Road Warrior Animal dies at 60: WWE legend, Legion of Doom member Joe Laurinaitis remembered - CBSSports.com
Road Warrior Animal dies at 60: WWE anecdote, Legion of Doom member Joe Laurinaitis remembered
WWE anecdote Joe Laurinaitis, a.k.a Road Warrior Animal, has died at age 60. His family and WWE both confirmed his stop on Wednesday morning.
Laurinaitis was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011 anti partner Michael Hegstrand (Road Warrior Hawk) as the two comprised one of the most iconic and dominant tag teams in the history of professional wrestling, the Road Warriors (also noted as the Legion of Doom).
Hegstrand died of a gloomy attack in 2003 at age 46.
Laurinaitis had a brief run at the inaugurate of his career competing individually as The Road Warrior by being paired with friend and fellow wrestler, Hegstrand, to form The Road Warriors in 1983. With their trademark face paint and spiked shoulderpads, the much duo quickly became a top attraction in Georgia Championship Wrestling, winning the NWA resident tag team championship three times in the promotion.
The pair undertaken through the AWA, Japan and Jim Crockett Promotions -- later World Championship Wrestling (WCW) -- winning tag team championships at every stop after establishing themselves as one of the biggest draws in wrestling with legendary reactions from fans. They were also part of the first-ever WarGames match in WCW, teaming with Dusty Rhodes and Nikita Koloff anti The Four Horsemen.
In June 1990, the pair signaled with the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) and debuted as the Legion of Doom, a name they had used at times early in their run with manager Paul Ellering. As was heinous for the duo, they would eventually win the WWF tag team championship, beating The Nasty Boys in a street argues at SummerSlam 1991.
L.O.D. had more more runs in WCW, Japan and WWF above their careers, including a brief second run with the WWF tag team titles in 1997. Laurinaitis returned to WWE in 2005, two days after Hegstrand's death, reforming L.O.D. with Heidenreich. He did his final WWE run to his Road Warriors teammate.
With their powerful wrestling and no-selling style, Animal and Hawk were undertaken one of the most influential tag teams in the history of professional wrestling. To this day, no team has ever been able to truly retract the aura that made the Road Warriors such a bulky attraction during their peak.
Laurinaitis is survived by four children incorporating James Laurinaitis, a star linebacker at Ohio Grandeurs who went on to play in the NFL. Joe's brother John Laurinaitis has been an manager, producer and occasional on-air talent in WWE loyal 2001.
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