View source for Road Warriors

{{Short description|Professional wrestling tag team}}
{{About|the professional wrestling team||Road Warriors (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|The Hell Raisers|other uses|Hellraiser (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox wrestling team
|article_name   = Road Warriors
|type           = S
|image          = The Road Warriors, 1986.png
|caption        = The Road Warriors, {{Circa|1984}}
|members        = [[Road Warrior Hawk]]<br/>[[Road Warrior Animal]]<br/>[[Kensuke Sasaki|Power Warrior]]<br />[[Droz (wrestler)|Droz]]<br />[[Jon Heidenreich|Heidenreich]]<br />[[Paul Ellering]] ([[Manager (professional wrestling)|manager]])<br/>[[Tammy Lynn Sytch|Sunny]] ([[Valet (professional wrestling)|valet]])<br />[[Christy Hemme]] (valet)
|names=Road Warriors<br />Legion of Doom<ref name=OWOW/><br />Hell Raisers<br/>Triple Warriors<br />LOD 2000<br/>LOD 2005<br />Hell Warriors
|billed = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]<ref name=OWOW/>
|weights={{convert|575|lb|kg st|abbr=on}}<ref name=Encyclopedia>{{cite book|title=WWE Encyclopedia|last1=Shields|first1=Brian|last2=Sullivan|first2=Kevin|page=[https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/221 221]|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7566-4190-0|title-link=WWE Encyclopedia}}</ref>
|years_active   = 1983–2014
|debut          = 1983<ref name=OWOW/>
|disbanded      = 2014
}}

The '''Road Warriors''', also known as the '''Legion of Doom''', were a [[professional wrestling]] [[tag team]] originally composed of [[Road Warrior Hawk]] (Michael Hegstrand) and [[Road Warrior Animal]] (Joseph Laurinaitis).<ref name=OWOW>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/r/road-warriors.html|title=Road Warriors profile|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|access-date=March 29, 2011|archive-date=January 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106052302/http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/r/road-warriors.html|url-status=live}}.</ref> They performed under the name "The Road Warriors" in the [[American Wrestling Association]] (AWA), the [[National Wrestling Alliance]] (NWA), and [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW), and the name "Legion of Doom" (LOD) in the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF). Under either name, their [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick|gimmick]] was the same – two imposing wrestlers in [[face paint]]. For brief periods, other wrestlers were added as stand-in partners for both men. In Japan in the 1990s, [[Kensuke Sasaki|"Power Warrior" Kensuke Sasaki]] often teamed with Hawk and Animal, separately and together, while in WWE were joined by [[Droz (wrestler)|Droz]] in the 1990s and [[Jon Heidenreich|Heidenreich]] in the 2000s. The team also had three managers: [[Tammy Lynn Sytch|Sunny]] in the 1990s, [[Christy Hemme]] in the 2000s, and [[Paul Ellering]], the manager associated with the original team.

Hawk and Animal were known for their impressive physiques, as their physical size was larger than most wrestlers of the era. Their face paint and spiked armor were inspired by the [[Mad Max (franchise)|Mad Max]] film ''[[Mad Max 2|The Road Warrior]]''; they were one of the first wrestlers to bring a theme from a movie into the wrestling world.<ref>{{cite book
 |last1        = Laurinaitis
 |first1       = Joe "Animal"
 |last2        = Wright
 |first2       = Andrew William
 |year         = 2011
 |title        = The Road Warriors: Danger, Death and the Rush of Wrestling
 |url          = https://books.google.com/books?id=hFFPAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA369
 |publisher    = Medallion Media Group
 |page         = 369
 |access-date  = December 10, 2018
 |isbn         = 9781605421537
 |archive-date = October 1, 2021
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20211001200348/https://books.google.com/books?id=hFFPAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA369
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref> They also introduced a [[Professional wrestling double-team maneuvers|tandem maneuver]] known as the [[Doomsday Device (wrestling)|Doomsday Device]].<ref name="diaz">{{cite web|url=http://uk.complex.com/sports/2011/05/dynamic-duos-the-most-memorable-tag-teams-in-wrestling-history/|title=Dynamic Duos! The Most Memorable Tag Teams in Wrestling History|last=Diaz|first=Angel|date=May 25, 2011|website=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]|access-date=March 3, 2016|archive-date=March 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308164028/http://uk.complex.com/sports/2011/05/dynamic-duos-the-most-memorable-tag-teams-in-wrestling-history/|url-status=live}}</ref> Both men used the move as a team [[Finishing move|finisher]] throughout their careers, even when teaming with other partners.

The duo headlined multiple events including [[Survivor Series (1991)|Survivor Series in 1991]] and [[In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede]], and are regarded by many as the greatest tag team in professional wrestling history.<ref name="diaz"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwi-online.com/pages/wrestlingframe.html|title=Wrestling History: 2003|website=[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]|access-date=September 12, 2016|archive-date=September 10, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120910163257/http://www.pwi-online.com/pages/wrestlingframe.html|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Professional wrestling sidebar}}

==History==

===Georgia Championship Wrestling (1983{{ndash}}1984)===
[[File:Road Warriors NWA National Champions 1983.png|thumb|Road Warriors with the NWA National Tag Team Championships in 1983|left]]
Joe Laurinaitis had briefly competed as the Road Warrior before [[Ole Anderson]] paired him up with Mike Hegstrand to form the Road Warriors in 1983. They were initially brought into [[Paul Ellering|"Precious" Paul Ellering]]'s stable as a replacement for his team of [[Matt Osborne|Matt Borne]] and [[Arn Anderson]] after Borne was fired from the company. After a few months of rapid success, the Road Warriors dumped Ellering as manager, claiming that they did not need a manager. This was short-lived, as in early 1984, they and  "Precious" Paul Ellering formed a [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Stable|stable]] called The Legion of Doom in the [[National Wrestling Alliance]] (NWA)'s [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]] (GCW) territory. The group consisted of the Road Warriors, [[Jake Roberts|Jake "The Snake" Roberts]], King Kong Bundy & [[Don Jardine|The Spoiler]]. The stable was short-lived and the name "Legion of Doom" soon referred only to the Road Warriors and Ellering with either name used interchangeably throughout their career.<ref name="LODDVD">{{cite video|people=Various Comments|title=Road Warriors: The Life and Death of Wrestling's Most Dominant Tag-Team|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0476485/|medium=DVD|publisher=WWE Home Video|location=USA|date=June 14, 2005|access-date=June 29, 2018|archive-date=February 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209171848/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0476485/|url-status=live}}</ref> Animal reveals in the ''Road Warriors: The Life and Death of the Most Dominant Tag-Team in Wrestling History'' DVD set that the name "Legion of Doom" was taken from the ''[[Super Friends]]'' cartoon.<ref name="Dominant">{{cite video|people=Joseph “Animal” Laurinaitis|title=Road Warriors: The Life and Death of Wrestling's Most Dominant Tag-Team|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0476485/|medium=DVD|publisher=WWE Home Video|location=USA|date=June 14, 2005|access-date=June 29, 2018|archive-date=February 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209171848/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0476485/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Road Warriors' high-impact powerhouse style and unique attire quickly got them noticed by fans and dreaded by opponents, so much so that some wrestlers would grab their bag and leave the arena when they saw they were scheduled to face the Road Warriors.<ref name="LODDVD"/> In [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], the team quickly rose to the top despite being very young and having not undergone the traditional "paying dues" period simply because they were so believable in their role. They gained a reputation for being very stiff and not selling simply because they could, and most of their matches ended quickly as a result. They won the [[NWA National Tag Team Championship]] upon their debut, a title they would win two more times while in Georgia.<ref name="Titles">{{cite book|author=Royal Duncan|author2=Gary Will|name-list-style=amp|title=Wrestling Title Histories|publisher=Archeus Communications|year=2006|edition=4th|isbn=0-9698161-5-4}}</ref>

