Tommy Rich

Tommy Rich
Tommy Rich in August 2013.
Birth name	Thomas Richardson
Born	(1956-07-26) July 26, 1956 Hendersonville, Tennessee, US[1][2]
Spouse(s)	Terry Richardson
Children	3
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Mr. R The Big Don Thomas Rich "Wildfire" Tommy Rich Tommy Richardson
Billed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Billed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Billed from	Hendersonville, Tennessee
Trained by	Jerry Jarrett[1] Jerry Lawler Dick Steinborn Tojo Yamamoto
Debut	1974[2]

Thomas Richardson (born July 26, 1956) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Wildfire" Tommy Rich. He is a one time former National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion. He primarily appeared in Georgia Championship Wrestling and Memphis throughout the 1980s, as well as World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling throughout the 1990s.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Professional wrestling career

Rich started wrestling in 1974 in the regional promotions in Tennessee after training with Jerry Jarrett.^[1][2]

Georgia

Throughout the 1980s, he alternated his time between Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama territories of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He won dozens of NWA regional titles during this time. He is best known as one of the original stars of the TBS wrestling shows from the 1970s and 1980s. His bloody feuds with "Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer, Ole Anderson, Ivan Koloff, the Fabulous Freebirds, and every other major heel to come through the Georgia territory made Rich one of the most popular wrestling stars of the period.

On April 27, 1981, in Augusta, Georgia, he won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.^[1] He dropped the belt back to former champion Harley Race four days later in Marietta. Race stated in a shoot interview with RF Video that the title switch was to ensure a power struggle in the Georgia territory ended with promoter Jim Barnett victorious (Barnett was a minority holder in Georgia and the booker of the NWA title, and the title switch, with the fan interest and boosted live gates, shored up his position).

He had a feud in Georgia Championship Wrestling with "Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer for the NWA Georgia National Title. The feud lasted close to two years, culminating in the "Last Battle of Atlanta," in 1983, which featured Sawyer and Rich in a fully enclosed, "last man standing" cage match. For years no video of this match was known to exist; however, the full video of this match was released on WWE Network on September 5, 2016. Sawyer and Rich tried forming a team for a short period of time afterward to feud with a new team called the "Road Warriors". Rich was later directed into a feud with Ted DiBiase. They had a "loser leaves wrestling" match that Rich lost. So, Rich put on a mask & came back as Mr. R. DiBiase insisted that Mr R. was really Rich. Then, on a TV match for Dibiase's NWA National Title, Rich visited announcer Gordon Solie during the match. Dibiase unmasked Mr R to find that it was rookie wrestler Brad Armstrong. In all of the confusion, Armstrong pinned Dibiase to become NWA National Champion.

Memphis

Rich then returned to the Memphis area, where he formed a team with "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert known as "Fargo's Fabulous Ones". The previous Fabulous Ones, Steve Keirn and Stan Lane, walked out on the territory. They held the AWA Southern Tag Team titles in 1984, then dropped them to Phil Hickerson and the Spoiler (Frank Morrell). Afterward, Gilbert turned heel and Rich and he had a brief, but intense feud, which began on television when the two were presented with a "Tag Team of the Year" award by announcer Lance Russell and two guests. Gilbert, unaware his former partner was at the taping, badmouthed Rich, then the International Heavyweight Champion, until Rich came out to confront him. Rich immediately got the upper hand, running Gilbert into the steel ringpost several times, bloodying him in the process before the cameras went to a commercial. After the commercial break, Gilbert told Russell he wanted Rich to come back out so he could apologize to him in person, stating he was wrong for still being bitter about the break-up of the team, and was fueled by jealousy of Rich's championship title reign and new found star status. When Rich accepted Gilbert's apology, Gilbert suddenly turned on him and rammed Rich's head into the ringpost, just as Rich had done to him moments earlier.

After competing in Southeast Championship Wrestling, Rich would again return to the Memphis area in 1987 and contribute to one of the greatest feuds in wrestling history. Austin Idol versus Jerry Lawler went on for over a year and culminated in a hair vs. hair match at the Mid-South Coliseum. Rich hid under the ring for the entire event only to emerge during the cage match, causing Lawler to lose the match and his hair, which led to a heel turn for Rich.^[6][7] After Bill Dundee later joined the feud on Lawler's side, it would climax with a tag team scaffold match that saw Lawler and Dundee emerge victorious and Paul E. Dangerously, Rich and Idol's manager, suffer a broken arm when he fell off the scaffold trying to escape from the fan favorites. From there, Rich went to the AWA and turned face again, engaging in feuds with Adrian Adonis and Kevin Kelly; in one memorable event that took place on ESPN's AWA Championship Wrestling, Rich and Kelly faced off in an arm-wrestling challenge when Sherri Martel, Kelly's manager, interfered on her protégé's behalf, leading Rich to retaliate by tearing off Martel's dress and leaving her in her underwear.

World Championship Wrestling (1989-1992)

In 1989, Rich returned to the Georgia area. World Championship Wrestling, having been bought by Ted Turner in late 1988, was in the middle of a face lift and Rich was part of a host of veteran wrestlers to enter the promotion during this period. At first he was referred to as "former NWA World Champion", etc., but was soon relegated to midcard status. The push received by big names like Ricky Steamboat and Terry Funk and young talent like Brian Pillman and Great Muta, essentially bumped older talent like Rich, The Iron Sheik and Wild Bill Irwin to the fringe. Rich would mount an unsuccessful challenge to NWA US Champion Lex Luger in a series of title matches during this time period. He even dropped a match to the much older and soon to be retired Harley Race at The Great American Bash in July 1990. In 1991, in another attempt to revive his career, he joined Alexandra York's York Foundation and became "Thomas Rich". He teamed with the other members, Terrence Taylor and Richard Morton to win the WCW Six-Man Titles. When the York Foundation disbanded in early 1992, Rich was relegated to the lower card.

