Dick Slater

Slater wrestled briefly for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1986, as a babyface using a Southern "Rebel" gimmick. He debuted in WWF on the July 26, 1986 episode of *Championship Wrestling* by defeating The Gladiator. Slater defeated Mike Sharpe at *The Big Event* and was squashed by Don Muraco in two minutes on the *Saturday Night's Main Event VIII*. Shortly after his match with Muraco, the WWF began to use him as a jobber. His last televised appearance in WWF was on the May 4, 1987 episode of *Prime Time Wrestling*, where he lost to Butch Reed.

Slater had a brief run in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in 1987, where he was a supposed bodyguard for AWA Champion Curt Hennig.

Slater joined World Championship Wrestling on the August 26, 1989 episode of *World Championship Wrestling* as a member of the J-Tex Corporation, facing Sting in a match, which he lost by disqualification after his J-Tex teammates Terry Funk and The Great Muta attacked Sting. The group primarily feuded with Ric Flair and Sting. He replaced an injured Terry Funk to team up with The Great Muta at *Clash of the Champions VIII* in a losing effort against Ric Flair and Sting. The match ended in a disqualification after Terry Funk placed a plastic bag over Ric Flair's head. Slater was soon fired by WCW.

Slater returned to WCW in the summer of 1991 and formed a tag team with Dick Murdoch called The Hardliners. The Hardliners debuted as a team on *Clash of the Champions XV*, by attacking the Steiner Brothers, Hiroshi Hase and Masahiro Chono. Hardliners' first match as a team took place on the June 29 episode of *WorldWide* by defeating enhancement talents Mike Jackson and Tim Parker. Hardliners began a rivalry with the Steiner Brothers, but Scott suffered an injury and they wrestled Rick and his different tag team partners throughout the summer of 1991. Hardliners participated in a tournament for the vacated WCW World Tag Team Championship, in which they wrestled The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes) to a double count-out in the first round on the July 27 episode of *World Championship Wrestling*. The team disbanded in the fall of 1991.

On the July 4, 1992 episode of *Saturday Night*, Slater returned to WCW television by teaming with Greg Valentine to defeat Marcus Alexander Bagwell and Big Josh. Slater would then form an alliance with Valentine and The Barbarian. Later that night, Slater and Barbarian challenged The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes) to a match for the United States Tag Team Championship, which took place on the July 12 episode of *Main Event*, with Slater and Barbarian defeating the Fabulous Freebirds to win the United States Tag Team Championship and becoming the final holders of the title as it was retired on July 31. At *Clash of the Champions XX*, Slater and Valentine lost to the team of Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton. Slater and Valentine competed in the tag team division for the rest of 1992 before splitting up, and Slater began competing as a singles competitor.

Slater returned to WCW in 1993 as the injured Paul Orndorff's replacement against Ron Simmons in a match at *Clash of the Champions XXIII*, which Slater lost. Slater mainly competed as an enhancement talent for the rest of 1993 and most of 1994. On the December 3, 1994 episode of *Saturday Night*, Slater replaced Terry Funk in Col. Robert Parker's group, the Stud Stable. Slater was placed in a tag team with Stud Stable teammate Bunkhouse Buck, and the group started a feud with Harlem Heat because of a love/hate relationship between Parker and the Heat's manager, Sister Sherri. Slater and Buck faced Harlem Heat in a losing effort at The Great American Bash. On the July 22 episode of *Saturday Night*, Slater and Buck defeated Harlem Heat to win the World Tag Team Championship due to an interference from Col. Rob Parker. After winning the titles, Slater and Buck feuded with teams such as the Nasty Boys and Stars and Stripes. At *Clash of the Champions XXXI*, Slater, Buck and Parker lost a match to Harlem Heat and Sister Sherri, resulting in Harlem Heat getting a title shot at Slater and Buck's World Tag Team Championship at Fall Brawl, where Slater and Buck dropped the titles back to Harlem Heat. Parker then dumped Slater and Buck for Sister Sherri.

Slater and Buck continued to perform in the tag team division without Parker. At World War 3, Slater participated in the inaugural namesake match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, which Randy Savage won. After continuing to lose matches, Buck eventually abandoned Slater during a match against The American Males on the March 2, 1996 episode of *Saturday Night*, leading to Slater losing the handicap match to American Males, thus marking the end of Stud Stable. On the March 30 episode of *Saturday Night*, Slater unsuccessfully challenged Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Slater reunited with Col. Robert Parker in mid-1996. At Slamboree, Slater and Earl Robert Eaton defeated Alex Wright and Disco Inferno in a Lethal Lottery match, and then defeated Jim Duggan and VK Wallstreet in the second match of the Lethal Lottery to qualify for the Battlebowl battle royal to determine the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at The Great American Bash. Diamond Dallas Page won the Battlebowl to earn the title shot. Shortly after, Slater formed a tag team with Mike Enos called Rough 'n' Ready. The two began teaming with each other on the July 6 episode of *Saturday Night*, where they were paired with VK Wallstreet against Lex Luger, Sting and Randy Savage in a losing effort. Rough 'n' Ready lost the majority of their matches but received five opportunities against Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship on WCW television during the next two months but failed to win the title. In Gainesville, Georgia, Slater blew out two vertebrae during a match. The back injury ended his career and his run with Enos, who went on to team with his former partner Wayne Bloom.

On October 18, 2018, Slater passed away.