===American Wrestling Association (1984{{ndash}}1986)===
In 1984, the Road Warriors moved on to [[Verne Gagne]]'s [[American Wrestling Association]] (AWA) along with their manager Paul Ellering. On August 25, 1984, they defeated [[The Crusher (wrestler)|The Crusher]] and [[Baron von Raschke]] for the [[AWA World Tag Team Championship]].<ref name="Titles"/> The Road Warriors were brought in by Gagne to work as heels, but their [[Squash (professional wrestling)|squash matches]] soon won over fans. They became the AWA's top draw throughout 1984 and 1985, feuding primarily with [[The Fabulous Ones]] and later [[The Fabulous Freebirds]]. The Warriors then began splitting their time between the AWA and [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] (JCP) where they started feuding with [[NWA World Tag Team Championship|NWA World tag team champions]] [[The Russian Team|The Russians]], all while still holding the AWA belts (the AWA and various NWA members [[Pro Wrestling USA|were co-promoting cards at the time]], in an effort to compete with the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]]). Hawk and Animal eventually lost the AWA title to [[Jimmy Garvin]] and "Mr. Electricity" Steve Regal on September 29, 1985, due to the interference of the Freebirds.<ref name="Titles"/> The Road Warriors' last appearance in the AWA was on April 20, 1986, at [[WrestleRock 86|WrestleRock]] where they defeated the team of Garvin and [[Michael Hayes (wrestler)|Michael Hayes]] in a steel cage match.

During their AWA stint the team became well known for using a re-arranged version of [[Black Sabbath]]'s "[[Iron Man (song)|Iron Man]]" titled "We are Iron Men" as their [[Music in professional wrestling|entrance theme]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Matthew Wilkening|url=https://loudwire.com/top-wrestling-entrance-themes/|title=Top 10 Wrestling entrance themes|date=17 November 2011|accessdate=26 June 2025|website=loudwire.com}}</ref>

===Japanese promotions (1985{{ndash}}1990)===
In March 1985, the Road Warriors began touring [[Japan]], mainly with [[All Japan Pro Wrestling]] (AJPW) where they made an immediate impact squashing the monster team of [[Killer Khan]] and [[Animal Hamaguchi]] in under 4 minutes. This and subsequent dominant victories garnered the Road Warriors a lot of Japanese wrestling media headlines and front-page stories. Their tours with AJPW in 1985 and 1986 made the Road Warriors such legends in Japan that they toured the country whenever they were “between contracts” of the big three.

The Road Warriors won the [[NWA International Tag Team Championship]] on March 12, 1987, from [[Jumbo Tsuruta]] and [[Genichiro Tenryu]]<ref name="Titles"/> and would hold them for 15 months before losing them to PWF World Tag Team champions Jumbo Tsuruta and Yoshiaki Yatsu to unify the titles as the AJPW World Tag Team titles, making the Road Warriors the last defending champions of the NWA International Tag Team titles.<ref name="Titles"/> Their last match in Japan during this period was on July 22, 1990, for [[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]] (NJPW), losing to [[Masahiro Chono]] and [[Keiji Mutoh]] by disqualification.

===Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling (1986{{ndash}}1990)===
[[File:Starrcade 1986 scaffold match between Dennis Condrey & Bobby Eaton and the Road Warriors.png|thumb|[[Scaffold match]] between the Road Warriors and [[The Midnight Express (professional wrestling)|the Midnight Express]] at [[Starrcade '86: Night of the Skywalkers|Starrcade '86]]]]
On April 19, 1986, The Road Warriors won the inaugural [[Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament]] by beating [[Ron Garvin]] and [[Magnum T. A.]] in the finals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/cup.html#1st|title=NWA Crockett Cup Results (1986)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=December 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216063619/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/cup.html#1st|url-status=live}}</ref> Building upon their rapid push, Hawk and Animal were featured attractions of [[The Great American Bash (1986)|The Great American Bash 1986]] tour where they were matched against [[Ivan Koloff|Ivan]] and [[Nikita Koloff]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#86|title=NWA Great American Bash Results (1986 #1)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=April 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405045953/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#86|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as [[The Midnight Express (professional wrestling)|the Midnight Express]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#86b|title=NWA Great American Bash Results (1986 #2)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=April 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405045953/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#86b|url-status=live}}</ref> At [[Starrcade (1986)|Starrcade '86]], the Road Warriors were featured in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Scaffold match|Scaffold Match]], defeating the Midnight Express.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/starrcad.html#86|title=NWA Starrcade Results (1986)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=February 22, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222221018/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/starrcad.html#86|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Warriors joined forces with [[Dusty Rhodes]] and Nikita Koloff in a bloody feud with [[The Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|The Four Horsemen]]. During the 1987 Great American Bash, the rival sides faced off in the first ever [[WarGames match]].<ref name="WG">{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#87|title=NWA Great American Bash Results (1987 #1)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=April 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405045953/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#87|url-status=live}}</ref> The Road Warriors were on the winning side of War Games both matches that summer<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#87c|title=NWA Great American Bash Results (1987 #3)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=April 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405045953/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#87c|url-status=live}}</ref> taking their feud with the Horsemen to Starrcade '87, where they lost by disqualification to [[Tully Blanchard]] and [[Arn Anderson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/starrcad.html#87|title=NWA Starrcade Results (1987)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=February 22, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222221018/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/starrcad.html#87|url-status=live}}</ref> The Road Warriors also picked up the [[NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]] twice alongside Dusty Rhodes.<ref name="Titles"/> The Warriors engaged in a violent feud with [[The Powers of Pain]] ([[The Barbarian (wrestler)|The Barbarian]] and [[The Warlord (wrestler)|The Warlord]]) where the Road Warriors finally met their equal physically, but the angle ended when the Powers of Pain left JCP after finding out they were booked against the Road Warriors in a series of Scaffold Matches that they were supposed to lose.<ref name="Tag">{{cite book|author=Greg Oliver|author2=Steve Johnson|name-list-style=amp|title=The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams|publisher=ECW Press|year=2005|isbn=978-1-55022-683-6}}</ref>

