EXCLUSIVE

The guy behind the ABC sitcom "The Goldbergs" is a hardcore Ultimate Warrior fan -- which is why he's dedicating an upcoming episode of the show to his childhood hero ... TMZ has learned.

We spoke with creator Adam Goldberg who tells us he was heartbroken when he heard about Warrior's death earlier this month and desperately wanted to pay homage to his idol.

Goldberg says it just so happened his staff was working on an '80s wrestling themed episode -- so it seemed like a perfect fit.

"With the help of fans on Twitter, I was able to get in touch with [Warrior's] family and I'm thrilled to dedicate the May 6th episode to him."