mjabaay

RIP Hawk
While the Road Warriors never officially broke up, Animal started making an increasing number of solo appearances after they left the WWF as Hegstrand struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and generally did not appear at many wrestling shows during this time.[2] In 2001 Hegstrand was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that stopped him from wrestling for a short while. He was able to overcome its effects and returned to a regular working schedule later on.

Laurinaitis and Hegstrand became born-again Christians in 2003 and appeared at a number of Christian wrestling events run by Ted DiBiase and Nikita Koloff hoping to reignite their tag-team career. They also appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in late 2002 and early 2003 as part of a group that opposed Vince Russo’s faction Sports Entertainment Xtreme but only wrestled one actual match for the federation.[31]

Animal and Hawk made a surprise appearance on Raw on May 12, 2003 when they took on Kane and Rob Van Dam for the World Tag Team Championship.[32] Although Hawk and Animal came up short in their attempt to become three-time champions, it was clear that Hawk had defeated the demons that had once kept him from competing, and the Road Warriors had hopes of returning to WWE.

Later in 2003, Hawk made an appearance with the All World Wrestling League, a take-off of the 'original' Big Time Wrestling that was owned by the Original Sheik who died earlier that year; it was run by the sons of the Sheik, Eddie and Tom Farhat. They decided to book Hawk for an event; that event was the last time Hawk wrestled, as he died a few months later.
[edit] Death

Hegstrand died on October 19, 2003 in the early morning in his home in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. His friends said that he and his wife Dale had recently bought a condominium near their current home and were packing their boxes the night before. Hegstrand said that he felt tired and went to take a nap. When his wife checked on him at about 1 a.m., he had died of an apparent heart attack. At the time of his death, Hawk and Animal were working on a book about their careers.

Animal returned to WWE in mid-2005 and decided to dedicate his entire run to Hegstrand, including his tag team title victory with Heidenreich at The Great American Bash.

megatanman

By far the best entertainer in professional wrestling

I still laugh every time i hear the voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtyM-...eature=related

kpower82

Mean Gene Okerlund is the ****nit too. Macho is always spitting on him during their interviews

EDIT: Those were the days when wrestling was good. Remember the Snake Pit and the Barber Shop. Hot Rod had a segment too, I think it was called Pipers Pride? The good 'ol days.

megatanman

Pipers pit I believe..Those were suppose to be the talk shows,but they were nothing but cleverly disguised ambushes by the hosts.

That was when the "acting" was good.

kpower82

^^ Haha. Oh man, those ambushes were the best. You're right it was the Piper's Pit and his ambushes were ALWAYS the best. That guys was a nut. So what was Jake the Snakes show called? I thought it was the Snake Pit?