{{short description|American former professional wrestler (born 1970)}} {{about|the wrestler who competed in World Championship Wrestling during the 1990s|the wrestler who competed as "Rage" in WCW during the 1980s|Al Green (wrestler)}} {{Use American English|date=March 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox professional wrestler |name=Robbie Rage |image= |caption= |names=Robbie Rage<ref name=Cage>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.de/?id=2&nr=1682|title=Robbie Rage profile|publisher=Cagematch}}</ref><br>Rob Rage<ref name=Cage/><ref name=OWOW>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/r/robbie-rage.html|title=Robbie Rage profile|publisher=Online World of Wrestling}}</ref><br>Rage<ref name=Cage/><br>Ruckus<ref name=Cage/> <!-- Please don't change the height or weight. These are the measures as officially stated and they should not be changed. --> |height={{height|ft=5|in=10}}<ref name=OWOW/> |weight={{convert|254|lb|kg st|abbr=on}}<ref name=OWOW/> |birth_name=Robert J. Knapik |birth_date={{birth year and age|1970}}<ref name=Cage/><ref name=OWOW/> |birth_place=Plymouth, Massachusetts<ref name=CBN/> |death_place= |billed=Anchorage, Alaska<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/19970324.htm|title=WCW show results between March 22, 1997 to March 24, 1997}}</ref> |trainer=Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker<ref name=Cage/><br>WCW Power Plant<ref name=OWOW/><ref name=Puro>{{cite web|url=http://www.puroresucentral.com/rage.html|title=Puroresu Central profile}}</ref> |debut=1995<ref name=Cage/><ref name=OWOW/> |retired=2007<ref name=Puro/><ref name=Matches>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.de/?id=2&nr=1682&view=matches#matches|title=Cagematch match listings}}</ref> |website= }} '''Robert J. Knapik'''<ref name=Cage/><ref name=OWOW/> (born 1970) is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling under the ring name '''Robbie Rage''' and as a part of the tag team High Voltage with Kenny Kaos.
==Early life== Knapik grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts and played a variety of sports while growing up, including baseball, hockey, and soccer.<ref name=CBN>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbn.com/700club/guests/interviews/Rob_Knapik091509.aspx|title=Robbie Rage finds Mercy}}</ref> Throughout his childhood, he suffered abuse from his father.<ref name=CBN/> Knapik began working out to relieve stress, and eventually began taking steroids at age 18.<ref name=CBN/> After graduating high school, he attended college, but left after it did not work out.<ref name=CBN/>
==Professional wrestling career==
===World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1996–2000)=== {{main|High Voltage (professional wrestling)}} Knapik attended a wrestling show in Florida in 1995 at the suggestion of a friend, and after calling various promoters and wrestling promotions, he was signed to a contract with World Championship Wrestling later on in the year. Along with Kenny Stasiowski, Knapik began training in WCW's Power Plant wrestling school. Upon completion of their training, Knapik and Stasiowski debuted on WCW television under the ring names Ruckus and Kaos, respectively, and they formed the tag team High Voltage. Shortly after debuting, Ruckus was changed to Rage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/h/high-voltage.html|title=High Voltage's OWOW profile}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.de/?id=28&nr=452|title=High Voltage's Cagematch profile}}</ref> High Voltage regularly appeared against mid-card opponents on the WCW television shows ''Saturday Night'' and ''WorldWide'' during the late 1990s, while also appearing as jobbers on ''Nitro''.
In 1997, Rage and Kaos travelled to Japan to perform for New Japan Pro-Wrestling.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/1998042m.htm|title=Nitro report on April 13, 1998}}</ref> Upon arriving, they began feuding with nWo Japan, the Japanese version of the New World Order (nWo) before representing WCW in the Super Grade Tag League. Upon their return to the United States, Knapik joined Tim Catalfo's Obake Gym and befriended Yuji Nagata, who was also wrestling in WCW. After suffering a rotator cuff tear, Knapik was sidelined from wrestling for seven months.<ref name=CBN/> During this time, High Voltage disbanded as Kaos began competing as a singles wrestler before being nominated by Rick Steiner to become his new tag team partner, resulting in Kaos becoming one half of the World Tag Team Champions. On the December 17, 1998, episode of ''Thunder'', Rage, while sporting a brace to nurse his arm injury, returned to confront Kaos over the matter of allying with Steiner rather than himself to claim the title.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/1998122t.htm|title=Thunder report on December 17, 1998}}</ref> On the December 21 episode of ''Nitro'', Rage distracted Kaos in order to allow Lex Luger to defeat him via submission before once again confronting Kaos over High Voltage's split.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/1998123m.htm|title=Nitro report on December 21, 1998}}</ref> However, before the angle could develop any further, Knapik was released from his contract during his recovery.<ref name=CBN/>
===Return to NJPW and retirement (2000–2002, 2005–2007)=== After leaving WCW, Knapik, under the ring name Rob Rage, returned to NJPW in 2000 and found success in the mid-card as a singles wrestler until leaving the promotion on July 20, 2002.<ref name=Matches/> Knapnik went on a hiatus soon afterwards before returning to wrestling by joining the World Wrestling Council on August 28, 2005. He remained with the WWC until September 14, 2007, when he wrestled his final match during the promotion's Septiembre Negro Tour.<ref name=Matches/>
After retiring from wrestling, Knapik began working as a personal trainer.<ref name=CBN/>
==Personal life== During his recovery for a rotator cuff tear, Knapik became depressed before being released from WCW during his recovery.<ref name=CBN/> Soon afterwards he began using, and ultimately became addicted to, painkillers and ecstasy in order to combat his depression.<ref name=CBN/> Knapik also lost his home, several cars and a house in Florida due to being unable to pay for them all.<ref name=CBN/> After becoming sober, Knapik became a born again Christian.<ref name=CBN/>
Knapik has two tattoos. One is a tribal design on his right forearm, while the other is a signature design surrounding kanji on his left forearm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/1997094s.htm|title=Saturday Night report on September 20, 1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/pictures/r/robbierage/02.jpg|title=Robbie Rage's tattoos}}</ref>
==Championships and accomplishments== *'''Northern Amateur Wrestling Alliance''' **NAWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.de/?id=2&nr=1682&page=11|title=Cagematch title listings}}</ref> *'''NWA Wildside''' **NWA Wildside Television Championship (1 time)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/tvnwaws.html|title=NWA Wildside Television Championship history}}</ref> *'''''Pro Wrestling Illustrated''''' **''PWI'' ranked him #'''186''' of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the year in the ''PWI'' 500 in 1998<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.de/?id=2&nr=1682&page=12|title=Awards}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== *[http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/r/robbie-rage.html Profile at OWW] *{{Professional wrestling profiles}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rage, Robbie}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:American male professional wrestlers Category:Professional wrestlers from Massachusetts Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers Category:20th-century American professional wrestlers Category:21st-century male professional wrestlers Category:21st-century American professional wrestlers