By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

WWE executive/wrestler Triple H was interviewed by ESPN about the death of Ultimate Warrior on Tuesday. Included was Hunter noting that he worked with Warrior for 18 months to get Warrior back in the fold for the Hall of Fame.

- Hunter on WWE's reaction to the news: "We're devastated. It was such a wonderful homecoming, such a great celebration of an iconic career with the Hall of Fame, and the appearance at WrestleMania, and the return of the Ultimate Warrior character in-ring on Monday Night Raw. The talent were so happy, Warrior was beside himself so excited, and then to have it just come to an end a day later is just shocking and tragic and devastating to all of us."

- Hunter on Warrior's legacy in pro wrestling: "Warrior's legacy, as he said in his Hall of Fame induction speech, his most important accomplishment is what he leaves behind, which is his wife Dana, and his two beautiful daughters, Mattigan and Indiana. For him, that's what he would say. As for his career, for him, the belief in the Ultimate Warrior and that Warrior mentality, his belief is that if you believe in yourself, and that you work hard, and you persevere, anything is possible. He believed that so much so that he signed everything that he did - whether an autograph or a contract - with 'Always Believe. Warrior.'"

- Hunter on WWE and Warrior reconciling: "It was a wonderful opportunity for us. And we're grateful we had the chance. For me, it was an 18-month process with Warrior; an 18-month healing process. It doesn't happen overnight, but I think both sides have grown. He had grown as a man, we had grown as people and a company, and it was time. It was time to move on and just let the business things that had gone in the past be the past. He is so deserving of being immortalized in the Hall of Fame and to have his moment in front of his legions and legions of fans. I can tell you that that meant the world to us and, I know personally, it meant the world to him."

- Hunter on his overall reaction: "The whole thing is bittersweet because it was the greatest moment he probably could have had. I think if you asked him a career highlight, many people would say it's WrestleMania 6 at the Toronto Skydome when he beat Hulk Hogan for the WWF Title. I don't know. I think he would have disagreed with that now and said the greatest moment of his career was three days ago being inducted into the Hall of Fame with Mattigan and Indiana walking him on-stage."



[ Video URL: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:10757731
]

[Torch photo credit Wade Keller (c) PWTorch.com]

We suggest these recent related articles...

WWE NEWS: Superstars SPOILERS - Results from Chicago Raw

WWE NETWORK: Monday, Oct. 12 Schedule - Raw pre-show, Sting DVD preview

WWE NEWS: Lana & Rusev reportedly engaged - follow the interesting 2015 timeline