History of Road Warrior Animal in Timeline
Joseph Michael Laurinaitis, known as Road Warrior Animal, was a prominent American professional wrestler. He gained fame as one half of the legendary tag team, the Road Warriors, alongside Road Warrior Hawk. The duo achieved widespread recognition and success for their powerful, intimidating presence and hard-hitting wrestling style. Laurinaitis's career spanned several decades and included stints in various wrestling promotions, making him a recognizable and influential figure in the sport.
September 12, 1960: Birth of Joseph Michael Laurinaitis
Joseph Michael Laurinaitis, later known as Road Warrior Animal, was born on September 12, 1960.
1981: Birth of Joseph Laurinaitis
Animal's son Joseph was born in 1981.
November 1982: Wrestling Debut
Laurinaitis made his professional wrestling debut in November 1982 as The Road Warrior.
June 1983: Formation of the Road Warriors
The Road Warriors, consisting of Animal and Hawk, wrestled their first match together in June 1983.
1984: American Wrestling Association
From 1984 to 1985, Animal wrestled for the American Wrestling Association.
1984: Tag Team of the Year
The Road Warriors were named Tag Team of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 1984.
1985: Start of All Japan Pro Wrestling
Animal started wrestling for All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1985.
1985: Start of All Japan Pro Wrestling
Animal started wrestling for All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1985.
1986: Birth of James Laurinaitis
Animal's son James Laurinaitis was born in 1986.
December 7, 1988: NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship Reign Begins
On December 7, 1988, The Road Warriors, including Laurinaitis, began their reign as NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champions, alongside Genichiro Tenryu, following Ted Turner's acquisition of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and its renaming as World Championship Wrestling.
1988: Feud with The Powers of Pain
In 1988, the Road Warriors feuded with The Powers of Pain, during which Animal suffered an eye injury.
1988: NWA World Tag Team Championship Win
The Road Warriors won the NWA World Tag Team Championship from The Midnight Express near the end of 1988.
1989: End of All Japan Pro Wrestling
Animal stopped wrestling for All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1989.
1989: Birth of Jessica Laurinaitis
Animal's daughter Jessica was born in 1989.
1990: Departure from NWA
The Road Warriors left the NWA in the summer of 1990 due to conflicts with Jim Herd.
1990: Signing with WWF and Feud with Demolition
The Road Warriors signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1990 and began a feud with Demolition.
September 1992: Back Injury
Laurinaitis suffered a legitimate back injury during a match in Japan in September 1992.
1993: WCW Appearances
Laurinaitis made non-wrestling appearances in WCW in 1993.
1995: Recovery from Injury
Laurinaitis recovered from his back injury near the end of 1995.
January 4, 1996: New Japan Pro-Wrestling Appearance
Animal seconded Hawk in a match against Scott Norton at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's annual Tokyo Dome show on January 4, 1996.
January 1996: Return to WCW
The Road Warriors reunited and returned to World Championship Wrestling in January 1996.
June 1996: Departure from WCW
The Road Warriors left WCW in June 1996.
1996: Hall of Fame Inductions
In 1996, Animal was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.
1996: Closure of Zubaz Company
The Zubaz company, in which Animal and Hawk were involved, closed in 1996.
October 7, 1997: WWF Tag Team Championship Win
The Legion of Doom won the WWF Tag Team Championship on October 7, 1997.
November 1997: Loss of WWF Tag Team Championship
The Legion of Doom lost the WWF Tag Team Championship to the New Age Outlaws in November 1997.
1998: Legion of Doom's Controversial Angle in WWF
In 1998, the Legion of Doom (L.O.D.) was part of a controversial storyline in the WWF that exploited Hawk's real-life struggles with drugs and alcohol. He began appearing intoxicated or unable to perform, leading to the introduction of a new member, Puke. The storyline culminated with accusations against Puke and the L.O.D. leaving WWF due to the exploitation of Hegstrand's personal issues.
May 2, 1999: Road Warriors at AJPW Giant Baba Memorial Show
On May 2, 1999, after leaving WWF, the Road Warriors wrestled at the AJPW Giant Baba Memorial Show in Tokyo, Japan, defeating Jun Akiyama and Kenta Kobashi.
2000: Road Warriors Continue on Independent Circuit
In 2000, the Road Warriors primarily worked in the independent wrestling circuit.
2000: Road Warriors in Australia and Independent Circuit
In 2000, the Road Warriors wrestled for i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling in Australia, feuding with The Public Enemy. They also worked in the independent circuit.
2000: Repackaging as Legion of Doom 2000
The Legion of Doom were repackaged as "Legion of Doom 2000" with manager Sunny in 2000.
January 2001: Animal Joins WCW's Magnificent Seven
In January 2001, Animal returned to WCW as the enforcer for The Magnificent Seven, tasked with protecting WCW World Champion Scott Steiner. He participated in a four-corners match for the title at Sin.
March 2001: WCW Purchase and End of Animal's Contract
In March 2001, Vince McMahon purchased WCW, and Animal's contract was not picked up by the WWF. The Magnificent Seven also disbanded shortly before the purchase.
