The Dragon: Steamboat's Successful Career

One of the most successful, popular, and respected performers in all of professional wrestling, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat's blend of technical mastery, martial arts expertise, and high flying offense brought him a Hall of Fame caliber career. A key note to consider in the thirty years and counting that Steamboat has been involved in the business, including eighteen in the ring, is that "The Dragon" never played the heel. Not once. Ever. Born Richard Blood, Steamboat would begin his career in Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association (AWA) in 1976 as Sam Steamboat, Jr., based upon Sam Steamboat, an older wrestler from Hawaii (no relation). He would also wrestle under his real name for a brief spell before switching to Ricky Steamboat

While the team with Jones had been very good for Steamboat, producing two Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles and a World Tag Team Championship, as well as 1978's PWI Tag Team of the Year Award, Jones would shock fans by turning viciously on Steamboat at the end of a battle royal, triggering a lengthy feud. Capping off his year, Steamboat would win his second United States Heavyweight Championship, once again at the expense of the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. After dropping the title back to Flair on April Fool's Day 1979, a legendary tag team was born, as Steamboat began to partner with Jay Youngblood. Gaining revenge on Paul Jones, who had went on to another World Tag Team title with Baron Von Raschke, the new tandem upended the champs to take the belts in October 1979. Over the course of the next four years, in addition to a Mid-Atlantic Tag Team title, Steamboat and Youngblood would engage in classic battles and feuds, squaring off with the likes of "Crippler" Ray Stevens and Greg Valentine (from whom they would win their second World Tag Team titles), Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle (an epic feud that would bring them a third World Tag Team championship), and a violent feud with Jack and Jerry Brisco, in which they would trade the titles back and forth, including a big win by Steamboat and Youngblood for the belts at the inaugural Starrcade

After a largely forgettable 1988, not only had Steamboat returned to become World Champion, but he had wrestled and won the 1989 PWI Match of the Year! They would continue to battle over the belt, with Flair regaining it at WrestleWar in May 1989. Steamboat would go on to defeat Terry Funk the following month on Clash of the Champions VII, before taking another sabbatical from the ring in July. March 1991 would see Ricky Steamboat return to the World Wrestling Federation, although this time as a mid-card wrestler, wearing a dragon outfit and blowing fire as part of his entrance. This stint would be short-lived, with the only real highlight being a fifteen minute time-limit draw at the 1991 King of the Ring. Shortly thereafter, Steamboat would be gone again for good from the WWF as a competitor. In November of 1991, Ricky Steamboat would return to the NWA, now known as World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Returning as a surprise tag team partner of Dustin Rhodes, the pair would waste no time in winning the WCW World Tag Team titles at Clash of the Champions XVII, defeating 1991 PWI Tag Team of the Year Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko to