Hell Raisers

Hell Raisers

The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion of Doom (L.O.D. for short) in the World Wrestling Federation. Under either name, their gimmick was the same – two imposing musclebound wrestlers in face paint. For brief periods, other wrestlers were added as stand-in partners for Animal. In Japan in the 1990s, Kensuke "Power Warrior" Sasaki often teamed with Hawk and Animal, separately and together.

Generally recognized as one of the greatest tag teams in professional wrestling history, Hawk and Animal were well known as innovators, popularizing the use of face paint, using their large physiques and power moves to win over audiences, and introducing a tandem maneuver known as the Doomsday Device. Both men used the move as a team finisher throughout their careers, even when teaming with other partners.