# Robbie Rage

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{{short description|American former professional wrestler (born 1970)}}
{{about|the wrestler who competed in [World Championship Wrestling](/source/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](/source/Plymouth%2C_Massachusetts)<ref name=CBN/>
|death_place=
|billed=[Anchorage, Alaska](/source/Anchorage%2C_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](/source/Dwayne_Bruce)<ref name=Cage/><br>[WCW Power Plant](/source/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](/source/professional_wrestler). He is best known for his tenure with [World Championship Wrestling](/source/World_Championship_Wrestling) under the [ring name](/source/ring_name) '''Robbie Rage''' and as a part of the [tag team](/source/tag_team) [High Voltage](/source/High_Voltage_(professional_wrestling)) with [Kenny Kaos](/source/Kenny_Kaos).

==Early life==
Knapik grew up in [Plymouth, Massachusetts](/source/Plymouth%2C_Massachusetts) and played a variety of sports while growing up, including [baseball](/source/baseball), [hockey](/source/ice_hockey), and [soccer](/source/association_football).<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](/source/Child_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](/source/Florida) in 1995 at the suggestion of a friend, and after calling various [promoters](/source/Promoter_(entertainment)) and [wrestling promotions](/source/Professional_wrestling_promotion), he was signed to a contract with [World Championship Wrestling](/source/World_Championship_Wrestling) later on in the year. Along with [Kenny Stasiowski](/source/Kenny_Kaos), Knapik began training in WCW's [Power Plant wrestling school](/source/WCW_Power_Plant). 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](/source/High_Voltage_(professional_wrestling)). 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](/source/Card_(sports)) opponents on the WCW television shows ''[Saturday Night](/source/WCW_Saturday_Night)'' and ''[WorldWide](/source/WCW_WorldWide)'' during the late 1990s, while also appearing as [jobbers](/source/Job_(professional_wrestling)) on ''[Nitro](/source/WCW_Monday_Nitro)''.

In 1997, Rage and Kaos travelled to Japan to perform for [New Japan Pro-Wrestling](/source/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)](/source/New_World_Order_(professional_wrestling)) before representing WCW in the [Super Grade Tag League](/source/G1_Climax_Tag_League). Upon their return to the United States, Knapik joined Tim Catalfo's Obake Gym and befriended [Yuji Nagata](/source/Yuji_Nagata), who was also wrestling in WCW. After suffering a [rotator cuff tear](/source/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](/source/Rick_Steiner) to become his new tag team partner, resulting in Kaos becoming one half of the [World Tag Team Champions](/source/WCW_World_Tag_Team_Championship). On the December 17, 1998, episode of ''[Thunder](/source/WCW_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](/source/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](/source/Glossary_of_professional_wrestling_terms) 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](/source/Card_(sports)) 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](/source/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](/source/personal_trainer).<ref name=CBN/>

==Personal life==
During his recovery for a rotator cuff tear, Knapik became [depressed](/source/Major_depressive_disorder) before being released from WCW during his recovery.<ref name=CBN/> Soon afterwards he began using, and ultimately became addicted to, [painkillers](/source/Analgesic) and [ecstasy](/source/MDMA) in order to combat his depression.<ref name=CBN/> Knapik also lost his home, several cars and a house in [Florida](/source/Florida) due to being unable to pay for them all.<ref name=CBN/> After becoming sober, Knapik became a [born again Christian](/source/Born_again_(Christianity)).<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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Pro_Wrestling_Illustrated)'''''
**''PWI'' ranked him #'''186''' of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the year in the [''PWI'' 500](/source/Pro_Wrestling_Illustrated) 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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Robbie Rage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_Rage) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_Rage?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.