Ricky Steamboat

Roster
 3-Debut on WCW

## Debut to Intercontinental Champion(1985-1986)

Ricky Steamboat was involved in the first ever canon WWF and Superstars match defeating Paul Orndorff and Jimmy Snuka to enter a fatal 4 way at SNME May to crown the first WWF champion, he would lose the match that also involved Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and Terry Funk.

In the next month, Steamboat feuded with Randy Savage as after a great match, Steamboat wanted to do it again and Savage ended up defeating him at SNME June

At Summerslam, Steamboat was in a battle royal to determine the NO1 contender to the IC title but lost, during that match Bret and Steamboat had a great 1 minute match in the middle of the ring with the rookie eliminating Steamboat.

Ricky entered 1985's G1 but was eliminated in a sudden death match against Barry Windham, at Survivor Series he teamed up with Roddy Piper, Big John Studd and Harley Race in a losing effort against Heenan Family, Harley Race blamed Steamboat for this loss and Steamboat defeated him at SNME December.

At Wrestlemania 2, Ricky Steamboat entered a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship and managed to come out victorious taking the title from Andre The Giant. Steamboat's challengers during this time were, by order, Junkyard Dog, the debuting Honky Tonk Man, Tama and Andre The Giant. At Summerslam, he faced off against the rookie that eliminated him a year prior, King of the Ring winner Bret Hart and lost the championship to him in 1986's MOTY, Steamboat showed respect to Bret by shaking hands with him afterwards

## 2 time WWF Champion(1986-1987)

After Summerslam, Steamboat entered the G1 and proceeded to win it by beating Butch Reed in the finals, Ricky had a big celebration with a bunch of babyfaces coming out for his support and Bret Hart shaking his hand as Steamboat told him "your time will come" to which Bret responded "your time is now".

Ricky Steamboat still showed a respectful side as he liked his match against Butch Reed and said that when he's WWF champion, he wants Reed to be his first challenger, Reed didn't take a liking to that and beat him up challenging him to put his G1 spot on the line in an iron man match, Steamboat defeated Reed yet again. At Survivor Series, Ricky Steamboat defeated Jake Roberts to win the WWF title with huge crowd support.

This reign was shortlived as Andre The Giant defeated Steamboat in singles matches throught the weeks, at SNME December he faced Andre, Jake Roberts and Randy Savage in an elimination match which ended with Andre and Steamboat having a double count-out. They would hold a rematch at Royal Rumble and Andre ended Steamboat's reign.

Steamboat entered a short feud with Jake Roberts as Roberts blamed Steamboat for taking everything he had from him, there was a shocking moment during the buildup as Roberts tied Steamboat to the ropes and let him be bit by his snake, at Wrestlemania Ricky defeated Roberts to become the NO1 Contender to the WWF title. During the buildup to Wrestlemania, Ricky Steamboat also offered to mentor Koko B.Ware which he accepted.

In a shocking result, Ricky Steamboat defeated Hulk Hogan at SNME May to become a 2 time WWF champion just 1 month after Hogan did his historic bodyslam to Andre, after the match Andre The Giant and Ted Dibiase are gonna beat Hogan up but Steamboat saved him. Steamboat was a bit of an afterthought on this tag team feud as the big focus was Ted Dibiase vs Hulk Hogan.

At Superstars 100, Ricky Steamboat held an open challenge which his protege Koko B.Ware responded, Koko managed to roll Steamboat up and get the biggest upset victory in WWF so far as Koko became WWF Champion, Steamboat celebrates with him but turns heel right after beating him to the ground, Sting cashed in afterwards to win the WWF title.

## Heel Turn and departure(1987-1988)

At King of the Ring, Hulk Hogan was scheduled to face Ted Dibiase in a NO1 Contendership for the WWF title but Steamboat attacked Hulk Hogan before the match taking his spot and defeating Ted Dibiase. Ricky Steamboat failed to defeat Sting at Summerslam but was once again involved in the MOTY.

