Road Warrior Animal On Why Sunny Left WWE, What He Thinks About Her Film Career

Road Warrior Animal reminisces about having Sunny as the Legion of Doom’s manager during the Attitude Era.

In 1998 at WrestleMania XIV, Hawk and Animal were introduced to WWE fans as L.O.D. 2000, billed as an updated version of the Road Warriors “for the new millennium,” during a tag team battle royal. The legendary duo sported a new look, including new shoulder pads and helmets and a new manager in Sunny. L.O.D. 2000 won the battle royal and earned a shot at the tag team titles, but did not manage to win the gold.

That was the highlight of their brief run together as Sunny left the group and ultimately WWE in July 1998.

During a recent interview with The Hannibal TV, Animal talked about what it was like to have Sunny as a manager and why she ended up leaving.

“I think it was a very, very delicate situation. Because Sunny had issues too and everybody knew it. Hawk and I, besides Paul Ellering, we didn’t need no other manager and especially, nobody’s going to believe a girl is able to control The Road Warriors,” Animal said.

“And Sunny in Madison Square Garden one night, the first night she was with us, was walking around all Soma’d up, which is a muscle relaxer pill. I told her, ‘do not get in the way of my spikes,’ because we’re flipping around the ring so hard and my big spikes came and gave her a hairline scratch on the cheek.”

“I came back after the match and Vince McMahon says, ‘she messed up.’ I nodded ‘yes.’ I’m not going to lie, you can see it on tape. Sold out, 22,000 seat arena, everyone could see it, and boom, she was gone.”

Wrestling Observer Newsletter editor Dave Meltzer has said that Sunny was released from her contract after missing multiple shows and refusing to enter rehab due to her drug addiction.

Animal also gave his thoughts on Sunny’s adult film career.

“She was with Chris Candido, she was really, back then, a sweet girl with Chris. When I first met her she was sweet. I hate to see anybody to have to turn to that to make money. I actually feel sorry for her, because it’s really embarrassing crap. I mean, let’s face it, really embarrassing stuff,” Animal said.