ricky was not always defined and shredded but he always looked great, and he sold so beautifully with every inch and every ounce of splendid physique.
for years the perfect chemistry for the perfect feud. indisputably, rick is one of the most handsome pro wrestlers over the span of his career. not always buffed out but never flabby or out of shape.
i would never take anything away from flair, but steamboat was his equal in every respect, except he wasn't the one the promoters went with. the two gave us countless awesome showdowns.
I saw the matches at wral studios twice---a great little venue for free tickets. You got 2 shows--a Mid-Atlantic and a worldwide---and you could usually talk to some of the wrestlers outback before the tapings.
@dreadvenom1 I sense sarcasm. I watched one of your matches. Have you/your friends sought any training from a legit wrestling school? You obviously have a great enthusiasm for it. However, your bodies won't last long with what you're doing. Also, double check your ring for proper construction - the tarp is definitely a hazard. Pros who earned enough to live in the 70s carried a huge schedule of matches. You/your pals don't look like you could've survived a broadway with Flair or Steamboat.
@TheLeroyMoon I wasnt being sarcastic whatsoever. a press slam off the second rope is dangerous. If what I said was true, then why would you think it's sarcastic? If you actually knew how dangerous a second rope press slam was then you wouldnt accuse me of being sarcastic. Ric Flair is my idol and I aspire to be as great as him some day. So no... I wasn't being sarcastic. And yes... you are a douche bag.
@dreadvenom1 I assumed sarcasm: b/c you began wth "omfg," & I saw your matches. Often, backyard/extreme wrestlers ridicule old matches for being tame; I mistakenly & defensively took you for doing the same. If my unsolicited advice was insulting, I'm sorry. I still think: you're enthusiastic, seek training if you haven't already, & your ring needs work. Also, watch your language; it can become a habit that will not serve you well. Best of luck in pursuing your dreams. Flair's amazing.
unfortunately, i knew the young steamboat only through the wrestling mags, since at the time promotions as well as tv coverage were regional. but i loved what i saw, and it's great to see those matches 40 years later.
wow, mid-atlantic before the flags around the ring, & before all those annoying screaming girls.... fantastic, thank you very much for the upload, stu. classic match.
Didn't they do the angle that the Flair/Valentine team was unbeatable so they broke them up? If so, it's a cool angle. (The two masters of the figure four together.)
flair had no wrestling ability whatsoever. your eyes painted on. flair was at the top for 30 years using only his showman ship, bewise. hart was the better technical wrestler but putting on a show and sending the crowd home happy is about the whole package. few wrestlers have that. Flair will always be the man and will always be regarded as a better wrestler and performer than bret hart. woooooooooo
@puzzle316 Pro Wrestling doesn't always mean "Mat-based amature wrestling", Bret Might've had the amature style, But when it come to psycology, and Helping your opponent look better than he did when he walked in, Flair was the best at doing that.
And those are the two most important things in Pro Wrestling.
Flair was just a showman that's it. NO wrestling abilty whatsoever. If your a a Flair fan that's fine, but call it how it is. Bret Hart is the better WRESTLER.
One thing I can say. This is the only feud that looked good in the 70's and then in the 80's. Mind you there second feud was in 89. The battle in Wrestle War was one of the best matches ever and I'm so happy there both Hall of Famers.
i grew up watching wrestling, i loved the NWA, and AWA. I cant stand new wrestling today. i check out the WWE sometimes, and TNA. WWE is terrible, Vince thinks he made wrestling, but actually he killed it., but oh well hes rich. And TNA is starting to go the way of the WCW from the mid 90s. Wrestling like in this video is gone forever.
this is one of my favorite feuds along with the Steve Austin- Vince McMahon feud that boosted the WWF. The Steamboat-Flair feud is tied #1 with the Austin-McMahon feud, the two greatest wrestling fueds of all time.
How weird to hear Flair referred to as the TV champion instead of the World Champion. Never knew Flair when he was TV champion in Mid-Atlantic territory.
This was a great moment. In my opinion, this was Steamers first Main Event. Flair truely was the greatest at making other Workers look like a superstar!
This was my ALL time favorite fued.I'm sure it got over shadowed by some of the 80s fueds and even some today.But the Flair/S-boat battles came when TV didn't play as pivatal of a part.But Flair made alot of ppl's career take off!
