Terry Szopinski

Professional wrestling career

Jim Crockett Promotions (1986–1988)

In 1986 while working out at a gym in Minnesota, Szopinski met its owner Joe Laurinaitis, better known as the professional wrestler Road Warrior Animal.

While continuing to team with Koloff, The Powers of Pain feuded heavily with The Road Warriors, and defeated them and Dusty Rhodes for the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship.

World Wrestling Federation (1988–1992)

The Powers of Pain made their debut on June 18, 1988, as a replacement for Strike Force (Tito Santana and Rick Martel) in a WWF World Tag Team Championship match where they beat Demolition by countout. Their televised debut was filmed June 21 in Glens Falls and screened on the July 16 episode of Superstars where - having earlier in the night, in a dark match taped and later released on DVD, gained another countout win over Demolition when the champions walked out They feuded with Demolition who had defeated Strike Force for the title and then injured Martel (kayfabe). The Powers of Pain were introduced as mercenaries to help Martel and Santana gain revenge on Demolition for both the title loss and the injury to Martel. They had their first televised rivalry against The Bolsheviks (Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov). They defeated Bolsheviks in their pay-per-view debut at the inaugural SummerSlam, where they introduced their new manager The Baron. The Baron left the WWF in early November.

At Survivor Series, the Powers' team defeated Demolition's team in a tag team elimination match, with the Powers being the sole survivors of their team. Near the end of the match, Demolition's manager Mr. Fuji double-crossed them and after they beat him up and left, the Powers came to his aid, gaining Fuji as their manager in the process, in return for which his interference helped the Powers eliminate the last remaining opponents, the Conquistadors.

Various promotions (1992–1995) After leaving the WWF for the independent circuit, Szopinski traveled to the Catch Wrestling Association and lost to CWA World Heavyweight Champion Rambo in the CWA Catch Cup 1992 on August 22, 1992, in Germany. He wrestled two additional times in the fall, losing to Rambo in a rematch and then falling to new champion Buffalo Peterson.

In April 1993 Szopinski traveled to another German promotion, World Wrestling Superstars and had considerable success as he dominated Butch Reed in multiple encounters. Throughout the year he appeared in multiple other promotions, including Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation, the World Wrestling Council, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and WAR. In 1994 Szopinski narrowed his focused to the Independent Wrestling Federation and WAR, participating in lengthy tours with both companies. On August 26, 1994, he teamed with Bob Backlund and Scott Putski to defeat Gedo, Hiromichi Fuyuki, and Jado and win the WAR Six-Man Tag Team Championship in an event held in Yokohama, Japan. They lost the titles days later in a rematch on September 1.

On September 23, 1994, the Powers of Pain reunited for the first time in over two years to compete for the vacant UWF Tag-Team Championship at UWF Blackjack Brawl. They were defeated by the Killer Bees. Szopinski and Vailahi continued their renewed partnership in 1995, traveling to the NWC where they faced the team Aerial Assault (Bobby Bradley and a young Rob Van Dam).

World Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)

On October 11, 1995, Warlord and Barbarian made their return to World Championship Wrestling. They were now dubbed the "Super Assassins", wrestled under masks, and were managed by Colonel Robert Parker. The Super Assassins were defeated by the Nasty Boys in their first match. Both wrestlers participated in the three-ring battle royal in the main event of WCW World War 3 on November 26. On December 16, they earned their first victory, defeating the State Patrol on WCW Worldwide. Their last match was on the January 1, 1996, edition of Monday Nitro where they fell to Lex Luger and Sting, after which the team was disbanded.

Injury; retirement (1996–2003) The Warlord was forced to retire from wrestling due to suffering neck injuries in a car accident involving a Pizza Hut delivery van in 1996.

Warlord returned for one match teaming with Typhoon as they lost to the Harris Twins at Key West, Florida for Wrestling International Pro on May 31, 1997.

After attempting a comeback in 2001, Szopinski was sidelined yet again after suffering severe leg damage in a motorcycle accident. On September 14, the team was eliminated from the tournament in the first round by Team ROH (Mike Bennett, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson). Two days later, on the final day of the tournament, the Barbarian and the Warlord took part in a tag team gauntlet match, from which they eliminated their old WWF rivals, Demolition, before being eliminated themselves by the 1-2-3 Kid and Marty Jannetty. The lawsuit was dismissed by US District Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant in September 2018.

In other media The Warlord is the second opponent in the 1991 computer game, WWF WrestleMania.

Championships and accomplishments American Pro Wrestling Alliance APWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with The Barbarian Central States Wrestling NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Karl Kovac Gatineau Pro Wrestling GPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with The Barbarian Jim Crockett Promotions NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ivan Koloff and the Barbarian Pro Wrestling Illustrated Ranked him No. 75 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991 Universal Superstars of America USA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Universal Championship Wrestling UCW Universal Tag Team Championship (1 time, inaugural) - with The Barbarian World Wide Wrestling Alliance WWWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Wrestling Observer Newsletter Worst Tag Team (1989) with the Barbarian