John Laurinaitis became persona non grata in the wrestling world after he was named in Janel Grant’s sex trafficking lawsuit, however, he has since agreed to cooperate with evidence against both WWE and Vince McMahon. Still, when it was announced that he was returning to public life after accepting an appearance booking, fans were stunned.
And now, in a new interview, the disgraced former WWE executive has confirmed his return coincides with a tribute to his late brother, Road Warrior Animal, who is being inducted into the Ohio Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.
“March Madness is going to be historic for me because it’ll be my first public appearance for the company. The reason I’m doing it is because it’s kind of ironic. The Road Warriors are being inducted into the Ohio Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, and there’s going to be a tribute match in their honor. So it’s really special that my first appearance will be something that honors my brother.” – Joseph Laurinaitis
Road Warrior Animal, born Joseph Laurinaitis, forged an iconic legacy as one-half of The Road Warriors with partner Hawk. Debuting in 1982, the powerhouse duo revolutionized tag team wrestling with their intimidating Mohawk-and-face-paint look, spiked shoulder pads, and power moves. During their prime, they dominated promotions including NWA/WCW, AWA, All Japan, and WWE, captured multiple world tag team titles, and headlined major events. And while Hawk died in 2003, Animal continued wrestling, even winning WWE Tag Team gold with Heidenreich in 2005, going on to make convention appearances until his tragic passing in 2020 at age 60.
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