Joseph Laurinaitis Biography
Joseph Michael Laurinaitis (September 12, 1960 – September 22, 2020) popularly known as, Road Warrior Animal (or simply Animal), was an American professional wrestler. Along with Road Warrior Hawk, he was one-half of the tag team The Road Warriors/The Legion of Doom.
He headlined multiple pay-per-view events for the WWF and WCW, competing for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at 2001’s Sin. The animal was inducted with Hawk and their manager Paul Ellering into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011 by Ryan Kennedy and David Murray.
10 Quick Facts About Joseph Laurinaitis
- Name: Joseph Laurinaitis
- Age: 60 years (2020)
- Birthday: 12 September
- Zodiac Sign: Virgo
- Height: Average
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Wrestler
- Marital Status: Not Known
- Salary: Under review
- Net worth: $3 million dollars – $5 million dollars
Joseph Laurinaitis (Road Warrior Animal) Death and Cause Of Death
Laurinaitis died on September 22, 2020, ten days after his 60th birthday. “His cause of death has not yet been revealed. He appeared on the Legion of Raw podcast earlier in the day. WWE released the following statement regarding his passing:
“WWE is saddened to learn that Joe Laurinaitis, known to WWE fans as Road Warrior Animal, has passed away at the age of 60. One of the most intense Superstars to ever step into the squared circle, the 6-foot-2, 300-pound Animal spent the majority of his career alongside his tag team partner, Hawk.
Joseph Laurinaitis (Road Warrior Animal) Parents and Siblings
Details about his parents are not available at the moment, all that is know is that One of his two brothers, John Laurinaitis, aka Johnny Ace, is the former Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE after his wrestling career finished. His other sibling, Marcus Laurinaitis, is also a former wrestler.
Joseph Laurinaitis (Road Warrior Animal) Wife
Joseph was married to his ex-wife Julie Laurinaitis and together they were blessed with two children namely, 34-year-old son James and daughter Jessica, 31. Until his time of death, he kept his love life a secret, and thus it is not known whether he remarried or not. We are reviewing this section and we shall update you soon.
Joseph Laurinaitis (Road Warrior Animal) Children
Joseph had two children with ex-wife Julie namely, 34-year-old son James and daughter Jessica, 31. He also has another son named Joseph, believed to be 40, from a previous marriage.
Joseph Laurinaitis (Road Warrior Animal) Son, James Laurinaitis
James Richard Laurinaitis (born December 3, 1986) is a former American football linebacker who played for the St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a three-time consensus All-American and won numerous awards. He was drafted by the Rams in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Joseph Laurinaitis (Road Warrior Animal) Net Worth
Joseph had an estimated Net Worth of between $3 million dollars and $5 million dollars as of 2020. This includes his Assets, Money, and Income. His primary source of income is his career as a Wrestler. Through his various sources of income, he has been able to accumulate a good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Joseph Laurinaitis (Road Warrior Animal) Measurements and Facts
Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Joseph Laurinaitis
Road Warrior Animal Bio and Wiki
- Full Names: Joseph Michael Laurinaitis
- Popular As: Road Warrior Animal
- Gender: Male
- Occupation / Profession: Wrestler
- Nationality: American
- Race / Ethnicity: White
- Religion: Not Known
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Road Warrior Animal Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 60 years (2020)
- Zodiac Sign: Virgo
- Date of Birth: September 12, 1960 – September 22, 2020
- Death Day:22nd Sept 2020
- Place of Birth: United States
- Birthday: Sept 12th
Road Warrior Animal Body Measurements
- Body Measurements: Not Available
- Height / How Tall?: Not Known
- Weight: Not Known
- Eye Color: Brown
- Hair Color: White
- Shoe Size: Not Available
Road Warrior Animal Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): To Be added
- Mother: To Be Added
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Not Known
- Marital Status: Not Known
- Dating / Girlfriend or Dating / Boyfriend: Was previously married to Julie Laurinaitis
- Children: Sons ( two) Daughter(s) (one)
Road Warrior Animal Networth and Salary
- Net Worth: $1 to $5 million
- Salary: Under Review
- Source of Income: Under Review
Road Warrior Animal House and Cars
- Place of living: To be Updated
- Cars: Car Brand to be Updated
Joseph Laurinaitis (Road Warrior Animal) Wrestling Career
Laurinaitis grew up in Minnesota, having to work for a living from a very early age. He attended Irondale High School. Because of his size and love of powerlifting, Laurinaitis was an imposing figure and thus a very effective bouncer. He worked as a bouncer at Grandma B’s in the Twin Cities where he caught the eye of Eddie Sharkey, a well-known wrestling trainer. Sharkey thought that Laurinaitis and Mike Hegstrand, Richard Rood, and Barry Darsow could make it big in professional wrestling, and trained all four of them.
