Road Warrior Animal - real name Joseph Laurinaitis - was 60 years old
One-half of arguably the most famous tag-team wrestlers of all time, Road Warrior Animal of the Legion of Doom, has passed away at the age of 60.
The news was confirmed by WWE earlier today, with many former wrestlers sharing condolences and thoughts online about the passing of Joseph Laurinaitis. Ric Flair described the former wrestler as his "good friend and great opponent", and described the Legion of Doom as "iconic".
I Am More Than Saddened To Hear Of The Loss Of My Good Friend And GREAT Opponent Joe Laurinaitis Of The Legendary Road Warriors. They Were Iconic! The Road Warriors And The Four Horsemen Drew More Money And Had More Fun And Entertained Fans Worldwide At The Highest Level. RIP 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/eiZ2udqGNm
— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) September 23, 2020
Hulk Hogan, meanwhile, paid tribute to both Laurinitas and his tag-team partner, Hawk, real name Michael Hegstrand, who passed away in 2003. John Layfield, better known as JB, described the duo as "the greatest tag team of all time" who were "often imitated, never duplicated."