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Former WWE wrestler Sam Houston recently explained why Vince McMahon was never going to treat The Ultimate Warrior in the same way as Hulk Hogan.
Hogan headlined eight of the first nine WrestleMania events between 1985 and 1993. He also earned fame outside of wrestling following his role as Thunderlips in the 1982 film Rocky III. By contrast, The Ultimate Warrior burst onto WWE's main-event scene in the late 1980s before defeating Hogan at WrestleMania 6 in 1990.
On the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, Houston recalled how Warrior once demanded the same pay as Hogan:
"I heard that he [The Ultimate Warrior] went up and he said he wanted the same deal Hogan had, and I don't think that was ever gonna happen again. When Hogan got over as big as he did and all that, and when he left Vince and stuff, it was kinda like a shattering, you know? A smart guy is never gonna put all of his eggs in one basket." [35:20 – 35:49]
The Ultimate Warrior famously threatened to no-show SummerSlam 1991 if McMahon did not agree to pay him more money. The WWE Executive Chairman agreed to the superstar's request before suspending him after the show.
Sam Houston on The Ultimate Warrior's backstage reputation in WWE
In the 1980s, Vince McMahon's WWE shows often revolved around larger-than-life superstars with an impressive physique or towering presence. At the time, the company's brand of sports entertainment was often referred to as "the land of the giants."
Sam Houston, The Ultimate Warrior's former travel partner, sensed that other men in the locker room were envious of the former WWE Champion:
"Everybody was jealous of him [The Ultimate Warrior] over that [physique]. How could you beat that? That physique and the whole nine yards. On all the other aspects, he was way out there on left field. I don't think he really totally understood the business. I think he understood marketing and those types of things." [34:49 – 35:15]
In the same interview, Houston revealed that McMahon once praised him backstage after a match involving Warrior.
What are your thoughts on The Ultimate Warrior? Let us know in the comments section below.
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.
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