Richard Henry Blood Sr. (born February 28, 1953), better known by his ring name Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat, is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his work with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Steamboat is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential professional wrestlers of all time.
In JCP and WCW, he was a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, a four-time United States Heavyweight Champion, a four-time World Television Champion, a 12-time World Tag Team Champion (eight under the WCW banner, one (though unofficial) under the NWA banner, and three under the Mid-Atlantic banner), and a two-time Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion. In the WWF/E, Steamboat was a one-time Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
Richard Henry Blood was born on February 28, 1953, in West Point, New York, to a Japanese American mother and a white father. He went to high school first in New York and later graduated in 1971 from Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport, Florida, where he was on the amateur wrestling team. He was a two-time New York state qualifier and a Florida state champion.
American Wrestling Association (1976)
Blood was trained to wrestle by Verne Gagne and The Iron Sheik. He debuted in March 1976 as a babyface in Gagne's Minneapolis, Minnesota–based American Wrestling Association (AWA), wrestling as "Rick Blood". His early opponents included Scott Irwin, Buck Zumhofe, Mad Dog Vachon, and Blackjack Lanza. In May 1976, he took part in a two ring, $50,000 battle royal that was won by Mad Dog Vachon and Larry Hennig. He left the AWA later that month to join Championship Wrestling from Florida.
Championship Wrestling from Florida (1976–1977)
Before Blood's debut in Championship Wrestling from Florida, Eddie Graham gave him the ring name "Ricky Steamboat" based on his resemblance to Hawaiian wrestler Sammy Steamboat. According to Steamboat, Graham thought "Rick Blood" was a good name for a heel, but not a face.
Jim Crockett Promotions (1977–1985)
In 1977, Steamboat entered the National Wrestling Alliance-sanctioned Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) (which ran under the concurrent brand names "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" and "Wide World Wrestling"—later "World Wide Wrestling"—as well as airing syndicated TV programs under those respective names), where he would remain for the next eight years of his career. Steamboat, who had been brought in by JCP booker George Scott on the recommendation of Wahoo McDaniel, was initially billed as a babyface protege of Wahoo and barely spoke above whispers in interviews. Matching him with his brash young counterpart, Ric Flair, was a natural fit. Steamboat was doing an interview on the syndicated Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling when Flair, then Mid-Atlantic television champion, began goading him. Steamboat knocked Flair out with a backhand chop to set up a match between the two. Steamboat's star-making performance came when he pinned Flair after a double thrust off the top rope to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship at the WRAL-TV studios in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Over the next eight years in JCP, Steamboat captured the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship three times and the NWA World Tag Team Championship six times (once with Paul Jones and five times with Jay Youngblood). He also held the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship singles crown twice and the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship four times (three times with Paul Jones, once with Jay Youngblood). He also won the Television title (which had been renamed NWA World Television Championship) a second time.
Notable moments involving Steamboat's time in the Mid-Atlantic territory include: the day Flair dragged his face around the television studio, causing facial scarring, and Steamboat retaliating the following week by ripping Flair's expensive suit to shreds (an angle that would be reworked several times involving other wrestlers in the years that followed); when longtime tag team partner Jones turned heel on Steamboat at the end of a two-ring battle royal; Steamboat and Youngblood painting yellow streaks down the backs of Paul Jones and Baron von Raschke to embarrass them into defending the World Tag Team titles against the two; Steamboat and Youngblood's top drawing feud with Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle; Steamboat and Youngblood being turned on by their friends Jack and Jerry Brisco; Steamboat in a shocking (and emotional) feud against former mentor McDaniel; and his last great series in the territory, feuding with Tully Blanchard over the NWA TV title. After creative differences with JCP booker Dusty Rhodes, Steamboat left the NWA.
World Wrestling Federation (1985–1988)
Birth of "the Dragon" (1985–1986)
In 1985, Steamboat was offered a contract by Vince McMahon and joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Shortly after his debut (where he defeated Steve Lombardi on Championship Wrestling), Steamboat was given the gimmick of a babyface nicknamed "the Dragon"; Steamboat's jacket-and-trunks attire was replaced by a keikogi and long tights. Steamboat's mother is Japanese American, hence his Asian features crucial for his "Dragon" gimmick. Steamboat kept the nickname and gimmick for the remainder of his career.
He appeared at the inaugural WrestleMania, where he defeated Matt Borne in the card's third match. On the September 14, 1985, edition of Championship Wrestling, Steamboat defeated Mr. Fuji, but after his victory was attacked by Fuji's protege Don Muraco, pitting Steamboat in a feud against Muraco and Fuji. During a televised episode of Championship Wrestling, Steamboat and Muraco were scheduled for a match that never officially started after Muraco jumped Steamboat before the bell. Following the beat down, Muraco and Fuji used Steamboat's karate black belt to hang him outside the ring from the top rope before Steamboat was finally saved by Tito Santana and the Junkyard Dog. On the November 2 Saturday Night's Main Event III, he defeated Fuji in a kung-fu challenge. On the January 4, 1986, Saturday Night's Main Event IV, his intense feud with Muraco ended after he and the JYD beat Muraco and Fuji in a tag team match.
In the opening round at WWF The Wrestling Classic, Steamboat faced Davey Boy Smith in a rare match pitting two fan favorites against each other. The match moved back and forth until Smith landed in the ropes trying to attack Steamboat, but Steamboat sidestepped and Smith injured his groin and was unable to continue, so Steamboat was awarded the match by forfeit. He then faced off against Randy Savage in the quarterfinals. The referee was distracted by Miss Elizabeth as Savage took advantage and pulled out brass knuckles from his tights and hit Steamboat before pinning him to win the match.
After a victory over Hercules Hernandez at the Los Angeles portion of WrestleMania 2, Steamboat began his next feud with Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Their feud began when Roberts attacked him before their match on the May 3 Saturday Night's Main Event VI, which did not occur due to Roberts assaulting Steamboat. Roberts was initially reluctant to deliver the DDT on the concrete floor due to his fear that Steamboat would not be able to stop his head from hitting the floor, which, on this particular occasion, was not covered with protective mats. Vince McMahon and booker George Scott were adamant that the spot take place outside the ring. Only after assurances by Steamboat that he would protect himself did Roberts agree to it. However, Roberts' fears came true and Steamboat was legitimately knocked out when his forehead hit the concrete. Roberts later described the sound as like a watermelon bursting. They later battled each other in a Snake Pit match (no DQ) in front of 74,000 fans at The Big Event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which Steamboat won with a small package despite Roberts dominating virtually the entire match to that point. Their feud finally ended on the October 4 Saturday Night's Main Event VII, when Steamboat defeated Roberts in their Snake Pit rematch. Following the match, Roberts continued to attack Steamboat and was about to place his snake Damien on him, but Steamboat took his Komodo Dragon out of his bag and scared Roberts from the ring.