411’s A&E Biography: WWE Legends Report – ‘The Legion of Doom’

-Written: 5.17.26
-Source: A&E
-Run Time: 2 Hours (w/ Commercials)

-Plugs: Von Erichs Part 1 and 2; 4 Horsemen

-We start at The WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony in Atlanta, GA in 2011. I was there! Dusty Rhodes inducts The Road Warriors and Paul Ellering.

-Preview of what’s to come with the various talking heads. We are going to get some home videos and words from family. Paul: “I never got to say goodbye.”

-Minneapolis, MN: Rich Hegstrand, the brother of Mike (Hawk), says his brother was a mischievous kid who played harder than everyone else. His other brother, Dan, is here as well. He says Mike’s sport was fighting and he had a temper. He seemed like he was always trying to prove something to himself. Rich says Mike drank and used pot/dope, but it was peace, love, drop time. He valued his friends.

-Joe Laurinaitis (Animal) is next and we have interview footage from the early 2010s. We also hear from his daughter, Jessica Laurinatis-Roller. Nikita Koloff is here and talks about Joe’s football prowess and how he recruited Joe to play football at his college (Golden Valley Lutheran College). That is where Joe met his first wife, Nancy Halverson. She says it was love at first sight. Football didn’t work out so life went a different direction. Nancy was pregnant so Mike dropped out of school to be a family man. His son, Joey, was born in Feb of 1981. They divorced in 82 and Nancy looks back and says they were too young.

-Back to Dan who says their father was a provider and the mom provided the love. She was a sweetheart and died in her mid 50s. Mike took it very hard and it was when he was trying to figure out what to do with his life. He didn’t like school and started getting into weight lifting. There was a famous gym called, The Gym. Like The Bar in Gone Girl! Mike and Joe meet there lifting weight and became good friends. They were also bouncing at the famous Grandma B’s bar. They loved getting paid to beat people up if needed.

-Ole Anderson, who runs Georgia Championship Wrestling, sees Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and gets inspiration for a tag team. We get Mad Max footage. Eddie Sharkey is a trainer and bar tender at Grandma B’s. He knows Ole and they talk about talent. Ole heads up and sees Joe and Mike and has his team. They needed trained and that was up to Eddie. When they had some training they were sent down to Georgia. They had no clue what they were getting into. Mike was still wandering while Joe was the family guy and had more to lose.

-Commercials!

-Atlanta: 1983: They realized they needed a manager and Ole went to Paul Ellering. Paul is here and says Ole told him these two were his boys now. He talks about coming up with the look of face paint and mohawks, double mohawks. They came up with Hawk and Animal and props to the old footage of Animal wearing a cut-off 49ers shirt. BANG BANG NINER GANG! They needed the music and IRON MAN. They looked like monsters and Magnum says they were the coolest thing he had ever seen. They weren’t wrestlers that traded hold. T hey were ask kickers and the talking heads joke they forgot it was make believe. We see early footage of them destroying jobbers while Black Sabbath plays. Great stuff!

-They were able to work Georgia, Crockett, and the AWA. The talking heads discuss the importance of cable TV and the Warriors are in any territory they can work and on TV across the country. Hulk Hogan talks about the famous Road Warrior pop. Lex Luger says it was like that every night and while they were bad apples, fans loved them. Paul says cable made regular stars into Superstars. They had the it factor and fed off each other. Joe notes they were friend before wrestling and not two guys they threw together. Jimmy Hart notes they were complete opposites.

-It was hard for Joe being on the road and always wanted to be home with his son. He saw Joey as much as possible. Mike loved being on the road and always had a good time. Joe was the one that had to reel him in and make sure they made all the shows. Magnum says Hawk was able to ride the lightning bolt and turn it up three notches. They all note eventually something would give.

-Commercials!

-July 6, 1985: Great American Bash: Sam Roberts notes there was 27,000 people in the crowd that hated The Russians. The Road Warriors were seen as American originals. The Road Warriors were seen as the best people to send to beat up The Russians. The match ends in a Double DQ. Apparently, it was that moment that turned the RW into good guys and more beloved. This gives them more leverage and they wanted guaranteed contracts. Crockett was ready to come up with a deal but Paul got a meeting with Vince.

