Did Sting really end Rick Rude's career?

 

Legendary professional wrestler “Ravishing” Rick Rude’s in-ring career was ended after he suffered a back injury during a match with Sting on May 1st 1994 in Fukuoka, Japan. Though Sting was Rude’s opponent that night Rick’s career ending injury was a tragic accident and not the fault of Sting.

Rude and Sting had tremendous chemistry in the ring and the two were in the midst of a match for the ages when tragedy struck. The bout was for Sting’s WCW International Heavyweight championship.

Rude was on the outside of the ring when Sting launched himself over the top rope and dived on Rude in the type of typical aerial offensive manoeuvre we are accustomed to seeing in professional wrestling.

The dive, and subsequent catch by Rude, were all performed in the professional manner one could expect from two of the most experienced workers in the world, but unfortunately they had not taken into account that the area surrounding the wrestling ring was on a raised platform.

As Rude fell backwards from the impact of Sting’s dive he was unable to take the standard flat back bump and instead landed hard on the elevated ledge, blowing out his C-4 and C-5 vertebrae.

Sting knew that the landing was off immediately and bent down to check that Rude was alright. Despite the traumatic back injury, and clearly in a lot of pain, Rude was able to finish the match.

Relying on adrenaline and his own legendary toughness to see him through, Rick even performed a flying knee drop from the top turnbuckle to end the match and pin Sting.

Though he would continue to be featured as an on-air personality in numerous organisations throughout the remainder of his career he never wrestled another match again.

Sting felt terrible about the unfortunate incident, and Rick was initially bitter himself about being unable to carry on his career and earn the big paydays that a top worker such as himself could expect, but after having time to reflect on the incident he did not blame Sting for his injury. After a short stint in ECW and then the WWF Rude would join WCW in 1997. Sting spoke with The Miami Herald in 1999 and recalled meeting Rick again in WCW;

“When he came back to WCW (from the WWF), he walked right up to me and shook my hand. We were friends until the day he died.” (STING Interview)

Rick began training for a return to the ring but his triumphant return was never realised as he died of heart failure in 1999 at just 40 years of age. Rick was inducted posthumously into WWE’s Hall of Fame in 2017. A well deserved honour for one of the all time greats.