Bently College Report 2
February 26, 2003
Report by Michael Shalik of Long Island, N.Y.
After weeks of anticipation, former WWF Champion [The Ultimate] Warrior came to my school, Bentley College (in Waltham, Massachusetts) last night as a special guest of the Young Republicans and Young America's Foundation to speak about "The Destruction of Diversity." He began his presentation playing a movie highlighting his wrestling career that really got the crowd going. Being a huge Ultimate Warrior fan as a kid, it was really a great thing to see. When Warrior came out, I was really in awe to see the guy in person. He is still a very imposing figure, and came across very well spoken and well read.
He said that although he usually gets right into the topic at hand, he would talk about his professional wrestler career before getting on to his actual speech. He gave a really good breakdown of his career, saying he first graduated high school with hopes of becoming a chiropractor, but after getting his start in bodybuilding and eventually in professional wrestling, the money was so good in wrestling that he never really had the need to go back to open his own chiropractic office. He said how beating Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI was naturally the highlight of his career, and that after that point he really felt as though it was almost anticlimactic. He had reached the top of the mountain, and wasn't happy with doing the same old thing once he was at that level. He left the company because of creative differences and eventually returned later in 1996 after a call from Linda McMahon. In his time off, Warrior had opened a health club, started his comic book series, as well as other business ventures. When he returned, he was a different man - no longer the "Feel the Power" Ultimate Warrior, but now the "Always Believe" Ultimate Warrior.
He had his own project going and wanted to plug the new Warrior image into their system. When he felt that Titan was ripping off his ideas and marketing the ideas themselves, his back was against the wall and he had no other choice but to leave the company and settle things in court. After a long ordeal, Warrior finally prevailed in court over the WWF and should have been in the clear. It was at this point where his lawyers tried to steal some of his settlement from Titan, and because of a confidentiality agreement Warrior had with Titan, Warrior had to defend himself in court against his own legal team that had been ripping him off. After another year in court with them, Warrior prevailed once again and is now touring the country doing what he loves - speaking to young people and educating.
His actual speech - "The Destruction of Diversity" - was very interesting. Warrior is a strong conservative and a Republican, although he did stress that he believes in conservative philosophies - not necessarily all the political affiliations that go along with conservatism. He is very into the potential of human life and living your life morally, with honor. He explained what conservatism stood for, and was pretty clear about his negative views on liberalism eating away at what America stands for. He said America is the greatest nation in the world hands down, and he was sickened how many immigrants (legal and not) come to this country looking for handouts and are not willing to assimilate into American society and defend American rights and beliefs. He made it clear that he wasn't against people coming here and practicing their own faiths, but its people who come here and try to make America into their country that he didn't like. He feels that the things that America stands for are rotting away - and that immigration is a large part of it.
It was a great speech, and I am honored that I got to meet the guy who was really a larger-than-life figure to myself as a child as well as legions of others.
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