WWF Ultimate Warrior vs Tony Bravo Headliner Wrestling Poster *SOLD*

WWF Ultimate Warrior vs Tony Bravo Headliner Wrestling Poster

Let’s take a dip on the wild side and promote some pop culture that will surround future Antique Toys-  Wrestling Figures!  The love-em-or-hate-em vintage figures for wrestling will soon be a sought after vintage toy category….to then become antique.

Our poster is an original poster featuring headliner Tony Bravo, who eventually died of suspicious circumstances.  The co-headliner Ultimate Warrior also passed away unfortunately due to, some say, performance enhancing drugs.  Both men were monsters in their time.

Here we have the original program and then the original poster that came from the event (frame not included).  The original owner brought us the poster along with his collection of toys.  The program and poster are authentic.

The poster has torn edges, scratches, folds, and wear consistent with its disposable advertising use.  One should also note the odd and intimate setting of a school- Mt. Anthony Union High School in Bennington, VT.  Original program included as another touchstone and to help with authentication.

Regarding the Venue of Mt. Anthony Union High School From Wikipedia:

“As of the 2015-16 academic year, the school has about 969 students enrolled in grades 9-12, and has a faculty of nearly 100.

Mount Anthony is the third largest school in the state of Vermont. The average graduation rate Is five percent. A study in 2018 found that 85 percent of the students attending MAU had reported that they had consumed some sort of nicotine or tobacco product. ”

-One wonders if the students hacked Wikipedia, and are a wrestling loving and surly crowd……..

Regarding the Ultimate Warrior, From Wikipedia–

“Ultimate Warrior related disputes

In 1993, Jim Hellwig, known in the WWF as “The Ultimate Warrior”, legally changed his name to the mononym Warrior. This one-word name appears on all legal documents pertaining to Warrior, and his children carry the Warrior name as their legal surname.

Warrior and the WWF engaged in a series of lawsuits and legal actions in 1996 and 1998, where both parties sought a declaration that they owned the characters, Warrior and Ultimate Warrior, under both contract and copyright law. The court ruled that Warrior was legally entitled to use the gimmick, costuming, face paint designs, and mannerisms of the “Warrior” character.

On September 27, 2005, WWE released a DVD documentary focusing on Warrior’s retrospective wrestling career, titled The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior. The DVD featured clips of his more notable feuds and matches along with commentary from WWE stars past and present (most of which are unflattering). The DVD has provoked some controversy due to Warrior’s own allegations of libel by WWE against him. Originally, Warrior was asked to help with the production of the DVD, but as he refused to work with WWE, there had been some resulting animosity between Warrior and WWE over the Warrior claiming bias on the part of WWE. In January 2006, Warrior filed another lawsuit against WWE in an Arizona court over the depiction of his wrestling career in The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior DVD. On September 18, 2009, Warrior’s lawsuit in Arizona was dismissed.

During Warrior’s falling out with WWE, Warrior made comments that WWE has decided to not acknowledge. In 2005, Warrior went on a rant calling now former WWE announcer Todd Grisham a “queer”.  Warrior referred to Droz, a former WWF wrestler who fractured two discs in his neck and is quadriplegic, as a “cripple”. He made comments about the victims of Hurricane Katrina referring to them as “poor, mostly black New Orleanians without cars.” He condemned Martin Luther King Jr. Day, made disparaging remarks towards gays and lesbians, criticized Heath Ledger’s parenting style after Ledger’s death, and expressed rejoicing when Bobby Heenan was diagnosed with cancer.

Warrior returned to WWE to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. During his induction, he mentioned that WWE should create an award to honor those behind the scenes called the Jimmy Miranda Award, named after a long time WWE employee who died. Warrior died three days after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE decided to create the Warrior Award, an award for people “who embodied the spirit of the Ultimate Warrior.” ”

Regarding Dino Bravo, again, we have a storied history in the WWF (from Wikipedia):

“World Wrestling Federation (1985–1992)
Bravo returned to the WWF in late 1986 with a new look. He was now noticeably more muscular and almost immediately began bleaching his brown hair blond. He was again a heel and began working as part of Luscious Johnny Valiant’s stable with Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and Brutus Beefcake. Beefcake was kicked out of the stable at WrestleMania III and Bravo took his place in The Dream Team tag team with Valentine.