In 1988, Hawk and Animal turned heel, attacking substitute partner [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]] during a defense of the Six-Man championship. They finally won the [[NWA World Tag Team Championship]] on October 29, 1988, in [[New Orleans|New Orleans, Louisiana]], at a house show against the Midnight Express, In November of that year the Road Warriors played a role in ending Dusty Rhodes' tenure as head [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Book|booker]] for the promotion. During the November 26 episode of ''[[History of World Championship Wrestling#NWA years (1982–1987)|World Championship Wrestling]]'', which was under strict instructions from [[TBS (TV network)|TBS television]] executives prohibiting [[Blading (professional wrestling)|blading]], the Road Warriors attacked Rhodes, removed a spike from their shoulder pads, and attempted to gouge his eye out.<ref name="Tag"/> Rhodes was fired for that episode shortly after [[Starrcade (1988)|Starrcade '88]]. Before Rhodes was fired, Animal beat him at the ''Clash of the Champions'', so the Road Warriors were allowed to pick a new partner to hold the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team titles; they picked AJPW superstar [[Genichiro Tenryu]], but the titles were quickly abandoned.<ref name="Titles"/>

The Road Warriors quickly turned face yet again due to overwhelming fan support no matter how brutal or violent they were. Their World Tag Team title reign came to an end when they faced [[The Varsity Club]] ([[Mike Rotunda]] and [["Dr. Death" Steve Williams|Steve Williams]]) on April 2, 1989.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/clash.html#VI|title=NWA Clash of the Champions Results (VI)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=March 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130331044030/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/clash.html#VI|url-status=live}}</ref> The title change was a controversial one as referee [[Theodore Long|Teddy Long]] performed an excessively fast count. Long would be fired from his job due to the count but the titles were not returned to the Road Warriors.<ref name="Titles"/> Hawk and Animal would spend the rest of their tenure in [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW) (as JCP became known after being purchased by [[Turner Broadcasting System]] in 1988) feuding with teams like [[The Headshrinkers|The Samoan Swat Team]]<ref name="NWA Clash of the Champions Results">{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/clash.html#VIII|title=NWA Clash of the Champions Results (VIII)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=March 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130331044030/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/clash.html#VIII|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="prowrestlinghistory.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#89|title=NWA Great American Bash Results (1989)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=April 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405045953/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#89|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[The Skyscrapers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/havoc.html#89|title=NWA Halloween Havoc Results (1989)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=February 22, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222213821/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/havoc.html#89|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/clash.html#X|title=NWA Clash of the Champions Results (X)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=March 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130331044030/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/clash.html#X|url-status=live}}</ref> Their last big wins in WCW came when they defeated three other teams (including the red hot [[Steiner Brothers]]) to win the ''Ironman Tag Team Tournament'' at [[Starrcade (1989)|Starrcade 1989 “Future Shock”]]<ref name="prowrestlinghistory.com"/><ref name="NWA Clash of the Champions Results"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/starrcad.html#89|title=NWA Starrcade Results (1989)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=February 22, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222221018/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/starrcad.html#89|url-status=live}}</ref> (The Steiners actually defeated the Warriors by pinfall in their match, but the Warriors won the round robin style tournament on a point system basis.) and over [[The Skyscrapers]] in a Chicago Street Fight at [[WrestleWar (1990)|WrestleWar '90: Wild Thing]].

The Road Warriors made their last WCW [[pay-per-view]] appearance on May 19, 1990, at [[Capital Combat]] where they teamed with [[Mike Shaw|Norman “The Lunatic”]] against [[Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)|Kevin Sullivan]], [[Mick Foley|Cactus Jack]] and [[Bam Bam Bigelow]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/miscppv.html#capitol|title=NWA Capitol Combat Results|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=March 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130331035038/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/miscppv.html#capitol|url-status=live}}</ref> in a match that was cut from the commercial tape of the event. They left WCW in June 1990 due to [[Heat (professional wrestling)|heat]] with then-WCW head [[Jim Herd]] according to Animal on their WWE produced DVD.

===World Wrestling Federation (1990{{ndash}}1992)===
When Hawk and Animal signed with the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF) in June 1990, [[Vince McMahon]] retired the Road Warriors moniker, since at the time there were other wrestlers with "warrior" in their names, such as [[The Ultimate Warrior]] and [[Kerry Von Erich]] "The Modern Day Warrior".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://411mania.com/wrestling/road-warrior-animal-says-wwe-hurt-tag-team-divisions-talks-becoming-legion-doom/|title=411Mania|website=Road Warrior Animal Says WWE Has Hurt Their Tag Team Divisions, Talks Becoming Legion of Doom|access-date=February 10, 2019|archive-date=November 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127024354/https://411mania.com/wrestling/road-warrior-animal-says-wwe-hurt-tag-team-divisions-talks-becoming-legion-doom/|url-status=live}}</ref> They both made their TV debuts on the July 15, 1990, episode of ''[[WWF Challenge|Wrestling Challenge]]''. In the WWF the team would be known only as the "Legion of Doom".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/90.htm|title=WWF Show Results 1990|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=Graham Cawthon|quote=(June 25, 1990) The Legion of Doom defeated [[Black Bart (wrestler)|Black Bart]] & Tom Stone at 1:12 when Road Warrior Hawk pinned Stone following the Doomsday Device (LOD's debut)|archive-date=May 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517181612/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/90.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> As Legion of Doom, their detractors such as [[Bobby Heenan]] would mock them by referring to them as "Legion of Dummies".

