Rick Fuller

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Richard Fuller
An image of Richard Fuller.
Statistics
Ring name(s) Rick Fuller
Billed height 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Billed weight 325 lb (147 kg)
Born c. 1969
Middleboro, Massachusetts, United States
Trained by Jimmy Snuka
Tony Atlas
Debut 1990

Richard Fuller is an American professional wrestler, known by his ringname "Big" Rick Fuller, who competed in North American independent promotions as well as a brief stint in World Championship Wrestling during the late 1990s. He would later be featured in several video games including WCW Nitro and WCW/NWO Thunder.

The co-owner of Harder/Fuller Films with music video director Phil Harder, he is also the producer of the 2002 short film Holiday in Dirt and the 2005 documentary The Fearless Freaks.

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] Early life and career

Born in Middleboro, Massachusetts, Fuller graduated from Middleborough High School in 1987 and soon began training under "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka and "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas at their wrestling school in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Touring the Northeast during the 1990s, Fuller won championship titles in several promotions and, most notably, feuded with Scott Garland while in the New England Wrestling Association later fighting over the NEWA Heavyweight title during 1992 and 1993.

[edit] World Championship Wrestling

In early 1997, Fuller made debut in World Championship Wrestling losing to Lex Luger at the The Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 13, 1997. Regularly appearing on Monday Night Nitro, WCW Saturday Night during the year, he also lost to Chris Benoit on February 22 [1] and Diamond Dallas Page on March 3. [2] Later that month, he would also face Roadblock and Johnny Swinger on WCW Saturday Night before teaming with Roadblock against Lex Luger & The Giant at Monday Night Nitro on March 31, 1997.

Suffering losses to Booker T and Jeff Jarrett during the next two months, he lost to Meng in a dark match on Monday Night Nitro on May 12. After another loss to Jeff Jarrett on WCW Saturday Night on May 24, he also lost to The Giant in a handicap match with Johnny Swinger and Jerry Flynn at Monday Night Nitro on May 26. [3] In early June, he would also suffer additional looses to Ice Train and Buff Bagwell [4] and later to "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan on Monday Night Nitro in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 13.

One of the first victims of Bill Goldberg's winning streak during early 1998, Fuller was pinned by Goldberg at WCW Thunder on February 2. He later appeared on WCW Worldwide losing to Konnan on February 21. [5] as well as appearing on WCW Saturday Night facing Hugh Morris, Jim Duggan and Prince Iaukea as well as to Booker T and Steve McMichael on WCW Thunder before defeating Doc Dean on July 25, 1998.

During the next few months however, while scoring victories over preliminary wrestlers, he would loose matches to Scott Norton, Bryan Clark, Marty Jannetty and Jerry Flynn before losing to WCW World Heavyweight Champion Bill Goldberg at WCW Thunder in Lexington, Kentucky on September 10. He would also lose to Ernest "The Cat" Miller and Rick Steiner [6] before defeating El Dandy on WCW Worldwide on October 17, 1998. [7]

Defeating Lash LeRoux at WCW Worldwide on January 26, Fuller later teamed with Knuckles Nelson at the NWA Parade of Champions, substituting for the injured Erich Sbraccia, winning the then vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship against Team Extreme (Kit Carson and Khris Germany) winning by reverse decision at the Bronco Bowl in Dallas, Texas on June 10, 1999. [8] However, the two would hold them for less then a week before losing the titles to The Public Enemy in Bolton, Massachusetts on June 17.

Fuller would make only occasional appearances with WCW for most of the year, defeating Sick Boy at WCW Thunder in Birmingham, Alabama on July 14 [9] instead wrestling for independent promotions including an appearance at Ultimate Professional Wrestling's Slam & Jam '99 defeating former trainer "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Maine on December 30, 1999. [10] [11]

Returning to WCW in early 2000, Fuller faced Tank Abbot at Monday Night Nitro on February 14 [12] and later appeared on WCW Saturday Night during its last months on the air facing The Wall, The Demon and, in the last episode, participated in a 6-man Hardcore Battle Royal won by Brian Knobbs and included Norman Smiley, Adrian Byrd, Dave Burkehead and The Dog on April 1, 2000.

[edit] Return to the independent circuit

After the close of WCW, Fuller returned to the independent circuit and, while in East Coast Championship Wrestling joined the stable Alliance of Defiance with Kevin Kelly and Billy Fives in early 2001. [13] He would also make an appearance in the World Wrestling Federation facing Devon Storm at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut on May 21. [14]

In December 2001, he assaulted then referee Barry Ace during a match for NWA New England after he had unintentionally caused Fuller to mistime a wrestling move. NWA New England Vice President Vinnie Capelli later made a public statement accepted full responsibility for the incident as Barry Ace was not a fully trained referee at the time. Despite this incident, Fuller remained with the promotion and, the following year, he won the NWA New England Heavyweight Championship. [15]

