ricky steamboat in one of his first wwf matches

[hoghash78]

And Steamboat can still wrestle.

But I was more of a Macho Man fan, hoped he could have come back.

[JonathanVonErich]

Steamboat is the man.

[OtorresFitness]

Steamboat was a complete package. Too bad Vinnie Mac never allowed him to get a shot for the big gold (WWE belt).

[Derby14]

Throughout the history of generations...wrestling fans never get tired of seeing a "skin the cat" maneuver!

[carter2]

Steamboat was always boring to me..

[ysengwai]

Yeah, we defintely need a Steamboat DVD, he is one of the most underrated WWE superstars. Vince didnt give him a chance to be a main eventer simply bcos he & Savage overshadowed Hulk-Andre at WM3 & also he took time off to take care of his new born

[kisser83]

We need a  Ricky Steamboat DVD.

Who's with me?

[catdaddy2006]

Agreed...We need an entire Mid Atlantic wrestling set. They have all this footage that fans want and they do nothing with it. We get the footage ...they get the money. Everybody's happy.

[Scoclamor]

@kisser83 Aren't we getting one in June?

[kisser83]

@Scoclamor I hope so.

[Scoclamor]

@kisser83 They are! June 29th release date! I'm buying in on that day! Who else?

[mkl62]

In Dec., 1984, Magnum TA came to the Mid-Atlantic. Dusty gave him a push and Steamboat, who had been the top face there since 1977, was pushed down the ladder. So he went to Crockett and asked to be released. He then went to WWE. It seems that Dusty was a little power hungry. At the time, Steamboat and Don Kernodle were in a program with the Russians. After Steamer's departure, Magnum took his spot, along with a one-time appearance by Sgt. Slaughter.

[raclos234]

thanks for the info! many times the politics backstage is more exciting than the actual action inside the ring!

[mkl62]

Yes. That's true. Barry Darsow, who wrestled as Krusher Kruschev and later as Demolition Smash, said some unflattering things about Dusty from Starrcade '85. It's almost a miracle that he didn't punch both him and Jim Crockett out. That was also the first time that the Dusty Finish was used in the match against Ric Flair.

[raclos234]

whats the 'dusty finish?' i didnt grow up watching the old nwa until 87-88' (parents didnt have cable lol) and only started watching the old wwf during the rock and wrestling boom in 85.'

i never was fan of dusty...i never knew until recently that he had that much power backstage (as a booker etc.) no wonder why this out of shape slob held the title so many times!

[mkl62]

He didn't invent it, but he used it so many times. The heel would do something to get DQ'd, but the ref would get knocked out before he could stop the match. A second ref would come down & award the match to the face, but then the first ref, now "revived," would overrule the second ref and return the belt to the heel. It cheapened Ric Flair's worth as champion.

[Sargebri]

Ironically, a few weeks after Steamboat's WWF debut, one of the local stations out here started showing Mid Atlantic's sydicated show "World Wide Wrestling" and for a couple of weeks Steamboat was appearing on both WWF television and on World Wide.

[jasonecohen6]

God Lombardi was fat then, usually they get fatter as they get older but he has certainly thinned out. Wonder if he could someday get hall of fame consideration seeing he was the greatest jobber of all time

[jerichofanforlife]

Agreed, Steve Lombardi made everyon he had matches with look great. I think he should get into the wwe HOF.

[HHHxXxHBK]

wewewew

[janglar]

Lombardi was robbed! Steamboat clearly used an illegal closed fist during the cross-body block off the top turnbuckle. I was always a huge fan of Ricky the Dragon (Steamboat vs Macho Man at WM III undisputed greatest match ever), but also lived through the agony of Steve Lombardi always getting shafted on the greatness he deserved. Lombardi's face today would be engraved on the Intercontinental strap had he been allowed to show his greatness, thanks to he greed of Vince Fagmahon

[finylvinyl66]

Is there such a thing as "illegal" in pro wrestling?

[livuali]

Why did change his wrestling gear...he looked great in those trunks

[frank5304]

vince loved to take respectible wrestlers from the nwa and turn them into freak shows.

[CadillacL]

I totally agree. Look what he did to Dusty, etc.

[PatrickHSF]

Totally agree. Dragon looks super in those red hip-hugger briefs.

[at1212b]

Amazing flyng body. So clean.

Helluva alot better the today's so-called 'modern superstars'.

[miggy25]

I never saw Steamboat in the WWF looking like this...He still has the best cross-body I've ever seen...I loved Steve Lombardi...He was my favorite jobber lol

[BooBooLane]

mig, did u know Sam Steamboat is his dad?

[CadillacL]

Actually, Ricky isn't related to Sam Steamboat. He used the name Steamboat

in honor of him but, no relation.

[Lava1964]

Nice catch by Lombardi before the pin.

[statue75]

And lookit...a young(er) Steve Lombardi is doing the honors.