Hawk and Animal immediately entered into a feud with [[Demolition (professional wrestling)|Demolition]], the team McMahon had supposedly created in their likeness three years earlier, which led into a televised six-man tag-team match where Hawk and Animal teamed up with [[WWE Championship|WWF World Heavyweight Champion]] Ultimate Warrior against all three members of Demolition.<ref>{{cite book|title=Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s|last=Shields|first=Brian|page=[https://archive.org/details/mainevent00bria/page/112 112]|publisher=[[Pocket Books]]|year=2006|isbn=978-1-4165-3257-6|url=https://archive.org/details/mainevent00bria/page/112}}</ref> [[Ax (wrestler)|Bill Eadie]] (Ax) was having health issues and an agreement was made to phase him out and eventually replace him with [[Brian Adams (wrestler)|Crush]] (Brian Adams), while [[Barry Darsow]] continued in his role of Smash. Ax was moved into a role as manager for the team with the hope of taking a front office position, which eventually fell through. The Legion of Doom / Demolition feud did not have the expected intensity because of the change and LOD soon set their sights on the tag team titles. At [[SummerSlam (1991)|SummerSlam 1991]] in [[Madison Square Garden]], the Legion of Doom defeated [[The Nasty Boys]] in a no DQ street fight to win the [[WWE World Tag Team Championship|World Tag Team Championship]], becoming the only team to win world tag titles in all three of the top promotions of the 1980s.<ref name="Titles"/> Hawk and Animal would eventually lose the titles to [[Money Inc.]] (IRS (Mike Rotunda) and [[Ted DiBiase]]) on February 7, 1992, after which they briefly left the promotion.<ref name="Titles"/>

LOD would return a short time later with their original manager [[Paul Ellering]] at [[WrestleMania VIII]]. The team later incorporated a [[Ventriloquism|ventriloquist]] dummy called "Rocco" (Originally introduced as "Freckles" in front of a live crowd at a WWF TV Taping, the segment bombed so badly that it never aired) which served as their “inspiration”, but this gimmick was short-lived. Hegstrand left the company in disgust with the Rocco gimmick immediately after [[SummerSlam (1992)|SummerSlam 1992]] at the [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] where LOD rode to the ring on motorbikes in front of over 80,000 fans. He then went AWOL in [[London]] after the event with [[John Nord]] (The Berzerker) and missed the flight back to the [[United States|U.S.]], while Laurinaitis stuck around and finished the team's contractual obligations with former Demolition member Crush (now repackaged from his Demolition character to being a face, becoming a tanned muscle guy from the beaches of his native [[Hawaii]]) replacing Hawk on [[house show]]s in [[Europe]] in mid September 1992, after Hawk left the WWF. Crush and Animal teamed to defeat [[The Beverly Brothers]] five times and [[Paul Diamond|Kato]] and [[Steve Keirn|Skinner]] once. Paul Ellering also joined Crush and Animal in some six man tag team matches. When the newly formed team returned to [[North America]], Animal and Crush both started wrestling singles matches and the team was no more.<ref>Inside Wrestling, February 1993, issue, article: Our urgent message to Animal and Crush: Don't dismantle the new legion of doom!, pp.34–37.</ref> Shortly after Animal then left the WWF, because an injury to his back forced him into a lengthy hiatus.<ref name="WrestleCrap">{{cite book|author=R.D. Reynolds|author-link=R.D. Reynolds|author2=Randy Baer|name-list-style=amp|title=Wrestlecrap – the very worst of pro wrestling|publisher=ECW Press|year=2003|isbn=1-55022-584-7|url=https://archive.org/details/wrestlecrapveryw00rdre}}</ref>

===New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1992{{ndash}}1996)===
{{Infobox Wrestling team
|article_name=The Hell Raisers
|type=T
|image=
|caption=
|members=Hawk Warrior<br />Power Warrior
|heights={{height|ft=6|in=3}} – Hawk Warrior<br />{{height|ft=5|in=11}} – Power Warrior
|weights={{convert|518|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
|debut=1992
|disbanded=1995
|years_active=1992{{ndash}}1995
}}
When Hawk left the WWF after [[SummerSlam (1992)|SummerSlam 1992]] he traveled to [[Japan]] and started working for [[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]] (NJPW) where he quickly teamed up with young mid-carder [[Kensuke Sasaki]] who was soon dubbed "Power Warrior" as he adopted the trademark Road Warrior face paint and spiked shoulder pads.<ref name="Tag"/> The duo was dubbed "The Hell Raisers" and carried on the legacy of the Road Warriors in NJPW winning the [[IWGP Tag Team Championship]] from [[Tony Halme]] and [[Scott Norton]] in December 1992 <ref name="Titles"/> and then again from the team of Scott Norton and [[Hercules (wrestler)|Hercules]] (known as the Jurassic Powers) in January 1994.<ref name="Titles"/> They also competed in both the 1993<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/history/tagleague.php|title=NJPW Super Gade Tag League history|access-date=April 17, 2007| quote=(1993) 5. Hawk Warrior & Power Warrior [10] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070220121919/http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/history/tagleague.php <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = February 20, 2007}}</ref> and 1994 versions of the Super Grade Tag league making it to the semi-finals of the 1994 tournament before losing to [[Masahiro Chono]] and [[Super Strong Machine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/history/tagleague.php|title=NJPW Super Gade Tag League history|access-date=April 17, 2007|quote=(1994) 3. Hawk Warrior & Power Warrior [14] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070220121919/http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/history/tagleague.php <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = February 20, 2007}}</ref>

Teaming with Hawk (dubbed "Hawk Warrior") helped elevate Kensuke Sasaki in the eyes of the fans, so much so that when the Hell Raisers broke up in the middle of 1995, Sasaki shed the Power Warrior gimmick and became a main eventer on the singles scene. On special occasions, Sasaki would break out the "Power Warrior" persona, similar to [[Keiji Mutoh]] and his "Great Muta" persona. During this stint, they used the theme song "[[Hellraiser (Ozzy Osbourne and Motörhead song)|Hellraiser]]" by [[Ozzy Osbourne]]. When Animal came back from his back injury, he joined the duo in Japan in 1996. The three were announced collectively as the Road Warriors, using "Iron Man" as their theme music.

