Warrior award recipient announced!!

[Navi]

This morning on the Today show John Cena announced that this year's Warrior Award will be presented to Joan Lunden.

Now who is Joan Lunden you ask? She is a journalist, author and breast cancer survivor. This is how the announcement in part read.

The Warrior Award is given to someone who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior. The award will be presented to Lunden by The Ultimate Warrior’s widow, Dana Warrior. In June 2014, Lunden was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, which required chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Lunden made the decision to take her battle public and has since shared her journey through cancer treatment, becoming a prominent voice in the breast cancer community.


Alrighty then. Now I know who she is because I used to watch her on morning television, but how many wrestling fans will even recognize her face or name.

Can someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought this award was to go to the "behind the scenes people" that never get acknowledged. You know the writers, cameramen, guys in the truck, costume makers, etc, etc. These are the people that travel with the show each week, put as much time and effort into making this show a reality for fans. I mean these rings don't set themselves up, and they don't get to where they're going by themselves.

I also understand that the WWE is big into causes and one of them is breast cancer, and I'm truly sorry for what this woman has had to go through as a result of it. But has the WWE taken this idea of an award and someone mistaken the purpose of it entirely. I can't help but think they did.

 

[OYDK]

The Warrior Award is given to someone who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior. The award will be presented to Lunden by The Ultimate Warrior’s widow, Dana Warrior. In June 2014, Lunden was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, which required chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Lunden made the decision to take her battle public and has since shared her journey through cancer treatment, becoming a prominent voice in the breast cancer community.

I'm pretty sure this is what it was meant for originally. My line of thinking is, if it was meant for the backstage hands, why would Connor have won it last year? I think people just assumed that it would start going to the guys who don't get acknowledged enough, but WWE has never said that's what the Warrior Award was going to be.

Would surprise me at this point if we got one award winner in the next ten years who wasn't or isn't a famous breast cancer survivor though.

 

[nwocongo]

I honestly had no idea who she was. As you said they are very big on their breast cancer awareness initiative, it is a very noble cause. I don't know much about the history of this award, kinda just seems like a way to get some mainstream publicity points around Mania.

I'll try to read some more about the award and Joan's relationship (if any) with the WWE when I get a chance. Anyway, Congratulations to Joan!

Ok so apparently she spoke on Raw during one of their segments during breast cancer awareness month, this makes more sense to me now.

 

[Azane]

Just be glad we didn't have a WWE.com poll to vote for who won it.

WWE does PR and charity things to boost it's own image, Stephanie McMahon heads most of the outreach programs and has mentioned how she believes philantropy is as important as advertisement.

So when you see them giving an Award because someone survived breast cancer, remember they're doing it so that women's families who've survived breast cancer will watch wrestling, not to actively promote breast cancer awareness (although the great side effect of such things, is they do actually help!)

But ya, I thought the originally idea would be the people working for the company, but they don't have sad enough stories to rouse emotional reactions it seems.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I can honestly say that this is what I always figured the award was for: primarily a public relations gimmick that simultaneously brings attention to people who've fought brave, public battles with life threatening illnesses and/or people who've sort of worked at various causes to make things a bit better. At the end of each year, CNN does a special entitled CNN Heroes in which recognition is given to various people, who're nominated by people who know them, for whatever it is they do. Often times, it involves being involved in or founding charities, building orphanages, missionaries or doctors who travel to poverty ridden and/or war torn countries to provide aid, etc. It's a genuinely feel good thing but, at the same time, it also generates a ton of positive buzz for CNN. The Warrior Spirit Award is along the same lines and, frankly, it's also a business decision and I can't really blame WWE for it because every other organization that gives publicized awards for whatever at any given time does it partially as a means of generating positive press and buzz. I know WWE sometimes gets thrown under the bus for operating like a business , but I have a feeling that the purpose of this award is very much agreed upon by Warrior's family as it's ultimately being used with his name attached to it.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Reality is this is not what Jim wanted, but its the best they were going to do... Dana probably signed something that means she has to accept it I. Return for his contract being paid up... A once a year appearance to hand over an award is worth whatever his legends deal was...

 

[dsotm5150]

Joan Lunden was cohost of GMA back in the '90s and a well respect news anchor for years.

While I don't see why there couldn't be an award in WWE that embodies the hard work that goes into bringing awareness to issues that have effected or could effect everybody on the planet. I'm torn on them calling it "Warrior Award" on the one hand, I'm sure Jim would be proud to have his legacy attached to something like this assuming it continues to be presented in the fashion it was last year and this year. On the other hand it's a slap to the face of Jim Hellwig who himself was wanting to see the machine behind the scenes finally get its due. I'm complete!y agree with him as well though there are probably hundreds of people that put just as much effort into presenting the WWE product that we never hear of let alone think of that deserve as much credit as the performers do. But an award that generates buzz and makes WWE look better in the public eye will always win out over what's right.

 

[S.J. Maximus]

The Ultimate Warrior is doing moonsaults in his grave right now. 5 years from now if they keep this annual award I'm sure by then people will be dumb enough to forget the HOF speech that put this all into motion, but I will never forget the complete lack of respect WWE has showed Warrior's request with this stupid award.


