Ricky Rice

Infobox Wrestler
name =Ricky Rice

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img_capt =
names =Ricky Rice
The Unknown Soldier
height =height|ft=6|in=2
weight =convert|235|lb|kg|abbr=on|lk=on
birth_date =
death_date =
birth_place =Edina, Minnesota, United States
death_place =
resides =Edina, Minnesota
billed =
trainer =Eddie Sharkey
debut =c. 1986
retired =c. 1993 |

Ricky Rice (born in Edina, Minnesota) is a retired American professional wrestler who competed in Midwest regional promotions during the late 1980s, most notably with tag team partners Derrick Dukes and Jon Paul DeMans as The Top Guns in Eddie Sharkey's Minneapolis-based Pro Wrestling America and the American Wrestling Association.

Rice often drew comparisons to former AWA star Jim Brunzell for being able to execute one of the best dropkicks in professional wrestling.

Career

Early career

Trained by Eddie Sharkey, Rice spent much of his early career in Sharkey's Pro Wrestling America promotion defeating Mad Dog Vachon for the heavyweight title in March 1986 and, with Derrick Dukes, defeating The Terminators for the tag team title in June 1987 before jumping to the American Wrestling Association in early-1988.

American Wrestling Association

Although having a somewhat successful singles career feuding with The Nasty Boys, he would have more success in tag team competition teaming with Dukes, Mando Guerrero and Baron von Raschke. He would also team with Jon Paul as the Top Guns during his feud with Teijho Khan and Soldat Ustinov and later Badd Company, defeating the then AWA tag team champions by disqualification in Columbus, Nevada on July 9, 1988.

After losing to Badd Company in a rematch in Two Rivers, Wisconsin on July 29, they became involved in a short-lived feud with Beauty & The Beast although John Paul would eventually leave the team by late-1988.

Reuniting with Dukes, they later won a mixed tag team match while teaming with Wendi Richter against AWA tag team champions Badd Company and AWA Woman's champion Madusa Miceli at AWA SuperClash III on December 13, 1988. [ cite web |url=http://www.kayfabememories.com/Regions/awa/awa6-2.htm |title=Regional Territories: American Wrestling Association, Part #6 |accessdate=2007-10-09 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2002 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=KayfabeMemories.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Making regular appearances on the promotion's syndicated television program on ESPN during early 1989, the two eventually worked there way back up the tag team ranks although failed to unseat the AWA tag team champions The Destruction Crew in St. Paul, Minnesota on February 7, 1989.

Before leaving the AWA, Rice wrestled as the Unknown Soldier, a masked wrestler in military fatigues. He participated in the very first Team Challenge Series match, defeating Mike Enos (he would later lose to Enos in a NWA Central States championship tournament in March 1989).

Later career

Wrestling for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion during early-1989, Rice returned to PWA within several months defeating Larry Cameron to regain the heavyweight title on July 8, 1989. Although trading the titles with Charlie Norris and Jerry Lynn, he finally lost the title for a fourth and final time to his old tag team rival Terminator Riggs on September 22, 1990.

After a short stint in Windy City Pro Wrestling in which he defeated Jerry Lynn in Sullivan, Illinois on October 6, he returned to the AWA for a one time appearance losing to Steve O on May 3, 1991.

Rice enjoyed a brief seven-day reign as the AWA Light Heavyweight champion before losing the title to Jerry Lynn on December 29. Rice remained with the promotion until its close in 1990.

Inactive for much of the mid-90s, he returned to professional wrestling competing for St. Paul Championship Wrestling in 1998.

Championships and accomplishments

* Pro Wrestling America:* PWA Heavyweight Championship (4 times) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/mn/pwa/pwa-h.html |title=P.W.A. Heavyweight Title |accessdate=2007-10-09 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] :* PWA Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/mn/pwa/pwa-lh.html |title=P.W.A. Light Heavyweight Title |accessdate=2007-10-09 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] :* PWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Derrick Dukes [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/mn/pwa/pwa-t.html |title=P.W.A. Tag Team Title |accessdate=2007-10-09 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated:* PWI ranked him # 150 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1991:* PWI ranked him # 175 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1992:* PWI ranked him # 203 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1993:* PWI ranked him # 435 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1999

References

Further reading

* Crossen, Shawn. "Pro Wrestling Kids' Style: The Most Amazing Untold Story in Professional Wrestling History". Scofield, Wisconsin: Crossen & Flink Services, 2005. ISBN 1-879000-12-1

External links

* [http://wrestling.xwiki.com/xwiki/bin/view/Main/RickyRice Ricky Rice] at the [http://wrestling.xwiki.com WrestleWiki]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/r/ricky-rice.html Profile at OWW]
* [http://www.wrestlingworld.it/Historical/Tagteamgallery/Tagteamgallery.htm Tag Team Gallery: Top Guns (Ricky Rice and Derrick Dukes)] , photo of the Top Guns in the AWA.