A championship moment begins long before the final three-count. The Journey brings together Ron Simmons’ football roots, his pursuit of the gold and the resistance that kept him in the fight against Vader.
Fractured planes of garnet, gold and deep blue turn those chapters into one composition. At its center is the struggle itself. Below it, a raised fist carries the pride and significance of the breakthrough.
Rick Rude has an audience, an opponent and somewhere to be. For the moment, his reflection takes priority.
Gilded ornament, rich velvet and a room full of spectators give his self-regard the surroundings it deserves. Beyond the mirror, an opponent waits. The illustration carries the same inconvenient truth as the story: beneath all that vanity stood a gifted wrestler who could back it up.