If you are a fan of professional wrestling, you may have wondered if there is any family connection between two wrestlers who share a similar name: Robert Roode and Rick Rude. Both men have achieved success in various wrestling promotions, such as WWE, WCW, and TNA. Both men have also used the ring name “Rude” at some point in their careers. But are they really related by blood or by marriage? The answer is no.
Who is Robert Roode?
Robert Roode is a Canadian professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand as one-half of the Raw Tag Team Champions with Dolph Ziggler. He was born on May 11, 1976, in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. His real name is Robert Francis Roode Jr
Roode began his wrestling career in 1998, training under Eddie Sharkey, Shane Sewell, and Val Venis. He worked for various Canadian independent promotions before joining Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2004 as part of Team Canada. He went on to become a two-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, a six-time TNA World Tag Team Champion (with James Storm as Beer Money, Inc.), a one-time TNA King of the Mountain Champion, and a one-time World Tag Team Champion (with Austin Aries)
In 2016, Roode left TNA and signed with WWE’s developmental brand NXT, where he became a one-time NXT Champion. He made his main roster debut on SmackDown Live in 2017 and won the United States Championship in 2018. He was then drafted to Raw and won the Raw Tag Team Championship with Chad Gable in 2018 and with Dolph Ziggler in 2019. He also won the 24/7 Championship once in 2020
Roode has used different ring names throughout his career, such as Bobby Roode, Bobby Rude, Lee Awesome, Rudy Rude, and Robert Roode. He has also used different nicknames, such as “The It Factor”, “The Leader of the Selfish Generation”, and “Glorious”
Who is Rick Rude?
Rick Rude was an American professional wrestler who performed for many promotions, such as World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). He was born on December 7, 1958, in St. Peter, Minnesota, USA. His real name was Richard Erwin Rood
Rude started his wrestling career in 1982, training under Eddie Sharkey. He worked for various regional promotions before joining WWF in 1987 as “Ravishing” Rick Rude. He became a one-time Intercontinental Champion and feuded with stars like Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Ultimate Warrior, and Roddy Piper. He left WWF in 1990 and joined WCW in 1991 as “The WCW Phantom”. He later became a three-time WCW International World Heavyweight Champion and a one-time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion. He was also a founding member of the Dangerous Alliance stable led by Paul E. Dangerously (Paul Heyman)
In 1994, Rude suffered a career-ending back injury during a match with Sting at WCW Fall Brawl. He retired from active wrestling and became a manager for various wrestlers in WCW and ECW. In late 1997, he joined WWF again as part of the D-Generation X faction alongside Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Chyna. He made history by appearing on both WWF Raw and WCW Nitro on the same night on November 17, 1997, as Raw was pre-recorded and he had left for WCW in the meantime
Rude passed away on April 20, 1999, at the age of 40 due to an accidental overdose of mixed medications. He was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017 by his son Rick Rood Jr., who also became a professional wrestler under the name Rick Rude II
Rude used different ring names throughout his career, such as Rick Rude, Ricky Rood, The WCW Phantom, and Ravishing Rick Rude. He was known for his arrogant persona, his muscular physique, his signature move the Rude Awakening (a neckbreaker), and his pre-match routine of insulting the fans and showing off his body to the women
Conclusion
Robert Roode and Rick Rude are not related by blood or by marriage. They just happen to have similar names and careers in professional wrestling. They have never met or worked together in the same promotion. They have different backgrounds, styles, and personalities. However, they both share a passion for wrestling and a legacy of excellence in the industry. They are both rude, but in different ways.
