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Wrestling world 'devastated' by death of WWE Hall of Famer

Andrew Reid
·4-min read
Pictured here, Road Warrior Animal, who formed one part of the Legion of Doom tag team.
Joseph Laurinaitis, aka Road Warrior Animal, has died at the age of 60. Pic: Getty

Tributes are pouring in from wrestling fans around the world after one of the founding members of legendary tag team, Legion of Doom, passed away.

Pro wrestling legend Road Warrior Animal, real name Joseph Laurinaitis, has died at the age of 60, his family and WWE confirmed on Wednesday morning.

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Laurinaitis was one half of the tag team originally known as The Road Warriors, which would later become the Legion of Doom.

The cause of the 60-year-old legend's death was not immediately known or released upon the sad confirmation of his death.

Prominent during the 90s and 2000s, many regard the Legion of Doom as the greatest tag team in WWE history.

Laurinaitis began his pro wrestling career in the 1980s and would go on to win various championships and earn numerous accolades during his four-decades in the industry.

Road Warrior Animal — and his tag-team partner Road Warrior Hawk (real name Michael Hegstrand) — were two of the most recognisable stars during WWE’s rise to prominence in the 1990s.

Their names, painted faces and spike-studded, football-style shoulder pads were inspired by the blockbuster movie franchise “Mad Max”.

The iconic look made them an immediate fan favourite, regardless of the city, country or promotion they were working in.

The other half of the Legion of Doom, Hegstrand passed away in 2003 at the age of 46.

Pair regarded as ‘best tag team of all time’

In 2011, Laurinaitis and Hegstrand were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame collectively as The Road Warriors.

Tributes from around the wrestling world flooded social media after the news of Laurinaitis’s passing broke.

Laurinaitis leaves behind three children, Joseph, James and Jessica.

James Laurinaitis was a star linebacker for Ohio State University before being drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft.

Laurinaitis’s two brothers, John and Marcus were also professional wrestlers.

John Laurinaitis remains involved with WWE as an executive.

with Yahoo Sports US