[Rick Rude GALLERY]
[CAREER RECORD: Ravishing Rick Rude]
Article: Remembering the Ravishing One
Title History
- AWA Southern heavyweight title defeating Jerry Lawler (June 11, 1984);
- AWA Southern tag team titles w/ King Kong Bundy defeating Steve Keirn and Stan Lane [Tournament Final] (October 8, 1984);
- NWA (Florida) Southern heavyweight title defeating Pez Whatley (January 16, 1985);
- NWA (Florida) United States tag team titles w/ Jesse Barr defeating Mark and Jay Youngblood (April 16, 1985);
- NWA (Florida) Southern heavyweight title defeating Mike Graham [Tournament Final] (July 21, 1985);
- WCWA (World Class) world heavyweight title defeating Iceman Parson (renamed NWA American title) (Febaury 20, 1986);
- WCCW (World Class) Televison title defeating Lance Von Erich (May 5, 1986);
- NWA (Mid Atlantic) world tag team titles w/ Manny Fernandez defeating The Rock’N’Roll Express (December 6, 1986);
- WWF Intercontinental heavyweight title defeating The Ultimate Warrior (April 2, 1989);
- WCW United States heavyweight title defeating Sting (November 19, 1991);
- WCW United States heavyweight title defeating Dustin Rhodes (May 15, 1993);
- WCW International world heavyweight title [Awarded] (September 19, 1993);
- WCW International world heavyweight title defeating Hiroshi Hase (March 24, 1994);
- WCW International world heavyweight title defeating Sting (May 1, 1994);
Career Highlights
In The Beginning:
- Rick Rude and Nikita Koloff attended the same high school.
- Rick Rude worked as a bouncer at Gramma B’s in Minneapolis before he was discovered, working with the Road Warriors and Barry Darsow.
- Rick Rude was trained by Eddie Sharkey, who also trained the Road Warriors, Barry Darsow, and Nikita Koloff.
Getting Into The Business:
- Rick Rude started wrestling on the small circuits in Minnesota and Canada.
- Rick Rude moved on to the Mid-South territory in 1984 and paired up with manager, Jimmy Hart, as part of the “First Family” stable.
- Rick Rude was given the name “Ravishing” by Memphis promoter Jerry Jarret.
- Rick Rude had some great matches with Mid-South stars like Austin Idol, and a brief feud with Jerry Lawler.
- Rick Rude saw some success by winning the Southern tag team championship with King Kong Bundy.
- Rick Rude moved on to Florida in early-1985, where he paired up with manager, Percy Pringle.
- Rick Rude simply dominated the Florida territory for nearly a year, winning the heavyweight and tag titles on more than one occasion.
World Class Championship Wrestling:
- October 1985: Rick Rude and Percy Pringle moved on to the Fritz Von Erich territory, World Class Championship Wrestling.
- Rick Rude quickly won the American Heavyweight title.
- Rick Rude was declared the first WCCW Heavyweight champion when the NWA withdrew sanctions from World Class.
- Rick Rude, for a time, was managed by his sister Raven in the World Class promotion.
- July 1986: Rick Rude lost the WCCW title to Chris Adams.
National Wrestling Alliance:
- Rick Rude moved onto the National Wrestling Alliance.
- Rick Rude re-kindled his feud with Wahoo McDaniel, which was started in Florida years earlier.
- 1987: Rick Rude teamed with Manny Fernandez to win the NWA World tag team titles.
- February 15, 1987–MoscaMania 2: Rick Rude and Manny Fernandez defeated Ricky Morton and Bob Armstrong in Hamilton, Ontario.
- Rick Rude still held half of the NWA tag titles when he signed with the WWF.
- ~~~The NWA later claimed that the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express regained those titles in a match that never actually took place.
World Wrestling Federation:
- July 9, 1987: Jerry Allen pinned Rick Rude with a sunset flip in Rick Rude’s WWF debut match.
- July 1987 – TV Taping (aired August 9, 1987): Rick Rude w/ Bobby Heenan pinned Lanny Poffo (Rude’s TV debut).
- ~~~”Ravishing” Rick Rude would do his routine of beating his opponent and then kissing a female audience member.
- Rick Rude started a feud with Jake Roberts, after Rude propositioning his wife, Cheryl Roberts, who was sitting at ringside.
- January 1989: Rick Rude began a feud with the Ultimate Warrior, attacking the Warrior during a “posedown” challenge.
