The late great "Ravishing" Rick Rude is one of the more underrated wrestlers of the 1980s and 1990s because he was the epitome of what it meant to be a true heel. He was not out there seeking the adulation of the fans or trying to be cool to get them to cheer. His goal was to be the biggest jerk in the world. It worked. Rude had a romantic theme song, he shook his hips in a way that became legendary and he wasn't shy about saying that he could have any woman he wanted. A lot of people still remember the way he'd put his hands on the back of his head while taunting others. He would also insult the fans all the time, so it really made him easy to hate. As long as he got him heat, Rude would do it. He was even booked in a feud with Jake Roberts' wife Cheryl where he tried to hit on her, but then Jake would stand up for her. As a way to get heat, Roberts put her face on his tights. He even put the face of Kathie Lee Gifford on his tights when he went on her Regis & Kathie Lee talk show. The guy wasn't shy about pushing the limits. When Rude was in WCW they didn't push the sexual nature of the gimmick, but in WWE that was a major part of his gimmick. He would have fit in very well if he was actively wrestling in the Attitude Era. By that time he was forced to retire and sadly passed away far too young in 1999 when he was just 40 years old.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