Hulk Hogan felt like Ted Dibiase bribed Steamboat to do what he did because it's out of character, after Summerslam Steamboat responded to this as he was mad that Hogan didn't think he had the guts to do what he did by himself, this started a 3 month long feud. At SNME september, they main evented in a countout draw as both men continued to beat each other up, Koko returned after this wanting revenge on his mentor, at G1 Finals Steamboat defeated his former protege and went right back to wanting to end Hogan and his pals. At Survivor Series this feud ended with Ricky, Virgil, Butch Reed and Harley Race defeating Hulk Hogan, Koko B.Ware, Ultimate Warrior and Barry Horowitz in a Survivor Series Elimination match.

Ricky Steamboat gained an Intercontinental Championship shot due to Survivor Series Lottery and he started taunting the still intercontinental champion Bret Hart as he cost him and his uncle Jim Neidhart the tag team titles at SNME December. Ricky says that Bret's win at Summerslam 1986 was purely luck and this record shattering reign had been a fluke since it started and he's looking forward to ending it, Steamboat would get his last WWF MOTY at Royal Rumble 1988 but Bret Hart defeated him to continue his reign, Steamboat entered the Royal Rumble match but was eliminated after 8 minutes by Paul Orndorff, Steamboat picked up a mic and proclaimed that no one in the company is better than him and no one can lace up his boots so he quits WWF, he tries to take the 24/7 Championship with him but Davey Boy Smith quickly pinned him and threw him off the stage to win the title back.

## World Championship Wrestling and feud with Ric Flair(1989-1991)

Ricky Steamboat debuted at Great American Bash after Ric Flair defeated Sting to retain the WCW Heaviweight title, Steamboat proceeded to take out all of Four Horsemen who had been running a monopoly on WCW ever since it started.

Steamboat was put in a gauntlet trial where he had to defeat 1 man every week for 5 weeks and if he won all 5, he would get a WCW Heaviweight title shot, he defeated Eddie Gilbert, Iron Sheik, Brian Pillman but proceeded to lose against Four Horsemen's Barry Windham.

Steamboat changed his sights from the championship to Four Horsemen itself as he got himself a wargames match, Steamboat would bring in former WWF champions as his teammates that would bring in more legitimacy to WCW, those were Junkyard Dog, Terry Funk and Warrior and they defeated Four Horsemen at Halloween Havoc which was the first ever 5 star match and 1989 WCW's MOTY

Since Warrior was the one pinning Flair, he got the WCW Heaviweight title match while Steamboat tried to get the United States Championship from The Great Muta but so did Four Horsemen's Sting and Barry Windham so a fatal 4 way match was made. At Starrcade, Muta defeated Sting, Windham and Steamboat to retain the US title.

Steamboat's next meaningful feud was only 6 months after as Windham was kicked out of Four Horsemen and brought help from a former rival, Ricky Steamboat himself, at Great American Bash Steamboat and Windham defeated Arn Anderson and Sting. Around 3 weeks later, Ric Flair proclaimed he had no challengers left but Steamboat beat him up and said he was next, thus started the best WCW match trilogy and one of the best ever for wrestling, at Halloween Havoc Ric Flair defeated Steamboat as Arn Anderson grabbed Steamboat's hand and made him tap out in a 5 star match, Steamboat got another shot in a 60 minute time limit 2 out of 3 falls match at Starrcade, with 5 seconds to go Steamboat managed to dragon wizard Flair and defeat him 2-1 but after the match Ted Turner revealed that both Flair and Steamboat's shoulders were down when the count happened, therefore this match has ended in a draw and Flair is still champion, this match broke the scale gaining 5.25 stars and 1990 WCW's MOTY. The trilogy ended at Wrestlewar in a steel cage match with no time limits and it was yet another 5 star match and 1991 WCW's MOTY but Steamboat failed to defeat Ric Flair coming out of the match with some possible broken legs.

## Cruiserweight Division(1991-1993)

Sid Vicious started bullying Steamboat over him not being able to defeat Ric Flair 3 times in a row and broke his crutches as Steamboat did get a broken leg, at Superbrawl I, Sid did a promo laughing that Steamboat had his legs broken, Steamboat came out with new crutches and Sid kicked them once again but Steamboat was still standing having fully recovered, Sid still ended up defeating Steamboat as he fell down the card. At Great American Bash, Steamboat challenged a new rookie Cactus Jack and Cactus defeated him. Steamboat would only return in september defeating Masahiro Chono to win the TV title but lost it a month later with no defenses to Great Muta.