If memory serves, Flair had grown close with Johnny Valentine (Greg's father), and the plane crash that broke Flair's black left Johnny paralyzed. So Flair wound up teaming with Greg when he returned to the ring.
ric flair was in a plane wreck back in 75 just 2 yrs prior to this and he looks to have recovered quite nicely just 2 yrs earlier cause doctors told him that he would never wrestle again, it just goes to show that doctors dont know everything and can be wrong and his better days were yet to come in the 80s
This is what a classic fued is all about. Steamboat and Flair are two champions and legends in every sense of the word. Edge, Batista, Orton Jr, watch these guys and learn. You will never, EVER see this quality of match with Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, or even the Ultimate loser.. Im sorry... Warrior
I remember when Flair paid Steamboat to tag with him because no one would. Paul Jones and Baron Von Rasche broke Flair's nose and he wanted revenge. I think I was 7 or 8 when that happend. Wrestling was exciting back then. Wrestlling at the Richmond Coliseum, Whew damn that was good!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I always heard that the only one Steamboat would ever work a heel angle with is Flair, and that's with Steamboat as a heel, which goes to show the respect they mutually have for each other.
Steamboat wanted to go heel, but George Scott told him that he could go out with a chainsaw and saw his opponent up and the fans would still cheer him. That is why Steamboat never went heel.
Check this out: Ricky Jr. actually wants to experiment with being a heel v. Reid Flair, and Reid's definitely up for the idea, buuuuuuuuuut....... not ol' Vinnie Mac, who wants to bring both in once they've been to Mexico & Japan for further seasoning either both as faces or Reid as the heel, according to the rumor mill!
Reid's recent heroin arrest may have put a clog in that. I sure hope the kid straightens out, because he's got a bright future ahead of him in wrestling if he wants it.
Actually it wasnt George Scott that said that to Steamboat it was Pat Patterson when Steamboat was in the WWF for his second tour of duty (after his '89 NWA titel run)....Sandy Scott was the "booker" during this time.
I feel that what they did to Steamboat then was a disgrace. He was only referred to as The Dragon, and Vince never even acknowledged his InterContinental Title reign from 1987. But Vince was always good at that in the '80's.
Hey, whoever gave me the thumbs down, don't do that anymore. Hell, I didn't mean anything bad about Flair and Steamboat. Jeez, what gives?! I LOVE them, I don't hate 'em, god!
I like this match. It may not have the aura and atmosphere as their(Flair and Steamboat's)World Heavyweight Title match 12 years later at Chi-Town Rumble '89, but this video shows all the hallmarks of two true wrestling superstars in the making.
So many have commented on Ric Flair so let me give Steamboat his just due. I don't think there was a better face in pro wrestling than Steamboat. He was an incredible worker.
To too hot scorpio, it's a proven fact that Ric can make a broomstick look good! He is a true player in the game. Most of these losers now all go for the high spot and then they are spent.Ric and the generation told stories!
That was first said about Jack Brisco in fact. Though, I agree it could be said of Flair it could also be said of Steamboat. They all had an innate ability to make whoever they wrestle look like a million bucks.
Strange how he used the same moves over and over again, a typical Flair vs bigger muscular face match
"Flair chops, face no sells and show's Ric how muscular he is, Flair begs for mercy, face punches and kicks Flair then whips into the turnbuckle, Flair goes upside down and is either caught and thrown off the turnbuckle or clotheslined off the ring apron.Face has Flair pinned for at least a 5 count but wait the referee is out cold, etc etc
that really is how it was for 75% of Flair's matches
Toohotscorpio, you have to see how Ric wrestled back in the territory days (pre 1986). He paced matches, made the top territory champion or star look like a million. He didn't always use his "script" all the time. Look at him on youtube against Jumbo Tsuruta, Ric Martel, and Rick Steamboat you'll see what I mean.
That would have been incredible if Greg Valentine was a Horseman. Valentine and Flair are a great combination. Although i think the original lineup of the 4 Horsemen was the greatest.
Man, now that would have been a formidable edition of the 4 Horsemen! Ric Flair, Greg Valentine and the Minnesota Wrecking Crew: Ole and Arn Anderson? Wow, if only the NWA had thought of that in 1983 or 1984, it could have happened!