World Championship Wrestling (1993, 1996)
Laurinaitis made some non-wrestling appearances in WCW in 1993. On August 18, at the Clash of the Champions XXIV, Animal made his appearance, getting out of a black Camaro Z28 indicating his partner Hawk was Dustin Rhodes’ mystery partner against Rick Rude and The Equalizer.
On September 19, at Fall Brawl, Animal was the advisor for Sting’s team, consisting of Sting, Davey Boy Smith, Dustin Rhodes, and The Shockmaster for WarGames, defeating Big Van Vader, Sid Vicious, and Harlem Heat. On January 4, 1995, Animal seconded Hawk in his match against Scott Norton in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual Tokyo Dome show.
For the next couple of years, Laurinaitis stayed out of the wrestling ring, collecting on an insurance policy from Lloyd’s of London while Hegstrand competed all over the world. Near the end of 1995, Laurinaitis’ back had finally recovered enough for him to return to active competition. Three years after everyone thought the Road Warriors had ended, they reunited and signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling.
The Road Warriors had several shots at the champions but never won the title in the six months they were with the company. The Steiner Brothers also arrived shortly after the Warriors did, and feuded with them to try to prove who the best team of all time was. The Steiners got the better of the feud and the Warriors left WCW in June 1996.
Return to WWF (1997–1999)
The Road Warriors appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in late 2002 to early 2003 as part of a group that opposed Vince Russo’s faction Sports Entertainment Xtreme but would only wrestle one actual match for the promotion. On June 17, 2007, Road Warrior Animal returned to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling on the pay-per-view, Slammiversary, with Rick Steiner.
He replaced Scott Steiner, who was out with an injury. They ended up losing to Team 3D. On December 15, 2016, Animal returned to TNA for a guest appearance on the Impact Wrestling special, “Total Nonstop Deletion”.
In his final WWE match, Animal defeated Paul Burchill on May 6, 2006, episode of Velocity. On June 26, 2006, Animal was released from his WWE contract. WWE announced on March 28, 2011, on WWE Raw that the Road Warriors would be inducted into the 2011 Hall of Fame. Animal also spoke openly about his future induction on Right After Wrestling just minutes after the announcement on WWE Raw.
Animal told hosts, Arda Ocal and Jim Korderas that the WWE was going to create a physical Hall of Fame in Tampa and he was going to donate his trademarked ‘spiked-shoulder pads’ to that Hall.
Frequently Asked Questions About Joseph Laurinaitis
Who is Joseph Laurinaitis?
Joseph Michael Laurinaitis (September 12, 1960 – September 22, 2020) popularly known as, Road Warrior Animal (or simply Animal), was an American professional wrestler. Along with Road Warrior Hawk, he was one-half of the tag team The Road Warriors/The Legion of Doom.
How old is Joseph Laurinaitis?
Laurinaitis was 60 years old as of 2020 when he died on 22 September 2020, in Tan-Tar-A Estates, Missouri, United States.
How tall is Joseph Laurinaitis?
Laurinaitis stood at an average height, he had not shared his height with the public.
Is Joseph Laurinaitis married?
Joseph was married to his ex-wife Julie Laurinaitis and together they were blessed with two children namely, 34-year-old son James and daughter Jessica, 31. Until his time of death, he kept his love life a secret, and thus it is not known whether he remarried or not.
How much is Joseph Laurinaitis worth?
Laurinaitis had an approximate net worth of $1 – $5 million. This amount had been accrued from his leading roles in the wrestling industry.
Where does Joseph Laurinaitis live?
Because of personal reasons, he never shared his precise location of residence. We will update this information if we get the location and images of his house.
Is Joseph Laurinaitis dead or alive?
Laurinaitis died on September 22, 2020, ten days after his 60th birthday. “His cause of death has not yet been revealed. He appeared on the Legion of Raw podcast earlier in the day.
Joseph Laurinaitis Contacts
- Youtube
- Tiktok
- Website
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