Match that ended Ravishing Rick Rude's in-ring career

[Earl-Hickey]

The final match of Ravishing Rick Rude's career as an active pro wrestler took place on May 1, 1994 in Fukuoka, Japan while working for NJPW. While wrestling Sting at the Fukuoka Dome, Sting did a running over the top rope dive. Rude caught Sting, but he had a mishap on an elevated board that surrounded the ringside area, blowing out his C-4 and C-5 vertebrae. Rude finished the match and won the WCW International Heavyweight Championship as scheduled with a kneedrop off the top rope after distraction from valet Lady Love (who worked his corner in those days only on Japan tours).

Rude never wrestled again, and a few weeks later the title change was rescinded and given back to Sting due to the controversy surrounding the finish. Rude was injured, and in very bitter fashion, gone from WCW. Allegedly Rude blamed Sting for being careless in where he dove, and there was tremendous heat between the two.

"He was 35 years old and in the second year of the biggest contract he ever signed," his wife Michelle said. "And then it basically ended. That just killed him. He was a great entertainer, and it really hurt him that he couldn't perform. Even at the risk of injuring himself seriously, he'd have tried it again."

[Monaco Slim]

One of the many people that Dolph Ziggler constantly rips off

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Rick rude was one of my favorite guys ever..

His "cut the music" promos were awesome

[BM dnobagaV]

Underrated player in the game. Coulda been even greater

[Earl-Hickey]

In Percy Pringle (Paul Bearer's) shoot interview, he says that when he used to manage Rick Rude in Texas (and or Florida?), that he, Rude and Rude's girlfriend would go to a bar after a show. Rude would intentionally sit her down at the bar by herself, and then he would go sit down with Pringle far away from her. Rude would then watch her the entire time, and beat up any guy that tried to talk to her. Pringle said this was a nightly deal with him. When Rude got the call to join Jim Crockett Promotions in 1986, Rude insisted that Pringle come along also. Pringle couldn't take watching Rude set up and then beat up people in bars every night, so he stayed in Texas until the Paul Bearer idea came about.

Also, Rude was a bouncer at Grandma B's bar in Minneapolis, along with Scott Norton, Barry Darsow, John Nord and The Road Warriors. Road Warrior Animal tells the story in his book that when they would throw guys out of the bar, they would have a contest to see who could throw them out the farthest or how many flips the guy would do when being thrown out.

Not surprisingly, Animal mentions that Rude ALWAYS had women calling him all day.

[SouthPawHitman]

Rick Rude was one of the coolest wrestlers ever

[FinitoxDinamita]

As a kid I didnt like Rude cuz he was a villain, but long after retirement i started appreciating this guy.

[RomanReigns]

As a kid I didnt like Rude cuz he was a villain, but long after retirement i started appreciating this guy.

he was also a good technical wrestler. He would have been a champion in the attitude era, or the ruthless aggression era.

[Willy Wanker]

Rick Rude was one of the coolest wrestlers ever

My favorite 80s heel not named Ric Flair.

[Bobby Deez]

I liked when he called all your mammys sweaty pigs.