===Return to WCW (1996)===
When Laurinaitis’ back was finally healed enough for him to return to wrestling, the Road Warriors signed a contract with WCW in late 1995. Upon their return in January 1996, immediately started a feud with the returning [[The Steiner Brothers|Steiner Brothers]], as well as [[Harlem Heat]] before moving on to challenging the WCW Tag Team Champions [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]] and [[Lex Luger]]. The Road Warriors had several shots at the champions but failed to win the titles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/s-brawl.html#VI|title=WCW SuperBrawl Results (VI)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=March 2, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302195518/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/s-brawl.html#VI|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Unc">{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/uncensor.html#96|title=WCW Uncensored Results (1996)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=March 24, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080324230031/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/uncensor.html#96|url-status=live}}</ref>

Hegstrand and Laurinaitis stayed with WCW for about six months, before leaving over a dispute with [[Eric Bischoff]]. The pair made claims that Bischoff promised them a second-highest paid contract, as well as a separate contract from Japan, something which he denies remembering.<ref>{{cite video|people=Eric Bischoff|title=Road Warriors: The Life and Death of Wrestling's Most Dominant Tag-Team|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0476485/|medium=DVD|publisher=WWE Home Video|location=USA|date=June 14, 2005|access-date=June 29, 2018|archive-date=February 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209171848/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0476485/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Return to the WWF===
====Early feuds (1997{{ndash}}1998)====
After leaving WCW, the duo took various independent bookings both in the [[United States|U.S.]] and [[Japan]] before signing with the WWF, making their surprise return on the February 24, 1997, edition of ''[[WWE Raw|Monday Night Raw]]'' where they destroyed [[the Headbangers]], despite both teams being counted out.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/97.htm|title=WWF Show Results 1997|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=Graham Cawthon|quote=(February 24, 1997) The Legion of Doom fought the Headbangers to a double count-out; after the bout, Road Warrior Hawk hit the flying clothesline on one of the Headbangers (LOD's surprise return match after more than a four-year absence)|archive-date=April 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410082315/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/97.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The Legion of Doom then went on to team with Ahmed Johnson to face Faarooq, Crush, and Savio Vega of the Nation of Domination in a Street Fight at Wrestlemania 13 in their home town of Chicago. After defeating The Nation, they went on to perform the Doomsday Device on the team of PG 13. Before the match, Ahmed was given special shoulder pads like the LOD wear, however they were never returned due to Hawk giving them to Johnson. The Legion of Doom would be heavily involved in the feud with the [[Hart Foundation]] siding with [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]], [[Ken Shamrock]] and [[Goldust]] at [[In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede|In Your House: Canadian Stampede]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/miscppvs1990s.html#16|title=WWF In Your House Results (Canadian Stampede)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=April 12, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412162128/http://prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/miscppvs1990s.html#16|url-status=live}}</ref> The Legion of Doom also became 2-time WWF tag team champions on October 13, 1997, when they defeated [[The Godwinns]].<ref name="Titles"/> In November 1997, the Legion of Doom faced the newly formed [[The New Age Outlaws|New Age Outlaws]] ([[Road Dogg]] and [[Billy Gunn]]) and lost the titles to the upstart team.<ref name="Titles"/>

The Legion of Doom would challenge the Outlaws several times in the next couple of months but could not win the gold. On one episode of Raw, the Outlaws shaved the head of Road Warrior Hawk and were beaten down further by DX. On February 23, 1998, on ''Raw'', the Legion of Doom seemed to have won the Tag Team titles back when they hit the Doomsday Device, but as Animal went for the pin, the referee was distracted by Hawk's celebration, allowing the Outlaws to take advantage and win the match. After the match, the Legion of Doom brawled with one another out of frustration and weren't seen on WWE television after that, indicating that the team was disbanded for good.

====LOD 2000 (1998{{ndash}}1999)====
Hawk and Animal next appeared as Legion of Doom 2000, billed as an updated version of the Road Warriors “for the new millennium”, at [[WrestleMania XIV]] during a tag team [[Professional wrestling battle royal|Battle Royal]]. The duo sported a new look, including new shoulder pads and helmets (the helmets wouldn't last long, as Hawk got rid of his by throwing it to the crowd) and a new manager in [[Tammy Lynn Sytch|Sunny]]. LOD 2000 won the battle royal and earned a shot at the tag team titles, but did not manage to win the gold.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/mania.html#XIV|title=WWF WrestleMania Results (XIV)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=prowrestlinghistory.com|archive-date=September 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910025120/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/mania.html#XIV|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sunny soon left the team and [[Droz (wrestler)|Droz]], then known as Puke (Darren Drozdov, a former [[defensive end]] for the [[Denver Broncos]] who earned the name Puke when caught vomiting on ''[[Monday Night Football]]''), started to accompany them to the ring. At the same time, [[Paul Ellering]] returned, but sided with the [[Disciples of Apocalypse]] (DOA), whom LOD were feuding with at the time; Ellering and Animal explained on the DVD it was hard for them to rip on each other on promos. For the second time in the history of the Road Warriors they participated in a [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Angle|storyline]] where tension arose between the members, teasing a break up. In this storyline, Hawk was seen by his partner Animal as unfit to wrestle and Puke was tapped to take Hawk's place in the tag team as an official member. The angle played off Hegstrand's real life alcohol and drug issues, going so far as to faking a suicide jump off the top of the TitanTron on the November 16, 1998 episode of ''Raw''. After the angle bombed and both Hegstrand and Laurinaitis voiced their objections to it, the angle was dropped.<ref name="WrestleCrap"/> 

The Legion of Doom made a very brief return, first on the March 22, 1999 ''Raw is War'' by attacking [[Pat Patterson (wrestler)|Pat Patterson]] and [[Gerald Brisco]] in a backstage skit after the two impersonated LOD in a handicap match against [[Shane McMahon]], on the March 15, 1999 ''Raw is War''. Both LOD entered the pre-WrestleMania battle royal with the last two participants getting a tag team title shot later at [[WrestleMania XV]] but both came up short. They would make one final appearance on the March 29, 1999 ''Raw'' challenging [[Owen Hart]] and [[Jeff Jarrett]] for the tag team titles but failed them; they left the WWF afterwards.<ref name=WWF9099Book>{{cite book | first=Graham | last=Cawthon | title=the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 2: WWF 1990 - 1999  | publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | year= 2013 | asin=B00RWUNSRS}}</ref>

===Japan and the independent circuit (1999{{ndash}}2003)===
After leaving the WWF, the Road Warriors would appear for various [[Independent circuit|independent federations]]

On May 2, 1999, they returned to [[All Japan Pro Wrestling]] to team with [[John Laurinaitis|Johnny Ace]] as they defeated [[Jun Akiyama]], [[Kenta Kobashi]], and [[Jinsei Shinzaki|Hakushi]] at the Giant Baba Memorial Show. Then they went to Australia winning the iGW Tag Team Titles against [[The Public Enemy (professional wrestling)|Public Enemy]] for [[i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling|i-Generation]] pay-per-view on June 30, 2000. They performed both as a team and individually.

