Ultimate Warrior has sometimes been criticized for his wrestling skills in the ring. According to a former fellow wrestler, he believes Warrior’s character made up for it.
Speaking in an archived interview that recently appeared on Title Match Wrestling, retired wrestler and former WWE star Kevin Wacholz, better known as Nailz during his time in the ring, said that Warrior’s character was always meant to be more style over substance. He said that came at the cost of rubbing some stars the wrong way.
“He was kind of thrusted into a spot when he got there, he was in a top spot. So it was a lot of pressure on him,” Nailz said. “And a lot of the guys were basically jealous of him getting first class tickets, or limousines, or whatever carte blanche he got. Other guys thought that they should get the same treatment. And a lot of people didn’t really think that he was a great wrestler.”
Nailz says Ultimate Warrior was never supposed to be a great wrestler
Nailz went on to talk about how, even though people thought this about Warrior, it wasn’t the point of the character. Nailz mentioned that the point of Ultimate Warrior was to come in and do his thing, and get the crowd excited.
“A lot of people didn’t really think that he was a great wrestler. But you got to go back to the character. Think that about me. I wasn’t a wrestler,” said Nailz. “My character wasn’t a wrestler. Ultimate Warrior’s character wasn’t a guy coming out there giving arm drags and hip tosses. He was a guy that come out and have a shock value, run down, shake the ropes, had a great body, did what he did, and get over and get out. He wasn’t there to do the 20 minute, 40 minute standard match that people are used to seeing.”
READ MORE: Hulk Hogan: Real American Director Reacts To Ultimate Warrior Burial By Wrestlers