Looking back at the tragic death of one of the most beloved professional wrestlers in WWE, "Ravishing" Rick Rude.

When discussing the best WWE superstars that never held the WWE Championship, "Ravishing" Rick Rude comes to many people's minds. Despite lasting only a few years in the WWE, Rick Rude made a lasting impact. Making his debut in professional wrestling in the early 1980s, Rick Rude garnered a decorated career for himself before winding down his in-ring activity in 1994. Unfortunately, as Rick Rude was training for an in-ring return, he passed away in April 1999 at the age of 40 years old.

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One of the more depressing stories that sadden fans is when wrestlers die at a young age. Whether they had legendary careers or not, human beings dying at a young age is a sad phenomenon. Fans still remember the unfortunate death of Eddie Guerrero in November 2005, as he died of a heart attack at only 38 years old.

Many of the larger-than-life characters that fans grew up watching have dealt with great difficulties throughout their personal life. It showcases how much these wrestlers have sacrificed to succeed in the business, and it's not just those that pass away at a young age. Rick Rude is no stranger to this sentiment.

With that said, Rick Rude is among the many larger-than-life characters that fans admired while growing up. With one of the most impressive physiques in wrestling and the charisma to portray the "ravishing" character, Rick Rude is one of the most beloved WWE superstars that broke out from the Rock n' Wrestling Era. One of the best heel characters in the business, Rick Rude's character may have been an obnoxious pretty boy but can be taken seriously in the ring, which is why fans adored him.

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The final years of Rick Rude's wrestling career are quite the tale, considering his contributions despite transitioning out of the ring. After a three-year stint with WCW ended in 1994 and retiring due to injuries, Rick Rude stayed out of the spotlight until joining ECW in 1997. Rick Rude only wrestled one match since retiring from in-ring action, as it was a six-man tag match at the main event of the ECW Heat Wave 1997 PPV.

Rick Rude was mainly used for non-wrestling segments in ECW as he even took part in a commentary role. However, he was involved in a storyline where he wanted to be a nuisance to Shane Douglas, targeting him while wearing a mask when arriving at ECW.

Rick Rude's best remembered regarding his semi-retired run was returning to WWE in 1997. Although he never wrestled a match during his short stint with the company, he was one of the original founding members of D-Generation X, along with Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Chyna. Branded as the "insurance policy," Rick Rude would wear a suit and stay at ringside supporting the rest of the members of D-Generation X.

Although Rick Rude was one of the D-Generation X originals, he left WWE after the Montreal Screwjob incident as he was only working on a pay-per-appearance deal. Rick Rude made his final WWE appearance on the first post-Survivor Series 1997 episode of Raw Is War. As he appeared on WCW Monday Nitro that same night, Rick Rude spent the rest of his career in WCW until departing in 1999.

As Rick Rude was training to return to the ring, an unexpected yet sad turn of events changed everything. On April 20, 1999, an unconscious Rick Rude was discovered by his wife as he died that morning. His death resulted from heart failure, even at 40 years of age. According to the autopsy, Rick Rude passed away because of an overdose of mixed medication.

It's speculated that Rick Rude suffered the effects of taking gamma-hydroxybutyrate, a drug that treats narcolepsy. It's worth noting that when Rick Rude became unconscious and fell to his death, there were empty prescription pill bottles next to him. The news of him passing away at an early age sent shock waves to the entire wrestling industry, especially as he left behind a wife and three children.

Rick Rude's legacy will never get forgotten, despite being passed away for over two decades. As he got inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017, wrestling fans that aren't familiar with Rick Rude's work should check out just how good he was. Being one of a kind is how a superstar breaks out in WWE. Someone ravishing like Rick Rude is no doubt one of a kind.

Ibrahim is a lifelong fan of professional wrestling fan. He's also a writer that's covered many topics that not only include professional wrestling but other forms of sports.