Hello there. Welcome back, folks. I recently started a list of the top 20 most iconic figures in WWE history. We started off with #20, and here we are for #19.
#19
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, trained by Verne Gagne and The Iron Sheik, was an extraordinary worker, he was intense, he was a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, four-time United States Heavyweight Champion, four-time World Television Champion, twelve-time World Tag Team Champion, two-time Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion, and former WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion and became a WWE Hall of Famer in 2009. He was known among wrestling fans as the ultimate babyface.
Steamboat initially attended high school in New York but later graduated in Florida from Boca Ciega High School in 1971. He was on the school wrestling team. He was a Florida state champion and a two-time New York State wrestling qualifier.
Steamboat was an amateur wrestler but he would make his wrestling debut in 1976 in Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association (AWA) under his real name Rick Blood.
Shortly after his AWA debut, he would head to Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF). Prior to his CWF debut, the CWF booker Eddie Graham changed his name from Rick Blood to Ricky Steamboat as Graham felt that “Blood” only associated with a heel and he wanted Steamboat to work as a babyface.
Steamboat, now brought to the syndicated Jim Crockett Promotions by booker George Scott, would remain there for the next 8 years. There, he would meet his famous rival, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. During an interview, on Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Flair provoked young Steamboat. However, Steamboat wouldn’t allow it for too long, as he would strike Flair setting up a match against him. During that match, Steamboat had an impressive performance as he defeated Flair to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Throughout (almost) a decade of being there he would win multiple titles: NWA United States Heavyweight Championship three times, NWA World Tag Team Championship six times, NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship four times, also the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship singles crown twice, and the NWA World Television Championship.
In 1985, Steamboat signed with World Wrestling Federation. In WWF, he was rocking the same name, but this time “The Dragon” was added to it. He appeared at the first-ever WrestleMania where he defeated Matt Borne.
On a 1985 edition of Championship Wrestling, Steamboat defeated Mr. Fuji, but he was attacked by Fuji’s protege Don Muraco post-match – this would ignite a Steamboat/Muraco and Fuji feud. Later on, during a televised episode of WWF’s Championship Wrestling, Steamboat and Muraco were scheduled to compete, but the match would never officially begin because Muraco jumped Steamboat before the bell. Following the brawl, Muraco and Fuji used Steamboat’s Karate black belt to hang him outside the ring from the top rope. Fortunately for Steamboat, he was saved by Tito Santana and Junkyard Dog. On a later edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, he would defeat Fuji in a Kung Fu Challenge. Following that, a few months later, on another edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, his brutal feud with Muraco came to an end after he and Junkyard Dog defeated Muraco and Fuji in a tag team match.
He would then face Davey Boy Smith in the opening round of a 16-man tournament at The Wrestling Classic. He would defeat Smith via forfeit due to a groin injury, but would ultimately be eliminated by Randy Savage in the quarterfinals via brass knuckles while the official was distracted by Miss Elizabeth.
Steamboat would eventually begin to feud with Jake “The Snake” Roberts after Roberts attacked him before a scheduled Saturday Night’s Main Event bout between the two. During the assault, Roberts was genuinely iffy when it came to a DDT spot on the concrete. He feared that Steamboat would not be able to avoid his head hitting the floor. A determined Vince McMahon, however, was unshakable. He still wanted to go on with the spot. Meanwhile, Jake wouldn’t accept without Steamboat’s blessing and a promise that he’d properly protect himself upon taking the DDT. Unfortunately, Roberts’ fears became a reality as Steamboat was legitimately knocked out when his forehead hit the concrete. After Steamboat’s recovery, they battled each other once again in a Snake Pit Match at The Big Event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Despite Roberts in control almost the entire match, Steamboat beat Jake via a small package. On another episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event, the two had a Snake Pit rematch, in which Steamboat would be victorious.
In November of 1986, on an episode of Superstars, Steamboat was granted a shot at the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship pitting himself against Macho Man Randy Savage. Steamboat lost the match by countout, and post-match, Savage assaulted him and “injured” Steamboat’s larynx with the ring bell, initiating a program between the two stars. On the January 3, 1987 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, The Dragon returned from his injury and stopped Savage from doing the exact same thing to George Steele he had done to him weeks prior. The Steamboat/Savage feud would culminate at WrestleMania III where Steamboat would become the new Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion defeating Randy Savage.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxo6sr1DuAE]
Several weeks after capturing the Championship, Steamboat asked Vince McMahon for some time off so he could spend quality time with his pregnant wife Bonnie. However, Vince McMahon and WWF management were not too pleased with that as Steamboat had been groomed to become a long-term babyface champion. The decision McMahon and company made was to punish Steamboat by having him drop the title on an edition of Superstars to The Honky Tonk Man. A few weeks later, his son was born, he would then return and compete at Survivor Series in November of 1987. WWF management remained acidic over his spur-of-the-moment hiatus. As a result of that, he wasn’t properly pushed or included in meaningful, significant feuds for a period of time.