-That gives us a chance to talk about WWE being awesome and celebrities and WrestleMania. They could use going to WWF as a way to get more money. Vince told them he doesn’t do guarantees, but told Paul they can use him as leverage in their negotiations. They were given $500,000 each guaranteed a year for three years with the new deal.

-Joe notes they loved two different lifestyles. Hawk enjoyed the night light and was searching for a good time and often found it. They never saw it affect his performance in the ring at that point. We see some of the famous backstage footage of the boys doing drugs. I think it was from the Bash tour. Luger says there was no real discussion of cutting back and that’s just how some rolled. They didn’t see the dangers and where it was heading.

-Commercials!

-We meet Julia Laurinaitis, Joe’s second wife, and they met at a gym. Paul says Joe was smitten and they were very happy together. They had two kids, James and Jessica. He also never lost touch with Joey as he had a responsibility to him. Jessica says her dad made sure his kids knew they were loved.

-Julia says Mike is Mike and is crazy, but had an amazing heart. Paul says to know Hawk is to love Hawk. He tells a story of Hawk giving a guy on the streets of New York 100 dollars. Rick Steiner is here and says Hawk handed him 500 to help with back due taxes. Luger also says Hawk is a super guy, but would go out and party for 2-3 days with no sleep due to stimulants. He was rushed into a hospital three times for an overdose and was in a head on crash and walked away. Another time he fell out of a boat, drunk, into a freezing lake. He swam towards a flash light from a boat and that’s what saved him. Nikita nearly breaks down telling the story as he says the flashlight saved Mike that night.

-Joe says it was a heavy load at times. He had a loyalty to Mike, the business and The Road Warriors. Joe was always there to keep Mike focused and on track towards the ultimate goal. Steiner says Hawk accepted what Mike said and knew when it was time to get to business. Luger notes he was there for the match and it would take a lot of coffee. We see clips of them winning the NWA World Tag Titles and appearing on a late 80s TV show.

-X-Pac talks about when they debuted the shoulder pads with spikes. He loved the look. Mike the found his voice as Hawk and got What a Rush from Nightmare of Elm Street: Dream Warriors. They were clicking on all cylinders and had conquered the AWA, and NWA. They knew they needed to head to the WWF sooner than later. For them it was a way to prove they were the best. Paul still had a contract and wanted to finish it out and that’s why they showed up in the WWF without him at first.

-Commercials! Seems WWE Rivals is back next Sunday, so I will have that as our Bio run is finished.

-1990: Sean Mooney is here and says Vince wanted the Road Warriors, but couldn’t match the guarantee as he didn’t give them at that time. They finally made the jump and Bruce says WWE couldn’t clear the Road Warriors name due to the movie, but they could clear Legion of Doom. Mooney says the LOD took the place by storm. Bruce says they beat the hell out of everyone beacause they didn’t know what else to do.

-They were great guys out of the ring to the fans and we see them interacting. Joe from 2005 says Mike had a heart of gold. We see the LOD signing autographs for fans. They talk about Mike’s demons and Hogan talks about it being the 90s and they would drink, but Mike wouldn’t stop. He tells a story about a party at the house of Luke (Bushwhacker). Hawk was so drunk he passed out in the bottom off the pool. Hogan pulled him out of the water and says that’s when he knew there was a problem.

-Koloff notes Joe could have left Hawk at those points, but that wasn’t his way. He wasn’t going to give up as he had hope Mike could make a lifestyle change. Hogan notes it kept getting worse. Mike fails a drug test and they knew he needed help. Bruce says they tried rehab, but Mike didn’t do it. So he was suspended and at this point Mike was a full blown addict. We see footage of Hawk and Animal talking to kids about the dangers of doing drugs. Oh my! His brothers note they tried an intervention at one time and it didn’t help. Julia says Mike was not ready and notes he was stubborn and always fought back.

-His brother talks about Hawk being an addict and having money and fame and the idea he had to live up to the wild man image. Another case of Hawk taking over Joe’s live. Julia thinks Mike lost himself and would have been fine if he stayed in Minneapolis. His brother knew this wasn’t going in a good direction. I am stunned no mention of Demolition and Vince trying to create his own version when they turned him down the first time.

-Commercials!

-Bruce says The LOD were attractions and they drew money. We see them beating The Nasty Boys at SummerSlam to become WWF Tag Team Champions. The first team to win the AWA, NWA, and WWF Tag Titles. Mooney says that was the peak for the team and Rosenberg says it was a big deal.

