Michael Hegstrand, "Hawk" of The Wrestling's Road Warriors, dead at 46

Ted Dibase has some pictures of Hawk on his website from a recent Christian sport conference. You can't even recognize him. My first thought was Prednisone (sp).

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R.I.P. Hawk.

I believe that they also ran a gym in the Twin Cities for a number of years as well.

Damn shame.

RIP Hawk.

These wrestlers don't seem to be too healthy, do they?

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My friend, and brother in the Lord, Ted Dibiase called me, and left word that "Hawk" died. He was one of the "Road Warriors," or called "The Legion of Doom," by the WWE.

I was involved when Hawk and Animal first came to the "big time" in pro-wrestling, through Ole Anderson. I was at the TV in Atlanta on the Superstation (I owned part of the company which produced it), and gave them the idea to "paint their faces" and change their hair, which "birthed their gimmick" of the Road Warriors. They became "superstars" in wrestling, with everything that brings!

They had hearts as big as their bodies, and were such a pleasure to be involved with initially, then, as fame and fortune became more a part of them, as in so many "pro athletes" living on the "edge" takes control. Athletes are always "looking to get an edge" and taking performance enhancing drugs, so often, is "just the next step." Then, when they "get there," they want to "stay there" so they take more "stuff."

(When championship performance is measured in tenths of a second, or in inches, or in a slight strength difference, or in "more endurance" even if it is enhanced by pharmaceuticals, or in some cases, by "natural substances, it becomes so seductive. Then, we always exceed any norm, by taking more and more, because as athletes, "we can handle it." What a seductive, delusional, mind warping and mind washing, pile of propaganda. At some point, "we are going to pay the piper" to this "siren's song." And, that is the message that needs to be told, to be shouted from the tops of the highest peaks! Don't do it!)

In my opinion, and I believe this can easily be verified, they were "huge abusers" of drugs! Huge! They both took massive amounts of "steroids" and "growth hormones" and also indulged in other drugs, uppers, downers, pain killers, you name it.

And personality-wise, it was apparent. Their personalities were so extremely mercurial, off the chart at times,the "roid rages" were really unstable, and sometimes very difficult to deal with.

Hawk once told me when he was shooting straight "monkey hormones" that the first thing each morning when he awoke, he wanted to kill someone." What a life!

Then, I left wrestling, and did not hear from them for years. So, through Ted, I heard of their accepting Jesus Christ, and then recently got to see them, and hug them, and embrace them in Christian brotherly love. (Suzanne and I have our pictures taken with them in Scottsdale.)

Without a doubt, my most memorable occasion of being with them, was this recent trip to Scottsdale, AZ. at a "pro-athletes" Christian conference, to see them after they had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord, to see the joy and happiness in their demeanor, what a change!

Hawk, according to Ted, who witnessed his testimony,would say, "God saved my life 10 times, 8 drug overdoses, one drowning, and one car wreck, just to extend my life until I could 'get saved' by coming to Jesus!" He would say, "I'm living on borrowed time", but, now I'm saved!

Aren't we all "living on borrowed time?!" Do any of us know when our time here is finished, and we will be "taken?!" (The "final bell" has tolled over so many who "died before it seemed to be their time", and so many that substance abuse was an integral part of their lives. And worse, so many died without knowing Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, the eternal tragedy.)

See, Hawk was only about 45 years old. A real physical specimen!

He died in his sleep.

But praise the Lord, as I sit here and write this, I have tears running down my face, tears of joy as well as sorrow, the joy, because Hawk is with the Lord, the sorrow, for those unique people in my life, who don't know Jesus, and will meet God without Him as their Advocate, their Savior, who has paid their price for their sin.

And for all those young people who will abuse themselves with substances, to achieve what is missing in their lives, or to gain some physical advantage, or to drop out, and "postpone reality"---or die from an overdose, or die early as a result of the damage they do to themselves with drugs, and rob themselves of being all they could be.

When compared to eternity, it isn't even a drop in the bucket. But, the consequences can be.

