Details on the exact moment Vince McMahon changed WWE Hall of Famer's name

Mario Mancini says Vince McMahon decided to alter Jim Hellwig’s WWE name after watching one of his eccentric backstage promos.

Hellwig was known as The Dingo Warrior in WWE until his name was suddenly changed to The Ultimate Warrior in October 1987. In real life, the man behind the larger-than-life persona legally changed his name from Jim Hellwig to Warrior in 1993.

Mancini, a WWE Superstar between 1984 and 1991, spoke on the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast about his time with the company. On the topic of backstage conversations, he recalled how McMahon reacted when Warrior used the word “ultimate” for the first time:

“Jimmy Hellwig said, ‘I will be victorious because I am The Dingo Warrior... I am The Ultimate Warrior!’ And Vince said, ‘What did you just say? You’re The Ultimate Warrior?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘I like that, we’re going with that. We’re dropping The Dingo [Warrior], we’re going with The Ultimate Warrior.’ I was sitting right there," Mancini recalled. [41:55-42:32]

Warrior’s final match as The Dingo Warrior took place on October 5, 1987 when he defeated Terry Gibbs at a live event. The following day, he participated in a 10-man Battle Royal as The Ultimate Warrior during a WWE Superstars taping.

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Vince McMahon’s recent memo about WWE names

Several WWE Superstars have recently undergone name changes, including Marcel Barthel (Ludwig Kaiser), Pete Dunne (Butch), Raquel Gonzalez (Raquel Rodriguez), and WALTER (Gunther).

According to the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, Vince McMahon does not want superstars to use their real names or names they used outside of WWE. Superstars reportedly received a memo from the WWE Chairman informing them about the rule.

New United States Champion Theory, real name Austin White, also underwent a name alteration earlier this month. McMahon’s on-screen protégé had been known as Austin Theory for several years, but he is no longer allowed to use his real first name.

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Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.