Ricky Steamboat

Photo credit: World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

Real name: Richard Blood
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 235 lbs.
Date of birth: February 28, 1953
Born: Honolulu, HI
Pro debut: 1976
Trained by: Verne Gagne & The Iron Sheik
Finishing move: Flying Bodypress

Biography

– Steamboat and Paul Jones defeated Ric Flair and Greg Valentine on August 22, 1977 for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team title in Greensboro, NC.
– On October 22, 1977, Steamboat defeated Flair to capture the NWA United States title.
– Steamboat and Paul Jones won a ten-team tournament for the vacant NWA World Tag Team title on April 23, 1978.
– On May 28, 1978, Steamboat and Jones defeated Flair and John Studd to reclaim the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team title. Steamboat also teamed up with Dino Bravo in 1980 to capture the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team title.
– Steamboat regained the U.S. title from Flair on December 18, 1978 in Toronto, Ontario.
– On October 24, 1979, Steamboat and Jay Youngblood defeated Jones and Baron Von Raschke for the NWA World Tag Team title in Raleigh, NC.
– Steamboat and Youngblood regained the NWA World Tag Team title on May 10, 1980 by defeating Greg Valentine and Ray Stevens in Greensboro, NC.
– On November 1, 1980, Steamboat defeated Hussein Arab (The Iron Sheik) for the NWA Mid-Atlantic title.
– Steamboat pinned Ivan Koloff on October 10, 1981 in Greensboro, NC to regain the NWA Mid-Atlantic title.
– Steamboat and Youngblood defeated Don Kernodle and Jim Nelson on August 22, 1982 to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team title.
– On March 12, 1983, Steamboat and Youngblood defeated Sgt. Slaughter and Kernodle to regain the NWA World Tag Team title.
– Steamboat and Youngblood defeated Jack and Jerry Brisco on October 3, 1983 in Greenville, SC to recapture the NWA World Tag Team title.
– At Starrcade ’83, Steamboat and Youngblood defeated the Brisco brothers to regain the NWA World Tag Team title. By the end of the year, the Tag Team title was declared vacant when Steamboat announced his “retirement.”
– Steamboat pinned Dick Slater on April 21, 1984 in Greensboro, NC for his third U.S. title.
– In 1985, Steamboat joined the WWF as “The Dragon.”
– At Wrestlemania I, Steamboat defeated Matt Borne.
– Steamboat defeated Hercules Hernandez at Wrestlemania II.
– Steamboat pinned Mighty Zulu on October 12, 1986 in Dallas, TX.
– At Wrestlemania III in Pontiac, MI, Steamboat (with George “The Animal” Steele in his corner) defeated Randy Savage for the Intercontinental title. It was voted Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s match of the year for 1987.
– At the 1987 Survivor Series, Steamboat, Savage, Jake Roberts, Jim Duggan and Brutus Beefcake defeated the Honkeytonk Man, Harley Race, Ron Bass, Hercules, and Danny Davis.
– On February 20, 1989, Steamboat defeated Flair in Chicago, IL for the NWA World Heavyweight title.
– Steamboat pinned Tiger Mask (Misawa) on March 8, 1989 in Tokyo, Japan to successfully defend the NWA title.
– At the 1991 Summerslam, Steamboat, Davey Boy Smith and Kerry Von Erich defeated the Warlord and Power and Glory.
– Subbing for an injured Barry Windham, Steamboat and Dustin Rhodes defeated the Enforcers (Arn Anderson and Larry Zybsko) on November 19, 1991 in Savannah, GA for the WCW World Tag Team title.
– Steamboat and Todd Champion defeated Cactus Jack and Sgt. Buddy Lee Park at the 1991 Starrcade in Norfolk, VA.
– At Clash of the Champions VI on April 2, 1989, Steamboat successfully defended the NWA title against Flair in a best 2 out of 3 falls match.
– Steamboat and Sting defeated Steve Austin and Rick Rude at Clash of the Champions XVIII on January 21, 1992.
– At Beach Blast ’92, Steamboat defeated Rude in a thirty minute “iron man” match, four falls to three.
– At Clash of The Champions XX on September 2, 1992 in Atlanta, GA, Steamboat defeated Austin for the WCW Television title.
– On November 18, 1992, Steamboat and Shane Douglas defeated Windham and Rhodes in Macon, GA for the WCW World Tag Team title.
– Steamboat defeated Paul Orndorff on August 18, 1993 in Daytona Beach, FL to regain the WCW Television title.
– Steamboat defeated Austin on August 24, 1994 in Cedar Rapids, IA for the WCW United States title. However, due to an injury, Steamboat was forced to forfeit the title, and in effect, retired as an active wrestler.
– In NWA TNA, Steamboat arrived on the scene in an on air executive role.
– After TNA, Steamboat become an agent for WWE.
– On April 4, 2009 in Houston, TX, Flair inducted Steamboat into the WWE Hall of Fame.
– Steamboat was voted into the GERWECK.NET Hall of Fame on September 1, 2009.