The Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude
SummerSlam '89
The first high-profile feud that Ultimate Warrior participated in was against a man that would become a long-time foe and bitter rival. One year after making a statement at the inaugural SummerSlam, Warrior returned to the PPV that started it all, going one-on-one with Rude for the Intercontinental Championship.
The program between Warrior and Rude began at the Royal Rumble PPV with an “Ultimate Posedown”, which extended to an actual match at WrestleMania, during which Bobby Heenan helped the “Ravishing One” win the belt. The two ran this rematch a dozen times in dark events all around the country, leading up to SummerSlam '89.
After a lengthy contest that saw a referee bump, the use of foreign objects, Bobby Heenan trying to get involved, and brawling in and around the ring, Warrior took advantage of a distraction by “Rowdy” Roddy Piper to hit the big splash for the win, electrifying the Meadowlands Arena.
"In much the same way I was more entertained by HBK than I was Bret Hart, I admittedly was a stronger member of oWn than I was Hulkamania. There was something about Warrior that, as a kid AND an adult, albeit on two entirely differently levels, drew me into his entire universe. As a kid, it was the pure energy he brought to his matches and promos. It was infectious. As an adult, it was the polarizing (and sometimes controversial) things he'd say. Warrior was simply compelling, always. There has never been an entertainer quite like The Warrior, and there will never be again. He was truly one of a kind."-Chris Cash, Wrestlezone writer
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