There are a lot of wrestling fans that name Rick Rude as their favorite wrestler to never win a World Championship for WWE. Never winning the top gold for a company like WWE never held Rude back as he managed to have the kind of wrestling career that many wrestlers could only ever hope to have.
Rude wrestled all over the place throughout his career, but he is often most fondly remembered for his work in both the WWE and WCW. He only ever managed to pick up the WWE’s Intercontinental Championship one time in his career, and he only grabbed the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship once, but his skill and often unrivaled character work has solidified his place in wrestling history to many. With that said, there’s still plenty of things that wrestling fans may not know about The Ravishing One.
10 He Attended High School With Other Wrestling Legends
With top-tier wrestling talent being found on every corner of the globe these days, it can be hard to imagine a time when the world of wrestling was a lot smaller. When Rick Rude was a young man, he actually attended high school with a surprising group of future wrestling stars.
Two of the most famous names that Rude attended high school with were Curt Hennig and Nikita Koloff. Fans will no doubt recognize both names, one being the bona-fide legend, Mr. Perfect. It’s almost shocking to find out so many legends were friends from a young age.
9 He Appeared On Raw And Nitro On The Same Night
Every wrestling fan knows about the heated rivalry between the WWE and WCW. What those fans may not know is that Rick Rude holds the distinction of being the only man to appear on both Raw and Nitro on the same night. The situation that led to such an event was rather unique.
Rude had left the WWE for a number of reasons (more on that later), but his final episode for the company was pre-recorded. He appeared on WCW and would eventually end his career with the company in the middle of 1999.
8 He Worked As An Arm Wrestler Before Professional Wrestling
The life of many wrestlers before they found their passion is often rather interesting. While Rude spent some time working as a bouncer, he was actually a surprisingly reputable arm wrestler before his time as a professional wrestler.
Rude competed in the light heavyweight division for the Las Vegas World Championship of Arm Wrestling back in 1983. While he wasn’t the absolute greatest, Rude managed to place in sixth place amongst what was likely some of the absolute strongest men in the world at the time.
7 He Had An Awkward Moment With Jake Robert’s Wife
Fans of either Jake “The Snake” Roberts or “Ravishing” Rick Rude will no doubt have loved their fierce rivalry in WWE. What their fans may not know is that a famous incident actually happened without Rude being aware of the specifics.
People will remember Rude selecting women from the crowd to kiss, but the infamous night in which he tried to kiss Jake Robert’s wife, Rude wasn’t even aware of the women’s real identity. Bobby Heenan was the one who actually picked her out of the crowd for the awkward moment.
6 He Suffered A Burst Eardrum Thanks To A Slap In The Face
While the rivalry between Jake Roberts and Rick Rude led to many memorable moments, one of the most memorable came when Roberts’ wife slapped Rude across the face. Unfortunately for Rude, the slap was a bit harder than he probably would have liked.
The event came in the midst of their incredibly heated feud, but while the slap was brutal, it made for some excellent TV. The raw emotion of the moment went a long way in further solidifying Rude as a top heel, and Roberts and his family as people to love.
5 At One Point, He Was Undefeated In Singles Competition In Japan
Throughout his career, Rick Rude managed to work in a surprisingly varied number of locations. One place where he saw a lot of success was with his time in Japan, in which Rude was undefeated in singles matches. To the surprise of many, this success came after he left the WWE for the first time.
He did lose in at least one tag team match in which he was partnered with none other than Johnny Ace, but it’s clear that Rude’s name recognition made him valuable enough to not take a few quick losses. The tour may not have been the longest, but it’s surprising to see any heels of that era go undefeated in any form.
4 He Was The Longest Reigning WCW International World Heavyweight Champion
There may be a number of fans who actually aren’t aware of what the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship is. While it has a rather unique backstory behind its creation, not many people held it, and it wasn’t active for all that long.
The title actually came after WCW lost the rights to use the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, but due to the title's history, it does technically mean that Rude defeated Flair for the title. Rude’s long reign with the belt lasted for a combined total of 202 days.
3 He Had A Unique Contract When He Returned To WWE
A lot of wrestling fans were delighted when Rick Rude made his return to WWE television in the late-nineties. It's safe to say that Rick Rude’s name had a lot of power in the wrestling business at the time, which led to his unique WWE contract.
It’s said that rather than the usual full-time contract of many WWE wrestlers, Rude was actually paid based on his appearances for the company. It was this unique contract that allowed him to leave the company only a few short months after he had come back to it.
2 He Left WWE For The Second Time Due To The Montreal Screwjob
The Montreal Screwjob was an event that truly shook the landscape of professional wrestling. Its impact led to some significant shake-ups within WWE, and it saw not only the exit of Bret Hart but also the exit of Rick Rude.
Many have said that Rude was not only a good man, but an honorable man, and the fact that he left after the Montreal Screwjob must have meant he held a great deal of respect for not only Bret Hart, but the wrestling industry as a whole.
1 He Is Said To Be The Opposite Of His Gimmick In Real Life
During the eighties and nineties, it was fairly common for most wrestlers to do whatever they could to protect kayfabe. That level of respect and dedication to their careers has led to some surprising reveals about the stars of those eras. One of the biggest is that Rick Rude was reportedly incredibly kind.
Bret Hart has even openly stated that Rick Rude had so much respect for his wife and family that he wouldn’t even take off his wrestling ring during matches. It’s almost a shocking fact to hear, but it’s one that his biggest fans will be glad to know.