Independent circuit (1992-1997)

From 1992 to 1996, he wrestled for the United States Wrestling Association (USWA), American Wrestling Federation and Smoky Mountain Wrestling mostly as a heel. Some of his notable tag team partners in the USWA were Doug Gilbert and Gorgeous George III. In 1995, he attempted to regain the NWA World title, from Dan Severn, but was unsuccessful. In SMW, he was a part of Jim Cornette's militia, where he was the top lieutenant. After SMW shut down, he returned to the USWA.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1997-1999)

Rich debuted in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling in January 1997. Later that year, he became the leader of The Full Blooded Italians, adopting the nickname "The Big Don" and the tongue-in-cheek gimmick of a caporegime. Rich both managed The Full Blooded Italians and occasionally wrestled. He left ECW in 1999.^[1][8]

Independent circuit (1999-2015)

Since leaving ECW in 2000, Rich has worked on countless independent promotions as well as legends events and reunion events. In addition to wrestling on the events he has appeared at autograph signings and legends conventions.

On July 2, 2011 Rich was involved in a backstage altercation with independent wrestler J.P. Magnum at a TCW live event in Graysville, TN. Rich was allegedly upset that he was booked to lose an "I Quit" match to a manager, TCW Rhea County Heritage Champion Jay West. Rich ended up losing the match to West, before defeating Keith Hart later in the card.

On November 6, 2015 in Hanover, Indiana, Tommy Rich teamed with "The Rebel" Tom Scroggins to face the team of Big N' Tasty on NWA-Supreme's Event Three Generations of Excellence featuring another NWA former World Champion, Rob Conway, and Johnny Justice.

Personal life

Richardson is married to Terry, with whom he has three daughters and eight grandchildren.^[1][2]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • DDT – SMW
  • Sitout suplex slam
  • Thesz press^[4]
• Signature moves
  • Diving fist drop
  • Exploder suplex
  • Keylock
  • Piledriver
  • Running elbow smash
  • Sleeper hold
  • Spinning toe hold
  • Superplex
• Managers
  • Paul Adams
  • Big Business Brown
  • Billy the P
  • Jim Cornette
  • Paul E. Dangerously^[6]
  • Robert Fuller
  • Eddie Gilbert
  • Jimmy Hart^[9]
  • Rockin' Robin
  • Rico Suave
  • Miss Alexandra York
• Nicknames
  • "The Big Don"^[1]
  • "Wildfire"^[5]
  • "Hellfire"
• Entrance themes
  • "Roll With The Changes" by REO Speedwagon (AJPW)
  • "Wheels Are Turning" by REO Speedwagon (NJPW)
  • "Here Comes Trouble" by Bad Company (SMW)

Championship and accomplishments

• All-Star Championship Wrestling
  • ACW Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• American Wrestling Federation
  • AWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Greg Valentine^[10]
• Cajun Wrestling Federation
  • CWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[11]
• Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling
  • CAPW North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with K.C. Blood^[11]
• Deep South Wrestling
  • Deep South Heavyweight Championship (2 times, inaugural)
• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[12]
  • NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (6 times) - with Tony Atlas (1), Stan Hansen (2), Thunderbolt Patterson (1), Wahoo McDaniel (1), and The Crusher (1)^[13]
  • NWA Georgia Television Championship (1 time)^[14]
  • NWA Macon Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[15]
  • NWA National Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[16]
  • NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[17]
• International Wrestling Alliance
  • IWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[11]
• National Wrestling Alliance
  • NWA Hall of Fame (2008)
• National Wrestling Conference
  • NWC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[11]
• NWA Mid-America / Continental Wrestling Association
  • AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[18]
  • AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Bill Dundee (2), Eddie Gilbert (1), and Dutch Mantel (1)^[19]
  • CWA International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[20]
  • CWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Bill Dundee (1) and Jerry "The King" Lawler (1)^[21]
  • NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[22]
  • NWA Six-Man Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Tojo Yamamoto and George Gulas^[23]
  • NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Memphis version) (2 times)^[18]
  • NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (1 time) – with Tojo Yamamoto^[24][25]
• Premiere Wrestling Federaton
  • PWF Universal Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[26]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1979)
  • PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1981)
  • PWI Rookie of the Year (1978)
  • PWI ranked him #117 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[27]
• Smoky Mountain Wrestling
  • SMW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[28]
• Southeastern Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[29]
  • NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (Northern Division) (3 times) - with Bill Dundee (1), Johnny Rich (1), and Steve Armstrong (1)^[30]
• Southern Championship Wrestling (Jerry Blackwell)
  • SCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[11]
  • SCW Tag Team Championship (3 times, first) - with Ted Oates, Steve Pritchard and Joey Maggs^[11]
• Tennessee All-Star Wrestling
  • TASW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[11]
  • TCW Tennessee Championship Wrestling: TCW Heavyweight Champion. Won title in Graysville,TN
• United States Wrestling Association
  • USWA Heavyweight Championship (4 times)^[31]
  • USWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Doug Gilbert^[32]
• World Championship Wrestling
  • WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Ricky Morton & The Junkyard Dog (1) and Richard Morton and Terrence Taylor (1)^[33]
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

• Feud of the Year (1987) with Austin Idol vs. Jerry Lawler

• Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling
  • XICW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tommy Rich.

• Thomas Richardson at the Internet Movie Database