9. Was Never Interested In Being A Hardcore Wrestler
Even though Stevie Richards would first make a name for himself in Extreme Championship Wrestling, he would never really be all that turned on by the prospect of putting his body through hell in hardcore matches or weapons-based brawls. On occasion, Richards would become involved in such bouts, such as the main event match of ECW's first Pay-Per-View, 'Barely Legal'. Facing both Terry Funk and The Sandman in a 3-Way Dance, Richards was tasked with softening the legendary Funk up for Raven, who would attempt to face the 'Middle-Aged And Crazy' star immediately following this match. Funk would then go on to capture the ECW Heavyweight Title, but the involvement of Richards hasn't been forgotten, he took some hellish bumps with ladders and chairs throughout. Stunningly, Richards didn't feel his body could withstand the punishment hardcore wrestlers endure, and he tried his best to stay away from working such matches. Apparently, this is something which caught the eye of Paul Heyman, who decided the best course of action was to have Richards play the role of Raven's lackey, using his tentative nature as a positive, rather than a negative.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
