Why Ultimate Warrior's Last Words Feel So Haunting Now

Ultimate Warrior was a complex and oftentimes disliked, controversial man, but toward the end of his life, he mended his relationship with WWE and its-then chairman Vince McMahon. Gone were the days of "The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior" DVD with those in the company bashing James Hellwig, and in April 2014, ahead of WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans, Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Little did Warrior or his fans know that the Hall of Fame, and his subsequent appearance on "WWE Raw" after 'Mania, were two of the last things he would do in his life.

On the April 7 edition of "Raw," Warrior appeared in front of fans and would cut what would be his final promo and hauntingly seemed to predict his own death. He thanked the fans, who he said helped make the Ultimate Warrior character such a legend. He ended the almost three-minute long speech in the ring by saying, "The spirit of the Ultimate Warrior will run forever." He then removed the mask fashioned to look like his character's face paint from around his eyes and shook the ropes in front of the fans one last time.

The following day, Warrior died at the age of 54 after he collapsed outside of his hotel room alongside his wife. Reports indicated Warrior clutched his chest before he collapsed, and an autopsy revealed he died of a heart attack.

In his Hall of Fame speech, Warrior also alluded to the one day that "every man's heart beats its final beat." He also said the spirit of a performer, who he also called a storyteller, "would be immortalized after [their] passing." Warrior was immortalized after his own death with the creation of the WWE Warrior Award, which is given to those who embody the "unwavering strength, perseverance, courage, and compassion" of Ultimate Warrior. The award is usually given out during the Hall of Fame ceremony.