms and run around pretending to be the Warrior. He was a more accessible version of The Incredible Hulk, except we knew Hulk was a comic book character, and we thought Warrior was for real. Losing him has been like losing a part of childhood, and I know a lot of people in their 20's and early 30's are feeling that way right about now. Rude, Andre, Savage, Warrior – the heroes we idolized and emulated as children are slowly passing away. Growing up sucks. Rest in power, Warrior.
-Mike Killam, Wrestlezone writer
