Tommy Rich

Infobox Wrestler
name=Thomas Richardson


names=Tommy Richardson
Mr. R
"Wildfire" Tommy Rich
Thomas Rich
The Big Don
"Luscious" Tommy Rich
height=6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
weight=248 lb (112 kg)
birth_date =Birth date and age|1956|7|26|mf=y
death_date =
birth_place =Hendersonville, Tennessee
death_place=
resides=
billed=Hendersonville, Tennessee
trainer=Jerry Jarrett
Jerry Lawler
Dick Steinborn
Tojo Yamamoto
debut=1974
retired=|

Thomas Richardson (born July 26 1956), better known by his ring name, "Wildfire" Tommy Rich, is a professional wrestler. He is best known for his wrestling career in Georgia and Memphis throughout the 1980s.

Career

Tommy "Wildfire" Rich started wrestling in 1974 in the regional promotions in Tennessee. Throughout the 1980s, he alternated his time between Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama territories of the 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 70s and 80s. 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 became one of the youngest NWA World Heavyweight Champions in pro wrestling history. He dropped the belt back to former champion Harley Race four days later in Marietta. Many who follow wrestling couldn't understand the logic in the short title reign, although it was believed to give Rich a rub as a title challenger while at the same time leading the fans to believe that a world title might change hands at any time. 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. However, the "Territories" episode of WWE 24/7's Legends series, "Freebird" Michael Hayes stated that the title change was a screwjob. Under the promoter's orders the referee made a fast count to give Rich the title without Race or the NWA's permission.

He had a memorable and bloody feud in Georgia Championship Wrestling with "Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer for the NWA Georgia National Title. The feud lasted close to two years and culminated in 1983 in the "Last Battle of Atlanta," which featured Sawyer and Rich in a fully enclosed, Last Man Standing cage match, which Rich won to blow off the feud. This match / cage is rumored to be the inspiration behind WWE's Hell in a Cell match. Sawyer and Rich tried forming a team for a short period of time afterwards to feud a new team called the Road Warriors. Rich was later directed into a feud with Ted DiBiase.

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). Afterwards, 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 vs. 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. 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.

In 1989, Rich returned to the Georgia area. The National Wrestling Alliance, 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 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, he became a heel jobber until he left WCW for the independent circuit. From 1993 to 1996, he wrestled for the 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, now relegated to independent status, from Dan Severn, but was unsuccessful.

He next went to ECW in 1996 as the "Big Don" Tommy Rich and joined the Full Blooded Italians (FBI), a heel group that included Little Guido and Tracy Smothers. He left ECW sometime in 2000 and has been wrestling in the independents ever since.

in wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves:*Multiple suplex variations::*"Wildfire Driver" (Sitout)::*Exploder::*Super:*Thesz press:*Piledriver:*Diving fist drop:*Running elbow smash:*Spinning toe-hold:*Sleeper hold:*Key lock

*Managers:*Paul Adams:*Billy the P:*Jim Cornette:*Paul E. Dangerously:*Downtown Business Brown:*Robert Fuller:*Eddie Gilbert:*Jimmy Hart:*Rockin' Robin:*Rico Suave:*Miss Alexandra York:*Rock Parsons

*Nicknames:*"The Big Don":*"Southern Stomper":*"Wildfire"

Championships and accomplishments

*All-Star Championship wrestling:*ACW Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*American Wrestling Federation:*AWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Greg Valentine [ [http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/wttawf.html Solie's Title Histories: AWF ] ]

*Georgia Championship Wrestling:*NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (3 times) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ga/ga-h.html NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (6 times) - with Tony Atlas (1), Stan Hansen (2), Thunderbolt Patterson (1), Wahoo McDaniel (1), and The Crusher (1) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ga/ga-t.html NWA Georgia Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*NWA National Heavyweight Championship (3 times) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/others/nat-h.html NWA National Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*NWA Georgia Television Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ga/nwa/ga-tv.html NWA Georgia Television Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] (Last):*NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h.html NWA World Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*NWA Mid-America | Continental Wrestling Association:*AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/cwa/awa-s-h.html NWA/AWA Southern Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Bill Dundee (2), Eddie Gilbert (1), and Dutch Mantel (1) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/cwa/awa-s-t.html NWA Mid-America/AWA Southern Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*CWA International Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/cwa/cwa-int-h.html CWA International Heavyweight Title (Memphis) history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*CWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Superstar Bill Dundee (1) and Jerry "The King" Lawler (1 Last) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/cwa/tn-cwa-t.html CWA World Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*NWA Macon Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ga/nwa/macon-h.html NWA Macon Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (2 times) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/nwa/midam-h.html NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*NWA Six-Man Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Tojo Yamamoto and George Gulas [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/nwa/tn-nwa-6.html NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Title (Mid-America) history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship "(Memphis version)" (2 times) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/cwa/awa-s-h.html NWA/AWA Southern Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*NWA United States Tag Team Championship "(Mid-America version)" (1 time) - with Tojo Yamamoto [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/nwa/tn-us-t.html NWA United States Tag Team Title (Mid-America) history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*Smoky Mountain Wrestling:*SMW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/knoxville/smw/smw-h.html SMW Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*Southeastern Championship Wrestling:*NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/al/secw/cont-h.html NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship "(Northern Division)" (3 times) - with Bill Dundee (1), Johnny Rich (1), and Steve Armstrong (1) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/al/secw/se-t.html NWA Southeastern Tag Team Title (Northern Division) history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*Tennessee Mountain Wrestling :*TMW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*United States Wrestling Association:*USWA Heavyweight Championship (4 times) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/uswa/uswa-h.html USWA Southern Heavyweight/Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] :*USWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Doug Gilbert [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/uswa/uswa-t.html USWA World Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*World Championship Wrestling:*WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Ricky Morton & The Junkyard Dog (1)(First Champions) and Richard Morton and Terrence Taylor (1)(Last Champions) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-6.html WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards:*Feud of the Year (1987) with Austin Idol vs. Jerry Lawler
*Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling :*XICW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated:*PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1979):*PWI Rookie of the Year (1978):*PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1981)

References

External links

* [http://www.memphiswrestlinghistory.com/ Memphis Wrestling History]
* [http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/ Solie's title histories]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/t/tommy-rich.html Tommy Rich @ Online World of Wrestling]