CLASSIC!...Flair/Steamboat is my favorite WRESTLING feud of all time...they're styles fit each other so perfectly and they had some of the greatest matches EVER in the sport...I love how with every title Flair had, Steamboat was ALWAYS there
This must have been shortly after Flair returned to the ring from the Johnny Valentine/Mr. Wrestling Tim Woods airplane crash. And, hell, Steamboat = often overlooked because of the 1994 back injury, but one of the greatest ever. Thanks!
If you are a fan of Flair, you need to read his book "To Be The Man". He chronicles his entire career from the time he trained with Verne Gagne to today. The best parts were how he talked about finding this hawaiian looking kid and how he just seemed to have that magic and how he groomed Steamboat and made him look good in the ring.
Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair between 1977-1979 and their series between 1983-1984 were legendary...After Steamboat left for the WWF HIS talents were lost in the shuffle except for his brief run against Greg Valentine, the Muraco fued and his Macho fued.
Classic! all bow down to the old school...
DanJ30 4 weeks ago
Two tremendous athletes and in ring performers early in their careers. It doesn't get much better than this! Thanks for posting this classic.
DomenicDee 1 month ago
WTF
omdah2002 2 months ago
EPIC1
gorhound888 3 months ago
.....they just dont have "IT"
LMAO
KennyWatchin 4 months ago
ricky was not always defined and shredded but he always looked great, and he sold so beautifully with every inch and every ounce of splendid physique.
japanpro1 5 months ago
He hit him with the flying reverse pineapple.
don417 5 months ago
for years the perfect chemistry for the perfect feud. indisputably, rick is one of the most handsome pro wrestlers over the span of his career. not always buffed out but never flabby or out of shape.
japanpro1 5 months ago
that little studio had so many classic matches---been there for a few myself.
cyclops65 5 months ago
Awesome. A potential rivalry in the making. Thank you, Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair. Hail old school wrestling.
Chuloloc 7 months ago 4
Man that title belt looked like CRAP
Piledriver86 7 months ago
LOL..and they mug him in the end..classic!!!
015Froggy 8 months ago
wooooooo
puzzle316 8 months ago in playlist wrestling
i would never take anything away from flair, but steamboat was his equal in every respect, except he wasn't the one the promoters went with. the two gave us countless awesome showdowns.
japanpro1 8 months ago
i would never take anything away from flair, but steamboat was his equal in every respect, except he wasn't the one the promoters went with.
japanpro1 8 months ago
Flair sucks as usual XD
Aladaquila 8 months ago
I saw the matches at wral studios twice---a great little venue for free tickets. You got 2 shows--a Mid-Atlantic and a worldwide---and you could usually talk to some of the wrestlers outback before the tapings.
cyclops65 9 months ago
Best feud EVER, still to this day !
briandavisradio 9 months ago
omfg. a press slam off the second rope. thats dangerous shit.
dreadvenom1 9 months ago
@dreadvenom1 I sense sarcasm. I watched one of your matches. Have you/your friends sought any training from a legit wrestling school? You obviously have a great enthusiasm for it. However, your bodies won't last long with what you're doing. Also, double check your ring for proper construction - the tarp is definitely a hazard. Pros who earned enough to live in the 70s carried a huge schedule of matches. You/your pals don't look like you could've survived a broadway with Flair or Steamboat.
TheLeroyMoon 9 months ago
@TheLeroyMoon I wasnt being sarcastic whatsoever. a press slam off the second rope is dangerous. If what I said was true, then why would you think it's sarcastic? If you actually knew how dangerous a second rope press slam was then you wouldnt accuse me of being sarcastic. Ric Flair is my idol and I aspire to be as great as him some day. So no... I wasn't being sarcastic. And yes... you are a douche bag.
dreadvenom1 9 months ago
@dreadvenom1 I assumed sarcasm: b/c you began wth "omfg," & I saw your matches. Often, backyard/extreme wrestlers ridicule old matches for being tame; I mistakenly & defensively took you for doing the same. If my unsolicited advice was insulting, I'm sorry. I still think: you're enthusiastic, seek training if you haven't already, & your ring needs work. Also, watch your language; it can become a habit that will not serve you well. Best of luck in pursuing your dreams. Flair's amazing.
TheLeroyMoon 9 months ago
They don't do matches like this anymore sadly.
ryu289 10 months ago
Steamboat / Flair had some epic mathces!
