TSC Evaluation #21: Rick Rude

[mrken12]

In the last evaluation, Sting got a score of 9.03.

TSC Evaluation #20: Sting

Rey Mysterio Jr.: 8.78 TSC Evaluation #15: Rey Mysterio Jr
Scott Steiner: 8.59 TSC Evaluation #2: Scott Steiner
Terry Funk: 8.41 TSC Evaluation #11: Terry Funk
Vader: 8.23 TSC Evaluation #12: Vader
Rob Van Dam: 8.14 TSC Evaluation #9: Rob Van Dam
Andre The Giant: 8.08 TSC Evaluation #18: Andre The Giant
DDP: 7.95 TSC Evaluation #16: Diamond Dallas Page
CM Punk: 7.94 TSC Evaluation #7: CM Punk
Raven: 7.64 TSC Evaluation #19: Raven
Roddy Piper: 7.51 TSC Evaluation #6: Roddy Piper
Goldberg: 7.13 TSC Evaluation #3: Goldberg
Sycho Sid: 6.97 TSC Evaluation #4: Sycho Sid / Sid Vicious
Ultimate Warrior: 6.72 TSC Evaluation #10: The Ultimate Warrior
D'Lo Brown: 6.47 TSC Evaluation #13: D'Lo Brown
Lex Luger: 5.97 TSC Evaluation #8: Lex Luger
Tazz: 5.94 TSC Evaluation #5: Tazz
Chyna: 5.63 TSC Evaluation #17: Chyna
Jeff Jarrett: 4.51 TSC Evaluation: Jeff Jarrett
Tommy Dreamer: 3.96 TSC Evaluation #14: Tommy Dreamer

If people have any requests for future wrestlers you want to see evaluated, let me know. I'll have one wrestler evaluated for each week every Monday.

For #22 it will be Sabu.

Pending requests: Edge, Ted DiBiase, Jake The Snake Roberts, Bam Bam Bigelow, Kurt Angle, Batista, Booker T, Billy Gunn, X-Pac, Kane, Undertaker, Big Show, Rikishi, Mr. Perfect, Owen Hart, Chris Kanyon, Mike Awesome, The Godfather, Val Venis, Big Boss Man, JBL, Junkyard Dog, Harley Race, Stan Hansen, Sgt. Slaughter, Eddie Guerrero, Christian Cage, Brian Pillman, Goldust, William Regal, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Ricky Steamboat

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Major accomplishments

Championship Wrestling from Florida
NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) (2x)
NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1x) – with Jesse Barr

Continental Wrestling Association
NWA/AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1x)
NWA/AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1x) – with King Kong Bundy

Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling
WCW International World Heavyweight Championship (3x)
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (1x)
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (1x) – with Manny Fernandez
Nintendo Top Ten Challenge Tournament (1992)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1992)
PWI ranked him No. 4 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992
PWI ranked him No. 57 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003

World Class Championship Wrestling / World Class Wrestling Association
NWA American Heavyweight Championship (1x)
WCWA Television Championship (1x)
WCWA World Heavyweight Championship (1x)

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
WWF Intercontinental Championship (1x)
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2017)
Slammy Award (1x)
-Jesse "The Body" Award (1987)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter
5 Star Match (1992) with Steve Austin, Bobby Eaton, Larry Zbyszko, and Arn Anderson vs. Sting, Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, and Nikita Koloff (February 24, WarGames match, WrestleWar)
Best Heel (1992)

Other
The only person to appear on the WWF's Raw Is War and WCW's Monday Nitro on the same night


With a scale of 1-10 how would you rate Rick Rude in these categories:

-Mic work/promos

-Personality/gimmicks

-Ring work (along with some of your favorite matches/feuds)

-Overall rating (which doesn't have to be an average of the above scores)

 

[mrken12]

-Mic work/promos: 9
Always had great lines and knew how to irritate the crowd.

-Personality/gimmicks: 10
The narcissistic arrogant wrestler with the ridiculous physique has almost been a cliche in wrestling but no one has done it as effectively as Rick Rude. It was especially amusing seeing him troll his opponents with his tights.

-Ring work (along with some of your favorite matches/feuds): 9

He was amazing in the ring and was part of memorable feuds including his great feud with Jake The Snake Roberts.

Feuds: vs Jake The Snake Roberts, vs Ultimate Warrior


-Overall rating (which doesn't have to be an average of the above scores): 9

A legend during a great era of wrestling and was the ultimate troll back then. It's a shame that he never won a major World Title but his gimmick and personality have never been forgotten. Big props to him for getting in the 2017 Hall of Fame class.

