Background and career
Frank Huguelet (born June 5, 1969) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Heavy Metal" Ric Savage. He was the host of Savage Family Diggers, a reality treasure hunting show airing on Spike TV. He also conducts haunted "ghost tours" in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Huguelet wrestled across the eastern seaboard of the U.S. from 1990 until 1997. While spending much of his career in the independent circuits, he also wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance, United States Wrestling Association, Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling and National Championship Wrestling.
Huguelet broke into the wrestling business in the independent circuit in western North Carolina. He was trained initially in a garage in Waynesville, North Carolina, by Chuck Justice, a high school friend. Savage then wrestled every independent show he could before getting his first television break with South Atlantic Pro Wrestling in 1991 in a televised match against Chief Wahoo McDaniel. Savage then trained briefly under the "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff at his school in Indian Trails, North Carolina.
Huguelet went to work for the Professional Wrestling Federation owned by Gary Sabaugh (The Italian Stallion) and George South. Savage would compete against Nelson Knight and Bobby Knight before the pair went to the World Wrestling Federation as Men on a Mission. He also wrestled "Mean" Mark Canterbury.
Sabaugh booked Huguelet with World Championship Wrestling where he would perform at several television tapings in 1992, but was used as a jobber. Huguelet left WCW at the advice of friend and mentor Jimmy Valiant, to wrestle for Jerry Lawler's United States Wrestling Alliance.
Huguelet would only work for USWA for a week due to a desire at that point to leave professional wrestling and begin preparing for a career in law. While working for Lawler, Huguelet feuded with Skull Von Krush. He would also wrestle Tommy Rich, Eddie Gilbert, and The Moondogs. Huguelet had the opportunity to work with the Rock 'n' Roll Express, where he would build a friendship with Ricky Morton. After Huguelet left the USWA, he began to focus more on college and wrestled on the independent circuit to pay his bills. He toured with Jimmy Valiant for several months. Huguelet also tried a brief, unofficial cross-promotion with 1980s glam metal band Quiet Riot, but the venture was not a success.
Huguelet wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance, where he was booked by former Four Horsemen member Tully Blanchard, and was managed by former Freebird Michael P.S. Hayes. Huguelet had formed a tag-team with a biker gimmick called the Hard Riders with Frankee Lawless (Mark Cavnar) and the pair became the leading "heel" tag-team in the new NWA wrestling federation based out of the Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas, and run by pioneer professional wrestling promoter Jim Crockett, Jr. The Hard Riders feuded with brothers Chris and Mark Youngblood. The Hard Riders also competed against Ahmed Johnson, Greg Valentine, Chris Adams, C. W. Anderson and the Junkyard Dog. Huguelet and Lawless met an obscure brother duo at this time that would influence Huguelet's later career. The team was Matt and Jeff Hardy. Huguelet would work closely with the Hardy's for the remainder of his time in wrestling. The Hard Riders drifted apart after Crockett folded in 1996.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
