8 Reasons Rick Rude Deserves WWE Hall Of Fame 2017 Induction

4. He Was A Major Player Everywhere He Went

Ravishing Rick Rude Wwe Hall Of Fame
WWE

Rick Rude's presence, skill, and magnetism made him a star in WWE, and that's what he's best remembered for today. Still, his run in WWE - which saw him locks horns with The Ultimate Warrior and Jake Roberts, among others, and challenge for the WWE Championship - wasn't the only time Rude was a headliner.

Before ever joining WWE, Rude competed in World Class Championship Wrestling, feuding with Kevin Von Erich and Chris Adams and eventually capturing the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship, the promotion's top title.

After WWE, he joined WCW, debuting as "The Halloween Phantom" before unmasking. Rude would soon win the United States Championship and lead Paul E. Dangerously's Dangerous Alliance, making him one of the top heels in the entire company.

Even in New Japan - where Rude worked due to the promotion's affiliation with WCW - he made a mark. "The Ravishing One" became the first foreigner to reach the finals of the G1 Climax tournament, a feat that would not be duplicated for another two decades.

Contributor
Contributor

Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried. *Best Crowd of the Year, 2013