Animal would return to [[World Championship Wrestling]] and competed solo in WCW in early 2001 before WWF bought the company in March 2001. Hegstrand dealt with his personal issues.<ref name="Dominant"/>

In 2001 they feuded with [[The Nasty Boys]] for the [[Xcitement Wrestling Federation]]. On June 22, 2002, performing for International Wrestling Superstars (IWS), Road Warriors Animal and Hawk defeated the Headshrinkers for the World Tag-Team Championship. That victory also led to Team USA winning the international tournament held in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]].

The Road Warriors also appeared very briefly in [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] (TNA) during the early days of the promotion, saving [[America's Most Wanted (professional wrestling)|America's Most Wanted]], and debuting to what [[Jeremy Borash]] quoted as "A 1985 Road Warrior Pop".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tnawrestling.com/info/quickresults/weeklyppv/2003.html|title=TNA Weekly PPV Results 2003|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=tnawrestling.com|quote=(January 15, 2003) Vince Russo & Triple X (Christopher Daniels, Low Ki, & Elix Skipper) defeated NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Jeff Jarrett, Dusty Rhodes, & The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127124150/http://www.tnawrestling.com/info/quickresults/weeklyppv/2003.html|archive-date=January 27, 2007}}</ref>

Hegstrand and Laurinaitis became [[Born again|born-again Christians]] in 2001, and would later appear on [[Ted DiBiase]]'s religion and wrestling shows in 2003. It was during this time that Hegstrand overcame his drug and alcohol addictions.

===Second return to WWE and Hawk's death (2003)===
The Road Warriors' last US [[Television|TV]] appearance as a team occurred on the May 12, 2003 ''Raw'' episode in a tag team match against the World Tag Team Champions, [[Rob Van Dam]] and [[Kane (wrestler)|Kane]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/03.htm|title=WWE Show Results 2003|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=Graham Cawthon|quote=(May 12, 2003) WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Rob Van Dam & Kane defeated the Legion of Doom when RVD pinned Road Warrior Hawk following the chokeslam / Five Star Frog Splash combo (LOD’s surprise return after more than a 4-year absence)|archive-date=October 15, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015123132/http://thehistoryofwwe.com/03.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The Road Warriors had hoped to get a full-time contract with WWE but nothing ever came of it.

Once again they returned to Japan competing in Fighting Of World Japan Pro-Wrestling defeating [[The Shane Twins]] for the Tag Team titles on March 1, 2003. They dropped the titles to the Twins three months later in their last televised appearance on June 29, 2003. Their last match was on October 3, 2003, in Oshawa, Ontario, at a local church, defeating [[Greg Valentine|Greg "The Hammer" Valentine]] and [[Buff Bagwell]].<ref name="Slam">{{cite web |url=https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2003/11/03/animal-in-spotlight-at-hawk-tribute-show/ |title=Animal In Spotlight At Hawk Tribute Show |last=Oliver |first=Greg |date=November 3, 2003 |website=SlamWrestling.net |publisher= |access-date=September 22, 2022 |quote=}}</ref>

The Road Warriors last autograph appearance took place in Burton, MI on October 4, 2003, with LWA Owner and Promoter, Steve Rau of Mid-Michigan. This event took place at Sharky's Sports Bar in Burton, MI. This event was to promote Steve Rau's show called the Legends of Wrestling. The show took place on November 1, 2003, at the Birch Run Expo Center. Steve Rau re-arranged the Main Event of the night, that was to feature the Road Warriors versus the Powers of Pain, Barbarian and Warlord managed by Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart. Steve Rau received a phone call from Heath Santo, a wrestling writer from Ohio. Heath Santo told Steve Rau the news of Hawk's passing on October 19, 2003. Steve Rau went back to the WJRT ABC 12 TV studio in Flint, MI where they edited the television commercial. Steve Rau then announced that the Legends of Wrestling show was going to be a Hawk Tribute Show, the first of many that were to take place. Animal still came to the event, as the special guest referee. The Main Event was changed to The Powers of Pain versus Greg the Hammer Valentine and Brutus the Barber Beefcake. Animal was a special guest referee. At one point in the evening, Animal along with the other star studded roster came to the ring where Animal addressed the crowd and where a 10 bell salute was given.<ref name="Slam"/>

===Animal's last years===
====LOD 2005 (2005{{ndash}}2006)====
Animal would later return to WWE in 2005,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/05.htm|title=Smackdown Results (July 14, 2005)|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=WWE|quote=After being attacked by WWE Tag Team Champions MNM, Road Warrior Animal stormed the ring to a tremendous ovation to make the save.|archive-date=July 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712190414/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/05.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> teaming with [[Jon Heidenreich|Heidenreich]] in a feud against the tag team [[MNM (wrestling)|MNM]]. At [[The Great American Bash (2005)|The Great American Bash]] on July 24, 2005,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/gabash.html#2005|title=WWE Great American Bash Results (2005)|date=April 17, 2007|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|access-date=April 20, 2007|archive-date=April 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413110944/http://prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/gabash.html#2005|url-status=live}}</ref> Animal and Heidenreich defeated MNM to win the [[WWE Raw Tag Team Championship|WWE Tag Team Championship]] in a match personally dedicated by Animal to Hawk.<ref name="Titles"/> After winning the titles Heidenreich changed his appearance, to a look that better suited the Legion of Doom image by shaving his hair into a mohawk and wearing face paint. On August 18, 2005, Heidenreich was officially made part of LOD and was presented with his own "Road Warrior spikes". Shortly after winning the tag team titles,<ref name="Titles"/> Animal paid tribute to his late partner and friend by looking up to the heavens above and saying, "Hawk, this one's for you, brother!".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/archive/hawk|title=Win one for Hawk|date=April 17, 2007|author=WWE|access-date=April 20, 2007|archive-date=May 30, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070530044205/http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/archive/hawk|url-status=live}}</ref> During their feud with MNM, LOD were joined by [[Christy Hemme]], who acted as a valet/manager for a short while. On the October 28, 2005, edition of ''[[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown!]]'', LOD lost the tag team titles to MNM in a Fatal Four-Way tag match that also featured [[Paul Burchill]] and [[Darren Matthews|William Regal]] and [[The Mexicools]] ([[Super Crazy]] and [[Psicosis]]).<ref name="Titles"/> A few months later, on January 17, 2006, Heidenreich was released from WWE.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/artman/exec/view.cgi/24/16973|title=WWE News: WWE updates status of drug testing program, Heidenreich released|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=Wade Keller|quote=WWE.com reports that Heidenreich has been released from his WWE contract |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070101185901/http://www.pwtorch.com/artman/exec/view.cgi/24/16973 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = January 1, 2007}}</ref> Animal continued to perform for WWE under his old persona, The Road Warrior, for a few months before he was also released.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/artman/exec/view.cgi/24/16973|title=WWE News: Sabu vs. Cena, RVD vs. Rey, Animal released, Rock movie update|access-date=April 17, 2007|author=Wade Keller|quote=WWE.com announced that Road Warrior Animal has been released |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070101185901/http://www.pwtorch.com/artman/exec/view.cgi/24/16973 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = January 1, 2007}}</ref>

