Tommy Rich

Tommy Rich
Tommy Rich in August 2013.
Birth name	Thomas Richardson
Born	(1956-07-26) July 26, 1956 (age 60) Hendersonville, Tennessee, US
Spouse(s)	Terry Richardson
Children	3
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Mr. R The Big Don Thomas Rich "Wildfire" Tommy Rich Tommy Richardson
Billed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Billed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Billed from	Hendersonville, Tennessee
Trained by	Jerry Jarrett Jerry Lawler Dick Steinborn Tojo Yamamoto
Debut	1974

Thomas Richardson (born July 26, 1956) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Wildfire" Tommy Rich. He is a one time former National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion. He primarily appeared in Georgia Championship Wrestling and Memphis throughout the 1980s, as well as World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling throughout the 1990s.

Rich started wrestling in 1974 in the regional promotions in Tennessee after training with Jerry Jarrett.

Throughout the 1980s, he alternated his time between Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama territories of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He won dozens of NWA regional titles during this time. He is best known as one of the original stars of the TBS wrestling shows from the 1970s and 1980s. His bloody feuds with "Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer, Ole Anderson, Ivan Koloff, the Fabulous Freebirds, and every other major heel to come through the Georgia territory made Rich one of the most popular wrestling stars of the period.

On April 27, 1981, in Augusta, Georgia, he won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He dropped the belt back to former champion Harley Race four days later in Marietta. Race stated in a shoot interview with RF Video that the title switch was to ensure a power struggle in the Georgia territory ended with promoter Jim Barnett victorious (Barnett was a minority holder in Georgia and the booker of the NWA title, and the title switch, with the fan interest and boosted live gates, shored up his position).