An award named for the late, great WWE Hall of Famer ‘The Ultimate Warrior’, the Warrior Award is presented to an individual who “exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of The Ultimate Warrior.” In making the ultimate effort and sacrifice to preserve the life of his son, Gaspard has been described by fan and superstar alike as most fitting of that description and the most deserving of this year’s honor.

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The incident in question that led to Gaspard making his noble sacrifice came in May 2020 on a Sunday afternoon when he and his son Aryeh were out swimming in the ocean near Venice Beach in Los Angeles. A dangerous rip current suddenly came out of nowhere, pulling the two out to sea, where they were constantly being battered by 8-foot waves. Lifeguards were immediately on the scene, but Gaspard wasted no time in convincing them to pick up Aryeh first with an affirming, “save my son,” before he himself was swept out by another wave.

Despite the lifeguard’s best efforts, he sadly wouldn’t be found until three days later, when a body matching Gaspard’s description washed up on the Venice Beach shore early Wednesday morning and was confirmed by local police to be the former WWE superstar himself. Gaspard is survived by his son Aryeh and his wife, Siliana Gaspard, the latter of whom will be accepting the Warrior Award on his behalf. The 39-year-old joins seven other recipients of the award: Connor “The Crusher” Michalek (2015), Joan Lunden (2016), Eric LeGrand (2017), Jarrius “JJ” Robertson (2018), Sue Aitchison (2019), Titus O’Neil (2020), and Rich Hering (2021).

It cannot be stated enough how deserving Gaspard is of this. The first instinct of any good parent should be preserving and maintaining the lives of their children, and Gaspard embodied that notion in spades by putting the safety of Aryeh above all else, even at the cost of his own life. Undertaker, Vader and others will have their legacies cemented in the WWE Hall of Fame, but Gaspard is a true immortal in the eyes of fans, friends and family alike.

The WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony streams live on Peacock, April 1, 2022, at 10 p.m., ET.

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Source: WWE