{{Infobox Wrestling team
|article_name=The Hell Warriors
|type=T
|image=
|caption=
|members=Animal Warrior<br />Power Warrior
|heights={{height|ft=6|in=1}} – Animal Warrior<br />{{height|ft=5|in=11}} – Power Warrior
|weights=528 lb (239 kg)
|debut=September 1, 2007
|disbanded=February 13, 2014
}}

====The Hell Warriors and Animal's death (2007{{ndash}}2020)====
On September 1, 2007, Road Warrior Animal appeared for [[All Japan Pro Wrestling]] (AJPW) and teamed with Sasaki to form the Hell Warriors, with Animal being billed as "Animal Warrior" to match up with Sasaki's "Power Warrior" and Hawk's "Hawk Warrior" gimmick. The newly formed Hell Warriors defeated the team of [[Yasushi Tsujimoto|"brother" YASSHI]] and [[Shuji Kondo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wrestlingforum.com/other-wrestling/367863-kensuke-office-show-results-featuring-roh-title-match-road-brother-yasshi.html|title=Kensuke Office Show Results (Featuring ROH Title Match and....Road "brother" YASSHI?) - Wrestling Forum: WWE, Impact Wrestling, Indy Wrestling, Women of Wrestling Forums|website=www.wrestlingforum.com|date=September 2, 2007 |access-date=February 10, 2019|archive-date=February 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212011518/https://www.wrestlingforum.com/other-wrestling/367863-kensuke-office-show-results-featuring-roh-title-match-road-brother-yasshi.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Their theme music was a megamix of "[[Iron Man (song)|Iron Man]]" by [[Black Sabbath]] and "[[Hellraiser (Ozzy Osbourne and Motörhead song)|Hellraiser]]" by [[Ozzy Osbourne]].

On May 11, 2008, The Hell Warriors wrestled in Toryumon Mexico's Dragon-Mania show. They defeated [[El Terrible|Damián el Terrible]] and [[Damián 666]] to win the UWA World Tag Team Championship (not the same championship revived by El Dorado Wrestling).

On April 2, 2011, The Road Warriors, along with Paul Ellering, were inducted into the [[WWE Hall of Fame]] by [[Dusty Rhodes]]. On February 13, 2014, Power Warrior announced his retirement from professional wrestling, ending The Hell Warriors' run.

Road Warrior Animal died after suffering a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] on September 22, 2020.

==Incarnations==
*'''The Road Warriors''' / '''Legion of Doom'''
**[[Road Warrior Hawk]]
**[[Road Warrior Animal]]
**[[Kensuke Sasaki|Power Warrior]] (when in six-man tag team matches in Japan)
**[[Paul Ellering|"Precious" Paul Ellering]] ([[Manager (professional wrestling)|manager]])
*'''The Hell Raisers'''
**[[Road Warrior Hawk|Hawk Warrior]]
**[[Kensuke Sasaki|Power Warrior]]
*'''Triple Warriors'''
**[[Road Warrior Hawk|Hawk Warrior]]
**[[Road Warrior Animal|Animal Warrior]]
**[[Kensuke Sasaki|Power Warrior]]
*'''LOD 2000'''
**[[Road Warrior Hawk]]
**[[Road Warrior Animal]]
**[[Droz (wrestler)|Puke/Droz]]
**[[Tammy Lynn Sytch|Sunny]] ([[Valet (professional wrestling)|valet]])
*'''LOD 2005'''
**[[Road Warrior Animal]]
**[[Jon Heidenreich|Heidenreich]]
**[[Christy Hemme]] (valet)
*'''The Hell Warriors'''
**[[Road Warrior Animal|Animal Warrior]]
**[[Kensuke Sasaki|Power Warrior]]

==Video games appearances ==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | [[List of professional wrestling video games#World Championship Wrestling|WCW video games]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! style="background:#ccc;" | Year
! style="background:#ccc;" | Title
! style="background:#ccc;" | Notes
|-
| 1990
| ''[[WCW Wrestling]]''
| Video game debut <br /> Cover athletes
|}

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | [[List of WWE video games|WWE video games]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! style="background:#ccc;" | Year
! style="background:#ccc;" | Title
! style="background:#ccc;" | Notes
|-
| 1991
| ''[[WWF WrestleFest]]''
| Cover athletes
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1992 
| ''[[WWF European Rampage Tour]]''
|
|- 
| ''[[WWF Super WrestleMania]]''
| Cover athletes
|-
| 2003
| ''[[WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain]]''
|
|-
| 2004
| ''[[WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw]]''
|
|- 
| 2009
| ''[[WWE Legends of WrestleMania]]''
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2011
| ''[[WWE All Stars]]''
|
|-
| ''[[WWE '12]]''
|
|-
| 2012
| ''[[WWE '13]]''
|
|}

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | [[List of professional wrestling video games|Other wrestling video games]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! style="background:#ccc;" | Year
! style="background:#ccc;" | Title
! style="background:#ccc;" | Notes
|-
| 2001
| ''[[Legends of Wrestling]]''
| Cover athletes
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Legends of Wrestling II]]''
|
|-
| 2004
| ''[[Showdown: Legends of Wrestling]]''
|
|}