[edit] Recent years

During 2006, Fuller would continue his feud with Brian Milonas in East Coast Championship Wrestling defeating him on May 6 although he was later eliminated by Milonas in the ECCW "Road to the Championship" Tournament on May 20. The following month he debuted New England Championship Wrestling defeating Nat Turner on July 15 although he would later loose to NECW U.S. Champion Eric Shred by disqualification on October 7 and, with Evan Siks, defeated Eddie Edwards & DC Dillinger by disqualification on October 28, 2006. Defeating Triplelicious and Chris Green during the next several weeks, he joined Team Nightmare (Evan Siks, Jason Blade and Brian Fury) defeating Team Sabotage (Kristian Frost, John Walters, Eddie Edwards & DC Dillinger) in an 8-man elimination match on December 16, 2006.

In early 2007, he lost to Abyss in a stretcher match during a Powerhouse Wrestling of New England event on January 27 and, the following month in Big Time Wrestling, defeated Eddie Edwards on February 25 before losing to Mister TA in a dog collar match on March 2, 2007.

On May 18, Fuller faced Chaotic Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Brian Milonas in the main event of the Homecoming benefit show in Byfield, Massachusetts, a fundraising event held by Chaotic Wrestling and Fabulous Productions to raise money for charities in the New England area including the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Newbury Police Association and the Trista Zinck Scholarship Fund. [16] The match, which featured WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena as special referee, also saw Vince McMahon in a rare appearance on the independent circuit who attempted to interfere in the match to be stopped by John Cena. [17]

On December 28, Fuller defeated Brian Fury to win the New England Championship Wrestling Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship in Quincy, Massachusetts.

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

  • Chaotic Wrestling
  • CW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [18]
  • EWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time, first) [19]
  • NWA New England Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [20]
  • NWA New England Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time) [21]
  • NECW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [23]
  • New England Wrestling Alliance
  • NEWA Heavyweight Championship (3 times) [19]
  • NEWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) [19]
  • Powerhouse Wrestling
  • PW Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Jimmy "Jact" Crash [24]
  • PWI ranked him # 344 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2001
  • PWI ranked him # 409 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2007
  • Top Rope Promotions
  • TRP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Yankee Pro Wrestling
  • YPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [19]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nevada, Vance; Brent Baker (2007-06-26). Wrestling Results Archive: Chris Benoit. SLAM! Wrestling.
  2. ^ This Week In The WCW: WCW Monday Night Nitro - Monday, 03/03/97. DDTdigest.com (December 1998).
  3. ^ Cawthon, Graham. WCW: 1997. The History of the WWE.
  4. ^ Miguez, Edward C. (2004). World Championship Wrestling: Show Results - 1997. TheHistoryofWCW.com.
  5. ^ WCW Worldwide - Saturday. DDTdigest.com (1998-02-21).
  6. ^ Cawthon, Graham. WCW: 1998. The History of the WWE.
  7. ^ WCW Monday Night Nitro. DDTdigest.com.
  8. ^ Moore, Rob (June 1999). NWA Southwest Bronco Bowl, Dallas, Texas - June 10, 1999. Rob Moore, Texas Wrestling Announcer.
  9. ^ Cawthon, Graham. WCW: 1999. The History of the WWE.
  10. ^ Slam & Jam '99 Rocks Augusta. Wen-TV.com (December 1999).
  11. ^ Jacobson, Jeff (2002). tOa: The Other Arena - Thunder (July 14, 1999). OtherArena.com.
  12. ^ Petrie, John (2000-02-14). Slobberknocker Central Monday Night Recap #222. Rspw.org.
  13. ^ Gerwick, Steve (2001-05-30). Interview: Jim Kettner. Gerwick.net.
  14. ^ Cawthon, Graham. WWF: 2001. The History of the WWE.
  15. ^ Bryan, Jim (2005-07-05). Today In Wrestling History for ... July 13, 2005. 1wrestling.com.
  16. ^ Medalis, Kara A. (2007-05-25). The Champ to make a Homecoming in Massachusetts. WWE.com.
  17. ^ Milner, John; Mark Xamin (2005-02-25). Bios: John Cena. SLAM! Wrestling.
  18. ^ Chaotic Wrestling Heavyweight Title. Puroreso Dojo (2003).
  19. ^ a b c d Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2000). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  20. ^ Westcott, Brian; Eric Roelfsema and Jim Dupree (2007). N.W.A. New England Heavyweight Title History. Solie's Title Histories.
  21. ^ N.W.A. New England Brass Knuckles Title. Puroreso Dojo (2003).
  22. ^ N.W.A. World Tag Team Title. Puroreso Dojo (2003).
  23. ^ N.E.C.W. Triple Crown Heavyweight Title. Puroreso Dojo (2003). Retrieved on 2008-01-03.
  24. ^ Powerhouse Wrestling of New England: "Big" Rick Fuller. Powerhousene.com (2004).

[edit] External links

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