Steamboat entered the cruiserweight division to bring some prestige into it, at Great American Bash he defeated Tom Zenk, Stan Lane, Eddie Gilbert, Bobby Eaton and Dustin Rhodes to win the Cruiserweight Championship, he became a double champion 3 weeks later defeating Douglas to win the TV title for a second time which he lost in september to Junkyard Dog as The Great Muta entered the cruiserweight division and cost him the match. At Halloween Havoc Steamboat defeated Muta to retain the title, afterwards the rest of the CW's beat them both up being tired of former heaviweight contenders entering their division.

At Superbrawl 3 Steamboat and Muta were defeated by Johnny B.Badd, Shane Douglas and Tom Zenk in a handicap match and that CW stable revealed they have a higher up, a leader who's calling the shots. At Slamboree, Jushin Liger was revealed to be that leader as he felt disrespected about these heaviweights coming into the division acting like it's easier, this split the division into 2 as there were people who supported heaviweights coming in and people who didn't.

At Beach Blast, Liger, Badd, Zenk and Douglas ended up defeating Steamboat, Muta, 2 Cold Scorpio and Stan Lane with Badd getting the pin and therefore becoming cruiserweight champion. Steamboat got his rematch at Fall Brawl but lost. He was in an elimination match at Starrcade involving those 8 men but was eliminated by the eventual winner, The Great Muta.

## Return to WWF(1994)

In the january 3rd episode of RAW just 2 weeks after Starrcade, Ricky Steamboat was announced as the main inductee of the first ever Hall of Fame ceremony, Owen Hart did a promo on that saying that he's way better than Ricky and that it would be a waste of a return to just enter the HOF so Owen challenged Steamboat to a match, Owen continued challenging him throught the weeks with 0 response. At Hall of Fame 1994, Ricky Steamboat does his speech talking about his successes and becoming one of the greatest workers of the golden age when Owen Hart jumped up the stage and argued with Steamboat not wanting to take no for an answer and Steamboat accepted to face Owen the day after. At Wrestlemania 10, Steamboat and Owen had an amazing technical match for the european title but Owen retained the title on Steamboat's first WWF match in 6 years.

Steamboat returned for a brief run helping Bret Hart take down Diesel, King Kong Bundy and Rick Martel, he came back with a goal as he wanted one final match against the WWF champion and face of the company that started his rise to stardom after 1 match against him, Bret Hart. At summerslam, they almost had another MOTY but Mr.Perfect vs Owen Hart in the same show was just a bit better, Bret Hart defeated Steamboat in his last WWF match.

## Facing off against NWO(1996)

In the july 29th episode of Nitro, Team WCW(Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Randy Savage and The Giant) announced their last teammate to face off against NWO in a wargames match and Ricky Steamboat made his shocking return. A week after, he had a big match against Hollywood Hogan, a big feud of Steamboat that hadn't had a match since 1987 and Hogan defeated him. At Hog Wild, Team WCW failed to defeat NWO and NWO took ownership of WCW.

Ricky Steamboat won a NO1 contendership match for the WCW Heaviweight title and had one last championship match at Fall Brawl where he was defeated by Scott Hall. This was Steamboat's last WCW match as he quietly retired after this

## Post retirement appearences(1997-)

At Hall of Fame 1997, Ricky Steamboat made an appearence to induct Jake Roberts

## Championships and Accomplishments

* World Wrestling Federation
* Intercontinental Championship(1 time)
* WWF Championship(2 times)
* 24/7 Championship(1 time)
* G1(1986)
* Hall of Fame(Class of 1994)
* Match of the Year(1986) vs Bret Hart at Summerslam
* Match of the Year(1987) vs Sting at Summerslam
* Match of the Year(1988) vs Bret Hart at Royal Rumble
* Wrestler of the Year(1986)
* Shocking Moment of the Year(1988) quitting WWF after being eliminated in the Rumble

* World Championship Wrestling
* TV Championship(2 times)
* Cruiserweight Championship(1 time)
* Match of the Year(1989) with Warrior, Terry Funk and Junkyard Dog vs Ric Flair, Sting, Barry Windham and Ole Anderson at Halloween Havoc
* Match of the Year(1990) vs Ric Flair at Starrcade
* Match of the Year(1991) vs Ric Flair at Wrestlewar