- Wrestlemania V: Rick Rude defeated the Ultimate Warrior for the Intercontinental title.
- August 1989: Rick Rude drops the Intercontinental title back to the Warrior.
- SummerSlam ’90: Rick Rude challenged Ultimate Warrior (WWF Champion) in a cage match for the title, and lost.
- October 1990: Rick Rude and the WWF had a dispute, and Rude went packing down to WCW.
World Championship Wrestling:
- October 27, 1991 – Halloween Havoc: Rude returned, wearing a mask going as the WCW Phantum, revealing himself after defeating Tom Zenk.
- ~~~Rude was managed by Paul Dangerously, who called Rude the “cornerstone” of the Dangerous Alliance.
- Beach Blast: Rick Rude competed in an Iron Man Match with Rickey Steamboat.
- August 12, 1992: Masa Chono defeated Rick Rude in a tournament final for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title.
- Rick Rude began a feud with NWA World champion, Ric Flair.
- May 15, 1993 – WCW WorldWide: Rick Rude defeated Dustin Rhodes to win the WCW United States title.
- May 23, 1993 – WCW Slamboree: Paul Orndorff and Rick Rude defeated Dustin Rhodes and Kensuke Sasaki.
- June 17, 1993 – WCW Clash of the Champions: Big Van Vader, Rick Rude and Sid Vicious defeated Davey Boy Smith, Dustin Rhodes and Sting.
- July 18, 1993 – WCW Clash of the Champions: Rick Rude vs. Dustin Rhodes in a Iron man match for the WCW United States title ended in a 1-1 draw.
- August 18, 1993 – WCW Clash of the Champions: Dustin Rhodes and Road Warrior Hawk defeated Rick Rude and The Equalizer.
- August 28, 1993 – WCW Saturday Night: Rick Rude defeated Dustin Rhodes in the #2 match of the best of 3 series.
- September 4, 1993 – WCW Worldwide: Rick Rude defeated Rico Federico.
- September 4, 1993 – WCW Saturday Night: Dustin Rhodes defeated Rick Rude in the 3rd match of the best of 3 series.
- September 11, 1993 – WCW Saturday Night: Dustin Rhodes defeated Rick Rude to win the vacant WCW United States title in the final match of the best of 3 series.
- September 19, 1993 – WCW Fall Brawl: Rick Rude defeated Ric Flair for the NWA World Title.
- Shortly after, WCW withdrew from the NWA and the title that Rude held was renamed the “WCW International title”.
- October 16, 1993 – WCW Saturday Night: WCW International world heavyweight champion Rick Rude defeated TA McCoy to retain the title.
- October 23, 1993 – WCW Saturday Night: WCW International world heavyweight champion Rick Rude defeated Brad Anderson to retain the title.
- October 24, 1993 – WCW Halloween Havoc: Rick Rude defeated Ric Flair by disqualification. Terry Taylor was the special referee.
- November 6, 1993 – WCW Worldwide: Rick Rude defeated Frankie Rose.
- November 10, 1993 – WCW Clash of The Champions: Rick Rude vs. Road Warrior Hawk ended in a double count-out.
- November 20, 1993 – WCW Battle Bowl: Rick Rude and Shanghai Pierce defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell and Tex Slazenger.
- November 27, 1993 – WCW Worldwide: Rick Rude defeated Rick Hardrock.
- December 18, 1993 – WCW Worldwide: Rick Rude defeated Kenny Kendall.
- December 25, 1993 – WCW Worldwide: Rick Rude defeated Frankie Lancanster.
- December 27, 1993 – WCW Starrcade: WCW International world heavyweight champion Rick Rude defeated The Boss to retain the title.
- January 3, 1994 – Main Event: Rick Rude and Steve Austin defeated Dustin Rhodes and Brian Pillman.
- January 10, 1994 – WCW Saturday Night: Ric Flair, Sting and The Boss defeated Rick Rude, Ron Simmons and Steve Austin.
- January 22, 1994 – WCW Worldwide: Paul Orndorff, Rick Rude and Steve Austin defeated Brad Armstrong, Frankie Lancaster and Mark Starr.
- January 27, 1994 – WCW Clash of The Champions: Ric Flair and Sting defeated Rick Rude and Vader in a tag team elimination match.
- February 1, 1994 – WCW Saturday Night: WCW International world heavyweight champion Rick Rude defeated Johnny B. Badd to retain the title.