TVfanfanatic 10 months ago
unfortunately, i knew the young steamboat only through the wrestling mags, since at the time promotions as well as tv coverage were regional. but i loved what i saw, and it's great to see those matches 40 years later.
japanpro1 10 months ago
wow, mid-atlantic before the flags around the ring, & before all those annoying screaming girls.... fantastic, thank you very much for the upload, stu. classic match.
jdbankshot 10 months ago
"What is all this kung-fu stuff, anyway?"
Greg "The Hammer" is one of the underrated all-time greats.
brianjstiles 10 months ago
whoa this guy was already doin this 14 years before i was born
ricardesco93 10 months ago
so it's official that flair been getting thrown off the top rope his whole career
ballsnot 10 months ago
Didn't they do the angle that the Flair/Valentine team was unbeatable so they broke them up? If so, it's a cool angle. (The two masters of the figure four together.)
Ihatethisugh1 11 months ago
flair had no wrestling ability whatsoever. your eyes painted on. flair was at the top for 30 years using only his showman ship, bewise. hart was the better technical wrestler but putting on a show and sending the crowd home happy is about the whole package. few wrestlers have that. Flair will always be the man and will always be regarded as a better wrestler and performer than bret hart. woooooooooo
puzzle316 11 months ago
@puzzle316 Pro Wrestling doesn't always mean "Mat-based amature wrestling", Bret Might've had the amature style, But when it come to psycology, and Helping your opponent look better than he did when he walked in, Flair was the best at doing that.
And those are the two most important things in Pro Wrestling.
xCeRTiFiieDx 10 months ago
@xCeRTiFiieDx thats basically what i said
puzzle316 9 months ago
@piledriver86
Flair was just a showman that's it. NO wrestling abilty whatsoever. If your a a Flair fan that's fine, but call it how it is. Bret Hart is the better WRESTLER.
Jgchunkylover 11 months ago
The three people that didn't like this video deserve a Figure Four.
rudowakening 1 year ago
@dloman56
Hate to break it to you but Ric couldn't hold Bret Hart's jock strap when it comes to wrestling.
Jgchunkylover 1 year ago
@Jgchunkylover Please, Flair could take Hart to school any day of the week.
Piledriver86 11 months ago 2
i love this. i wish i had a time machine.
danteras23 1 year ago
is the referee wearing casual clothers?...
DaRealDL 1 year ago
The Miz might think he's "AWWWESSSSOME" but he will NEVER HAVE RIC FLAIR'S HAIR! Now THAT is awesome!
MattHatter 1 year ago
I was only 10 and remember this feud well!!!! Classic!!!!!!!!!
ccr0628 1 year ago
One thing I can say. This is the only feud that looked good in the 70's and then in the 80's. Mind you there second feud was in 89. The battle in Wrestle War was one of the best matches ever and I'm so happy there both Hall of Famers.
PDizzo 1 year ago
did flair ever do shampoo commercials?
Funnysterste 1 year ago
Ric Flair doing a dropkick? That's as rare as a John Tenta dropkick or an Iron Sheik dropkick.
AMEwrestling 1 year ago
@AMEwrestling Actually Tenta used to do a dropkick quite often. But yeah, seeing Flair throw one was weird. :)
meekrob 1 year ago
i grew up watching wrestling, i loved the NWA, and AWA. I cant stand new wrestling today. i check out the WWE sometimes, and TNA. WWE is terrible, Vince thinks he made wrestling, but actually he killed it., but oh well hes rich. And TNA is starting to go the way of the WCW from the mid 90s. Wrestling like in this video is gone forever.
ClassicRockfan79 1 year ago
@ClassicRockfan79 I agree with you 110%!!!!!!!
ccr0628 1 year ago
To me,the worst thing that happen to Steamboat is when he left for the WWF,its like his career went down hill after that.
Wayneman117 1 year ago
@Wayneman117 When he went back to the NWA he won the world title and had his classic run with Flair in '89 or do you mean in '91?
Neiler187 1 year ago
@Neiler187 -wanna say it was the late 80s
Wayneman117 1 year ago
ric flair made so many young guys into stars. he is the very best of all time. he will do anything for the business.
dloman56 1 year ago
A lot of fond child hood memories sitting in that same studio for tv taping every Wednesday night.
traviedawg 1 year ago
They whopped his ass in the end...lol hahahahahehehehe!!!!!!!!!!!!
