Terry Szopinski
Encyclopedia
Terry Scott Szopinski is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

. He is best known by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...

 The Warlord and for his tenures in Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...

 and the World Wrestling Federation as one half of the Powers of Pain
Powers of Pain
The Powers of Pain are an on-and-off professional wrestling tag team. They are best known for their tenure in Jim Crockett Promotions and the World Wrestling Federation.-Jim Crockett Promotions:...

 alongside The Barbarian
Sione Vailahi
Sione Havea Vailahi is a professional wrestler best known in wrestling as The Barbarian.-Life and career:Born and raised in Tonga, Sione was one of five teenagers sent by the King of Tonga to Japan to study Sumo wrestling in the mid 1970s. Tonga Fifita was one of the other teenagers...

.

National Wrestling Alliance / Jim Crockett Promotions

In 1986 while working out at a gym in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, Szopinski met its owner Joe Laurinaitis, better known as the professional wrestler Road Warrior Animal
Road Warrior Animal
Joseph Aaron "Joe" Laurinaitis is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior...

. After coming up with possible ring names with Sharkey and Animal, Szopinski adopted The Warlord as his ring name and sent some photos of his work to Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...

. Soon afterwards, Rhodes hired him and he began wrestling for the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...

's Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...

 later that year. After a brief stint in JCP, the territory's owner Jim Crockett, Jr.
Jim Crockett, Jr.
Jim Crockett, Jr. is a former professional wrestling promoter. From 1973 to 1988, he owned Jim Crockett Promotions , a wrestling company affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance...

 sent him to the Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

-based Central States Wrestling
Heart of America Sports Attractions
Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...

 territory for more training. While there, he teamed with Karl Kovac and won the territory's Tag Team Championship
NWA Central States Tag Team Championship
The NWA Central States Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team championship for the Heart of America Sports Attractions / Central States Wrestling promotion from 1979 until the promotion ceased to exist in 1988...

 on June 8, 1987 in a tournament. However, he and Kovac were soon stripped of the title when Kovac was fired and Szopinski travelled to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 for more training.

The Powers of Pain

In late 1987, Szopinski returned to Jim Crockett Promotions under his Warlord name and began teaming with Ivan Koloff with Paul Jones
Paul Jones (wrestler)
Paul Jones is a retired professional wrestler and manager. He had success in the National Wrestling Alliance 's Mid-Atlantic region, including an NWA World Tag Team title reign with Ricky Steamboat.-Career:...

 as their manager. In 1988, he then formed a permanent tag team with The Barbarian
Sione Vailahi
Sione Havea Vailahi is a professional wrestler best known in wrestling as The Barbarian.-Life and career:Born and raised in Tonga, Sione was one of five teenagers sent by the King of Tonga to Japan to study Sumo wrestling in the mid 1970s. Tonga Fifita was one of the other teenagers...

 known as the Powers of Pain
Powers of Pain
The Powers of Pain are an on-and-off professional wrestling tag team. They are best known for their tenure in Jim Crockett Promotions and the World Wrestling Federation.-Jim Crockett Promotions:...

, the heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...

 counterparts to the Road Warriors
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...

, while retaining Jones as their manager.

While continuing to team Koloff, the Powers of Pain feuded heavily with the Road Warriors, and defeated them and Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...

 for the World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. To continue the feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...

, JCP management wanted them to do some scaffold matches against the Warriors, but this was met with opposition from Szopinski and Vailahi over fears of injury. As a result, they both left JCP and joined the World Wrestling Federation, vacating the Six–Man Tag Team Title in the process.

World Wrestling Federation

Upon their arrival in the WWF, the Powers were faces
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...

, initially managed by Tito Santana
Tito Santana
Merced Solis better known by his ring name Tito Santana, is an American professional wrestler whose heyday spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, though he continues to appear on the independent circuit. He is best known from his time in the World Wrestling Federation...

, and feuded with World Tag Team Champions Demolition
Demolition (professional wrestling)
Demolition is a professional wrestling tag team most prominent during the late 1980s / early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation made up of Ax , Smash , and later Crush . In WWF, Demolition were three-time Tag Team Champions, and hold the records for both the single longest tag title reign...

 (Ax
Bill Eadie
Bill Eadie is a professional wrestler who has competed under the names of Ax as part of Demolition and The Masked Superstar...

 and Smash
Barry Darsow
Barry Darsow is a former American professional wrestler who is known as Smash, one half of the tag team Demolition, and as Krusher Kruschev, Repo Man, and The Blacktop Bully...

), who had defeated Strike Force
Strike Force (professional wrestling)
Strike Force was a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation composed of Rick Martel and Tito Santana.-History:...

 (Santana and Rick Martel
Rick Martel
Richard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel...

