An Angel fell from the Heavens – Ravishing Rick Rude

Pictured above,Ravishing Rick Rude in victory stance

The time was the early 90′s, Grunge music was beginning to blossom. Passing notes in class was a way to pull girls and then presenting her with a push pop was a guranteed way to get a walk to 1st base. I’d walk down to get fish and chips from the local with my younger brother in tow, routinely stopping to put him in a boston crab submission manoeuvre (made famous by Jerry “the king” Lawler). It was our friday nite ritual, when wrestling was real when a wrestler would stake his woman as his prize purse. When there was no WCW, Wolfpack, NWO or WWE. It was the WWF. The time 1992, Hulk Hogan was the world champion of the world.

The one man i idolised and idolised alone, Ravishing Rick Rude also known as Richard Erwin Wood. I had all his WWF cards, Mum even made me pair of stylised airbrushed tights that i’d shadow wrestle in or battle my brother (he was also know as Jake the Snake Roberts – my biggest enemy – luckily mum only got him a rubber snake). I’d throw him down our long stair case, put him into submission after submission, body slam him off the dining room table. In victory, I’d reciprocate Rick’s sleazy dance (designed for female viewers) where i’d stand on top of him hands behind my head and rotate my hips grinding in a sexually deviant way for all to see. It definatly would cause abit of controversy when mum would walk in and snap me, i can imagine it did look lewd or else when i’d get half way through a boston crab – enough said. Enough bout my wrestling exploits more on RRR.

Rude became prominent in 1987 when managed by Bobby “the Brain” Heenan, He was a crowd pleaser yet you could also hate the man at the same time. Women would throw panties and roses onto the stage as he revved up the crowd, But then they’d boo him as the hero walked on. He was an anti-hero. He developed feuds with most notably Jake “the Snake” Roberts, Rowdy Roddy Pipper and the Ultimate Warrior. The one with Jake was the best i thought.

Rude would often taunt Roberts about his hot wife Elizabeth. Trying to get him to wrestle for her and not a belt. The worst it got was when Rude had an image of Elizabeth emblazoned on his tights, Steaming the Snake flew onto the ring in a very angry state stripping Rude of his tights leaving him in only a g-string. Other times Rude would always stoop to the lower levels bashing Jake with chairs, iron bars and Hacksaw’s 2 by 4.

He also was meant to wrestle the Boss man in a cage match, but he started to mock the BM’s mother (which is never a goodthing), the fight never ended up happening. Rude held the Intercontinental belt which was won off the Ultimate Warrior, but then regained in Summerslam by the Warrior. Rude then had forays into the WWE,ECW and then came back to the WWF. But nothing really of huge imporatance. He never got back to where he was during the 1987 to 1992 period.

Late 1999, Rude died of heart failure. Isn’t funny that when the wrestlers are bigtime you always here about them but when they aren’t in the public eye you wouldn’t even hear about their death. Heart failure caused by excessive use of steroids over the years (gym goers – cautionary tale here) and GHB (on the street fantasy – which is like a steroid buffer). I held my own tribute to Rude when i heard of his demise, I retired my tights and wrestled my little brother one last time. Which was a handfull he has grown into a tough little bastard.

Five reasons why RRR was the man:

5. Rick Rude’s finishing maneuver was the “Rude Awakening”. Many people love Stone Cold Steve Austin’s finishing move “The Stunner”, but the Rude Awakening was like a reverse Stunner. Rick was way ahead of his time, even in reverse.

4. Rick Rude not only had a mullet, but a perm as well. I have been trying to think of a good name for this plumage, but the best I can come up with is Permanullet. Regardless, it was breathtaking.

3. Rick Rude had the ring prowess of a Luche Libre, but the strength of a main eventer. He could fly off the top rope with the best of them, but also gorilla press a 130 kilogram. man over the top ropes into the first row.

2. Rick Rude maintained a straight mustache until the day he died. What more can be said?

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