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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."

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.