- February 20, 1994 – WCW SuperBrawl IV: Dustin Rhodes, Flyin’ Brian and Sting defeated Paul Orndorff, Rick Rude and Steve Austin in a Thunder Cage match.
- February 22, 1994 – WCW Saturday Night: WCW International world heavyweight champion Rick Rude defeated Dave Heart to retain the title.
- February 26, 1994 – WCW Worldwide: WCW International world heavyweight champion Rick Rude defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell to retain the title.
- February 28, 1994 – WCW Saturday Night: WCW International world heavyweight champion Rick Rude defeated Bill Payne to retain the title.
- March 3, 1994 – WCW Power Hour: WCW International world heavyweight champion Rick Rude defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell to retain the title.
- March 16, 1994 – NJPW: Hiroshi Hase defeated Rick Rude to win the WCW International world heavyweight title.
- March 18, 1994 – NJPW: Hiroshi Hase, Masahiro Chono and Shinya Hashimoto defeated Rick Rude, Hercules Hernandez and Scott Norton.
- March 19, 1994 – NJPW: Hercules Hernandez, Scott Norton and Rick Rude defeated Osamu Kido, Riki Choshu and Tatsumi Fujinami.
- March 30, 1994 – NJPW: Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Hase defeated Rick Rude and Brian Blair.
- March 21, 1994 – NJPW: Rick Rude defeated Masahiro Chino.
- March 24, 1994 – NJPW: Rick Rude defeated Hiroshi Hase to win the WCW International world heavyweight title. Shinya Hashimoto defeated Rick Rude.
- April 9, 1994 – WCW House Show: Ricky Steamboat defeated WCW International world champion Rick Rude by disqualification.
- April 17, 1994 – WCW Spring Stampede: Sting defeated Rick Rude to win the WCW International world heavyweight title.
- April 21, 1994 – WCW Saturday Night: Rick Rude defeated Mark Starr to retain the WCW International world heavyweight title.
- 1994: Rick Rude vs Sting faced off and Rude suffered a neck and back injury that would put him on the shelf for quite some time.
- May 1, 1994 – NJPW: Rick Rude defeated Sting to win the WCW International world heavyweight title.
- May 14, 1994 – WCW Worldwide: Sting defeated Rick Rude in a I Quit Match.
Extreme Championship Wrestling:
- Rick Rude dissappeared out of the spotlight for two years, before showing up in ECW in 1996.
- Rick Rude’s Goal: To make Shane Douglas’ life a living hell in the promotion.
- Rick Rude jumped ship to the WWF while still on the ECW roster.
World Wrestling Federation – DX:
- September 1997: Rick Rude made a return to the WWF as an “insurance” policy for Shawn Michaels and DX.
- November 17, 1997: Rick Rude made history by being the FIRST man to ever appear on WWF RAW and WCW Nitro on the same night.
- ~~~This was made possible because RAW, was taped 6 days earlier, and Nitro was live.
World Championship Wrestling – nWo:
- November 1997: Rick Rude contacted Eric Bischoff, voicing his displeasure over the way Bret Hart was treated in the WWF.
- ~~~Considering the fact that Rude was paid per appearence, that meant he could go wherever he wanted.
- ~~~November 17th: Rick Rude appeared on the taped edition of RAW, with a beard.
- ~~~Just moments later, Rick Rude appeared on the live edition of WCW Monday Nitro, clean shaven!
- ~~~Rude was announced to the world as the newest member of the nWo.
- ~~~As soon as he was given a mic, he let loose on McMahon, and the WWF, by calling the federation the “Titanic”.
- ~~~From that day forward, the “Rick Rude” clause became a part of WWF contracts, so they’d never have that problem again.
- Rick Rude managed Curt Hennig while he was a member of the new World order.
- 1998: Rick Rude dissappeared from WCW once again.
- July 24, 1997 – ECW TV: Jerry Lawler, Rob Van Dam and Sabu vs. Rick Rude, The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer in a tag team cage match ended in a no contest.
Rick Rude’s Life:
- Rick Rude began training for his ultimate comeback to a WWF wrestling ring.
- Rick Rude was the only foreign talent to make the finals of G-1 Tournament in Japan.
- April 20, 1999: Rick Rude passed away after a heart attack at the age of 40.
- Rick Rude was survived by his wife, Michelle, and three children.
- March 31, 2017 – WWE Hall Of Fame: Rick Rude was inducted in the 2017 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame.