TALK IS JERICHO – EPISODE #178
HOST: CHRIS JERICHO
GUEST: DANA WARRIOR
DATE: SEPT. 16, 2015
DIRECT LINK TO STREAM OR DOWNLOAD EPISODE
By Jor Howes, PWPodcasts.com Reporter
SUBJECTS COVERED (W/TIME STAMPS)
00:00 – Advertisements
04:30 – Introduction
05:29 – Jericho tells a story about going to a listening party for the new Iron Maiden album ‘Book of Souls’
09:00 – Jericho tells a story about 2 days he spend in Edmonton and Calgary.
14:49 – Advertisements
18:06 – Jericho introduces Dana Warrior
25:28 – Dana discusses how she met the Warrior and the impact/ legacy he had at the time
32:32 – Jericho discusses the interactions he had with the Ultimate Warrior
36:31 – Advertisements
38:28 – Dana speaks about the animosity between the WWE and the Ultimate Warrior
43:38 – Dana speaks about how the WWE and the Ultimate Warrior reconciled their differences.
50:06 – Dana speaks about the Ultimate Warrior and Vince McMahon meeting back up again and his thoughts o Vince.
54:49 – Dana speaks about the last weekend of the Ultimate Warrior’s life.
102:54 – Dana speaks about his death
108:25 – Advertisements
112:25 – The Warrior Award and her involvement with Connor the Crusher
119:48 – The release of a book entitled “Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived Forever”
122:09 – The Warrior children and wrestling
123:54 – Jericho asks the usual “what is your favourite match?” question.
126:45 – Jericho wraps up this episode
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
Jericho discusses two recent matches with Kevin Owens. Jericho says something intentionally lame to insult Owens in the hopes that the crowd will pick it up and run with it. The result is potentially one of the greatest/stupidest chants from the WWE universe.
Dana describes what it was like living with the real-life Warrior. She tells stories of what any normal husband and father would go through, but with the Warrior’s intensity and passion. She discusses how he lived the Warrior gimmick in every aspect of his life and even changing the family name to match it.
Dana and Jericho speak about the impact that he made in such a short time in then-WWF and the wrestling world, but also on Dana herself.
Jericho tells stories of his two interactions with the Warrior. The better of the two involves a very strange eating habit he witnesses backstage at an event, backed up by Dana. She explains the strange eating habits he had at home and how strict his diet was.
The pair discuss the animosity between WWE (in particular Vince McMahon) and the Warrior mainly due to the release of the DVD “The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior.” Dana explains that the DVD “broke him inside” due to negative portrayal and went into detail of how angry and upset he became due to this.
Dana discusses how the road to reconciliation began with WWE. They speak highly of the involvement of “Paul” a/k/a Triple H and how his involvement helped build bridges and ultimately get the Warrior into the Hall of Fame. The pair also discuss stars including Randy Savage, Bruno Samartino, and Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart who have had similar dissension with WWE. This leads to a discussion of Warrior’s first meeting with Vince since their rift and his thoughts and feelings toward him.
Dana details the final weekend in the Warrior’s life going from the build-up to the Hall of Fame ceremony through to WrestleMania. She talks about the speeches he made and the impact it had to the viewers who witnessed it. Also, throughout the journey sharing their children’s involvement in it and what they thought of being able to go through this with their father.
This led to a discussion of his untimely death. Dana explains the shock she experienced due to how sudden it happened. She recalls how clean his lifestyle was and how even in his final days he was in fantastic shape both mentally and physically
Jericho asks how she and her husband felt about the Warrior Award, which will be presented to deserved candidates who have never laced up their boots in the ring. She talks fondly of her relationship with Steve, the father of Connor the Crusher, who sadly died at the age of seven due to cancer. It is an emotional segment who she expresses how grateful she is that the Warrior has left such a legacy that her own children will be able to recognise how his message, his philosophy, and his passion will be passed onto future generations.
Dana reveals that a book titled “Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived Forever” will soon be for sale. She reveals her own involvement in the production and giving access to unseen photographs and stories, whilst confirming that the majority of the book will focus on the epic encounters he had in the squared circle.
The interview ends with a discussion about what the Warrior’s favourite match was. She states that he always loved working with Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage, Owen Hart, The Undertaker, and Andre The Giant.
SCORE & REVIEW
8 out of 10: This is a great installment of Talk is Jericho. Despite never having met, Jericho and Dana manage to share an emotional journey of one of the more colourful characters to ever grace the WWE. Dana speaks so highly of her husband, in life and beyond, that rattles your heart strings like his famous ring entrance. She manages to convey to passion that Warrior had for wrestling, his family, and everyone him whilst still feeling like a super fan. The emotional and inspirational storied shared in the episode not only give insight into the man behind the make-up but also promotes that warrior message and how future generations will continue to be influenced by him. The real enjoyment I got from this episode is hearing his clearly heart-broken wife talk about her beloved husband and embodies everything that being the Warrior means. She is optimistic, resilient, and defiant in carrying the Warrior philosophy forward. Despite the subject of his death being the focus of the exchange, this never comes across as downbeat. Every story is delivered with such love and admiration that it is almost impossible not to feel joy when listening.
Great read. Made me want to listen immediately. Will definitely be checking this article weekly