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In pro wrestling, the world inside the ring can blur together with the talent’s real lives. During an already volatile trip in North Korea, the heated tension between superstars boiled over in an altercation that in reality could have left both men stranded in a foreign country.
WCW And NJPW Toured Together At Collision In Korea
The Pyongyang International Sports and Culture Festival for Peace, or as it became known in the wrestling world, Collision in Korea, a joint tour between World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, was set for the summer of 2005. The two-night featured event would have 15 total matches on the card featuring wrestling talent from both companies.
The brain child of Japanese promoter Antonio Inoki and WCW executive Eric Bischoff, the event was set to bring peace and awareness to North Korea. The talent and executives were flown over in military vehicles and their passports confiscated upon arrival.
2 Cold Scorpio Was Not A Fan Of Ric Flair
Prior to the tour, wrestler 2 Cold Scorpio had been under WCW contract. Due to heat between him and Ric Flair, Scorpio would be released in April 1994. This wouldn’t stop the superstar from competing in both the When Worlds Collide and Collision in Korea pay-per-view event. When Scorpio found out Hogan had turned down the offer, and it was Flair who would be there, he wasn’t very happy about it.
“I told the office, I said I got problems with Flair right now. He’s the motherf---er that set me up in WCW, and he was the one who got me fired. When he gets over here I’m going to beat his ass.”
External: 2 Cold Scorpio on His Shoot Fight with Road Warrior Hawk in North Korea (In-Depth)
The office, according to Scorpio said, “Whatever you do, don’t do anything to Flair over here.” The tensions between the governments and companies were at an all-time high. WCW did everything they could do to make sure nothing happened on North Korean soil.
2 Cold Scorpio Disparaged Ric Flair In Front Of Road Warrior Hawk
While in Korea, Flair was given special privileges due to his status as an international star. This included a nice to car to drive around in while in North Korea. The other talent were transported around in a charter bus for each stop. Flair would give “his boys” rides around and one of these guys was Road Warrior Hawk.
Having a history in WCW and in the territories, the Road Warriors and Flair had a long-standing friendship. Korea was no different. While waiting for the bus, one of the boy's mentioned Flair wanting someone to ride with him. Scorpio had no problems letting the other wrestlers know how he felt. “F--k that pu--y. Let him ride by himself.”
Hawk didn’t take lightly to this and stuck up for his friend. This is when words led to fists, with the men fighting outside the hotel. It was quickly broken up, and the wrestlers separated, but this wasn’t the end of it.
2 Cold Scorpio And Road Warrior Hawk Continued To Fight Even After Leaving North Korea
After they were back on the bus, Scorpio would make his rounds apologizing to the other wrestlers and to management. Once he got to Hawk, however, he wanted nothing to do with an apology. According to Scorpio, Hawk turned to walk away and threw a haymaker to surprise Scorpio.
The second skirmish was more pronounced as it was not under the watchful eye of the North Korean government. Hawk would tell Scorpio that once they got back to Japan they would finish this. This would lead Scorpio, in his own words, to fashion makeshift shanks to protect himself in the event he was jumped on the remainder of the trip.
Road Warrior Hawk And 2 Cold Scorpio Put Their Differences Aside
Once Collision in Korea was finished and everyone was back home, the boys had worked out most of their differences. The plans to finish the fight in Japan never came to fruition. Although Hawk and Scorpio continued to carry heat, they would work together multiple times after the Korean show.
Road Warrior Hawk would pass away in 2003. This would be due to a heart attack caused by a long-standing condition. 2 Cold Scorpio is still active is still active on the independent circuit. He has said in podcast interviews he wishes he could stop talking about the fight because he hates dragging someone through the mud who is no longer with us.
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