-LOD show up at Toys R Us with Mean Gene and they have action figures. They work as partners with ZUBAZ. YEAH! Loved those pants as a kid.

-Sadly, we go back to the bad stuff as Hawk still has his demons and Joe is his babysitter. They bring in Paul Ellering hoping he can help babysit. Julia says Paul was a great role model for both guys.

-Oh, it seems Rocco The Dummy was the idea of Paul Ellering. We see them shooting the vignettes for the dummy. Paul says he wanted something that would help sell a lot of merchandise. X-Pac: “What the fuck man?” Joe couldn’t stand the dummy and you hear him telling Paul it was messed up as they shoot the promos. Bruce wants to point out he had nothing to do with it and thought it was rotten. He laughs at the idea that two bad asses had a doll. Paul says they development wasn’t there and blames creative. Rocco then disappeared forever. I wonder if he is in the WWE Warehouse?

–SummerSlam 92: Mooney notes this was the true start of WWE expanding internationally. Mike Rotundo is hear and talks about 82,000 being in Wembley. It was a massive show and if you screwed up, those in charge would remember. It was LOD vs. Money Inc and Hawk was not in good shape. Bret Hart: “How much do you want me to tell you about that night?” Bret says Hawk annoyed at the puppet and shoved four placydyl in his mouth and downed it with a drink. “That’s like suicide. What are you doing?” He says Hawk was a train wreck and even Heenan notes on commentary that Hawk didn’t know where he was and kind of buries him on commentary. Bret talks about the dynamic with a team and how your career is tied to your partner. Jimmy Hart says the other three had to cover for Hawk and they kind of pulled it out. After the match, Joe and Paul met at the airport and flew back without Hawk. The next taping, Hawk was nowhere to be found.

-Commercials!

-Hawk went to Amsterdam as Paul says he knew Hawk was alive but didn’t no where. His lawyer wrote a letter saying he quit. Paul says everything they built was gone and Joe was hurt and angry. He had a family to provide for and it affected his way of providing. Animal was stuck doing solo matches and fans didn’t want that. Animal needed Hawk, and Waltman says Hawk didn’t need Animal as much.
-Tokyo, Japan: 1992: Hawk tags with Sasaki and they are the Hell Raisers with Sasaki as Power Warrior. Joe was pissed! They made up but Hawk never apologized and didn’t think he was wrong. Joe didn’t care Hawk did it, but wished he would have asked. Joe himself started having back issues and it was the perfect time to step away.

-We see home video footage of Joe at home with his kids. He was there for everything. Jessica says it was a true testament to who he was: a dad. Joe and Mike didn’t speak to each other for over a year. Joe talked about quitting and getting a normal job, but wrestling always pulled him back.

-They were meant to be and were drawn back to each other and the business. Waltman compares it to a brother relationship. Joe wanted to try it again and see what happens.

-Commercials!

-We skip over their WCW run and go to their WWF return in 1997. They become WWF Tag Champions again. Julia says it was fun to see them back in the ring, but there was always a question of if they could trust Mike. Bret says Animal gave Hawk another shot, but was waiting for the next meltdown and they all assumed Mike would self destruct. Waltman says Hawk was going through a rough spell and it made him sad as they knew Mike was a good guy.

-Bruce talks about working real life things into creative. Yeah, throwing someone’s addiction is screen is still awful. Waltman says he hated it and used it as part of a story. We see Hawk acting drunk/pilled out of his mind. His brother says it was painful and didn’t help with his issues. Paul didn’t like it and says Animal didn’t like it. Joe says it was too close to home and opened up old wounds. Hawk was all for it though, so they did it.

-Droz: The idea was they would have someone that could step in if Hawk couldn’t work. That didn’t work either and everyone dumps on it as the fans wanted the original.

-We get to the RAW where Hawk threatens to jump off The Tron. Droz goes up and “shoves” him off but they want people to wonder if he really did. The fans hated it and didn’t believe it or want it. Bruce: “The audience just felt sad for Hawk.” Paul says Hawk lost his respect and pride in the business. He could see the end was close.

-Commercials! Rivals and I am pumped for Savage/Flair!