Through Jesus, by his merciful grace, all can be forgiven, and we can be redeemed from the slavery to sin, and be reconciled forever to be with our Lord. His grace can overcome any sin! And, its free, we can't earn it, it is a free gift, but, we must accept Him as Savior and Lord to receive it. So simple, just accept what He has done for us, by first recognizing our own lost spiritual condition, and that we need a Savior, and then accept Jesus as Savior! Just ask Him into our hearts!

Hawk, my brother, you got to heaven first, you got there ahead of me, but, I'm coming, I'm coming home to heaven too-, I'll be there with our Lord, Jesus Christ, and in His love forever! What a reunion that will be!

Rejoice!

Amazing grace, how sweet it is, that saved a wretch like me,I was lost, but now I'm saved, Amazing grace has set me free!

Bill Watts
10/20/03

PS, Do you know Jesus personally, and have you accepted Him as Savior and Lord. What if God requires your life today, where will you spend eternity?!

That's Cowboy Bill Watts

Hallelujah, Appy. "What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon his Face, the one who saved me by His Grace, and He takes me by the hand, and leads me to that promised land, What a day, glorious day, that will be....What a day, glorious day, that will be."

30 years ago...maybe this very day....Oct 20, 1972...strung out and in an army bunk in Ansbach, W. Germany, at 2 a.m., I HEARD Jesus knock on my door. And I opened my heart to Him. And He made His abode with me. And He'll never leave me comfortless.

Who am I to judge my brother?

"What a day, glorious day, that will be."

Hallelujah, Appy. "What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon his Face, the one who saved me by His Grace, and He takes me by the hand, and leads me to that promised land, What a day, glorious day, that will be....What a day, glorious day, that will be."

31 years ago...maybe this very day....Oct 20, 1972...strung out and in an army bunk in Ansbach, W. Germany, at 2 a.m., I HEARD Jesus knock on my door. And I opened my heart to Him. And He made His abode with me. And He'll never leave me comfortless.

Who am I to judge my brother?

"What a day, glorious day, that will be."

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Hi Everyone... Thanks for praying for me this past weekend in Indiana. God is so good. He surrounded both Johnny and I with Christians at a non christian event. our Limo drivers were Christians, our two body guards were Christian, the promoter is a Christian, we got to speak Sunday morning at a Black Church, some workers backstage were Christian, and the Lord blessed us with a Christian publicist while down there as well. All to God's glory. I can get into many things, but I will save that for another post.

When I returned off my flight from Chicago to NY, my mother told Johnny Ova and I about the news. Apparently, my home phone number was ringing off the hook about the death of Hawk. Due to so many people in the business wanting sometype of news regarding the death, I decided that I would give them a statement, but rather a witnessing based an answer. However, for the record, there is NO MORE NEW details as of right now. The plan is possible cremation, with a service in either Florida or Minnesota. I spoke to billy Graham today...he is devastated. Spoke to ted yesterday...keep all of us who worked with hawk in your prayers as we feela brotherhood with him when one of our own dies. As for the fans, I can relate to your loss as well as I grew up a fan, and eventually was honored to have been able to work with many of my childhood "idols". You can read below what has been sent out to SECULAR MEDIA.... It is with great sadness that I write this statement. Even though there are no words to express my thoughts clearly, I will make every attempt to honor Mike (Hawk) the best way I know how too.

My first "meeting" with Mike was at a WCW taping in Florida. It wasn't until a few years later that I worked with Mike and Joe (LOD). It was in Long Island at a local college. The LOD, among a host of other WWF talent, had to participate in a charity basketball game v. other NBA players. I was the Basketball Coach for the wrestlers (a joke if you knew my knowledge in basketball), but it was here where I noticed Hawk's heart.

It wasn't until June of 2003 that I would meet Mike again. However, this time the players were different. We all shared one common denominator...a love for Jesus Christ. Hawk got saved a year ago at the 2002 AIM Conference (Athletes In Ministry) in AZ. In June 2003, Hawk, Ted DiBiase, Animal, the Missing Link, George Steele, Nikita Koloff, Sting, Shawn Michaels, etc went to the AIM event again. It was here that I saw Hawk at his strongest....on his knees in worship to the Lord! This man was truly "Born Again" and his lifestyle was transformed.

