KB"s Wrestler Challenge #9- Rude vs. Windham

[klunderbunker]

This week we feature two guys that were both in the WWF and WCW, but at various levels of success.

To begin with, we have the big man of the Horsemen, Barry Windham. While he is often overlooked, he was the World Heavyweight Champion and dropped the belt to Flair at BATB 93. He was just a classic big man that could do it all in the ring. His finisher, a suplex from the top rope, is so simple it's amazing but he made it look better than anyone else. Later he was hilarious as a West Texas Redneck.

His opponent this week is perhaps the best wrestler to never be a world champion. From Minnesota, Rick Rude was a classic heel. His womanizing ways and insults to any town he was in brought instant heat no matter where he was. The Rude Awakening was a move I always marked out for. He was ahead of his time with his evil ways and his feuds with Piper and Roberts were off the charts with intensity. His time in WCW was good as well, with his feud with Sting being the highlight.

That being said, you know the drill by now. Who wins and why?

 

[Father:_Polley]

Rick Rude was easily one of the best heels going for a long long time. As KB said, womanising, insults, cheating, the man did it all and was top of his game for a years.

By contrast, Windham was the muscle behind the Horsemen...but to be honest, he never got the respect that AA and Flair got. He never really hit it off as a singles guy either, and that's where to my mind, Rude has the advantage and picks up the win in my eyes.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

I remember Windham losing the NWA Title to Ric Flair for what was, at the time, Ric's 10th World Championship. Flair beat him with a figure four pin - the same way he beat Savage for his 2nd reign.

But as much as I felt Rude was a waste, MAN, I hated him because he made he hate him. Rude also set the bar for so many other wrestlers who played a form of that character, whether Jimmy Del Ray or Robert Roode.

 

[klunderbunker]

I'm going to side with the majority here and say that its Rude. He set the stage for so many heels who claimed to be the most attractive wrestlers around. His angle with Jake Robert's wife was just great, and he had a huge feud with the Warrior.

Windham is in the same mold to me as Tully Blanchard in that he was awesome by association. He was a great big man, but when he was on his own he was just forgettable. Windham knew what he was doing and played a good big technical guy, but he just didn't do it well overall. Windham was ok, but Rude was great.