"Ravishing" Rick Rude

[1234-5678 0]

Interview 14th March 1996 AOL

 

OnlineHost: Tonights guest is Ravishing Rick Rude!!!!!! Rick appeared in WrestleMania 4 &5!!!!

 

WWFLive1: Rick: This is Ravishing Rick Rude blowin off the cobwebs, dumpin back into action on America Online.

 

Question: Going in to WrestleMania 4,were you more interested in winning the WWF title or beating Jake Roberts?

 

WWFLive2: Rick: It was two fold..I had to be more focused on the title . We didn't know who we were going to draw.

 

Question: Why did you leave the WCW?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: I was injured in a world Championship match in Tokyo Japan, I defeated Sting to become the world champion but during the match I ruptured some discs in my neck. So WCW decided instead of giving me time to heal, they would strip me of the title.

 

Question: What was your greatest match that you have ever been in?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: I would have to say one of two. WrestleMania V where I defeated the Ultimate Warrior or a cage match in MSG with Roddy Piper.

 

Question: Rick...Will we see you in the ring?And what is your physical status now?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: Well the first part is a big question mark. Right now I don't plan on ever wrestling again. My physical status is obviously down with my back injury. It may even get worse, but I hope not. That is also kind of a question mark.

 

Question: What are your feelings about the Ultimate Warrior making his return to the WWF?And do you think he will be as effective as he once was?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: Well I feel that he can definitely be at the level he was before, he can probably surpass that level. He is the most intense person I have ever met. His only weakness was that he was so intense that he would tire quickly. Coming back after a break, it may have done him some good.

 

Question: Rick, How would you compare the WWF to the WCW?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: Talent comes and goes between the organizations but I have always stated that I believe that the WWF from a wrestlers point of view, is the more professional organization to work for. And now from a spectators point of view, I can see that WWF is a much more entertaining product.

 

Question: How would you compare your era with wrestling now?And what do you like and dislike about professional wrestling?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: I believe that at that point in time the WWF had extremely talented and versatile tough wrestlers. If you look at the talent at the time I was there, it was loaded with good talent all in their prime.

 

Question: Who of today's stars would you most like to work with?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: To work with I would say Jake Roberts, Roddy Piper, Mr. Perfect, Bret Hart and I hate to seem one sided here, so I also like some of the talent coming in from Japan like Terry Gordy and Chris Benoit. And of course, I would always like to hook up with the Ultimate Warrior.

 

Question: You were in the WWF at the height of Hulk Hogan's popularity? What did you think of him then, and what do you think of him now?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: I never had that high of an opinion of Hulk because I feel that he has taken more from the business than he has given.

 

Question: In your time away from the sport, have you been watching it? What do you think of the direction the business is headed?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: I have been watching and the prof. wresting business as well as many other prof. sports, seems to be in sort of a lull. That is strictly from a couch potato point of view.

 

Question: Have you kept in as good of shape as you were in during your first WWF stint?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: No.

 

Question: At WM5 were you in better shape than the Warrior was?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: Yes, I feel that I was in better shape as far as going a longer time than Warrior. But I knew that he was stronger power wise.

 

Question: Have you ever taken steroids?And what do you think about them in the wrestling business?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: Yes, I did. It is questionable. They have benefits and they have side effects. Whether the benefits outweigh the risks is each individuals decision.

 

Question: Rick,Deep down inside do you think that Cheryl Roberts really wanted you?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: Yes.

 

Question: How do you feel about all these wrestlers coming back and making a large amount of money and being in a position that you might not physically able to come back?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: Again I think that individuals can comeback after time off, such as Warrior and Jake and they may be even more effective than they were. Especially with the shallower talent roster for both federations. As for myself, it is tough to sit home and see guys like Razor, Diesel, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Sting and Lex Luger supposedly making big bucks when I don't think that they could carry my jock strap. That's very difficult.

 

Question: Do you have any regrets in your entire career?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: I never turned baby face, and I would have to, that is the one thing.

 

Question: What do you think about Eric Bischoff?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: I have a picture in my mind right now that I can't seem to bring words to explain. I don't know legally what I can say online, but I know that in my opinion, Eric Bischoff is lower than snake #@$@, and not half as pretty.

 

Question: What are your feelings toward Vince McMahon?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: I thought that Vince was very creative and open minded.

 

Question: Who would you wish you would have had achance to work with and didn't?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: There are allot of wrestlers that I never got the chance to work with, that would have been an honor. Like Bret Hart and Curt Henning. Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and Sting are wrestlers that I would like to meet in an alley.

 

Question: What wrestlers did you look up to when you broke into the wrestling business?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: Believe it or not, at that time in my career I looked up to Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka.

 

Question: If you were to come back tomorrow, who would you choose as a Tag Team partner?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: Mr. Perfect. We've known each other for a long time, we go back a long way. We know each others style. There is a common bond between us.

 

Question: Hey Rick, was defeating Warrior for the IC Belt your greatest achievement?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: It was my greatest achievement in the WWF. Winning the world title in two other organizations were equally important.

 

Question: How do you feel about athletes who are well past there prime and don't know when to hang up the boots?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: I think from a couch potato point of view, it sucks. But from a wrestlers point of view, I guess the longer those old-timers keep getting a paycheck they would be foolish not to do it.

 

Question: Rick: Bret or Shawn, who will win the Iron Man Match at WrestleMania XII?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: That's a tough one. I feel that Bret Hart is probably the greatest wrestling technician in our sport. I feel that he's in the prime of his career and life and although Shawn Michaels is approaching his prime, and he has youth and speed in his favor, I think that Bret is going to come out on top.

