The Rock On How The Road Warriors Helped Him During His Younger Years In WWE
In the aftermath of the death of Joe Laurinaitis, aka Road Warrior Animal, The Rock took to Instagram on Wednesday night to pay tribute to the life and legacy of The Road Warriors, aka Legion of Doom.
Through a heartfelt post, The Rock explained how Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Laurinaitis were instrumental in helping him during his younger days in WWE and how they took good care of him and ensured he learned the ropes of the pro wrestling business.
The Rock also heralded The Road Warriors as the "Greatest tag team of all time."
RIP brother.
Really saddened to wake up to this news today ? the passing of my friend, Joe Laurinaitis (on the left) aka ROAD WARRIOR ANIMAL.
Joe & Mike aka HAWK & ANIMAL, THE ROAD WARRIORS were the most intense, legit tough bad asses tag team in the history of the wild world of pro wrestling.
When I was making my bones, still learning the business in the WWE as a very young "The Rock" – I wrestled these guys so many times on the road and they always took good care of me and made sure I learned.
Tough as nails.
Good men.
Greatest tag team of all time.
And apple fritters (our inside joke).
Much love and I'll always be grateful to you both.
RIP.
#animal
#hawk
#lod
#whatarush
In 1997, The Rock and The Nation of Domination were embroiled in a feud with Legion of Doom. At WWF In Your House: Badd Blood, the team of The Rock, D-Lo Brown, and Kama Mustafa [The Godfather] defeated L.O.D. in a handicap match. Their rivalry ended at Survivor Series later that year when Ahmed Johnson and Ken Shamrock teamed up with L.O.D. to defeat The Nation in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match.
Over the last 24 hours, the wrestling community has poured in its tributes to Laurinaitis, who passed away at the age of 60 from natural causes, at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Orange Beach, Missouri.