Ric Drasin - Current Life

Current Life

Drasin wrote a book and a script for a horror film while recovering from his injuries. His book, So, You Want to Be a Wrestling Promoter, written with Bruce Dwight Collins, was published in March 2004 by BookSurge, LLC. His horror movie script features a standoff between wrestlers and vampires.

He maintains his post-surgery weight at 220 pounds, still adhering to a modified high protein, low carbohydrate diet that has guided his food choices nearly all of his adult life. He does not drink or smoke and still works out six days a week.

Drasin's interest in art now takes the form of Website and logo designs, animation, and tattoo artistry. Additionally, in 2002, Drasin invented the Security Kat, a handheld personal security device.

In 2005, Gold's Gym International re-introduced Drasin's original logo as part of their retro T-shirt line. Drasin is now a spokesperson for Gold's Gym, speaking at conventions and appearing at special events at various Gold's Gyms. He is also a spokesperson for HeadBlade Razors.

Through frequent participation in webcasts, Internet radio broadcasts, forums, and message boards, Drasin shares the knowledge he has gained through his experience as a weight trainer and wrestler He has so often been asked for personal advice that in 2004 he launched his own advice column, "Tough and Tender: Feminine Eye from a Straight Guy.

Guitar playing is again in the foreground, now a hobby used for creativity and relaxation. The loss of his right little finger has not affected his ability to play notes and chords. He purchased a Gretsch guitar in 2006 and plans to add a pedal steel guitar to his collection.

Drasin taught both of his sons how to play the guitar, and both Adam and Shane play in bands. Drasin's daughter Sami is a professional photographer and is furthering her skills at the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, where she is studying toward her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts.

In 2006 Drasin was approached by Richard Wenk, who had written the screenplay for the Bruce Willis film 16 Blocks. Wenk expressed an interest in taping a pilot for a reality television show based on Drasin's experience as a wrestling instructor. Drasin's successful work with wrestling students ranging from 20 to 59 years of age, some with health issues and learning disabilities, had caught Wenk's attention. The pilot, titled Tuff and Tender, was completed in March 2007. Much of it was videotaped in Drasin's back yard, where he has his own 16 foot by 16 foot wrestling ring.

An episode of The Kids are in Charge: Family Vacation was produced in his back yard in 2006. It featured a family of five from Denver, Colorado, who participated in Drasin's wrestling classes. The segment was first shown on the Travel Channel on June 21, 2007.

On August 14, 2007, Drasin was filmed by Nine Network Australia for their prime time travel series, Getaway. One of Drasin's wrestling classes was featured, and he served as the show's guide for a tour of California's fabled Venice Beach. The episode aired in October 2007.

In an episode of TV Land’s popular TV Land: Myths and Legends, Drasin appeared in a segment that first aired on November 12, 2008. Drasin, who had twice appeared as the half transformed Hulk in The Incredible Hulk television series, provided information about the casting of Lou Ferrigno as The Hulk.

In August 2008, Drasin received his badge from the Los Angeles Police Department identifying him as a Specialist Reserve Officer, a civilian volunteer who possesses special skills that benefit the police department. As a Specialist Reserve Officer, Drasin goes to schools as a morale booster and to work with students on a variety of subjects, such as driving and traffic safety, nutrition, and wrestling.

The year 2009 was a busy one for Drasin. A couple of the highlights were a live remote appearance on Australia’s popular Sunrise Weekend television show and an interview by general assignments reporter Cary Berglund for a KNBC - Los Angeles television news feature titled Professor Turnbuckle Teaches Backyard Wrestling 101. He also trained actress and television news correspondent Maria Menounos for her October 12, 2009, appearance on WWE Monday Night Raw as part of a charity awareness promotion.

Also in 2009, Drasin’s personal history and his knowledge of the indy wrestling circuit were topics of a front page article in the Daily News print edition on February 19.

Mario Solis, a Sports Reporter for NBC News, went to Drasin’s wrestling school on January 28, 2010, to tape a news report that was broadcast multiple times. In addition to showing a class in progress, the segment reported on Drasin’s popular Ric’s Corner videos, which are nostalgic looks at the Golden Era of Bodybuilding and have gained a following on the Internet. As the popularity of Ric’s Corner continues to grow, Drasin himself is increasingly sought out for interviews.

In early 2012, Drasin began work as a host for the AfterBuzz TV Network, a new media platform that produces live and recorded “after-show” webcast and podcasts. The two shows he hosts rely on his in-depth knowledge of professional wrestling: WWE’s SmackDown AfterShow and Old School Wrestling AfterShow.

Ric Drasin was the recipient of the first Joe Gold Lifetime Achievement Award, presented at the World Gym International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 26-28, 2012. With this award, Drasin was recognized for his contributions to the fitness industry as a bodybuilder, professional wrestler, actor, and artist. Additionally, the award recognized his preservation of the history of the Golden Era of Bodybuilding through his current Internet show, Ric’s Corner.

After 23 years of marriage, Ric and Randi Drasin obtained a divorce, which became final on September 25, 2012. Randi Drasin, who has a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and television production (1987) plus a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics (2009), will continue the business she has owned and operated since 1996, Randi's Fitness for Kids, an after-school enrichment program that is currently contracted by the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles.