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Rick Rude was born Richard Erwin Rood in Robbinsdale, Minnesota on December 7, 1958. A friend of the former Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig from childhood, the two attended high school together. Rood graduated college with a degree in Physical Education. While kicking around working out what to do with his life after college, Rood took a job as a nightclub bouncer in Minneapolis (at reportedly, one of the toughest clubs in town). There he would work alongside Mike Hegstrand and Joe Laurinaitis (better known as Hawk and Animal of the Legion Of Doom / Road Warriors). Rood had a reputation as a street-fighter. According to one report, Rood once floored a professional weightlifter who had the temerity to mouth off with a slap. That was doubly impressive considering said arm was in a sling at the time.
Rood also had an impressive physique, chiselled and muscular yet not bulky enough to slow him down. His obvious physical strength led him to pursue competitive arm-wrestling and he finished second in the US national finals of 1980 and sixth in his weight class at the world championships of 1983. Roods reputation for being harder than a tanks backside would never desert him. Even after retirement, only the very foolish messed with Mr. Ravishing.
1983 was a busy year for Rick. As well as competing in the arm-wrestling world championships, Laurinaitis, Hegstrand and Rood entered their wrestling training under the well thought of Eddie Sharkey and Rood duly made his debut on a Canadian tour. Slightly surprisingly, Rood never competed in the AWA despite the promotions base in Minnesota. After Canada, Rood had brief stints in the Mid-Atlantic, Georgia and Mid-South territories. As all performers in the eighties did, Rood passed through the USWA in Memphis. Rick landed there in early 1984 and there he found the gimmick that would make him a star.
Jerry Jarrett, the USWAs promoter saw something in the young Rood and promptly repackaged him as Ravishing Rick Rude, the terror of the ladies. Alligned with the First Family under Jimmy Hart, Rude worked main events and enjoyed a six-week stint with the Southern heavyweight title when he pinned Jerry Lawler (who else?). Rude would also tag with King Kong Bundy for a short feud with the Fabulous Ones and inevitably left, and feuded with his former siblings in the First Family. Shortly thereafter, Rude headed for Florida where he added a second Southern title to his trophy cabinet and, with Jesse Barr, held the US tag title for three months. Towards the end of 1985, Rude and his then manager Percy Pringle (Paul Bearer) took off for World Class and Ricks American title victory over Iceman Parsons. He would hold the title for eight months, at one point also holding the World Class TV title. In September of 1986, Rude decided that hed accomplished everything he could in the small territories and took off for something a little more exposed.
In September of 1986, the NWA had pretty much fallen apart. The sole remaining holder of the once important initials was Jim Crockett Promotions. Immediately shoved into the tag ranks with Manny Fernandez the two of them scored tag gold with a victory over the Rock N Roll Express for the world tag title on December 6, a title which they held for five months, working rematches with the Rock N Rolls, Rudes old sparring partners, the Road Warriors. In May of 1987, Rude established his own precedent when he jumped to the WWF without dropping the belt, courtesy of his primitive contract.
Rick stayed with the WWF for three years. While there, he used steroids to fill out his slender physique, a decision that would later come back to haunt him. Between Rudes impressive skills, hard-as-nails image and incredible charisma, Rick became a superstar. One of the best workers in Vinces employ at the time, Rude had finally hit the big time. Having taken on Bobby Heenan as a manager, Rude had a thankfully short feud with Paul Orndorff over, of all things, who had the better body. Shortly after that, Rick introduced his famous pre-match mike work (Cut The Music, what Id like to have right now is for all you fat, out of shape, inner-city sweat hogs, keep the noise down while I take my robe off and show the ladies what a real man is supposed to look like) and taken on the Rude Awakening as both his finishing neckbreaker and the nickname for his habit of snogging a ringside beauty after a squash match, the second of which would get him in real trouble
After one particular squash match, Rude lost his temper with a ringside damsel who didnt want to indulge with him. That woman turned out to be called Cheryl Roberts (that name sounds familiar). Jake Roberts wife (oh hell). Their feud lasted almost the entire year and drew in a routine time limit draw at WrestleMania IV which eliminated both men, numerous above-average house show matches, and culminated in Jake eliminating Rude at the second Survivor Series.
