Richard Fuller (born February 18, 1967) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling from 1997 to 2000.
Early life
Born in Middleborough, Massachusetts, Fuller graduated from Middleborough High School in 1987.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1990–1997) Born in Middleboro, Massachusetts, Fuller graduated from Middleborough High School in 1987 and soon began training under "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka and "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas at their wrestling school in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Touring the Northeast during the 1990s, Fuller won championship titles in several promotions and, most notably, feuded with Scott Garland while in the New England Wrestling Association later fighting over the NEWA Heavyweight Championship during 1992 and 1993. Jimmy Snuka and Tony Atlas had nothing to do with the school, in New Bedford Massachusetts. I was there when Fuller started. The only pro that was involved with training, was Silvano Sousa. Also. it was owned by Joe Eugenio, a lifetime New Bedford resident.
World Championship Wrestling (1997–2000) In early 1997, Fuller made his debut in World Championship Wrestling losing to Lex Luger at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 13, 1997. Regularly appearing on WCW Monday Nitro, WCW Saturday Night during the year, he also lost to Chris Benoit on February 22 and Diamond Dallas Page on March 3. Later that month, he would also face Roadblock and Johnny Swinger on Saturday Night before teaming with Roadblock against Lex Luger and The Giant on Monday Nitro on March 31, 1997.
Suffering losses to Booker T and Jeff Jarrett during the next two months, he lost to Meng in a dark match on Monday Nitro on May 12. After another loss to Jeff Jarrett on Saturday Night on May 24, he also lost to The Giant in a handicap match with Johnny Swinger and Jerry Flynn on Monday Nitro on May 26. In early June, he would also lose to Ice Train and Buff Bagwell and later to "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan on Monday Nitro in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 13.
One of the first victims of Bill Goldberg's winning streak during early 1998, Fuller was pinned by Goldberg on WCW Thunder on February 2. He later appeared on WCW WorldWide losing to Konnan on February 21. as well as appearing on Saturday Night facing Hugh Morris, Jim Duggan and Prince Iaukea as well as to Booker T and Steve McMichael on Thunder before defeating Doc Dean on July 25, 1998.
During the next few months however, while scoring victories over preliminary wrestlers, he would lose matches to Scott Norton, Bryan Clark, Marty Jannetty and Jerry Flynn before losing to WCW World Heavyweight Champion Bill Goldberg on Thunder in Lexington, Kentucky, on September 10. He would also lose to Ernest "The Cat" Miller and Rick Steiner before defeating El Dandy on Worldwide on October 17, 1998.
Fuller defeated Lash LeRoux on WorldWide on January 26. Fuller later teamed with Knuckles Nelson at the NWA Parade of Champions, substituting for the injured Erich Sbraccia, winning the then vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship against Team Extreme (Kit Carson and Khris Germany) winning by reverse decision at the Bronco Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on June 10, 1999. However, the two would hold them for less than a week before losing the titles to The Public Enemy in Bolton, Massachusetts, on June 17.
Fuller would make only occasional appearances with WCW for most of the year, defeating Sick Boy on Thunder in Birmingham, Alabama, on July 14, he would instead wrestle for independent promotions including an appearance at Ultimate Professional Wrestling's Slam & Jam '99 defeating former trainer "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Maine, on December 30, 1999.
Returning to WCW in early 2000, Fuller faced Tank Abbott on Monday Nitro on February 14 and later appeared on Saturday Night during its last months on the air facing The Wall, The Demon and in the last episode, participated in a six-man Hardcore Battle Royal won by Brian Knobs and included Norman Smiley, Adrian Byrd, Dave Burkehead and The Dog on April 1, 2000.
Fuller was featured in the video games WCW Nitro and WCW/nWo Thunder.
Independent circuit (2000–2014) After the close of WCW, Fuller returned to the independent circuit and, while in East Coast Championship Wrestling joined the stable Alliance of Defiance with Kevin Kelly and Billy Fives in early 2001. He would also make an appearance in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) facing Devon Storm at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 21.