At the wrestling event we did in Eloy, AZ, Hawk was a leader in the lockeroom. He took part in the prayer before we began, and took time to minister to Johnny Ova (Indy Star) backstage. He really wanted to save others who are just starting in this business from making some of the same mistakes he had in his career. He had a "Big Brother" quality to him that few workers today express outwardly.

My final memory of Mike is truly surreal. It cleary marks the true identity of who this man really was. It was just 2 weeks ago. Johnny Ova and I were working in Canada for a PWA event. As Talent and Administration for the event, we were around Mike quite a lot. What I'm about to describe to you, was who Mike really was.

It was roughly 6 PM in Canada. The doors started to open, and over 3,000 fans filled the church for the wrestling event that was to start in under an hour. All of us were upstairs (backstage) in a room. There were Christian and Non Christian Media present. Hawk dropped to his kness, and bowed his head, and began to pray out loud for blessing on the night. He prayed for safety, and that the fans would come to know Christ. As the night progressed, the matches ended and the true purpose for this event was revealed. Hawk's lifestory was dramatized for all to see. The ups and the downs. He then began to speak to the audience about all the mistakes he had made in his past and what it had cost him. However, what has become my final memory and glimpse of Hawk, came at the very closing of the event. There was this HUGE cross on the stage to the left of the ring. At the very foot of the cross, you found Hawk, Animal, Buff Bagwell, and Greg Valentine bowing on one knee praying to the Lord as Ted DiBiase gave the salvation invitation. The way Hawk started out the night, was the way Hawk ended the night... on bended knee towards God. I can't help but think that Mike is doing the very same thing at this very moment in Heaven.

The really cool thing about this night however was that it was taped for major distribution all across Canada and around the world. It is already in post production. God must of knew what He was doing when He decided to call Mike home, because this event in Canada was his last wrestling match before he died. It's fitting that his testimony will be archived for all to see in the months to come. "The Main Event" will be a DVD you will not want to miss out on.

In closing, I will forever be grateful for my time spent with Mike. I will always take with me his gentle way of dealing with people, and never forget his desire to impact the lives of others. Please keep Mike's wife in your prayers, as well as, all his friends and peers who have worked with him over the years. At the time of his death, Mike was moving into a new home. He didn't feel too well and decided to sleep (He had a bad heart). Peacefully, he entered Heaven. By Bobby Riedel

By Johnny Ova BREAKING NEWS: Legendary Wrestler... Hawk of the Road Warriors... Passes away. Some things that happen in life make you realize how precious life can be. I haven't known Hawk for a long time (since June of last year), but in that short time we became pretty good friends, and even greater Brothers In Christ. I will never forget the things he has said to me, and the time that he spent with me to teach me about the business. He also showed me how great God can be. His last sentence in that conversation was, "John you stay close to God. He can take you and make all your dreams possible! Plus, if you don't I will find you and kick your butt". He had such a great sense of humor and I am so blessed I got to know this amazing human being and a fantastic warrior for Chirst. So, I would just like to send out my condolences to Mike's family and friends... Hawk... it was a pleasure brother, Rest in peace my friend, and we will reunite once again"

Good to know Bill Watts is still around and remains as forceful as ever (but this time around on the Good Foot).

As I'm about to tune into Vince's circus Bill makes me wonder if we, who support it, are a bit at fault for helping provide the venue for so much self-destruction. On the other hand, athletic and theatrical types who wouldn't fit in anywhere else would lose their only shots at recognition (and the chance for excellent earnings) if "pro-wrestling" didn't exist.
I don't think the money-obsessed, juice-crazed "billionaire" from Greenwhich has any intention of improving standards and discouraging the abuses. Because Hawk was right when he said that man is evil.
It must be very difficult to play the heel when your boss is the real thing.

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The Road Warriors were always amazing to me for the agility these guys had for their size. They did perfectly horizontal drop kicks 5-6 feet in the air - most of us probably couldn't do it with the aid of a trampoline and a years practice. I was glad to see them in their last televised performance and hoped they would show up again from time to time as we all knew they were in the twilight of their wrestling careers.

