Who was James Laurinaitis father? Meet Road Warrior Animal

Road Warrior Animal is the father of James Laurinaitis.

Road Warrior Animal, born Joseph Michael Laurinaitis on September 12, 1960, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a towering figure in the world of professional wrestling.

His journey into the wrestling scene began in a rather unconventional way. While working as a bouncer at Grandma B’s in the Twin Cities, Animal caught the eye of Eddie Sharkey, a renowned wrestling trainer.

After honing his skills under Sharkey’s guidance, Animal made his professional wrestling debut in November 1982, adopting the persona of The Road Warrior with a distinctive biker gimmick.

He quickly rose to prominence as one half of the legendary tag team known as The Road Warriors or The Legion of Doom, alongside Road Warrior Hawk.

Animal’s career spanned various promotions, including Jim Crockett Promotions (1986–1990), World Wrestling Federation (1990–1992), World Championship Wrestling (1993, 1996), and WWE (2003, 2005–2006, 2011–2012).

Animal died on September 22, 2020, through a heart attack at the Margaritaville Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri.