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Richard Erwin Rood born in Robbinsdale, Minnesota (December 7, 1958 - April 20, 1999), better known by his ring name of "Ravishing" Rick Rude, was a professional wrestler who performed for many promotions, most notably World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation, in the 1980s and 1990s. Career
Rude was hired by Florida Championship Wrestling in December 1984 where he was managed by Percy Pringle and feuded with Billy Jack Haynes and Wahoo McDaniel, while teaming with Jesse Barr. After a year, he jumped to World Class Championship Wrestling along with Pringle, where he feuded with Kevin Von Erich and Chris Adams. After losing the WCCW Championship to Adams in July 1986, he fired Pringle and briefly replaced him with his sister, Raven. He formed a short-lived tag team with The Dingo Warrior, but the Warrior turned on him and became a face. In September 1986, Rude returned to Jim Crockett Promotions and joined Manny Fernandez and his manager Paul Jones in their rivarly with Wahoo McDaniel. Rude and Fernandez won the NWA World Tag Team Championships on December 6, 1986 from the Rock 'N Roll Express, and began an epic feud that ended only when Rude left the promotion for the World Wrestling Federation in April 1987. To explain the sudden departure, Jim Crockett, Jr. aired a pre-taped non-title match where the Express defeated Rude and Fernandez and claimed that Rude had been injured as a result.
World Wrestling Federation 1987-1990In the WWF, Rude was managed by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and feuded with "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff before starting one of his most famous feuds with Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Rude had a routine where he would kiss a girl (that Heenan picked from the fans) all the way down to the mat after a successful match. On one occasion, he tried to get Roberts' real-life wife, Cheryl, to comply, aggravating Roberts. On another memorable occasion during the Roberts/Rude feud, Rude came to the ring with a picture of Cheryl stenciled on the front of his tights. A furious Roberts charged the ring and stripped Rude, appearing (to the television viewer) to leave him naked (the live audience saw him stripped to a thong instead).Rude's next big feud was with The Ultimate Warrior and began in January 1989. With a little help from Heenan, Rude won the Intercontinental Championship from the Warrior at WrestleMania V, before dropping it back to the Warrior at SummerSlam 1989 due in large part to interference from "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Rude then feuded with Piper, before resuming his conflict with the Warrior in the summer of 1990 after the Warrior had won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. The two battled in a cage at SummerSlam 1990, in the only Pay-Per-View Rude would ever headline as a solo wrestler. Rude failed to win the title and departed the WWF in October 1990.
World Championship Wrestling 1991-1994Rude returned to Jim Crockett Promotions, now known as World Championship Wrestling, as The Halloween Phantom at Halloween Havoc on October 27, 1991. He founded and led The Dangerous Alliance, consisting of himself, Paul E. Dangerously, Madusa, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, Larry Zbyszko and "Stunning" Steve Austin. Rude won the United States Championship from Sting and feuded with Ricky Steamboat, at one point breaking his nose in a gang attack.In 1992, Rude and Madusa left The Dangerous Alliance and feuded with Nikita Koloff. Rude challenged reigning World Heavyweight Champion Ron Simmons on several occasions but did not defeat him. He was injured in December of that year and was forced to forfeit the United States Championship. Rude returned alone in April 1993 and tried to reclaim the title from Dustin Rhodes, who had won it while he was injured. The title was eventually held up after several controversial finishes to matches between the two. Rude switched his sights to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, making his intentions clear on August 28, 1993, when he was the guest on then-champion Ric Flair's "A Flair For the Gold" talk segment. Rude went on to defeat Flair for the title in September 1993 at Fall Brawl. However, as WCW had recently withdrawn from the NWA, the title could no longer be called the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (WCW had purchased the belt itself, however). The title was renamed the WCW International Championship, which Rude lost to Hiroshi Hase on March 16, 1994 in Tokyo, Japan. Rude regained the title just eight days later in Kyoto, Japan. After dropping the title to Sting on April 17, Rude pinned Sting on May 1 to become a three time champion. However, Rude was stripped of the title as he was found to have used the title belt as a weapon in the course of the match. Rude retired shortly after due to a back injury suffered while wrestling Sting. Extreme Championship Wrestling 1997Rude collected on an insurance policy and did not compete in wrestling again until 1997, when he joined Extreme Championship Wrestling as a masked man who harassed Shane Douglas, at one point spanking Francine. He eventually unmasked and became a color commentator. He would later align himself, for a short time, with Shane Douglas and his Triple Threat. During the ECW versus USWA / WWF inter-company competition, Rude helped Jerry "The King" Lawler defeat ECW mainstays Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman.
