team to face Dreamer and Funk, with Richards pinning Funk despite bickering with Raven throughout the match. In the main event, Raven, Richards, Funk, and The Sandman faced one another in a four-way elimination match for Funk's ECW World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Raven DDT'ed both Funk and The Sandman and then demanded that Richards pin them and then lay down for him. Richards refused, instead super kicking Raven and enabling Funk and The Sandman to pin him. During the match, Richards suffered a neck injury when Funk slammed the metal guardrail onto his back and neck. Shortly thereafter, he announced his retirement from professional wrestling, making his final appearance with ECW on the May 29, 1997 episode of ECW Hardcore TV. World Championship Wrestling (1997) Richards broke his retirement in August 1997, signing a contract with World Championship Wrestling. He made his debut on the July 13, 1997 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, confronting Raven, who had also just signed with WCW. At Clash of the Champions XXXV on August 21, 1997, Raven defeated Richards in a no disqualification match. In September 1997, Richards rejoined Raven, sitting with him in the audience during WCW events. He left WCW in November 1997. Return to ECW (1997) After leaving WCW, Richards wrestled a handful of matches for ECW in December 1997, defeating Chris Chetti at Better Than Ever, before returning to the independent circuit, where he primarily competed in the northeastern United States. Independent circuit (1997–1999) In August 1998, Richards defeated Doug Gilbert to win the NWA National Heavyweight Championship. Gilbert regained the title in October 1998 at the NWA Anniversary Show. In November 1998, Richards joined Maryland Championship Wrestling, winning the MCW Tag Team Championship with Earl the Pearl in his debut match. The duo held the titles until February 1999. In April 1999, Richards won an eight-man tournament for the vacant NWA 2000 Heavyweight Championship. At the independent supercard Break the Barrier on May 15, 1999, Richards won the APWF Heavyweight Championship, which he held until August 1999. Richards planned on retiring from professional wrestling to study information technology at the Community College of Philadelphia. His plans changed when he was offered a contract with the World Wrestling Federation in mid-1999. World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1999–2008) Imitations (1999–2000) In 1999, Richards joined the WWF full-time. He debuted on August 15, 1999, episode of Sunday Night Heat, helping his old