10 Nastiest Backstage Incidents In Wrestling History
6. Rick Rude vs. Ultimate Warrior
Wrestling legend the Ultimate Warrior was well known to be ultra stiff in the ring: you could be charitable and put it down to his trademark intensity and sheer physicality, but Warrior was a poor worker at the best of times, and its possible that he simply wasnt good enough to wrestle snugly. Whichever the case, the former Jim Hellwig was aware of the issue and simply didnt appear to care. Many wrestlers had a problem with being continually potatoed by Warrior but held their tongues, either because of his assumed backstage stroke or simply because he intimidated them. Not so Ravishing Rick Rude. The storyline womaniser was a legitimate tough guy, and notorious for his fearsome strength and take-no-prisoners attitude backstage legend has it that his infamous open handed slap had sparked out some of wrestlings best and brightest, including the 400 pound P.N. News and fellow hardmen Paul Mr. Wonderful Orndorff, Big Van Vader and Tony Atlas. When Rick Rude spoke to you, you felt like youd been spoken to. In 1990, it was Rudes misfortune to have to carry Warrior through a program, and like everyone else, he found himself on the receiving end of some thoughtlessly vicious clotheslines and punches. In Amarillo, Texas in July, Rude snapped after one too many stiff punches to the head, and wrestled Warrior to the mat, whispering that if he potatoed him one more time hed rip his head off and shove it up his ass. Sadly, Warrior wasnt one to take a hint, and they would be involved in a further confrontation on the matter backstage some time later. This time Rude simply knocked Warrior sideways with one powerful slap and left him, stunned, lying on the floor.
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