) for the title and then injured Martel (kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...

). The Powers were introduced as mercenaries to help Martel and Santana gain revenge on Demolition for both the title loss and the injury to Martel. They were soon after managed by The Baron
James Raschke
James Donald Raschke is a retired professional wrestler best known as Baron von Raschke.-Career:...

.

At Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1988)
Survivor Series was the second annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...

, the Powers' team defeated Demolition's team in tag team elimination match, with the Powers being the sole survivors of their team. After the match, Demolition's manager Mr. Fuji
Mr. Fuji
Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...

 double-crossed them and after they beat him up and left, the Powers came to his aid, gaining Fuji as their manager in the process, in return for which his interference helped the Powers eliminate the last remaining opponents, the Conquistadors
Los Conquistadores (professional wrestling)
Los Conquistadores was the name of a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation, with the team consisting of two masked wrestlers known as 1 and 2 . The original team consisted of José Luis Rivera and José Estrada , but several other wrestlers made use of the gimmick in...

. Afterwards, the Powers and Fuji celebrated until Demolition returned and drove them from the ring. As a result, the Powers became villains while Demolition became fan favorites. At WrestleMania V
WrestleMania V
WrestleMania V was the fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 2, 1989 at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey...

, the Powers of Pain teamed with Fuji in a losing effort to Demolition in a match for the World Tag Team Championship.

In early 1990, the Powers of Pain split, with Fuji selling Barbarian's contract to Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Bobby Heenan
Raymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...

 while selling Warlord's contract to Slick
Ken Johnson (wrestling)
Kenneth "Ken" Johnson better known to wrestling fans as "Slick - The Doctor of Style", is a former American professional wrestling manager with the World Wrestling Federation...

. After the team's split, Warlord received an attire change, where he abandoned his Road Warrior
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...

-like reverse mohawk and face paint and instead shaved his head and began wearing black armor and a black metal Phantom of the Opera half-face mask to the ring. He also brought a metal staff topped with a "W" with him to his matches, and used it as a weapon on occasion. On April 17, 1992, Szopinski lost to Virgil
Mike Jones (wrestler)
Mike Jones is an American professional wrestler, who most recently performed for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Virgil, where he appeared on its Raw brand as Ted DiBiase, Jr.'s personal assistant...

 in his final match for the WWF.

Injury and retirement

After leaving the WWF for the independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...

, Szopinski wrestled two matches in World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...

 in 1996, one of which was a tag team match where he and Vailahi reunited as the masked
Wrestling mask
A Wrestling mask is a fabric based mask that some professional wrestlers wear as part of their in-ring persona or gimmick. Professional wrestlers have been using masks as far back as 1915 and they are still widely used today, especially in Lucha Libre in Mexico.-History:In 1915 a North American...

 Super Assassins. However, he was forced to retire from wrestling due to suffering neck injuries in a car accident involving a Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....

 delivery van in 1996.

After attempting a comeback in 2001, Szopinski was sidelined yet again after suffering severe leg damage in a motorcycle accident. During his recovery, he retired from wrestling and began training as a security guard
Security guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...

 and started providing his services for Relief Group International, an auto relief group. He soon extended his services into bodyguarding, and worked alongside celebrities such as 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...

, Thomas Jones and Kimbo Slice
Kimbo Slice
Kevin Ferguson , better known as Kimbo Slice, is a Bahamian-American boxer, mixed martial artist and occasional actor...

, the latter of whom nicknamed Szopinski "The Wall".

Return to wrestling

On January 10, 2003, Szopinski made his first wrestling-related appearance in years as he acted as a special guest referee for Hardkore Championship Wrestling in a match between Christian York
Christian York
Jason Spence is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Christian York.-York and Matthews:...

 and Reckless Youth, which Youth won. On January 25, he made his official in-ring return under his Warlord name and character as he defeated Joe Gomez
Joe Gomez
Joe Gomez is an American professional wrestler who competes in Southeastern independent promotions including Florida Championship Wrestling, Maximum Pro Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance....

. After wrestling regularly throughout the rest of 2003 and 2004, Warlord wrestled at the first WrestleReunion on January 29, 2005, where he competed in a battle royal for the IWA Heavyweight Championship. However, he was eliminated by Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
Greg Valentine
John Wisniski, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine.-Training:...

, who would go on to win the match and the title. On April 29, 2006, he defeated Chaz to win the Maximum Xtreme Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship, his first singles title.

Personal life

Szopinski met Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...

 early in Jericho's career, and helped him out with food issues while they travelved together overseas and in Japan. Dave Batista cites Szopinski as his all-time favorite wrestler.

In wrestling

  • Finishing moves
    • Diving clothesline
    • Full nelson

  • Signature moves
    • Chokeslam
      Chokeslam
      A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...