 

OnlineHost: Well Rick, It has been a pleasure talking with you tonight on AOL, We hope we can talk again in the future!!!

 

WWFLive1: Rick: It feels good to lace up the boots. It was a pleasure to have online in a hammerlock, but I would rather put Ric Flair in a rude awakening!

[cawthon777 0]

That was a surprisingly good read.

 

Does anyone like Eric Bischoff?

[Guest Loss]

Worth noting that Sting and Rude made amends when they worked together again in WCW in 1997 and 1998. Rude is a sentimental favorite for me -- an outstanding heel who developed into a great worker and bonafide top star by 1991 or 1992. He got off to a slow start and didn't get really good until about 1989, but he's missed.

 

Rude once said Shawn Michaels stole his routine, "only he made it gay."

[Special K 0]

DDP.

 

If you've watched the ECW DVD, Bisch comes of a s the biggest POS sleaze I've ever seen.

 

God bless Rude, my favorite heel of all time. Pretty honest in that interview, without breaking kayfabe. R.I.P, Rick.

 

If you're a Rude fan, make sure to get his match V Chono in the NJPW G-1 tourney, and his final match. Both are very good, especially the former.

 

EDIT:

Rude once said Shawn Michaels stole his routine, "only he made it gay."

 

BWAHAHAHAHAHA

 

From the quotes thread:

 

Rude: Vader, you're a role model. Now come in here and model those rolls.

[Tony149 0]

Rude's right up there with Flair as my favorite heel. I'll always remember Superbrawl II where the crowd's boos drowned out Rude's opening spiel for a minute or two, eventually leading to Rude having to speak over the loud boos. The only time I remember that ever happening.

Edited December 22, 2004 by Tony149

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

I will fully admit that Rude was one of my all time favorites and easily one of my favoite heels of all time as well. But, I honestly think he was incredibly overrated as a worker though. The G-1 final with Chono is PROBABLY his best match that he's ever had, but honestly.....it wasn't anything close to spectacular.

[Special K 0]

Keep in mind, when you're a kid watching awful old-school matches from WWF, Rude seems awesome.

 

This, and being such an awesome character make myself and others see him with rose-tinted glasses.

 

I certainly don't think he was a BAD worker though.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

But, I honestly think he was incredibly overrated as a worker though. The G-1 final with Chono is PROBABLY his best match that he's ever had, but honestly.....it wasn't anything close to spectacular.

The problem I had with Rude was, almost without fail, he'd go to an endless series of very long chinlocks right in the middle of the match, cutting off the flow of the match. He never seemed to worry if they fit the story of the match, or even if it was the right time for them; without fail, you'd get a 5 or 6 minute chinlock spot, and all the momentum would be lost.

[King Cucaracha 0]

But, I honestly think he was incredibly overrated as a worker though.  The G-1 final with Chono is PROBABLY his best match that he's ever had, but honestly.....it wasn't anything close to spectacular.

The problem I had with Rude was, almost without fail, he'd go to an endless series of very long chinlocks right in the middle of the match, cutting off the flow of the match. He never seemed to worry if they fit the story of the match, or even if it was the right time for them; without fail, you'd get a 5 or 6 minute chinlock spot, and all the momentum would be lost.

Rude v. Roberts at WMIV springs to mind.

[The Mandarin 0]

Rick Rude didn't need to be a great worker. His charisma more than made up for it.

 

Why did he dislike Sting anyways?

[The Buzz 0]

In Rude's last match Sting came over the top rope with some kind of aerial attack, and wcw was supporting a weird stage that night with an edge. Sting came down on Rude who's back kind of hit on the edge of the stage. Rude had to work the rest of the match with a seriously messed up back. So im assuming Rude was pissed that Sting technically ended his career, and who wouldn't be?

[Guest Loss]

Yes, Rude blamed Sting for many years for ending his career, feeling that he cost him the opportunity to make great money and get big exposure during the wrestling boom of the late 90s.

[The Mandarin 0]

That's pretty sad.

[Australian Pride 0]

Question: Rick,Deep down inside do you think that Cheryl Roberts really wanted you?

 

WWFLive1: Rick: Yes.

For some reason this cracked me up bigtime. Gotta love kayfabe.

[Guest wildpegasus]

I gotta go and back and watch some Rude match someday. He is defenitely a good worker though. Rude vs Big Josh, Sting, Steamboat Ironman, Ultimate Warrior, and Pillman on one of their lesser shows are all good or better matches. He was involved in some good tags there too. As a hardcore fan I groan when a lot of wrestlers come on the screen to wrestle. I never did that with Ravishing Rick Rude. If I could start an organization from scratch with any wrestlers I wanted from any era Rude would definitely be there.

[1234-5678 0]

But, I honestly think he was incredibly overrated as a worker though.  The G-1 final with Chono is PROBABLY his best match that he's ever had, but honestly.....it wasn't anything close to spectacular.

The problem I had with Rude was, almost without fail, he'd go to an endless series of very long chinlocks right in the middle of the match, cutting off the flow of the match. He never seemed to worry if they fit the story of the match, or even if it was the right time for them; without fail, you'd get a 5 or 6 minute chinlock spot, and all the momentum would be lost.

Rude v. Roberts at WMIV springs to mind.

Agreed. I was a huge fan of both Rude and Robert, but boy did that match stink.