10 WWE Stars Who Were Fired For Unprofessional Conduct 4

4. The Ultimate Warrior Is Suspended For Half A Year

This example is a firing in all but name, the incident leading to WWF’s top babyface of the early nineties leaving the company for over seven months.

In July 1991, The Ultimate Warrior made his case for treatment equivalent to the company’s top man, Hulk Hogan. Unfortunately, the way he went about it wouldn’t make him any friends.

Warrior would write a letter to Vince McMahon, demanding additional clauses in his WWF contract. He demanded travelling accommodations to be covered by the company, a higher rate of royalties for merchandise sales, a set number of working days over the year… and over half a million dollars for working Wrestlemania VII, saying that he had “meant as much or more to the show than Hulk.” He finished his written demands by implying that he wouldn’t show up for work until he received what he wanted, thereby giving the letter the appearance of a ransom note.

McMahon was hopping mad, but he needed Warrior to show up for the Summerslam main event, where he would be partnered with Hogan in a handicap match against a foreign heel stable led by the traitorous Sgt. Slaughter. The wrestling audience of 1991 still popped heavily for such jingoistic storylines, and McMahon could see money slipping through his fingers.

Warrior received a reply several days later, agreeing to all of his demands in suspiciously cordial fashion. He turned up to Summerslam weeks later in high spirits, worked the main event in typical, over-the-top Warrior fashion… and was handed a letter on walking backstage that night, dated that day, suspending him immediately for, amongst many other things, attempting to hold his employers to ransom.

McMahon had only temporarily agreed the terms Warrior set out, without legally signing anything, in order to get Warrior to show up at Summerslam. Warrior howled about the suspension, threatening to quit, but Vince was adamant. The Ultimate Warrior would not return to the WWF until the following year’s Wrestlemania.