Former WCW Booker Reveals Why The Ultimate Warrior Was Hired In 1998

The late wrestling legend and former WCW booker Kevin Sullivan shared details surrounding the controversial 1998 signing of The Ultimate Warrior by WCW.

According to Sullivan, in an interview on The Hannibal TV, this high-profile signing wasn’t aimed at boosting ratings or refreshing storylines but was primarily driven by Hulk Hogan’s desire to avenge an old loss. Sullivan explained that Hogan’s primary motivation was to “get the win back” over The Ultimate Warrior, referring to their iconic 1990 WrestleMania VI match where Hogan was defeated in what many saw as a symbolic passing of the torch in WWE. Sullivan noted:

It was Hogan getting the win back. That bothered him, that he did a job for Ultimate Warrior, that was the whole thing to bring him back.

This insight sheds light on the behind-the-scenes dynamics that often influenced booking decisions in WCW, especially during the “Monday Night Wars” era. Sullivan further elaborated on the clash in styles between Warrior and the WCW product at the time. WCW had a roster that emphasised technical wrestling, with intense storylines fuelled by the NWO’s edgy style. Bringing in Warrior was, in Sullivan’s view, a misfit for the company’s direction.

The business had changed then. If you look at the talent we had underneath, there was a lot of wrestling, and then we had the violence with NWO, and then here comes The Warrior; it’s completely off-centred to what the wrestling was.

Sullivan also underscored how Hogan’s decision reflected a personal agenda.

But this was Hulk’s way of getting the win back when he put him over at WrestleMania. Strange, he put himself ahead of business.

Sullivan said, suggesting that personal priorities sometimes overshadowed professional strategy in WCW’s decision-making process.

Which WWE Hall Of Famer Said They Got An Unexpected Apology From The Ultimate Warrior?

WWE Hall of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts said that he got an unexpected apology from The Ultimate Warrior at the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame event. Roberts disliked Warrior due to his early exit from the WWE in 1991 at a time when Warrior was feuding with Roberts and this left Roberts without anyone to feud with which he thought affected his career at the time.

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