"Ravishing" Rick Rude

[Timbo Slice]

I'd like to point out the first guy that was nominated for this thing was Meng.

[funkdoc]

funny thing, sam houston actually used to get a lot of love from meltzer when he was a JTTS in late-80s WWF. basically their brad armstrong in that regard.

 

and jim powers just completely fucking sucked, and allegedly would get so drunk before his matches that barry horowitz didn't want to work with the young stallions. possible evidence for this: roma *always* worked face-in-peril for that team...

[El-P]

He may be the definitive peak > longevity pick. It's a shame he got injured when he did. As a total package (mic work, look, presentation, work), Rick Rude was amazing.

[Timbo Slice]

1992 Rick Rude had an argument for one of the best workers in the world. He was that good. Like Jerome said: High-end peak, but pretty short with that peak. He's an interesting choice and someone I'm not writing off completely, but off the top of my head, he's not a Top 100 guy for me.

[JRGoldman]

I think I may have a weird recency bias with Rick Rude, because he was someone that I really re-evaluated when the network first started, kind of like a lot of us are doing with Gino and the NWA Classics thing right now. I had always had it in my head that Rude had a great look and was a good promo, but wasn't anything special in the ring, but going back and watching his peak stuff, it's really amazing how athletic he is, how well he moves and bumps, and how clear an idea of who he is in the ring. I think as I've started to put rough drafts of my ballot together, I tend to value peak more when it comes to fringe guys; if you have two wrestlers who are questionable candidates, I seemingly gravitate more towards the one who was a clear top flight worker for a short period of time than I do the guy who was merely great for a decade. Because of that, I think Rude has a pretty good chance to make my ballot. He may even sneak in front of some people.

[JazeUSA]

Yeah, I agree with Will as I also liked his wccw stuff, the nwa stuff with the r&r's was great, I enjoyed some but not all of his wwf stuff, but I loved his wcw run, in 1992 he was IMO one of the top 5 workers in the world, one could only imagine he would have been the wcw champion at some point before he retired due to injury, he is a lock to make my ballot & I havent even seen the memphis stuff.

[flyonthewall2983]

Couldn't think of anywhere else to put it as it probably doesn't warrant a thread, but I just read on his wiki page that his youngest son died earlier this month in a motorcycle accident.

[KB8]

I had Rude at 88 in 2016 and I'll try to keep him there in 2026. It probably goes without saying that he's absolutely a peak candidate. I think he has good stuff outside of that peak run, like some stuff from Memphis and the tag team with Manny, but if you're voting for Rude then you're primarily voting for him based on that WCW run. You can count '89 as part of the peak as well if you want. He was outstanding in the best Warrior match and there's fun stuff against Piper in there as well. It's a shame he did next to nothing for much of 1991. Still, it's the year he had in 1992 (and those couple months at the end of '91 when he jumps ship) where he makes any sort of case. In an incredibly stacked year worldwide he was probably my favourite wrestler in the world, and besides that he's a personal favourite in general. I wouldn't spend any time arguing with someone who thinks Rude doesn't have the longevity to make a list. During the last poll I realised that if someone has a short peak that's awesome but not a whole lot of longevity then I'll consider them, because I guess ultimately that means a lot to me. And Rude's peak was evidently enough for me to put him on the list in 2016. He also has the best signature sell of a move in history and if you have a twitter account dedicated to that specific thing then I guess I'll at least take a look at your case. 

 

RICK RUDE YOU SHOULD WATCH:

w/Manny Fernandez v Rock n Roll Express (JCP World Championship Wrestling, 12/6/86)

v Ultimate Warrior (WWF Summerslam, 8/28/89)

v Dustin Rhodes (WCW Worldwide, 5/30/92)

w/Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton & Larry Zbyszko v Sting, Ricky Steamboat, Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes & Nikita Koloff (WCW WrestleWar, 5/17/92)

v Ricky Steamboat (WCW Beach Blast, 6/20/92)

[Phil Schneider]

I think Rude's run is just too short to put him on a list of the 100 greatest wrestlers of all time. I think if it was 100 greatest 5 year peaks, you can make the argument, but honestly a couple of good years, when you compare it to guys who have had 20+ year careers, I just don't think he has a chance. It has to be Volk Han level stuff, and Rude was never that.

[strobogo]

He's so good in 1992 that it's really hard to figure out why he could never fully pull it together before or after. Not that he was bad by any means. Even in his early Memphis days where he was so young his voice would still occasionally crack during promos, he was obviously very talented and had a ton of potential, but it never really fully came together as "oh shit this guy is fucking amazing" type performances until that period in WCW. If I had to guess, it was probably because he was able to rely on the gimmick and schtick more than having to worry about the ring work, and the WWF just simply wasn't doing the type of matches he would be doing in WCW in the Watts era. Even by 1993 he's not a shell of himself, but he's definitely not the same worker he was in 1992. I guess it was probably the first neck injury that kept him out of action from the end of December 92 through March or so 1993? 

 

I do wonder what could have been had his career not ended when it did. Gotta feel like he would have had a real strong run in the Attitude Era as ultra raunchy version of his established character. Basically the ECW Rick Rude if he could still work.  

 

I do really enjoy his matches with Steamboat and Jake in the WWF, though. Although the Jake ones are really completely because of Jake, and the Steamboat matches are very very different to the WCW matches, the iron man which is maybe the most perfect encapsulation of what American pro wrestling is. An absolute master class in what a heel is, what a face is, what selling is, what psychology is, what selling is. Anyone in the industry should study it, anyone wanting to explain wrestling to a non fan should show it. 

 

[Phil Schneider]

I mean Juventud Guerrera has a thread, but no one seriously considered him in that thread. Juvi also had an amazing couple of years and not a ton outside that time. Although you could find more good post-prime Juvi, then post-prime Rude who had his career cut short by that injury

[strobogo]

Wow this mf really gonna talk about The Juice like that? Phil ain't juicy.

[KB8]

FWIW I redid my ballot in 2019 and had Juvi on it and you better believe I'll consider him again for 2026. 

[elliott]

8 minutes ago, strobogo said:

 

I do wonder what could have been had his career not ended when it did. Gotta feel like he would have had a real strong run in the Attitude Era as ultra raunchy version of his established character. Basically the ECW Rick Rude if he could still work.  

There's a 100% chance they wouldve teamed him with Val Venis and there would have been a ton of "Dick Dude" signs in the audience. 

[strobogo]

11 minutes ago, elliott said:

There's a 100% chance they wouldve teamed him with Val Venis and there would have been a ton of "Dick Dude" signs in the audience. 

My thought was more there wouldn't be a Val Venis because Rick Rude would have been doing that gimmick and role.