BASED ON A TRUE STORY:
In 1989, Tommy Clifford passed away at the age of 20, and his former co-worker, Rick Ciccone, believed it was a suicide. Two years earlier, Tommy, a summer hire at a land surveying company, experienced the tragic death of his...
The truth about young Tommy Clifford's death still bothered Rick. It should have been as simple as, "Oh, that's what happened?" - then shrugged it off. He sat back in his office chair and continued to reminisce about that period of his life.
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Rick took to civil engineering. He quickly became proficient in the use of the equipment - Rods, plumb bobs, prisms, transits and Theodolites. The mechanical drawing classes he took in high school came in handy. He could read a blue print.
Rick loved his co-workers and held them in high regard, as his coincidental meeting - or was it? - with John "Tex" Daly earlier in the day, revealed.
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In May, Rick started wrestling for an upstart promotion called the National Wrestling Federation (NWF). Every three weeks they'd tape three one-hour episodes of television for SportsChannel America.
Two of their wrestlers, Ron Shaw, who was one half of the Masked Executioners, and Larry Winters, one half of The Beach Boys, visited Lester Morgan's place. Each got in the ring with Rick, tried him out. "He's ready," said Shaw. Winters agreed.
Rick was in! His first match would be at the Ocean Ice Palace in Brick, N.J., for the NWF TV tapings.
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The Ocean Ice Palace. The National Wrestling Federation held their TV tapings here.
Rick needed a ring name. Co-worker Adam Charleton provided the inspiration. Adam was a ball-buster. In 1987, steroid use was rampant. They were easily obtainable, including at California East. Rudy Supino was either clueless or looked the other way.
Some steroids cause aggressive behavior, or 'roid rage. Rick never admitted to using them. Nobody dared ask. Nonetheless, Adam called him Ricky Rage. Rick loved it. The alliteration worked. Although Rick could work as a high-flying, babyface (good guy), it was more fun to be the heel. It was perfect for the gimmick he created - angry, vicious, arrogant. It was better than what Adam called the guys at work -- "Rambutt" - an adult film at the time that played off the popular "Rambo" movie series. Why Adam was watching "Rambutt" was anybody's guess.
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Rick walked into the NWF locker room and was surrounded by familiar and friendly faces, including many stars he'd seen on TV. Lester Morgan was there with his daughter, a couple of Lanny Layne's boys, and Mike Moore.
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