RIP Hawk.

Thanks for the ping

Hawk and Animal

'Road Warrior Hawk,' wrestler, dies at 46

Richard Meryhew,

For nearly a decade, Mike Hegstrand was part of the hottest act in all of professional wrestling.

With his biker boots, spiked shoulder pads, face paint and sculpted physique, the Minneapolis body builder teamed with friend and fellow weightlifter Joe Laurinaitis to make up the Road Warriors, pro wrestling's dominant tag team of the 1980s.

"I would say at their peak, they were the most popular tag team in the history of wrestling," said Dave Meltzer, editor and publisher of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. "They had a certain look and ferocity that really appealed to people."

Hegstrand, a Minneapolis native who wrestled under the nickname Road Warrior Hawk, died in his sleep early Sunday at his home near Clearwater, Fla.

He was 46.

The cause of death was not known. However, the 6-foot-3, 280-pound wrestler had suffered from a heart ailment in recent years and had other health problems, friends said.

"It's such a shock," said Jim Yungner, part owner of a gym in Plymouth where Hegstrand and Laurinaitas, who wrestled under the name Road Warrior Animal, often trained. The two helped Yungner finance the business.

Yungner said he heard from friends Monday that Hegstrand and his wife were moving from their home over the weekend when Hegstrand said he wasn't feeling well. He went to bed and told his wife to wake him in a few hours. When she tried to wake him, she couldn't, Yungner said.

Yungner said Hegstrand is the fourth wrestler from the Minneapolis area to die in recent years.

In 1998, Dean Peters, who graduated from Robbinsdale High School in 1976 and wrestled under the name Brady Boone, died in a car accident while driving to his home in Tampa. A year later, Peters' high school classmate and fellow pro wrestler, Rick Rood, died of heart failure at 40.

Earlier this year, Curt Hennig, another Robbinsdale classmate, was found dead in a hotel room in Tampa. Investigators said Hennig, 44, died of a cocaine overdose.

Yungner said Hegstrand, who attended high school in Minneapolis, and Laurinaitas, who attended high school in New Brighton, lifted weights with the others at his gym.

"They were all good friends," Yungner said. "They were all guys we grew up with. I told a couple of friends today, it's like, 'Gawd, who's next in our group?' "

Came out of nowhere

Yungner said he got to know Hegstrand and Laurinaitis about 1980 when they began lifting weights and training in a gym he ran in Golden Valley. At the time, the two were bouncers at a Minneapolis bar.

They got into wrestling after being approached by trainer Eddie Sharkey. They later went out on their own, "but they didn't do very good and came home," Yungner said.

Later, they were approached with the tag-team idea. Soon, the painted mugs of "Hawk" and "Animal" were on millions of TV screens across America.

"They came out of nowhere," said Verne Gagne, who promoted them for a time when they were part of Gagne's American Wrestling Association. "They weren't polished wrestlers. They pounded on guys more than they did any scientific wrestling."

But notoriety had its price.

"It was more like a rock-'n'-roll-star lifestyle that they lived," Yungner said. "And Hawk lived it to the max. He had 20 years of hard living. But in the last three or four years, he really settled down."

Several years ago, Hegstrand became ill while wrestling in Australia. According to a 2001 article in the Orlando Sentinel, Hegstrand was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease that attacks the muscle fibers.

"I was no saint," Hegstrand told the Sentinel. "For years I put a lot of stuff in my body that I shouldn't have. Now it's just the God-made stuff. I'm eating healthy and feeling stronger."

He resumed wrestling, although not as seriously as before. Earlier this summer, the Road Warriors were reunited with their former manager at a show in Chicago to celebrate their years together.

"These guys who had really been such huge stars really weren't anymore," Meltzer said. "People wanted them to be, but they weren't. Physically, they couldn't do it anymore. One of the reasons for their decline in recent years is that he just couldn't do anything because he'd been so sick. He paid the price."

http://startribune.com/stories/466/4165670.html < - Link for above article

What a sad day. Thanks for the ping.