Bravo returned to singles competition after a few months and began a strongman gimmick. In his days of wrestling mostly in Canada, Bravo was known as more of a technical wrestler, but with his strongman gimmick his technical side was pushed into the background and his style changed to using power (brawling) moves such as bodyslams, clotheslines, punches and kicks, and other power holds such as the bearhug, while his finishing move changed from an airplane spin to a sidewalk slam. At the 1988 Royal Rumble, Bravo (who was legitimately strong and was said to be able to press more than 500 pounds) attempted to bench press what he claimed was 715 pounds, which would have been a world record at that time. Commentator (and former bodybuilder) Jesse “The Body” Ventura helped lift the bar at one point, but Bravo played the lift as a success and began billing himself as the “World’s Strongest Man.” In this gimmick, Bravo feuded with Don Muraco, Ken Patera, Ron Garvin, and Jim Duggan.

He played up his Québécois identity by wearing the Fleur-de-lis and was managed by Frenchy Martin; who often toted around a sign reading USA is not OK. In March 1988, Bravo lost in the first round of the WWF Championship tournament at WrestleMania IV against Don Muraco after pulling the referee between himself and Muraco to prevent a hit from the Hawaiian. Before the match to further play on Bravo’s “world’s strongest man” claim, Jesse Ventura in commentary claimed that during Bravo’s “record” lift of 715 pounds, he had only used his “two little pinkies” and had only put two pounds of pressure on the bar. During a rematch at the inaugural SummerSlam at Madison Square Garden in August, Martin distracted Bravo’s opponent Muraco to allow Bravo to get the victory (Muraco’s usual manager Superstar Billy Graham was doing commentary for the event alongside Gorilla Monsoon as Ventura was assigned as the guest referee for the main event, thus Graham, who was not at ringside, could only look on in frustration at Bravo and Martin’s illegal tactics).  In October at the King of the Ring, Bravo lost to Jim Duggan in a flag match. At the Royal Rumble in January 1989, Bravo, accompanied by Martin, teamed with The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques and Raymond) but lost a two out of three falls match against Jim Duggan and The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart). At WrestleMania V Bravo defeated fellow Canadian “Rugged “Ronnie Garvin.

After Frenchy Martin’s departure, Bravo joined Jimmy Hart’s stable and entered a feud with another power wrestler, The Ultimate Warrior, unsuccessfully challenging Warrior for his WWF Intercontinental Championship. Prior to a WrestleMania VI loss to Duggan, Bravo teamed up with Earthquake. Bravo would often display his strength by doing push ups while the 460 lb. Earthquake sat on his back (although Tenta kept his feet on the floor, so not all of his weight was on his partner). The team of Earthquake and Bravo would go on to have a lengthy feud with Hulk Hogan and Tugboat.

Following a WrestleMania VII loss to Kerry Von Erich, he wrestled less frequently, with his next appearance on WWF TV coming in August 1991 as a face (without Jimmy Hart or dyed-blonde hair), now being billed as the “Canadian Strongman, Dino Bravo” in victories over Louie Spicolli and Shane Douglas. Bravo then began a short run on Montreal house shows as a face, against The Mountie (Jacques Rougeau) and The Barbarian. In his final match, televised on Sky Movies, he and Colonel Mustafa lost to The Legion of Doom in Sheffield, England. Bravo left the WWF and retired from wrestling following a European tour in April 1992. After retiring, he helped train wrestlers in Montreal.

Death
On March 10, 1993, Bresciano was found shot dead. He was 44 years old. He was hit by 17 bullets, 7 to the head and 10 to the torso, while watching hockey in his Vimont, Laval, Quebec home. His alleged role in illegal cigarette smuggling in Canada is popularly believed to have led to his unsolved homicide. Colleague Rick Martel has said that because of Bresciano’s notoriety from being a popular professional wrestler, he was able to attract many customers (particularly natives), thus crossing the Mafia.  According to former opponent Bret Hart, Bresciano confided to friends shortly before his death that he knew his days were numbered. He was a nephew by marriage of Montreal crime boss Vic Cotroni, and was believed by authorities to be involved in his organization for some time.  Bresciano’s remains are in a mausoleum at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal, Quebec.”

This is a near one of a kind pop culture piece awaiting the proper fan’s home, pop culture collection,  or museum.

-Images of Dino Bravo and The Ultimate Warrior are WWE advertising photos and used to better illustrate the men behind the event.