September 8, 2001: Road Warriors Reunite at Jersey Championship Wrestling
On September 8, 2001, after WCW folded, Animal and Hawk reunited at Jersey Championship Wrestling, defeating the Moondogs 2000 in Lodi, New Jersey.
2001: Spiritual Awakening
In 2001, Laurinaitis underwent a significant life change by becoming a born-again Christian.
2002: Animal Returns to All Japan Pro Wrestling
In 2002, Animal returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling, teaming with Keiji Muto.
2002: Road Warriors in TNA (First Stint)
In late 2002, the Road Warriors appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as part of a group opposing Vince Russo's Sports Entertainment Xtreme faction.
May 12, 2003: Road Warriors' Final Match Together on WWE Raw
On May 12, 2003, the Road Warriors made a surprise appearance on Raw, challenging Kane and Rob Van Dam for the World Tag Team Championship. This was their final match together before Hawk's death later that year.
October 19, 2003: Hawk's Death
On October 19, 2003, Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) passed away.
2003: Number One Tag Team of the "PWI Years"
In 2003, Pro Wrestling Illustrated named the Road Warriors the number one tag team of the "PWI years".
2003: Road Warriors' Final Stint in Japan
In 2003, the Road Warriors had their last stint in Japan with Fighting of World Japan Pro Wrestling, feuding with the Shane Twins.
2003: Road Warriors in TNA (Limited Matches)
The Road Warriors only wrestled one match for TNA during their stint in late 2002 to early 2003.
2005: Animal's WWE Return and Tag Team Championship Win
In 2005, Animal returned to WWE and teamed with Heidenreich, forming a new chapter of the Legion of Doom. They defeated MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship at The Great American Bash.
January 17, 2006: Heidenreich's Release from WWE
On January 17, 2006, Heidenreich was released from WWE, ending his partnership with Animal.
March 3, 2006: Animal Turns Heel and Attacks Matt Hardy
On March 3, 2006, after losing a match with Matt Hardy against MNM, Animal turned heel by attacking and injuring Hardy's knee, claiming Hawk was his only true partner. He subsequently dropped aspects of the Road Warrior gimmick.
May 6, 2006: Animal's Final WWE Match
Animal's final WWE match took place on May 6, 2006, on Velocity, where he defeated Paul Burchill.
June 26, 2006: Animal Released from WWE Contract
On June 26, 2006, Animal was released from his WWE contract.
June 17, 2007: Animal Returns to TNA with Rick Steiner
On June 17, 2007, Road Warrior Animal returned to TNA at Slammiversary, teaming with Rick Steiner (replacing Scott Steiner) in a losing effort against Team 3D.
2007: Son's Butkus Award
In 2007, Laurinaitis's son, James, won the prestigious Butkus Award, recognizing him as the best linebacker in college football.
May 11, 2008: Animal Wins UWA Tag Titles and Retires
On May 11, 2008, Animal teamed with Power Warrior to win the UWA Tag Team titles at Toryumon Mexico Dragonmania III in Mexico City. This would be followed by Animal's retirement from professional wrestling.
2009: Son's NFL Draft
James Laurinaitis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft, marking a major milestone in his football career.
March 1, 2011: Release of Road Warriors Autobiography
On March 1, 2011, Road Warrior Animal's autobiography, "The Road Warriors: Danger, Death, and the Rush of Wrestling," co-written with William Andrew Wright, was released.
March 28, 2011: Road Warriors Inducted into WWE Hall of Fame
On March 28, 2011, WWE announced the Road Warriors' induction into the 2011 Hall of Fame. Animal stated his intention to donate his spiked shoulder pads to the physical Hall of Fame.
2011: Hall of Fame Inductions
Animal was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.
July 20, 2012: Animal's Return and Final WWE Appearance
On July 20, 2012, Animal returned to WWE on SmackDown, defeating Heath Slater. He appeared again on Raw's 1,000th episode on July 23, helping Lita take down Slater. This marked Animal's final WWE appearance and last wrestled match.
2012: Hall of Fame Induction
Animal was inducted into the NWA Hall of Fame in 2012.
2015: Son's Rams Tenure Ends
In 2015, James Laurinaitis concluded his time with the St. Louis Rams, playing through the team's final season in St. Louis before moving to the New Orleans Saints.
July 2016: Class Action Lawsuit
In July 2016, Laurinaitis joined a class-action lawsuit against WWE alleging wrestlers suffered traumatic brain injuries during their employment.
December 15, 2016: Animal's Guest Appearance on TNA Impact Wrestling
On December 15, 2016, Animal made a guest appearance on the Impact Wrestling special, "Total Nonstop Deletion".
September 1, 2018: Animal Appears at All In
On September 1, 2018, Animal made a surprise appearance at the All In wrestling event.
September 2018: Lawsuit Dismissed
The lawsuit against WWE involving Laurinaitis and other wrestlers was dismissed in September 2018.
June 12, 2020: Animal Becomes SWE General Manager's Enforcer
On June 12, 2020, Road Warrior Animal was named the enforcer for the new SWE General Manager, Teddy Long, in SWE Fury, a nationally televised wrestling promotion based in Plano, Texas.
September 22, 2020: Death of Road Warrior Animal
Road Warrior Animal, whose real name was Joseph Michael Laurinaitis, passed away on September 22, 2020.