    • Running powerslam

  • With The Barbarian
    Sione Vailahi
    Sione Havea Vailahi is a professional wrestler best known in wrestling as The Barbarian.-Life and career:Born and raised in Tonga, Sione was one of five teenagers sent by the King of Tonga to Japan to study Sumo wrestling in the mid 1970s. Tonga Fifita was one of the other teenagers...

    • Finishing moves
      • Electric chair (Warlord) / Diving clothesline (Barbarian) combination
        Doomsday Device
        Doomsday Device, often shortened to Device, is a term used in professional wrestling to reference a tandem move in which one wrestler hoists the opponent on their shoulders so that they are facing in the same direction in what is known as the electric chair position, while another wrestler climbs...

      • Running powerslam by Warlord followed by a diving headbutt by Barbarian
    • Signature moves
      • Aided diving crossbody
      • Double shoulder block

  • Managers
    Manager (professional wrestling)
    In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...

    • Baby Doll
      Nickla Roberts
      Nickla Ann Roberts is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and valet, better known by her ring name, "The Perfect 10" Baby Doll...

    • Paul Jones
      Paul Jones (wrestler)
      Paul Jones is a retired professional wrestler and manager. He had success in the National Wrestling Alliance 's Mid-Atlantic region, including an NWA World Tag Team title reign with Ricky Steamboat.-Career:...

    • The Baron
      James Raschke
      James Donald Raschke is a retired professional wrestler best known as Baron von Raschke.-Career:...

    • Mr. Fuji
      Mr. Fuji
      Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...

    • Slick
      Ken Johnson (wrestling)
      Kenneth "Ken" Johnson better known to wrestling fans as "Slick - The Doctor of Style", is a former American professional wrestling manager with the World Wrestling Federation...

    • Harvey Wippleman
    • Col. Robert Parker
      Robert Fuller
      Robert Welch is a professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Robert Fuller and Col. Robert Parker. Robert and his brother Ron co-owned Continental Championship Wrestling for a time.-Career:...


Championships and accomplishments

  • Central States Wrestling
    Heart of America Sports Attractions
    Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...

    • NWA Central States Tag Team Championship
      NWA Central States Tag Team Championship
      The NWA Central States Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team championship for the Heart of America Sports Attractions / Central States Wrestling promotion from 1979 until the promotion ceased to exist in 1988...

       (1 time) – with Karl Kovac

  • Jim Crockett Promotions
    Jim Crockett Promotions
    Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...

    • NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ivan Koloff and The Barbarian
      Sione Vailahi
      Sione Havea Vailahi is a professional wrestler best known in wrestling as The Barbarian.-Life and career:Born and raised in Tonga, Sione was one of five teenagers sent by the King of Tonga to Japan to study Sumo wrestling in the mid 1970s. Tonga Fifita was one of the other teenagers...


  • Maximum Xtreme Pro Wrestling
    • MXPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...

    • PWI ranked him #75 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991

  • Universal Superstars of America
  • USA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

  • World Wide Wrestling Alliance
    World Wide Wrestling Alliance
    The World Wide Wrestling Alliance , formerly known as NWA Ohio, is a defunct American professional wrestling promotion. However, NWA Ohio Owner & Promoter Dave Nelson's claim of owership of the WWWA name is disputed.-History:...

  • WWWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • World Wide Wrestling Alliance
    World Wide Wrestling Alliance
    The World Wide Wrestling Alliance , formerly known as NWA Ohio, is a defunct American professional wrestling promotion. However, NWA Ohio Owner & Promoter Dave Nelson's claim of owership of the WWWA name is disputed.-History:...

  • WWWA Tag Team Championship (1 time, first) - with The Barbarian

  • Wrestle Association R
    WAR (wrestling promotion)
    Wrestle and Romance, and later Wrestle Association R, was a professional wrestling promotion founded and run by Genichiro Tenryu as the successor to Super World of Sports, and which lasted from 1992 to 2000. The promotion had very few regular contracted workers, instead most of the workers were...

    • WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship
      WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship
      The WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship is a tag team title previously contested for in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion Wrestle Association R ....

       (1 time) – with Bob Backlund
      Bob Backlund
      Robert Lee "Bob" Backlund is an American professional wrestler with an in ring career that spanned over 30 years. Over that time, he went on to become a two-time WWWF/WWF Champion...

       and Scott Putski
      Scott Putski
      James Scott Bednarski is an American former professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Scott Putski. Putski is a second generation wrestler, being the son of Ivan Putski, with whom he has wrestled alongside on several occasions.-Global Wrestling Federation :After attending college at...


  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
    • Worst Tag Team (1989) with The Barbarian
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