Ricky Steamboat’s 5 Best Matches

Dare us to try without including a Flair match? Sure.

Perennial good guy and top class performer Ricky Steamboat was born Richard Blood in New York in the early 1950s and became a graduate of the Verne Gagne training school. Making his professional debut in 1976 for Gagne’s own AWA promotion, Steamboat went to work for several territories before settling in Jim Crockett Promotions in 1977. Here he encountered Ric Flair for the first time, having a series of matches over the Mid-Atlantic TV Title.

Steamboat would go on to move between JCP/NWA/WCW and the WWF a few times in his career, garnering huge popularity wherever he worked. Much like long time foe Flair, it is easy to recall the three matches in 1989 as a benchmark for Steamboat’s career.

However, with a match back catalogue spanning several eras, this can mean some classics are overlooked. Here, I look back on a glorious career of hidden gems and high-profile contests, that wonderful trio in ’89 excluded.

 

5. Ricky Steamboat v Terry Funk – Clash of Champions 7

In 1989, the NWA was an incredible place to wrestle. With such talent as the aforementioned Flair, Lex Luger, Barry Windham, a young Sting hitting his stride and a very exciting tag division, 1989 NWA put on many great shows and awe-inspiring matches. With Steamboat and Funk both occupying spots in the “Top Ten Rankings” this contest had a real big match feel.

Funk’s crazy, brawling style could have easily clashed with Steamboat’s more fluid, polished, traditional wrestling approach. However, the difference in the two competitors actually makes for a very entertaining 15 minutes. With the “Middle aged and Crazy” Funk in full flow, a foriegn object used and even a piledriver on the floor, this makes for one of the more brutal matches of Steamboat’s career.

 

4. Ricky Steamboat/Dustin Rhodes vs Arn Anderson/Larry Zybysko – Clash of Champions 17

Spending a large portion of his career as a tag wrestler, Ricky’s surprise return as Dustin Rhodes “mystery partner” in 1991 truly displays his star power. Surrounded by top class performers in this match, Steamboat’s brilliance still manages to stand out. The crowd seem to adore Dustin Rhodes as much as they dislike “The Enforcers” of Arn and Larry, but it is every involvement the returning Steamboat has that elicits the biggest audience reactions.

This match plays a part in the assembly of Paul Heyman’s “Dangerous Alliance” group, put together to battle the super-popular WCW fan favourites like Steamboat, Rhodes and Sting and leads towards the incredible War Games match in 1992. I really enjoy seeing the Anderson and Steamboat exchanges in particular, as two sometimes underrated performers tear the house down. Also, look for Arn Anderson’s facial expressions as Steamboat is revealed. Wrestling gold.

 

3. Ricky Steamboat v Rick Rude – Beach Blast ’92

A 30 minute Iron Man match that seems to fly by, Steamboat and Rude provide an outstanding half-hour of back and forth action. From Rude selling his ribs early on to Steamboat fighting against a sleeper towards the end, every second of this “Iron Man Challenge” shows why WCW was the place for great in ring content at this time.

Jesse Ventura’s bias towards Rude on commentary approaches Bobby Heenan Rumble’92 levels and just adds to the drama. The closing 3 minutes is not just great wrestling but also makes for brilliant television.

 

2. Ricky Steamboat vs Steve Austin – Clash of Champions 28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvb6iRnGw38

A little before Mr Austin cited 3:16 and crowds were shouting “What!?” during every interview, Stone Cold Steve was playing his trade as “Stunning” Steve Austin. Complete with floppy blonde boy-band hair and sparkly robes, Austin’s WCW run in the early 90’s is a far cry from where he ended up, but his in ring ability was still there for all to see.

Despite the commentary team being more occupied with an injury angle involving Hulk Hogan than the U.S. title match unfolding before them, Steamboat and Austin drag the watching fans attention back into the ring and build to an excellent finish. Everything in WCW at this time seemed like an afterthought to whatever Hulk Hogan was doing, this title match included, yet this did not seem to hinder these two, as they work their socks off to provide a possible reminder to WCW hierarchy that the roster does not end with main events.

Steamboat, coming towards the date of his retirement, is at a far different place in his life to the young “Stunning” Steve. Ricky makes a mockery of this thought however, by not missing a beat and displaying the same energy and work ethic he displayed throughout his whole wrestling career. Austin’s “Dragon Slayer” trunks also raise a smile.

 

1. Ricky Steamboat v Randy Savage – WrestleMania 3

I believe excluding the Flair trilogy from ’89 makes the inevitable inclusion of this classic even more obvious. So many pinfall attempts adds to the speed this match is carried out at, while not once making any covers less believable. Two of the greatest of all time desperately trying to secure a victory, with the added story of Steamboat’s larynx injury at the hands of the Macho Man running as a backdrop. Hogan v Andre may have sold the 90,000 tickets, but Steamboat v Savage stole the show. Still to this day, some 30 plus years later, one of the best Wrestlemania matches to ever take place.

Some stories abound that Savage planned this match out move for move, minute by minute, beforehand. Maybe it was that obsessive attention to detail that led to this high standard, maybe it was the talent of the two competitors, or maybe a mix of both. Either way this is a contest that showcases Steamboat at his absolute high energy best. A match that can be re-watched again and again. A true masterclass.

This selection was incredibly difficult to make. For each Steamboat match in this list, you could substitute in several more of a similar high standard. An honourable mention must also go to the Steamboat/Youngblood v Briscoe’s tag match at Starrcade ’83, Steamboat’s matches with Lex Luger in 1989, and his part in the excellent War Games match from 1992, among many others.

The three matches with Flair in 1989 are without a doubt some of the best wrestling contests ever displayed on US television and pay-per-view. It’s very hard to argue against those three being in anyone’s top 10 of all time. However, as with his villainous opponent “Slick Ric” in that trilogy, Ricky The Dragon Steamboat is so much more.

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