MegaVoodoo1 1 year ago
did you know flair & steamboat were actully good friends in real life
darilc1966 1 year ago
this is one of my favorite feuds along with the Steve Austin- Vince McMahon feud that boosted the WWF. The Steamboat-Flair feud is tied #1 with the Austin-McMahon feud, the two greatest wrestling fueds of all time.
lameroger 1 year ago
Tommy Young was a great ref.
lakecumberland 1 year ago 2
my mum was 7 years old then haha
Krallify 1 year ago
How weird to hear Flair referred to as the TV champion instead of the World Champion. Never knew Flair when he was TV champion in Mid-Atlantic territory.
leandar 1 year ago
This was a great moment. In my opinion, this was Steamers first Main Event. Flair truely was the greatest at making other Workers look like a superstar!
Takerfanatic93 1 year ago
This better be on the upcoming Steamboat DVD.
RSXemperor 1 year ago
@RSXemperor This TV title match is NOT on the Steambaot DVD.
Astraldragon1 1 year ago
cool how if it wasnt for flair accident he would never have been the nature boy that became a legend...
AJDevilx 1 year ago 2
This was my ALL time favorite fued.I'm sure it got over shadowed by some of the 80s fueds and even some today.But the Flair/S-boat battles came when TV didn't play as pivatal of a part.But Flair made alot of ppl's career take off!
Wayneman117 2 years ago
flair was the best at making his oppent look like a superstar!!!!!!!!!
burgundyhbk 1 year ago
On this same program, Valentine lost via disqualification to the late Rick"Quick Draw" McGraw, who he threw over the top rope.
speakwhnspkn2 2 years ago
Wow! Greg Valentine and Flair must have been close as partners back then! He almost sounds like him on commentary!
tension1906 2 years ago
If memory serves, Flair had grown close with Johnny Valentine (Greg's father), and the plane crash that broke Flair's black left Johnny paralyzed. So Flair wound up teaming with Greg when he returned to the ring.
quikfax 2 years ago
Now this was back when you put somebody in a suplex....The match was over! Good ole' days!
monoxidechildxxx 2 years ago 2
Note to Triple H: This is how you make a star. Not tear them down to protect your spot.
RSXemperor 2 years ago 35
Rsxeperor,you're right on point.
mightyblack1 2 years ago
Wow, I have never seen Ric do a dropkick before!!!!
smashupdriver 2 years ago 2
excellent video, classic wrestling at it's best.
skizz624 2 years ago 2
The Greatest RIVARY...everrrr
Wayneman117 2 years ago
Was that Mean Gene Okerlund's voice at the very end saying: "More action after this" ?
cai1981 2 years ago
Comment removed
nurble 2 years ago
No, it was "Big" Bill Ward.
nurble 2 years ago
32 years of wrestling ...wow
TheGamegangsta2 2 years ago
LOL..and they mug him after the victory..vintage wrestling
orchidrain015 2 years ago
love the WAHOO ref.
rwprifive 2 years ago
and flair with a dropkick!!
stoningtonj 2 years ago
AWESOME!
Oddly enough, for high flying wrestlers, I have never seen Steamboat or Savage throw a dropkick. Still my all-time favorite move.
batmanjwo 2 years ago 2
those are some fancy boots Flair has on.
stoningtonj 2 years ago
Also, at 6:38 WOOOOO!!!
peaceandmetal88 2 years ago
Ricky is still in great shape, he could probably show the young punks of today how its done if WWE let him in the ring to wrestle again.
peaceandmetal88 2 years ago 3
Greg Valentine could talk some junk. He and Flair made a great tag team.
PsychProfessor 2 years ago
Nobody EVER beat Valentine and Flair
aj31313 2 years ago
bye rick
sakristanas13 2 years ago
Those were the days when referees dressed like golfers.
xxMKScorpxx 2 years ago 2
Whatever happened to Tommy Young?
pekernek 2 years ago
so awesome!!
theRrob 2 years ago
ric flair was in a plane wreck back in 75 just 2 yrs prior to this and he looks to have recovered quite nicely just 2 yrs earlier cause doctors told him that he would never wrestle again, it just goes to show that doctors dont know everything and can be wrong and his better days were yet to come in the 80s
facasj 2 years ago
These two young punks might just amount to something.
Ryushinku 2 years ago 11
lol that shuld be illegal wuts all that kungfu stuff anyway xD
zuperboy9 2 years ago
was that david crockett announcing steamboat as the new mid-atlantic tv champ
ericcollins81 2 years ago
a great match ric flair to be the man you half to beat the man and flair will always be the man
holbart76 2 years ago
this is the real thing!
