Joseph Laurinaitis

Joseph Laurinaitis, best known as Road Warrior Animal, was an American Professional wrestler billed from Chicago, Illinois.

Profile

• Height: 6'2"
• Weight: 286 lbs.
• Birthday: January 26, 1960
• Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Trainer: Eddie Sharkey
• Ring Debut: November, 1982
• Managers: Paul Ellering, Sunny, Ric Flair

Career

For many years he was with Michael Hegstrand, also called Road Warrior Hawk. Together they were a muscular tag team called the Road Warriors. The Road Warriors burst onto the wrestling scene in 1983 wearing mohawks, dog collars, spiked shoulder pads, and face paint. Indeed, they were a modern-day version of Bruiser and Crusher. Their interview style was vicious, yet charismatic and a bit humorous.

The Road Warriors wrestled across the globe, capturing the IGWP Tag Team titles, as well as every American version of the World Tag Team titles (WWF, NWA and AWA) – a feat that no other tag team can claim.

WWE agent and former professional wrestler John Laurinaitis, a.k.a. "Johnny Ace", is the brother of Joseph Laurinaitis.

Former professional wrestler Mark Laurinaitis, a.k.a. "Terminator" and "Fury" of the tag-team "The Wrecking Crew", is the brother of Joseph Laurinaitis.

Animal became a born-again Christian in 2003 and makes occasional appearances on Christian based wrestling shows sponsered by Ted DiBiase and Nikita Koloff.

Championships/Accomplishments

• • Note: All titles held with Road Warrior Hawk)
• 2-Time WWF World Tag Team Champion
• 1-Time NWA World Tag Team Champion
• 1-Time AWA World Tag Team Champion
• 1-Time AJPW International Tag Team Champion
• 4-Time NWA National Tag Team Champion
• 3-Time NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champion (with Dusty Rhodes twice and Genichiro Tenyru once)
• 2-Time Superstars of Wrestling Tag Team Champion
• 1-Time IPW Tag Team Champion

• Won the 1986 NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament with Hawk. They also won the 1989 NWA Iron Team Tournament at StarrCade '89.

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 64 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003. He also was ranked # 1 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Road Warrior Hawk.

• He also won four PWI Tag Team of the Year Awards with Hawk. They won in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1988. They also were involved in the 1987 PWI Feud of the Year. The feud was with the Super Powers vs. the Four Horsemen.

External Links

• Official Site: http://www.roadwarriorsinc.com/