Conrad Thompson unveiled his dealings with Ultimate Warrior.
"The Podfather" Conrad Thompson has built an empire of podcasts in the wrestling world, and he is also known for the memorabilia he has collected.
Thompson recently discussed how he started collecting belts in 2013 on an edition of "Ask Conrad". He focused on collecting authentic, ring-used titles. Thompson recalled hunting for belts, and he was particularly interested in the WWF Winged Eagle title and the Intercontinental Championships. Specifically, he wanted the titles that were on the line at WrestleMania VI, where Ultimate Warrior faced Hulk Hogan. His hunt led him to Ultimate Warrior himself, as rumor had it that he was selling the world title from SummerSlam 1990. However, Thompson remained focused on the two titles on his list, so he contacted Warrior.
On AdFreeShows, Thompson published "The Warrior Emails", the series of emails he exchanged with Ultimate Warrior in 2013 regarding some title belts in his possession. Ultimate Warrior responded to the inquiry by noting that he sent Thompson pictures and wished to keep the negotiations private. He urged Thompson to keep the information about the belt's title, which he said to be pristine, private. Warrior wrote that the fact that the leather was supple verified that it was ring-worn.
Thompson then wrote that he wanted to follow up, and he stated that the title he was looking for was in considerably different shape than the one in Warrior's picture. He stated that he was still interested, and he wanted to talk further, as he was interested in other titles in Warrior's collection. Thompson noted that the titles were more valuable when they were attached to a more significant match. He reiterated that he was interested in a potential package deal for the belts.
Warrior answered by writing that the Hogan belt's condition was not as "nasty" as he thought, but it was still road-worn. He proposed that they should focus on the titles that Thompson first asked him about. Warrior suggested that he could buy one or both of them, and they could go from there. Warrior claimed that he could get a package that was worth at least $150,000. However, Warrior said that neither of them wanted that, and he enjoyed doing deals that were genuine. Warrior wrote that he said he would take $75,000 for the Hogan belt, but after seeing it, he realized that it was worth more. That being said, he offered to compromise by taking $75,000 for the title, with the condition that Thompson would buy the blue one as well. That would make the total price $110,000.
Warrior continued by dealing the terms he required for the transaction, as he wrote that Thompson had to pay $2,500 via credit card to cover his travel time to meet with him. He explained that they would meet, and he would give Thompson his attorney's name and number for security purposes. Warrior said that a no-show would mean that the $2,500 was non-refundable. However, otherwise, that amount would be put toward the purchase, and they would reschedule if needed. Warrior also wrote that he would process the payment on his private account. he stated that they both had to invest some faith in the other, and he stated that he had dealt with bad experiences in his dealings before. He wrote that he could not control how rumors and mischaracterization had affected his reputation, as it was otherwise impeccable with those he did business with.
Thompson answered by saying that the pictures removed any doubt, and while he was not interested in the blue belt at $40,000, he asked about the yellow Intercontinental Championship and the Hogam title as a package. Thompson said he would be willing to pay a more sizable deposit if they could agree on a price. Warrior agreed and said that they had a deal, albeit with a $5,000 deposit.
Thompson then replied by asking for pictures of the yellow Intercontinental Championship. He recalled how his friend Dave Millican helped him feel comfortable with his belt purchases, given his expertise. He wrote that Millican advised him on the value that the belts would have on the open market. He admitted that he knew the belts were not officially for sale, and he did not mind paying above market price due to his personal memories of the titles.
Additionally, Thomson cited past sales of world title belts that went for $26,000 and $23,000. He wrote that Millican suggested that he should pay Warrior no more than $50,000. Thompson also highlighted an eBay listing for a Winged Eagle belt that was priced at $23,500. He wrote that it was difficult to determine a true number he was willing to pay. He went on to extend an offer that he felt was air, as he said that he was willing to invest 150% of market value and write off a significant chunk as fun money. Thompson offered to pay $75,000 for both titles, along with the deposit, and he again asked for pictures. He also pointed out that $75,000 was three times the $25,000 he had offered.
Finally, Warrior replied by saying that he did not take the value of money for granted, and they were just having a conversation. He wrote that it would have been best if Thompson had provided the information about the prices when they started negotiating. Warrior cited his past dealings and noted that they had been led astray, as Thompson was doubting the sale.
Warrior then stated that he could not use the information that Thompson provided. He said that he was not in the belt business, so what others paid for belts meant nothing to him. He wrote that the important question for a buyer to ask was how badly they wanted something, as the price for something so unique might be non-negotiable. Warrior also responded to Thompson by saying that the only "tricky" part was when one turned to others to help them decide. Warrior wrote that his offer for the two belts was off the table, and Thompson's other offer would not work.
Finally, Warrior proposed $90,000 as the price for the Hogan belt, and the officer was only good for that day. He wrote that an electronic wire for a deposit to his bank account would have to happen that day.
Update: Thompson then took to Twitter/X to provide further context for the emails. He wrote that the emails were posted to AdFreeShows to support the story he told on an episode of Ask Conrad. Thompson wrote that Warrior tried to sell him a replica belt as the ring-used belt from SummerSlam 1990, and it was clearly not the same belt. He noted that the people who made the belts disagreed when Warrior insisted otherwise.
Thompson wrote that he pivoted to the yellow Intercontinental Championship, and Warrior had already sold the actual title to a private collector. Thompson said that Warrior sent him the same photo that he had sent to the buyer. The latter individual had shared a picture of the title on his shelf. Thompson stated that it became clear that Warrior did not have the ring-used titles and was trying to get him to buy his replicas that he had "just found."
Thompson went on to say that if Warrior had the WrestleMania 6 set for $90,000, people would have gotten pictures of them at Starrcast. He said that Warrior had been his favorite in 1990, but he tried to scam him. Thompson said that he did not tell the story previously because he did not care, as he did not lose any money. He said that he was asked to tell the story on AdFreeShows, so he did. Thompson also said that two other Hall of Famers had tried to scam him by passing off bootleg and replica belts as used.
Hey what’s lost in all this is the actual story. The emails were posted to @adfreeshows to support the story I told on an episode of Ask Conrad.
— Conrad the Mortgage Guy (@HeyHeyItsConrad) August 7, 2024
Warrior tried to sell me a replica belt as the ring used belt from SummerSlam 90. It wasn’t the same belt, clearly. He insisted it was… https://t.co/2VYdx3Np50
Ultimate Warrior passed away in 2014 at the age of 54.
In 2022, WWE sold an Ultimate Warrior Signature Series Championship replica title. More information is available here.