-RAW: March 29, 1999: The LOD lose to Owen and Jarrett and look old. The Attitude Era is in full force and LOD were viewed as washed. They left WWE when their contracts weren’t renewed so they went the indie route.

-Australia: 2000: Hawk collapses with a heart issue. Julia says it was from all the drugs catching up. Hawk said he couldn’t stay and didn’t want to die there. He was flown back to Tampa and Animal went back to Minneapolis and that was it.

-Hulk Hogan brings up introducing Hawk to a woman named Dale. They ended up getting married. His brother says she was a great influence on him and everyone says they were good for reach other. Julia notes Joe was still doing some indie shows, but it wasn’t the same as you couldn’t have one without the other.

-Nikita invited Joe out to a conference for Christians and Joe wanted to invite Mike. Koloff gets emotional as he hears that Mike wants to come. They could see a change in Mike as he now had a sense of joy. His brother says Mike had straightened his life and Luger notes he was clean and sober. Nobody thought that would ever happen. Paul calls it a miracle. It took everyone by surprise in a good way. Everything seemed like it was falling in place and people didn’t have to worry about Mike anymore.

-Sept 2023: Paul spent time with Hawk in Tampa and they talked about the old days and the future. It was a Saturday morning and Mike was getting ready to move with Dale and he told Joe on the phone he loved him and they would talk that night.

-Oct. 19, 2003: Paul starts crying and says this always happens. Hogan says Mike and Dale were moving and from what he understands, Mike wasn’t feeling well. His brother confirms and Mike went to lay down and never woke up. He died from a massive heart attack. “The guy with a big heart dies from a heart attack.” This is tough to watch as his brothers still look devastated.

-Julia says Dale called and Mike collapsed when he heard the news. He cried like a baby on the floor. He then called Paul and he also cried his eyes out and starts crying telling the story.

-RAW: Jim Ross announces the passing of Hawk at the age of 46. Luger says Hawk got clean, but the damage was done. Hogan says Hawk was a nice guy and it was a tough one. His brother says he doesn’t remember his dad giving him a hug, but Mike brought that back and they all started hugging each other. That’s what he remembers.

-Commercials!

-Back to The Hall of Fame in Atlanta as The LOD gets inducted. Jessica says around that time they lived in Missouri because her brother (James) was playing for the St Louis Rams. St Lour became their home and her dad did appearances, but was a family man. He loved his grand kids and jokes her dad wishes they could all live on a compound together.

-Jessica has her son, Jacob, in 2011 and her dad has breathing issues and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He became hyper focused on his health so he could life as long as possible for his family. She starts to break down as she says he wanted to watch Jacob grow up and play high school sports and go to college. “That is definitely what was driving him.” She knows he pushed through days he wasn’t feeling well because he was determined to be there.

-Sept 22, 2020: Joe went to the hospital as he was having a heart attack. They had been trying to revive him for 30 minutes and Jessica knew at that point he wasn’t going to make it. She recalls seeing him laying on the table. She fell to the floor and her whole world stopped. Julia says it was very emotional. He passed at the age of 60. Paul says he saw each a month before they died, but never got to say goodbye.

-Jessica heads to a hockey rink to play with her son, Jacob. We see footage of her training with him and she talks about how her father raised her to show she loved her kids. She has instilled her dad’s work ethic in Jacob. She uses her dad’s name to get Jacob to listen to her.

-Nikita says whatever brought those two together it is amazing to think about and look back on. Hogan says the legacy of The Road Warriors was nobody was tougher, stronger, or more intimidating. Paul says they were the best of their time and of all time. They were Joe and Mike and developed a loyalty to one another. They had a long lasting love for one another and never would have have the success they had in life without the other. Paul: “Of all the things in the world, it is the memories that matter. The boys are smiling.”

-As expected this was solid and got emotional by the end. It is always fun to hear from peers, but it’s the families that draw me to shows like this. Getting their story out and learning about these men and women outside the ring. The WWE did their own doc years ago, so there wasn’t much new covered here, so again, the family stuff is what I took away. Again, it was weird that they didn’t even mention Demolition in this piece. Perhaps it was filmed so long ago they weren’t yet on good terms with them. They fly by the WCW years but with only roughly 90 minutes I guess you can’t cover everything. Thanks for joining me for this brief biography series and next week we get back to Rivals.