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Words of a Warrior

Posted: Apr 10th 2014 By: Mick Foley

When I first heard the news of the Ultimate Warrior?s passing ? from my oldest son ? my first thoughts were of his precious daughters, and how their father ? whose love for them was clear ? had been taken away from them far to early in their lives.

My second thought was about the foolish tweet I sent out during Warrior?s Hall of Fame induction speech ? and how badly I wish I could have taken those words back. Maybe they seemed harmless at the time, but in retrospect, the fact that my final words about Warrior were negative ones has had me feeling pretty bad these last 24 hours.

I did not dislike Warrior. I got along fine with him in 1996, and years later, during a ?Legends Rountable? focusing on ?Heatseekers?, I was good-naturedly kidded by my fellow Roundtable guests for having nothing negative to say about Warrior, Paul Heyman or Buff Bagwell.

His promo style was loved by some, loathed by others for their seemingly nonsensical style. But Warrior?s promos were unique and intense ? and no one has done anything quite like them, before or sense. But in his final promo, he was anything but nonsensical. He was profound, and eerily prophetic.

?No WWE talent becomes a legend on their own,? he told the audience. ?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 that?s 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.?

A brilliant statement, but a bittersweet moment to wantch after the fact ? knowing how close the subject hit to home. I was thrilled to see someone I knew at the 3:10 moment of the video clip ? my onw daughter, reacting to the historic moment ? smiling, clapping; making sure that at least one Foley gave this iconic figure ? and a well-deserved inductee in to the WWE Hall of Fame the goodbye I should have had for him.?