Lost in the pantheon of great heat magnets of the last 14 years is actually one of the most despised characters in WWE history. The Attitude Era, as history will tell you, was a time of vulgarity, overt sexuality and rebellious personas. One man waged war against what he considered to be immoral. That man? Steven Richards. As a singles competitor straight out of ECW, Richards had trouble catching on with the WWE fans. There was not really a spot for him on Raw or SmackDown thanks to one of the most talented rosters of all-time and as a result, he floated aimlessly around the company. Then came the very real disputed between the Parents Television Council and WWE. The PTC fought against the content of Raw and SmackDown and went public with their complaints in magazines and newspaper articles. Vince McMahon's response was radical censor Steven Richards. Richards was a strong talker who was never really given the opportunity to showcase his skills in either WCW or WWE until he was given the character. As the leader of the Right to Censor, he berated the audience for accepting and celebrating the despicable actions presented to them by World Wrestling Entertainment. Whether it was the violence of hardcore wrestling or Trish Stratus prancing around in her bra and panties, nothing was safe from Richards' attempts to censor whatever he found inappropriate. He turned the Godfather from fun-loving pimp to moral enforcer and dragged former porn star Val Venis down to his level, forcing him to join his crusade. Ivory, a former Women's champion whose disdain for the sexuality that overwhelmed the wrestling part of her job, joined Richards and became an integral part of the faction. Still, it was Richards who fueled the group and made it one of the hottest and most despised acts in all of WWE.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