4life1971 2 years ago
Comment removed
JMannrdu 2 years ago
Victory! 8:08 commence with the porno music and then...8:13...commence with the beatdown!
Lunacyk 2 years ago
Chris Jericho is a dick for what he did to Rickey Steamboat and Ric Flair
LGSPTJ 2 years ago
Comment removed
QYYproductions 2 years ago
Yeah, wow, Flair drop-kick at 4:39. Pretty weak, but I feel as if I'd just seen Elvis!
razzledingle 2 years ago
But give it him - he was young enough then to do a dropkick.
UGodd 2 years ago
does anybody have the footage of blackjack mulligan and big john studd feud or mulligan/flair feud?
vudukmafia 2 years ago
This is what a classic fued is all about. Steamboat and Flair are two champions and legends in every sense of the word. Edge, Batista, Orton Jr, watch these guys and learn. You will never, EVER see this quality of match with Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, or even the Ultimate loser.. Im sorry... Warrior
ashleybound 2 years ago 6
Thanks for posting this, I remember it well; I was a huge Ricky Steamboat fan, followed by Mr. Wrestling, Superstar and Tommy Wildfire Rich.
DLoBrown44 2 years ago
this was a BIG deal. I saw it . i was 10 After this everywhere was Steamboat/Flair. It's still another 4 yrs until Flair is NWA World Champ.
aj31313 2 years ago 11
it was 30 yrs ago
aj31313 2 years ago
Haha, in true Nature Boy fashion, he and Greg Valentine start beating on Steamboat after the match. Great stuff.
Even a drop kick by Flair? WTF???? lol
CenterOpposite 2 years ago
I remember when Flair paid Steamboat to tag with him because no one would. Paul Jones and Baron Von Rasche broke Flair's nose and he wanted revenge. I think I was 7 or 8 when that happend. Wrestling was exciting back then. Wrestlling at the Richmond Coliseum, Whew damn that was good!
viletantrum 3 years ago
Right before my tenth birthday LOL. Great stuff!! Thanks for the reminder of how 'real' pro wrestling used to be.
Fal25cons10 3 years ago
omg so long ago!!!!!
HARDYZ777 3 years ago
Let's see if Ricky Jr. is just like his dad. The legend of the Dragon lives!
silverblackman 3 years ago
I love how Steamboat turns his back on them.
Evil will always defeat good because good is dumb. -Spaceballs: the movie
aj31313 3 years ago
This playlist fucking rocks.
mkproject 3 years ago
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I always heard that the only one Steamboat would ever work a heel angle with is Flair, and that's with Steamboat as a heel, which goes to show the respect they mutually have for each other.
hcjc57 3 years ago
your absolutely correct!
jackd321 3 years ago
Steamboat wanted to go heel, but George Scott told him that he could go out with a chainsaw and saw his opponent up and the fans would still cheer him. That is why Steamboat never went heel.
mkl62 2 years ago 2
Check this out: Ricky Jr. actually wants to experiment with being a heel v. Reid Flair, and Reid's definitely up for the idea, buuuuuuuuuut....... not ol' Vinnie Mac, who wants to bring both in once they've been to Mexico & Japan for further seasoning either both as faces or Reid as the heel, according to the rumor mill!
hcjc57 2 years ago
Reid's recent heroin arrest may have put a clog in that. I sure hope the kid straightens out, because he's got a bright future ahead of him in wrestling if he wants it.
RaiderFanInNashville 2 years ago
Reid BETTER straighten himself up-we don't want a repeat of the Von Erichs tragedy! C'mon Naytch, the sooner you get Reid into rehab, the better!
hcjc57 2 years ago
Actually it wasnt George Scott that said that to Steamboat it was Pat Patterson when Steamboat was in the WWF for his second tour of duty (after his '89 NWA titel run)....Sandy Scott was the "booker" during this time.
MrDock 2 years ago
I feel that what they did to Steamboat then was a disgrace. He was only referred to as The Dragon, and Vince never even acknowledged his InterContinental Title reign from 1987. But Vince was always good at that in the '80's.
mkl62 2 years ago 2
A Suplex as a finisher? LOL?
iGodPlatin 3 years ago
Yeahhhhhhh, that's almost ridiculous as a leg drop. A big leg drop. Or an elbow drop. An elbow drop of the 'people'.
