A Memoir of Youth, 1984

A hush silenced the crowd that moved like a single-minded entity in the dim, smoke-filled auditorium. People began to rise in their seats as two immense figures strode down the wide-aisle, their broad bodies nearly blotting out the bright spotlight that was trained on them. Slowly, a chant started to swell..."Road Warriors...Road Warriors..."

The shorter, more thickly built of the men looked around him with an intense fire that seemed to make his eyes glow. His Mohawk haircut seemed to bristle, his savage war-paint glowing on his face. His partner was not so taciturn … he growled and flexed like the beast he was, ready to attack. Hawk was always like that. Animal's fire was more submerged.

The chant continued to surround them. They were villains, yes, but what villains these men were, to command such respect from those that hated them.

One instant, the ring hovered before their advancing forms, surprisingly small. Two men waited inside, noticing that the adulation of their fans was becoming a fearful silence. Animal smiled cruelly; these opponents hoped their skill would be enough to withstand the raw power of the Road Warriors. They were wrong.

In an eye-blink, the two barbarian wrestlers rushed to the ring, diving through the ropes and charging their opponents. Their hammering forearms and knees pounded them unmercifully, driving them to the mat.

Only after both men lay stunned did the Road Warriors back off at the referees insistence. Animal moved to his corner while Hawk taunted one of the fallen men to get up.

Austin Idol, the blond one, was the first to his feet. Dazed, he fired two blows to Hawk's midsection. Then his eyes widened in amazement and he looked up with apprehension. Hawk growled, his own eyes widening in a killer fury, for Idol's punches had had no effect!

With one corded arm, Hawk reached out and grabbed Idol by the hair, his other arm whipping around to strike Idol with a meaty thud that reverberated through the auditorium. The blow carried Idol off his feet and back to his own corner, where he had barely enough consciousness left to tag off to his partner.

Hesitantly, Jerry Lawler stepped in to face the insane, slavering Hawk. Hawk gave him no respite, charging forward and striking up with his knee repeatedly, making Lawler double over in pain. Hardly able to move, Lawler responded with a desperate punch that connected to Hawk's stomach, felling the Warrior momentarily.

His vision blurred, Lawler seized what he knew was his only opportunity against such a large, evilly powerful enemy. Grabbing Hawk's head, he positioned it between his knees and tried to lift Hawk up for the pile-driver, a hold capable of downing the mightiest of wrestlers. Heaving, the veins stood out in Lawler's temples.

But Hawk did not budge.

Rearing up like some primordial dragon from the sea, grinning madly, Hawk flipped Lawler over his back and down hard. Consciousness left Lawler as Hawk heaved him to his feet and struck him with a forearm, downing him again and then dropping his leg like a heavy log over Lawler's chest.

Not finished, Hawk yanked Lawler up by his hair and reached to tag off to Animal, who paced and waited for his turn. As soon as their hands met, Animal exploded into the ring, slamming Lawler with forearms that moved too fast to see. .

Perhaps it was some manner of mercy that made Lawler pass out even as Animal heaved him into the ropes. For, as Lawler catapulted back, Animal reared all the way back and brought his twenty-three inch arm forward like a whip, powered fully by his thickly-muscled body.

It struck Lawler with a clothesline across the neck that completely lifted him up and hurled him down, coming dangerously close to breaking his neck.

Animal growled as he pinned the supine Lawler, pointing in the direction where he knew a camera lay. As the referee counted to three, Animal screamed, “Bundy … Buuunnndyyyy!!!” The crowd watched, knowing that the deep bellow was a direct challenge to one of their favorites--and even more than a challenge, a death-threat. But no one rebuked the Animal. No one dared shudder without permission.