10 Wildest Wrestling Urban Legends
3. Rick Rude's "Real" Cause Of Death
This is where the list takes a rather cruel turn.
Bullsh*t rumours take on a life of their own when they're halfway viable. Randy Savage was notoriously protective of (or, let's face it, abusive towards) his ex-wife, which is why people are prepared to believe that he did in fact punch Hulk Hogan in the face. Sid wasn't especially clever, so of course he was daft enough to risk getting his b*llocks bitten by a squirrel. Rick Rude played a mad shagger, so of course he...
...took his own life after accidentally rendering himself impotent forever?
Inveterate carny Honky Tonk Man has spread the conspiracy theory, adding a shred of credibility to it, since they were contracted by the same company at the same time and he therefore "might" know. Jake Roberts was also asked by Hannibal if he'd heard the story. He had. Hannibal's desperate, grim manipulation of the YouTube algorithm also encouraged him to ask Ken Patera, who "corroborated" the story.
Rude was said to have injected his penis with a performance-enhancing drug, which had to be amputated following a side-effect. This compelled him to end his life. The urban legend is cruel in itself, but also because Rude's gimmick lends a certain credibility to it. How could he get around without it?
The irony is that Rude was known and indeed admired for his monogamy.