How A Backstage Wrestling Joke Almost Ended In Disaster

Highlights

• Pranks are commonplace in pro wrestling and can sometimes have serious consequences.
• Rick Martel's infamous prank involved him being stranded naked in the Everglades, which almost ended in disaster.
• Despite the prank, Martel went on to have a successful career and learned the importance of resilience in the face of adversity.

Good ole fashioned ribbing is as common in pro wrestling as ring ropes. Some pranks go so far that they gain notoriety. Legendary antics have marked the end of friendships and sometimes lead to wrestlers leaving WWE and other promotions.

One of the most infamous pranks involves French Canadian Rick Martel's buck-naked body stranded in the middle of the Everglades. Unfortunately, the laughs vanished when the prank took a dark turn.

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Rick Martel Wrestled All Over The World Early In His Career

Rick Martel was new to the United States and was desperate to fit in with his new colleagues. He was no rookie by any means. Prior to his US journey, Martel had competed (and succeeded) in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling. He also had impressive stints in Puerto Rico, Japan, and New Zealand.

As accomplished as his resume was, the goal was always to land in the United States and eventually the bigger promotions. To do that, Martel needed two key ingredients; a work visa and a grasp of the English language.

In 1979, Martel finally landed stateside. Bright-eyed and desperate to be considered "one of the guys," Rick earned himself a golden ticket. He would be carpooling with the well-respected Terry Funk.

Rick Martel Ends Up Naked In The Middle Of The Road

On a road trip to Melbourne, Florida, Martel rode with the legendary Terry Funk. In a separate but nearby car were two more wrestling icons, JJ Dillon and Roger Kirby.

In an interview with RF Video, Martel recalls that Terry had the bright idea to moon Dillon and Kirby from their car. Eager to earn points with Funk, Rick quickly dropped his trousers. But a quick flash of the bum didn't satiate Terry's thirst for a good prank, so he put the pedal to the metal and flew past Dillon and Kirby.

"We see a car in the middle of the road - stopped,"Dillon recounts in an interview with HannibalTV. "All of a sudden, the passenger door opens. Rick Martel gets out of the passenger side -- buck naked. And he's doing a little dance."

Any historians in pranking will know what's coming next. Unfortunately, Rick Martel didn't. "Terry floors it," laughs Dillon. Funk sped off down the road, leaving the naked Martel in the middle of the road.

"We're in the middle of the Everglades," Martel remembers. "Where am I gonna go? Where am I gonna hide?" His only hope was the wrestlers in the other car, who happened to be laughing their (clothed) asses off. Rick scrambled to get into Dillon and Kirby's vehicle, but they were eager to keep the joke running.

The car tried to drive around Martel, but Rick grabbed hold of the side mirror. Dillon paints the picture, "His fingers slip off the mirror. I look in the rearview mirror, and there's - plop plop plop - Rick Martel, buck naked, flopping on the asphalt." Roger Kirby reacted, "Oh my God, I think we might have killed him."

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A Prank Was Almost A Disaster For Rick Martel

Martel's naked body fell hard on the Florida pavement. Thankfully, the man knew how to take a bump and came out more or less unscathed.

However, another disaster struck. "Rick had a cat's eye pinky ring that his sister had given him. It had great sentimental value," Dillon recalls. In all the commotion, the ring had fallen off. Drenched with guilt, Funk, Dillon, and Kirby exited their cars and helped Martel search for his family heirloom. But guilt wasn't the only thing they'd be drenched in. "All of a sudden, the clouds come in, and it is pouring rain."

Miraculously, the group of wet wrestlers found the ring at the edge of the grass. Crisis averted. Once Funk, Dillon, and Kirby knew that Martel was not injured and his ring was found, the epic rib was allowed to be funny again.

Rick Martel's Naked Prank Became Legendary

On that fateful day in Florida, Rick Martel earned himself from friends in Terry Funk, JJ Dillon, and Roger Kirby. For the next several years, Terry Funk wasn't shy about sharing the story with any locker room that would listen.

However, it didn't take long for Rick Martel to make a name for himself beyond being the "naked guy that Funk left in the middle of the road." Martel would go on to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship and have a very successful career in WWE.

There's an important lesson to take from Martel's story. When you fall naked on the pavement, pick yourself up, find your ring, and move on to the next match!