 

[Cheercomp]

I'm going with a 9. Rude's 92 and 93 had some super high quality heel work. Dude managed to be the company's top heel while not truly competing for the top belt. He was campaigning for a run as babyface near the end of his active days... can only imagine that would have been fire too

 

[Alexander The Great]

probably had his best run in WCW 1991-1994. a natural on the mic, a natural heel. had some great matches with Ricky Steamboat over the US title. carried Warrior to his matches besides his work with macho man.

his persona was amazing, the rude awakening, the insults to the crowd. just great all around. and he was a legit tough guy.

 

[Amor fati]

 

[TL15]

I gotta give him an 8... I think his best run was in WCW when I was a kid who mostly watched WWE...

Swag through the roof ring work to match.

 

[King P]

Easy 10 in every category. A true GOAT

 

[TheWhackMamba]

Dude made the ultimate warrior. 9

 

[Tide Run This]

10 loved him in WCW way more than WWF

 

[Lost His Smile]

Awesome character in the WWF. IMO one of those guys who didn't need the belt to make him.

Even got an alright match out of Hellwig.

 

[Yayo Toure]

I'd say 10 but unfortunately he never got a legit world title reign.

But besides that he's a complete wrestler and one of the few guys from the 80s whose gimmick, look, swag would work in any era. His heel work laid the blueprint for Big poppa pump and HBK.

When he used to come out and say "cut the music" and start ethering the crowd, was legendary. He's in my all time top 10.

 

[James Dean]

-Mic work/promos 9. I liked his mic work. He was a true heel. Narcissist. Arrogant. Style and Swagger. Had it all and could get the crowd worked up in a flash.

-Personality/gimmicks 10. I mean this was his shining area besides his mic work. Perfect for his era. And he was even doing a decent job as DX's lackey in the late 90s. But where he really made his mark was in his prime.

-Ring work (along with some of your favorite matches/feuds) 8. Not his biggest area but hes had some cool bouts. My favorite match is actually against Mashiro Chono in 1992 and then he had a pretty good match with Steamboat in WCW that same year. As far as WWE, his best match was against Warrior. Awesome feud too. Really helped Warrior shine.

-Overall rating (which doesn't have to be an average of the above scores) 9.

 

[Daracell]

Always loved Rick Rude. When I was a kid, I always tried to swivel my hips like Rude, could never get it lol

His interviews on these talk shows are legendary

 

[puppetmaster]

-Mic Work/Promos/ 9 His mic work still stands up well today. I'm talking all the way back to world class era, Rude is still very much watchable. shyt Instagram now is a reflection of Rick Rude at his best

-Personality/gimmicks 10. I had more fun with being legitmately angry at as Rick Rude than anyone short of Ric Flair. That's what you want in a heel. The dude made demented ass Jake Roberts a sympathetic figure. I savored everytime I he had to sell a back rake or an atomic drop. He sold so well I think he could've been money as a face in the mid 90's too

-Ring work (along with some of your favorite matches/feuds) 9

You couldn't see thru his work. He had a minimalistic approach that just worked. Everything mattered and looked like it was snug, he made the rude awakening look like something you had no business kicking out of. 1991-1994 he was a major bright spot in a struggling WCW

-Overall rating (which doesn't have to be an average of the above scores) 9.

Loved to hate him but wanted him on my tv so I had somewhere to express this hatred. Which in wrestling speak means I loved that damn character

 

[patscorpio]

-Mic work/promos - full monty....had a memorable catchphrase....he'd get on the mic and legit son the shyt out of the audience...dude knew how to come off as wildly arrogant and self absorbed that made you hate him but you knew he was a tough guy, which legitimately he was

-Personality/gimmicks - An arrogant SOB who was chiseled beyond belief, drew major heat in the audience, and would threaten to take the next man's lady or wear their pic on the front of his tights...i think kevin nash said it best about Rude saying some shyt about he was 100% into his character and nailed each night out..even when his in ring career was over, his second life as an enforcer for DX and NWO he was still over without missing a beat..10

-Ring work (along with some of your favorite matches/feuds) - a great worker..could bump his ass off when needed....as much as i liked his WWF stint, his WCW stint he had way better matches (sting, flair, ricky steamboat)..masa chono in japan..the rude awakening is one of the GOAT finishers..dude use to make me believe he snapped the shyt outta someone's neck

Overall: Rick Rude is really unsung for what he was...it took being an adult for me to fully appreciate the guy...as @puppetmaster said I hated him but hate in I wanted someone to kick his ass while I watched on TV. Even in the roided era that was the 80s-early 90s, Rude's physique was unique...Dude didn't look like he had an ounce of fat on him..How his career ended and how he passed is very sad but he is a legend through and through. 9.5