After defeating Ravishing Rick Rude by disqualification at the 1988 Royal Rumble, Steamboat entered the WWF World Heavyweight Championship tournament at WrestleMania IV in March. A committed Ricky Steamboat hoped for a WrestleMania rematch against Randy Savage during the tournament, but unfortunately for him, it wouldn’t happen as he was defeated in the very first round by Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. Steamboat left WWF shortly after and would then head to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1989.
On the January 21, 1989 edition of WCW, Steamboat returned as “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert’s surprise tag team partner. In that match, they faced NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, and Barry Windham. Steamboat would eventually pin Flair to pick up the victory. Following that victory, Steamboat earned a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at WCW PPV Chi-Town Rumble, where he defeated Flair in the main event. After Steamboat retained the title against Flair in controversial fashion at Clash of the Champions in April, the two would then battle each other at WrestleWar in May, where Steamboat would then drop the title to Flair.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnF8XNLYTa8]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrd2mkHyaMM]
After losing the title, Steamboat remained the number one contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. This would anger Lex Luger. For that very reason, Luger attacked Steamboat on the June 14 edition of Clash of the Champions. Steamboat later recovered and demanded a match against Lex Luger at The Great American Bash. Steamboat would ultimately suffer defeat. Later in 1989, due to a contract disagreement, Steamboat left WCW.
Steamboat returned to the ring in February 1990 for the North American Wrestling Association (later renamed South Atlantic Pro Wrestling), where he feuded with Robert Fuller over the Heavyweight Championship. In that same year he would compete in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) where he teamed with the likes of Owen Hart and Pegasus Kid (Chris Benoit).
He would return to WWF in 1991. During this run, he’d initially go on to win a bunch of throwaway squash matches on Superstars. The Dragon was undefeated on television throughout his 1991 run, aside from one loss at a house show. The day after this loss, Steamboat gave his notice to WWF management and quit the company shortly after. The rumour was that Steamboat was booked to lose to The Undertaker to build him up before his big title match and instead of putting Taker over, Steamboat decided to leave the company.
Steamboat then returned to WCW as another surprise tag partner, but this time for Dusty Rhodes. In this match, Steamboat and Rhodes defeated Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko to win the World Tag Team Championship. However, the duo lost the tag titles to Arn Anderson and his new partner Bobby Eaton at a live event in January 1992. After losing the titles, Steamboat briefly feuded with Rick Rude and the Dangerous Alliance. On the September 2, 1992 edition of Clash of the Champions, Steamboat defeated “Stunning” Steve Austin to capture his first WCW Television Championship. He lost the same title to Scott Steiner at a television taping on September 29.
Two years later, 1994, Steamboat would return to the WCW World Heavyweight Championship picture battling former foe Ric Flair. They would compete in a match in the main event of Spring Stampede, though the title wouldn’t change hands due to both men being pinned simultaneously.
On the May 14 edition of WCW Saturday Night, Flair beat Steamboat to reclaim possession of the title. Their final one-on-one match was on Main Event in July which ended via disqualification when Steve Austin interfered. But Steamboat and Flair’s last confrontation was in a tag team match on the July 31 edition of Main Event where Steamboat teamed up with Sting against Ric Flair and Steve Austin.
Steamboat then feuded with US Heavyweight Champion “Stunning” Steve Austin and earned a US title shot at Bash at the Beach, where he failed, but he would get a rematch at Clash of the Champions where he would, this time, win the US title. Sadly, he had to relinquish the title due to an injury sustained. September 1994, Steamboat, while injured, was fired by WCW President Eric Bischoff.
After almost a decade-long retirement, Steamboat engaged in roles in TNA and ROH before returning to WWF/E in 2005 as a road agent. Around that time, Ricky Steamboat expressed his feelings of wanting to come out of retirement to face Ric Flair again, but the request was rejected by WWE management.
He would wrestle in WWE again, however. In 2009, he made an appearance on Raw amidst his Hall of Fame announcement and was attacked by Chris Jericho – who at the time had some vendetta against legends.
He would get his revenge on an episode of Raw about a month later, alongside fellow legends Ric Flair, Jimmy Snuka and Roddy Piper. They all proceeded to attack Jericho. The feud would eventually lead to WrestleMania XXV where Jericho would face Steamboat, Piper and Snuka in a 3-on-1 elimination match. Jericho won the match, but Steamboat held his own, he was the last to be eliminated on his team and hit a few of his signature maneuvers prior to being defeated. The next night on Raw, he competed in a huge 10 man tag with John Cena, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy against his WrestleMania opponent Chris Jericho, Edge, Matt Hardy, Big Show and Kane. He would once again face Jericho at the following PPV, Backlash, at which he was defeated via the Walls of Jericho.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMz7_yJ-cUI]
Before he transitioned into an ambassador role in 2013, he would work as an NXT trainer. He departed, however, after his son Richie Steamboat was released from developmental.
He was never really one of my personal favourites, but he was a fantastic worker and one hell of a competitor, always told a good story, great psychology.
Thanks for sticking around for #19. #18 should be up soon.
Updated list:
Harley Race (20), Ricky The Dragon Steamboat (19)
