12 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: The Fall Of Renegade
11. Before Renegade, There Was Rio!
Rick's old friend Eric said that his then-pal grew his hair out and worked out hard. Without breaking into the wrestling industry (not yet, at least), he was seeking ways to get some attention on himself and validate that need for eyeballs. So, Wilson became “Rio The Dancer” at Panama City Beach in Florida.
Rather incredibly, Henderson’s dance troupe was called “Ultimate Fantasy”. It was burlesque and strip teasing, but he claims it was all in good taste and just a way to entertain women in the local area. Nonetheless, when introducing Rick, the announcer would shout: “Six foot four and hung to the floor”.
Clearly, Rick embraced the attention.
There's another Ultimate Warrior tie in of sorts that you might not be expecting when tuning into 'Dark Side'. Eric revealed that Wilson played a "warrior" character on stage. It was more in line with Arnold Schwarzenegger's Conan than Jim Hellwig on episodes of Wrestling Challenge, but the visual resemblance Rick had to the WWF's Warrior was striking.
Look above for a screenshot from his dancing days. If someone told you that grainy shot was Hellwig on an early spot show for some independent territory without any further context, you'd probably believe it. The Warrior comparisons wouldn't stop there. In fact, they'd follow Rick throughout his entire life; or at least up until the late-90s and his tragic fall from grace.
Playing "Rio The Dancer" gave Wilson a taste of the bright lights he wanted to bask in, and it was only a matter of time before he forced his way into wrestling.