#4 Rick Rude vs The Ultimate Warrior WrestleMania V
Ravishing Rick Rude was a phenomenal heel in late 1980s WWF. He had the look, he was a terrific technical wrestler, he would showboat and mock the crowd regularly before, during and after his matches.
He was even partnered with Bobby Heenan as if to solidify himself as a main event level star. However, in this time period, Hogan was the king, Savage was the man, and the Ultimate Warrior was a runaway freight train on the way to beating Hogan the following year.
So for Rick Rude to beat Warrior for his Intercontinental championship when Warrior had never been pinned, would count as an upset under any circumstance.
This shock was not a bad one as the previous entry was. In fact, the match at Trump Plaza proved to be a hit on an otherwise underwhelming card. Had Warrior not regained the title in time for WrestleMania VI in Toronto, this may even have lifted the profile of the entire card for the long term.
A little like Rude’s career, though, the undeniable potential of this feud was never fully grasped and made into something special. The clash with Warrior, though, was an intriguing battle of the brawn that Rude soon figured he would not win, and decided instead to outwit his opponent with help from The Weasel.
An assist from the outside helped Rude get the pin before he bolted and left his manager to face the repercussions. This was a classic wrestling tactic that provided a great swerve and ultimately helped both parties involved.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
