Behind the Curtain: The Rick Rude Tape That Exposes Wrestling’s Darkest Era

The wrestling world was thrown into chaos after Bret Hart reportedly leaked never-before-seen footage of Rick Rude—material that many insiders claim World Wrestling Entertainment worked for decades to keep buried.

What surfaced has reignited old tensions, reopened long-healed wounds, and exposed a side of wrestling history that was never meant for public eyes.

According to sources close to Hart, the footage dates back to the early 1990s, during one of the most volatile and tightly controlled eras in wrestling.

At the time, Rick Rude was at the peak of his powers—charismatic, dangerous, and fiercely protected by the company’s image machine.

Behind the curtain, however, the reality was far more complicated.

The leaked footage allegedly shows Rude in raw, unfiltered backstage moments: speaking openly about internal politics, creative manipulation, and power struggles between management and performers.

What makes the material so explosive is not just what Rude says, but how candid he is—angry, frustrated, and openly defiant in a way fans never saw on television.

Insiders say WWE long considered the footage “too damaging” to release.

It reportedly contradicted the company’s carefully curated narrative of harmony and loyalty, revealing instead an environment fueled by fear, favoritism, and control.

Rude, known publicly as “The Ravishing One,” appears in the footage as something else entirely: a man acutely aware that his body was breaking down and that promises made behind closed doors were quietly being withdrawn.

Bret Hart’s role in the leak has only intensified the controversy.

Known as one of wrestling’s most outspoken truth-tellers, Hart has never hidden his resentment toward how WWE handled talent during that era.

Those close to him claim the decision to release the footage was not about revenge, but about historical honesty.

“This isn’t gossip,” one source said.

“It’s context.

It’s the truth fans were never allowed to see.

”

What shocks many is how clearly the footage foreshadows Rick Rude’s abrupt exit from WWE and his eventual move to rival promotions.

In hindsight, his words sound less like complaints and more like warnings.

He speaks of broken trust, creative suffocation, and the physical toll wrestlers were expected to endure in silence.

For longtime fans, the footage reframes Rude’s career not as a series of abrupt decisions, but as an inevitable escape.

WWE has not officially authenticated or commented on the footage, but insiders note that there has been no attempt to dispute its legitimacy either.

That silence has been interpreted by many as confirmation.

Former wrestlers have begun speaking out, suggesting the footage aligns closely with their own experiences during the same period.

The leak has sparked intense debate within the wrestling community.

Some fans praise Bret Hart for preserving history and honoring Rick Rude’s legacy as more than a character.

Others argue that private backstage moments should remain private, especially involving a performer who can no longer speak for himself.

What makes the situation especially unsettling is how modern the issues feel.

Creative control.

Corporate power.

Physical sacrifice.

Silence enforced by fear of being blacklisted.

The footage may be decades old, but the themes resonate loudly today.

Rick Rude passed away in 1999, but this footage has given him a voice again—one that challenges the mythology of wrestling’s past.

It suggests that behind the larger-than-life personas were men navigating an industry that demanded everything and promised little.

Whether WWE wanted this footage hidden forever or not, it is now part of wrestling history.

And once seen, it cannot be unseen.

What Bret Hart released isn’t just old tape.

It’s a reminder that wrestling’s golden eras were forged not only by spectacle, but by conflict—and that some of the most important stories never happened in the ring.