SashaNein 3 years ago 2
This is a great video. Thanks for sharing.
rustyb0lt 3 years ago
holy shit flair did a drop kick
nwauwf 3 years ago
i remember this from the dorton arena in raleigh nc free tickets every saturday for tv taping
rollrock47 3 years ago
Hey, whoever gave me the thumbs down, don't do that anymore. Hell, I didn't mean anything bad about Flair and Steamboat. Jeez, what gives?! I LOVE them, I don't hate 'em, god!
Lovelygal71 3 years ago
damn i wasnt even born in 1977 i was born in 1999
stonecold2322678 3 years ago
do you mean 79
nwauwf 3 years ago
but on the top it said 1977 not 1979 so i am right
stonecold2322678 3 years ago
lol you wrote 1999 are you telling me your 9 if so you better stop cursing! lol
nwauwf 3 years ago
Man I so wanted to do Ric Flair and Rick Steamboat. They both were my fantasy and still are too. I wish I could just turn back time. ;)
Lovelygal71 3 years ago
Don't worry about losers who do stuff like that. You know how they say that fighting on the internet is like the Special Olympics right?
Madams1977 3 years ago
@Madams1977 Yeah, right on. lol Ya got that right, Madams1977. :)
Lovelygal71 1 year ago
Man i was only 2 yrs old in 77.
livendapast 3 years ago
hell i wasnt even born until august jeeees
nwauwf 3 years ago
I like this match. It may not have the aura and atmosphere as their(Flair and Steamboat's)World Heavyweight Title match 12 years later at Chi-Town Rumble '89, but this video shows all the hallmarks of two true wrestling superstars in the making.
BTBugger 3 years ago
Damn...haven't seen this match since I was a teen......Would have been better if you left in the footage of Wahoo saving him.
sanstitle 3 years ago
Woooo!
MrPascow 3 years ago
"but he doesn't have the stamina that nature boy has!"
"YOUNG PUNK!!"
"I'm a PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT"
"HES DRIVING THAT THING HARD"
"STAMINA!"
"THAT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!"
"WHOAAAAA"
"DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!"
GOTTA LOVE THE END WHEN THEY BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM.
zare08 3 years ago
loved it when the jumped him at the end...that'll teach em
elem3 3 years ago
3:23...the first ever kidney punch to the chest in history. I grew up in WRAL country and treasure such carolina-style science.
concretedild0 3 years ago 3
then why commentator said "a good old kidney punch..?" if it was the first in history?
skinwalkerxxx 3 years ago
the kidneys are just behind the ribcage in the back...you'd need a sledgehammer to hurt the kidneys attacking from the front.
concretedild0 3 years ago
Now in Wrestling we have champions like DJ Bruce Jefferson and Michael Jackson the new Soap and Water World tag team Champions.
baliw33 3 years ago
This was back when wrestling shows had actual wrestling on them. Now all they do is talk and promote the next Pay-per-View special.
MattinNC74 3 years ago
Some day I'd like to see a PPV where everything is interviews and backstage vignettes. Set up the ring and everything...that would be the ultimate.
yardape99 3 years ago 2
Flair did a dropkick here! 4:38
itikganas 3 years ago
I reround it at least 10 times never saw one from him before!
willjarmon 3 years ago
Yeah, he landed on his head too! Maybe that is why he quit doing them. Ha!
lakecumberland 2 years ago
So many have commented on Ric Flair so let me give Steamboat his just due. I don't think there was a better face in pro wrestling than Steamboat. He was an incredible worker.
samsdaddy0525 3 years ago 3
Very true.
OmniNorth 3 years ago
Yes,he was a taylor made face!
1975tooto 3 years ago
To too hot scorpio, it's a proven fact that Ric can make a broomstick look good! He is a true player in the game. Most of these losers now all go for the high spot and then they are spent.Ric and the generation told stories!
Whoooooo!
kdogg7399 3 years ago 2
From one chicago brutha from another mother:"WHAT A RUSH!!!!!!!!!!!"
VolumedMusicMan 3 years ago
He could make a broomstick into a superstar.
OmniNorth 3 years ago 2
That was first said about Jack Brisco in fact. Though, I agree it could be said of Flair it could also be said of Steamboat. They all had an innate ability to make whoever they wrestle look like a million bucks.