At the 1989 Royal Rumble, Rude appeared to be taking a step back when he became involved in a pose-down with Jim Ultimate Warrior Hellwig, a total waste of time whose talent was in negative figures. Fortunately then, Rude used a chest expander to to lay out the Ultimate Hellwig which nicely put the pathetic workers IC belt up for grabs at WrestleMania V. In an absolute stunner, Rude managed to drag a watchable contest out of Jims worthless hide and, thanks to Heenans interference scored his first and only WWF title. The gold would eventually revert back to the Ultimate Hellwig due to Roddy Pipers (utterly nonsensical) interference. That set up the highlight of Rudes WWF run as he and Piper assembled a scorching feud which included brutal matches galore.
Finally, at SummerSlam 1990, Rude got his return match with Hellwig. However, because of Hellwigs shocking win over Hogan at Mania VI, it was the world title that was on the line. Rudes performance was superb, Hellwigs reeked. Rude looked a lot better without his long curly hair and the Warrior won. The question arose of where Rude went now just as a feud with the Big Bossman was pencilled in. Fortunatly then, Rude chose that point to have a financial quarrel with Vince and leave. The upshot of all that was Rude being indefinatly suspended for making nasty comments about the Bossmans mum, the stupidest exit ever (with the exception of the Undertaker dying and ascending to heaven).
October 27 1991, Rude joined WCW for what would be the highlight of his entire career. As soon as he debuted, Rude was clearly labelled one to watch as he annihilated Tom Zenk under the hood of the Halloween Phantom. Three weeks later, he lifted the US title by virtue of a victory over Sting. He would hold the title for 13 months. Rudes performances in most of his matches during this period were off the page. In contrast to todays habit of portraying heels as guys who can never get a clean pin, Rude was a monster who outwrestled everyone who came his way. Pulling in dodgy tactics only occasionally, Rude dropped Nikita Koloff, Sting (him again), Rick Steamboat (in stunning matches) and captained the heel crew for the classic War Games orgy of mayhem. Shortly thereafter he assembled WCWs match of the year in conjunction with Rick Steamboat in a non-title Iron Man match. That said, August 12 1992 was Rudes finest hour. Marching to the final of the NWA title / G-1 Climax tournament, Rude entered a stellar performance opposite Masahiro Chono for half-an-hour before finally crashing in defeat. The rematch (Halloween Havoc 92) came nowhere near.
Rude was forced by a herniated disc in his neck to take two months off toward shortly after that. He made his return during WCWs UK tour in March 1993 but as time went on, it became obvious that his performances lacked the zest of old. Having dropped the US title to Dustin Rhodes, Rick entered a dispute with Ric Flair which proved a major disappointment. At the beginning of 1994, Rude enjoyed a brief resurgence, playing a game of hot potato with Hiroshi Hase over the WCW International title (the renamed NWA World). Rick dropped that belt at Spring Stampede 94 when he crashed to, yet again, Sting. The return match at NJPWs Wrestling Dontaku supercard at the Fukuoka Dome on May 1 would prove to be Rudes final match.
A top-rope knee drop from Rude proved to be enough for Sting on this occasion but a few minutes before, Rude had landed awkwardly under the Stingers rolling plancha and severly damaged two vertebra. Rude would never wrestle again and due to a bust up with Ric Flair (then WCW booker), Rude quit the promotion.
Post retirement, Rick had a brief run as an interference running back-up man in the WWF and ECW at the same time while under verbal agreements with both. Possibly Rudes most personally satisfying moment was when he managed to screw over Vince by showing up with his trademark moustache on WCW Monday Nitro on November 17 1997 and then again on the (pre-taped) WWF Raw around ninety minutes later with a full beard. In the process of secretly negotiating his contract with WCW, Rick had accepted $300,000 a year for three years and dropped the lawsuit he filed after his neck injury three years earlier. Sadly, Rude quickly became lost in the mix of WCW managers.
At around 5pm April 20 1998, Michelle Rood found her husband unconscious on the floor of their Georgia home. Rood passed away from a cardiac arrest (almost certainly caused by his steroid abuse) later that evening. He is survived by his wife and three children.
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