==Championships and accomplishments==

===Road Warriors / Legion of Doom / LOD 2000===
*'''[[All Japan Pro Wrestling]]'''
**[[NWA International Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA International Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]])
*'''[[American Wrestling Association]]'''
**[[AWA World Tag Team Championship]] ([[AWA World Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]])
*'''[[Cauliflower Alley Club]]'''
**Tag Team Award (2020)<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1214208300050288640|user=CACReunion|title=Ohhhh WHAT A RUSH! The CAC 2020 Tag...|date=January 6, 2020}}</ref>
*'''[[Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling]]'''
**World Japan Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*'''[[Georgia Championship Wrestling]]'''
**[[NWA National Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA National Tag Team Championship#Title history|3 times]])
**NWA National Tag Team Championship Tournament (1984)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://prowrestlinghistory.com/index.html|title=Pro Wrestling History|website=prowrestlinghistory.com|access-date=February 12, 2018|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924082659/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 
*'''[[Hardcore Hall of Fame]]'''
**Class of 2021
*'''International Wrestling Superstars'''
**IWS World Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*'''[[i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling]]'''
**[[i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling#Championships|i-Generation Tag Team Championship]] ([[i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling#Championships|3 times]])
*'''Independent Pro Wrestling'''
**IPW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*'''[[Jim Crockett Promotions]]/[[World Championship Wrestling]]'''
**[[NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship#Title history|3 times]]) – with [[Dusty Rhodes]] (2) and [[Genichiro Tenryu]] (1)
**[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-Atlantic version)'']] ([[List of WCW World Tag Team Champions|1 time]])
**Iron Team Tournament (1989)
**[[Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament|Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup]] ([[Crockett Cup (1986)|1986]])
*'''[[Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame]]'''
**Class of 2022
*'''[[National Wrestling Alliance]]'''
**[[NWA Hall of Fame]] (Class of 2012)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/28434-sat-update-great-tv-show-wwe-multiple-releases-austin-talks-wwe-hall-of-fame-best-night-for-bellator-ppv-predictions-nwa-hall-of-fame-james-storm-headlines-benefit-show-devitt-takes-another-title|title=Sat. update: Great TV show, WWE multiple releases, Austin talks WWE Hall of Fame, Best night for Bellator, PPV predictions, NWA Hall of Fame, James Storm headlines benefit show, Devitt takes another title|last=Meltzer|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Meltzer|date=November 17, 2012|access-date=November 17, 2012|work=[[Dave Meltzer#Wrestling Observer Newsletter|Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]|archive-date=July 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701143636/http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/28434-sat-update-great-tv-show-wwe-multiple-releases-austin-talks-wwe-hall-of-fame-best-night-for-bellator-ppv-predictions-nwa-hall-of-fame-james-storm-headlines-benefit-show-devitt-takes-another-title|url-status=live}}</ref>
**[[NWA Wrestling Legends Hall of Heroes]] (2016)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=103369|title=Looking at the NWA Legends Fanfest and WHy It's Still Important All These Years Later|website=www.pwinsider.com|access-date=February 12, 2018|archive-date=October 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026141824/http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=103369|url-status=live}}</ref>
*'''[[Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum]]'''
**[[Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame#2011|Class of 2011]] (Inducted Members: [[Road Warrior Animal]], [[Road Warrior Hawk]], and [[Paul Ellering]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwhf.blogspot.com/2010/11/lawler-mcmahon-road-warriors-among-pwhf.html|title=Lawler, McMahon, Road Warriors among PWHF Class of 2011|work=Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum|date=November 26, 2010|access-date=November 28, 2010|archive-date=March 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315082922/http://pwhf.blogspot.com/2010/11/lawler-mcmahon-road-warriors-among-pwhf.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
*'''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''
**[[PWI Tag Team of the Year]] (1983–1985, 1988)
**[[PWI Feud of the Year]] (1987) <small>with [[Dusty Rhodes]] and [[Nikita Koloff]] vs. [[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]]</small>
**PWI ranked them #'''1''' of the 100 best tag teams during the "PWI Years" in 2003
*'''Quebec Wrestling Hall of Fame'''
**Class of 2015
*'''[[Super World of Sports]]'''
**One Night Tag Team Tournament (1991)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net//?id=26&nr=631|title=One Night Tag Team Tournament « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database|website=www.cagematch.net|access-date=December 10, 2019|archive-date=May 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507082859/http://www.cagematch.net/?id=26&nr=631|url-status=live}}</ref>
*'''[[Tokyo Sports]]'''
**[[Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards#Best Foreigner Award|Best Foreigner Award]] (1985)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/wrestling/wrestling_past2/|script-title=ja:東京スポーツ プロレス大賞|access-date=January 20, 2014|work=[[Tokyo Sports]]|language=ja|archive-date=October 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014233844/https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/wrestling/wrestling_past2/|url-status=live}}</ref>
*'''[[WWE|World Wrestling Federation/WWE]]'''
**[[World Tag Team Championship (WWE, 1971–2010)|WWF Tag Team Championship]] ([[List of World Tag Team Champions (WWE, 1971–2010)|2 times]])
**[[WWE Hall of Fame]] (Class of 2011)
*'''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards]]'''
**[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Rookie of the Year|Rookies of the Year]] (1983)
**[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Tag Team of the Year|Tag Team of the Year]] (1984)
**[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame]] ([[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame#Inductees|Class of 1996]])

===Hell Raisers===
*'''[[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]]'''
**[[IWGP Tag Team Championship]] ([[List of IWGP Tag Team Champions|2 times]])
*'''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''
**PWI ranked them #'''58''' of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" in 2003

===LOD 2005===
*'''[[World Wrestling Entertainment]]'''
**[[WWE Raw Tag Team Championship|WWE Tag Team Championship]] ([[List of WWE Raw Tag Team Champions|1 time]])

===Hell Warriors===
*'''[[Toryumon (Último Dragón)|Toryumon Mexico]]'''
**UWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111106090342/http://www.pwhf.org/halloffamers/bios/roadwarriors.asp Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame profile]
* {{wwe superstar}}

{{Navboxes|list=
{{Crockett Cup}}
{{WWE Hall of Fame}}
{{AWA World Tag Team Championship}}
{{IWGP Tag Team Championship}}
{{NWA Hall of Fame}}
{{World Tag Team Championship (WWE, 2024–present)}}
{{World Tag Team Championship (WWE)}}
{{WCW World Tag Team Championship}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Road Warriors}}
[[Category:All Japan Pro Wrestling teams and stables]]
[[Category:American Wrestling Association teams and stables]]
[[Category:AWA World Tag Team Champions]]
[[Category:Championship-winning tag teams (WWE)]]
[[Category:Jim Crockett Promotions teams and stables]]
[[Category:Masked tag teams]]
[[Category:New Japan Pro-Wrestling teams and stables]]
[[Category:National Wrestling Alliance teams and stables]]
[[Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum]]
[[Category:Pro Wrestling Zero1 teams and stables]]
[[Category:Total Nonstop Action Wrestling teams and stables]]
[[Category:WCW World Tag Team Champions]]
[[Category:World Championship Wrestling teams and stables]]
[[Category:WWE Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:WWE Hall of Fame team inductees]]
[[Category:WWE teams and stables]]