My Take
Rick Rude was one of those rare heels who made you hate him so much you secretly loved every second he was on screen. The man was genuinely beautiful — he knew it, he weaponized it, and that smug slow gyrate before a match was pure performance art. From his WWF run feuding with the Ultimate Warrior to his WCW days, Rude had a legitimacy most of his peers couldn't touch: real amateur wrestling credentials, a physique that was almost absurd, and mic work sharp enough to cut glass. He could back up the arrogance in the ring too, which made the whole package feel earned rather than gimmicky. Losing him at 40 in 1999 still feels like one of pro wrestling's cruelest what-ifs. The WWE Hall of Fame induction was the right call, but honestly long overdue for a guy this complete.
Overview
Richard Erwin Rood (December 7, 1958 – April 20, 1999), better known by his ring name "Ravishing" Rick Rude, was an American professional wrestler who performed for various promotions, including the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). Rude wrestled from 1982 until his 1994 retirement due to injury, with a final match following in 1997.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Rick Rude
- Name (Japanese)
- リック・ルード
- Reading
- りっく・るーど
- Born
- December 7, 1958 – April 20, 1999
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Dog
- Origin
- St. Peter, Minnesota, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 191 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- professional wrestler / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Awards & achievements
- WWE Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.