Fit4Life1967 3 years ago
Ric's hair was cool!
MarkRigor17 3 years ago 3
Ric Flair forgot more moves than most of these punks will ever know! And dat's all dey need to know!!
kdogg7399 3 years ago
Strange how he used the same moves over and over again, a typical Flair vs bigger muscular face match
"Flair chops, face no sells and show's Ric how muscular he is, Flair begs for mercy, face punches and kicks Flair then whips into the turnbuckle, Flair goes upside down and is either caught and thrown off the turnbuckle or clotheslined off the ring apron.Face has Flair pinned for at least a 5 count but wait the referee is out cold, etc etc
that really is how it was for 75% of Flair's matches
toohotscorpio 3 years ago
Toohotscorpio, you have to see how Ric wrestled back in the territory days (pre 1986). He paced matches, made the top territory champion or star look like a million. He didn't always use his "script" all the time. Look at him on youtube against Jumbo Tsuruta, Ric Martel, and Rick Steamboat you'll see what I mean.
VolumedMusicMan 3 years ago
Nice match, thanks for posting!!
utookmynameufuck 3 years ago
Damn. The "Hammer" shoulda been a horseman
aj31313 3 years ago 3
That would have been incredible if Greg Valentine was a Horseman. Valentine and Flair are a great combination. Although i think the original lineup of the 4 Horsemen was the greatest.
tubewrestler 3 years ago
yeah man. i grew up in n. carolina . i remember
this when i was about 10. hated flair 'til i was old enough to know how cool he was. woooo
Steamboat came out of nowhere. Flair really put him over big time. probably saw 20 cards in late 70s, steanboat flair on every one
aj31313 3 years ago
Man, now that would have been a formidable edition of the 4 Horsemen! Ric Flair, Greg Valentine and the Minnesota Wrecking Crew: Ole and Arn Anderson? Wow, if only the NWA had thought of that in 1983 or 1984, it could have happened!
JuliusC1973 3 years ago
CLASSIC!...Flair/Steamboat is my favorite WRESTLING feud of all time...they're styles fit each other so perfectly and they had some of the greatest matches EVER in the sport...I love how with every title Flair had, Steamboat was ALWAYS there
miggy25 3 years ago
Flair doing a drop kick!!!!! Awesome!!!!
taysdad45 3 years ago
Anyone got the Flair/Steamboat matches from Chi Town Rumble, Wrestlewar and Clash of the Champions? I've searched on here but can't find them.
Velasca 3 years ago
Anyone got the Flair/Steamboat matches from Chi Town Rumble, Wrestlewar and Clash of the Champions? I've searched on here but can't find them.
Velasca 3 years ago
When Steamboat came to JCP, he was mainly a mid-carder. Flair saw his matches & told Jim Crockett, "I've got to work a program with this guy."
mkl62 3 years ago
This must have been shortly after Flair returned to the ring from the Johnny Valentine/Mr. Wrestling Tim Woods airplane crash. And, hell, Steamboat = often overlooked because of the 1994 back injury, but one of the greatest ever. Thanks!
MikeHL78 3 years ago
I would love to see Flair vs Valentine. They had some of the most amazing matches ever.
This is awesome, Steamboat had was so over with his "judo" (because Kung Fu would have been illegal, LOL)
daredevilpre 3 years ago
Does anyone have any footage of Flair and Valentine in their tag team days? If so please post it.
markwho 3 years ago
Wow, Flair with a dropkick!
multivox 3 years ago
I love how the announcer no sold the double team attack on Steamboat.
BabyFace316 4 years ago
Classic Flair/Steamboat action!!
Valentine commentary to boot!!
Keep it coming!
7ee1b751 4 years ago
If you are a fan of Flair, you need to read his book "To Be The Man". He chronicles his entire career from the time he trained with Verne Gagne to today. The best parts were how he talked about finding this hawaiian looking kid and how he just seemed to have that magic and how he groomed Steamboat and made him look good in the ring.
sparkieg45 4 years ago
This was pure magic. Sure, It was early in Steamboat's career but knowing where he went from here only makes this footage that more fun to watch.
larrystarstruck 4 years ago
Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair between 1977-1979 and their series between 1983-1984 were legendary...After Steamboat left for the WWF HIS talents were lost in the shuffle except for his brief run against Greg Valentine, the Muraco fued and his Macho fued.
trainalways 4 years ago