World Wrestling Federation 1997Rude later returned to the WWF as an "insurance policy" of the D-Generation X stable (Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Chyna). He assisted with several sneak attacks on The Undertaker. He left the WWF after the Montreal Screwjob at the 1997 Survivor Series. According to Bret Hart, Rude stayed in the locker room during Bret's confrontation with Vince McMahon. Rude then called Eric Bischoff and informed him what had happened was in fact real. As Rude was not signed to a full-time contract with WWF, and was performing on a "per appearance" basis, Rude was able to negotiate a deal with Bischoff and WCW, in part due to his anger over the Montreal Screwjob. Then, in a memorable evening causing much embarrassment to the WWF, Rude appeared on both RAW is WAR and WCW Monday Nitro on November 17, 1997. A clean-shaven Rude appeared on Nitro, which was live, and proceeded to criticize the WWF, calling the company the "Titanic" (a reference to Titan Enterprises, as the WWF's parent company was then known as the "sinking ship"). An hour later on RAW (which had been taped six days earlier), Rude then appeared with a beard. Also of note, Rude appeared on ECW's Hardcore TV during that weekend (November 14-16 as the show was syndicated differently depending on the market). Rude was still making ECW appearances while in D-Generation X.
World Championship Wrestling 1997-1998Rude became a member of the , managing his friend Curt Hennig. When the nWo split, Hennig and Rude joined the nWo Wolfpac and tried to motivate Konnan to defeat Goldberg, who was undefeated at the time. When Konnan was defeated by Goldberg, Rude and Hennig attacked him, later joining nWo Hollywood, the rivals of the Wolfpac. By late 1998, Rude had left WCW amid rumors that he was training for a comeback to full-time wrestling. He briefly appeared with the WWF as a commentator on their pay-per-view pre-shows.DeathRick Rude died on April 20, 1999 at the age of 40, after suffering heart failure. His death has been attributed variously to alleged heavy steroid abuse and the cumulative effect of the bumps he took throughout his career.'''Wrestling facts*Finishing and signature moves* Rude Awakening (Hangman's neckbreaker) * Piledriver * Top Turnbuckle Knee Drop (Japan) * Hanging Backbreaker *Managers:*Jimmy Hart:*Percy Pringle:*Raven Rood:*Paul Jones:*Bobby Heenan:*Paul E. Dangerously:*Madusa *Mentors:*Mr. Wrestling II *Wrestlers managed:*Mr. Perfect *Previous Factions:*Paul Jones' Army:*The Heenan Family:*Dangerous Alliance:*D-Generation X:*nWo *Quotes:*"I feel good and I look even better. I make a burlap sack look like a cashmere sweater."' *"What I'd like to have right now is for all you fat, out of shape, inner-city sweathogs to keep the noise down while I take my robe off and show you what a real sexy man is supposed to look like."' *"What I'd like to have right now is for all you fat, out of shape, Pennsylvania Pissants to keep the noise down, while I take my robe off and give you a good look at the next World Wrestling Federation Champion." Championships and accomplishmentsWorld Championship Wrestling*3-time WCW International World Heavyweight Champion (Stripped soon after 3rd reign, and some times is unrecognized as a three time holder.)*2-time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion World Wrestling Federation*1-time WWF Intercontinental ChampionNational Wrestling Alliance*1-time NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Manny Fernandez)Championship Wrestling from Florida*2-time NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Champion*1-time NWA Florida United States Tag Team Champion (with Jesse Barr) Mid-Southern Wrestling*1-time Mid-Southern Heavyweight Champion*1-time Mid-Southern Tag Team Champion (with King Kong Bundy) World Class Championship Wrestling*1-time WCWA World Heavyweight Champion*1-time WCCW American Heavyweight Champion *1-time WCWA Television Champion New Japan Pro Wrestling*Runner-up 1992 NJPW G1 Climax Tournament (won by Masahiro Chono)Pro Wrestling Illustrated*Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him #57 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.*95th Best Tag Team of the "PWI Years" (with Manny Fernandez) *Most Hated Wrestler Award (1992) Wrestling Observer Newsletter*1992 Best HeelTrivia*At a 1989 WWF house show in Greensboro, North Carolina, a fan sued Rood for slander, based on Rude's traditional entrance of calling the crowd "fat", "out of shape" and various other insults on their appearance. The fan (who describes himself as overweight) was so offended by the comments, that he started to cry and then left to use the restroom and stayed there during the rest of the show. The case was settled out of court, and in future appearances in Greensboro, Rude promised to tone down his introduction to the crowd.*Sometime in the 1990s, Rood has his name legally changed to "Ravishing Rick Rude", effectively allowing himself to use the name in whichever promotion he pleased. A similar tactic was used by The Ultimate Warrior (Jim Hellwig), and boxer Marvelous Marvin Hagler. ReferencesTributes by Dave Meltzer, 2001, ISBN 1-55366-085-4External links*WWE DX member profile
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