I'm glad the OP knows what Warrior wanted the award to be about and I saw that reiterated on the posts below the actual article on this website. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with honoring cancer survivors and celebrating their strength and perseverance. But to put that under the name and brand of Ultimate Warrior (who btw never had cancer) is a complete misuse of the legacy and has nothing to do with the idea that he proposed during his HOF speech! What about all the Jimmy Mirandas out there! He wanted a Jimmy Miranda award to celebrate their own employees, the ones that don't get any face time and the ones that barely get any credit despite being on the road just as often as the millionaire talent and arguably doing more work. And instead, WWE is refusing to acknowledge their own and will instead honor random cancer survivors from various walks of life and call it the Warrior Award!?

Like I said before, I have no problem with them honoring these people, but it shouldn't be under the Warrior legacy. He made it very clear who he wanted to honor, and WWE has pretty much shit on all of that and did their own thing. There is literally no chance Warrior would've been happy with their two "Warrior Winners" if he was still alive today. It's a damn shame his wish won't even be honored, and I'm surprised Dana hasn't spoken up about it on her husband's behalf. For all I know though, she probably did and they just paid her to shut up and show up for a 15-minute award presentation this Saturday.

 

[Burritocover]

I think it's kind of funny that anyone would say warrior wouldn't like this award. Sure to not what he was asking for but that doesn't mean he wouldn't approve of it. He didn't even ask for a warrior award in the first place. I don't think anyone on here knew him personally or knew exactly what causes he was in to. For all we know he might have been donating to breast cancer every October. For all we know Dana at some point had it and they kept it quiet. I do think it's a little weird to give it to someone who's had so little to do with wwe. If they are gonna turn it into a cancer award why not give it to someone associated with wwe who's had cancer. There a lot of them. But anyway to say it's not the award he asked for is totally a legit point but to say he wouldn't approve of it and they had to pay Dana to be involved is being really presumptive and frankly arrogant.

 

[S.J. Maximus]

The Ultimate Warrior is doing moonsaults in his grave right now. 5 years from now if they keep this annual award I'm sure by then people will be dumb enough to forget the HOF speech that put this all into motion, but I will never forget the complete lack of respect WWE has showed Warrior's request with this stupid award.


I'm glad the OP knows what Warrior wanted the award to be about and I saw that reiterated on the posts below the actual article on this website. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with honoring cancer survivors and celebrating their strength and perseverance. But to put that under the name and brand of Ultimate Warrior (who btw never had cancer) is a complete misuse of the legacy and has nothing to do with the idea that he proposed during his HOF speech! What about all the Jimmy Mirandas out there! He wanted a Jimmy Miranda award to celebrate their own employees, the ones that don't get any face time and the ones that barely get any credit despite being on the road just as often as the millionaire talent and arguably doing more work. And instead, WWE is refusing to acknowledge their own and will instead honor random cancer survivors from various walks of life and call it the Warrior Award!?

Like I said before, I have no problem with them honoring these people, but it shouldn't be under the Warrior legacy. He made it very clear who he wanted to honor, and WWE has pretty much shit on all of that and did their own thing. There is literally no chance Warrior would've been happy with their two "Warrior Winners" if he was still alive today. It's a damn shame his wish won't even be honored, and I'm surprised Dana hasn't spoken up about it on her husband's behalf. For all I know though, she probably did and they just paid her to shut up and show up for a 15-minute award presentation this Saturday.

 

[Sean Valjean]

I've never heard of this woman, but good for her for surviving her bout with cancer. The only thing I dread is the HOF audience crapping on her the way they did Connor's poor father last year, which was really upsetting. Yes, this is ultimately just a big PR thing and her speech will probably be boring, but let the lady have her moment, THEN complain afterwards.

On one hand, I feel like the Warrior Award should have been a special one-off thing for Connor. On the other, to honor WWE fans like Connor: people who have overcome tremendous adversity who also happen to love wrestling. That way the award stays relevant to the business.

My concern is the focus of the award becoming too broad for a super specific event like the WWE Hall of Fame, and they start awarding anyone with a inspiring story regardless of their wrestling history (or lack thereof) because it makes the company look good. CNN's Heroes thing makes sense because they cover world events. WWE is just wrestling. Even inductees to the celebrity wing had to have been involved with wrestling in some capacity.

The Warrior Award will probably stick around for the long term. I'm guessing they need something else to present since they've inducted so many worthy HoF names in only 11 years of the ceremony's existence and are showing signs of reaching for names.

 

[dsotm5150]

It really comes down to WWE trying to shed its "wrasslin' company" skin. To this day "professional wrestling" is still viewed as just a drunken fairground machismo sideshow to the media and a good portion of the general public. Which is assanine considering the billions of dollars its generated, consistently tops the TV ratings and damn near dominated the entire 1990s. It's still a dirty word in the entertainment world.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Literally no excuse for them not to give it to Kris Travis next year... needs a Travis or we riot type campaign... RIP buddy.