strummer 0 Report post Posted August 30, 2004 Just re-watched the 2nd disc of the Flair DVD (Steamboat and Funk programs) and noticed something about Steamboat. When Steamboat is introduced as Eddie Gilbert's mystery partner, Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone practically have an orgasm. Ross and Schiavone put Ricky over HUGE. Flair and Windham act petrified of him and JJ Dillon was going crazy on the outside. At one point, the announcer's call him a "God of wrestling". Ricky pins Flair clean and the announcers act like it was just a mere formality. It was funny to me to see this because of how Ricky was treated in the WWF from 85-88. In the WWF, he was treated as just another wrestler, albeit a talented and popular one, but not a huge star. I could never imagine Gorilla Monsoon or Vince screaming like that when Steamboat came out to wrestle. Ricky was put over more in 10 minutes in the NWA than he was in nearly 4 years with the WWF. If I would have saw this when I was a 10 year old mark, I would have been like "Why are they going crazy over Steamboat, he just lost to Kamala in the WWF, he doesn't have a chance against Flair" Just wanted to point out that this was one of the greatest debuts (or returns) of a wrestler I have ever seen, Steamboat was put over as a deity, and was practically a top guy from the start. To bad Steamboat did not draw well, but it wasn't the fault of the announcers or the wrestlers, as they put him over as an uber wrestling machine. This is how you introduce a guy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumMan831 0 Report post Posted August 30, 2004 Well, from the vibe I got, up UNTIL he lost the IC Title to the Honytonk Man, Ricky Steamboat was treated as a big deal. He had his own Coliseum Video. He didn't have a goofy gimmick, just a nickname . . . and a catchy one at that. He practically beat all his heel foes and the ones who did get the best of him needed a lot of help, either from a foreign object or interference. It's just that Hulk Hogan was #1 and no one was going to get near him for quite some time. Now, after he returned in the fall of 1987 is another story altogether. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
strummer 0 Report post Posted August 30, 2004 He was treated as a big star to a degree. However, he sold too much to be a top face in the WWF. That might not make sense, but the WWF wanted their top faces to be indestructable and Ricky sold so well and convincingly, that he got great sympathy heat, but not Hogan or Warrior "Superman" heat (the Roberts and Savage programs come to mind where he got great sympathy heat) When Ricky came to the ring, the announcers weren't going "OMG, here's Ricky Steamboat, Randy Savage is going to get demolished" And towards the end, he was doing jobs to Kamala and the like, establishing him as not "big enough" to beat the monsters. It was just so weird to me to here the NWA announcers go crazy for Steamboat, like everyone should cower in fear from him. He was getting the "Superman" sell from the announcers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jericholic82 0 Report post Posted September 5, 2004 is your dvd different, cuz on mine, the extra starts with steamboat already in the ring. I really wish they would have shown the whole intro part. but yea it is a really great way to put over someone in their first match. steamboat was well remembered by old nwa fans from the late 70s/early 80s and his whole history with flair. If I was a fan in 89, that would have been a really shocking moment to me. They kinda copied it when rick returned to wcw in 91 as dustin rhodes mystery partner and won the tag titles at the nov 91 clash, but clearly not to the same extent Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted September 5, 2004 They kinda copied it when rick returned to wcw in 91 as dustin rhodes mystery partner and won the tag titles at the nov 91 clash, but clearly not to the same extent That reminds me....Vince REALLY treated Steamboat like crap in 1991. He takes the trouble of signing him back...and repackages him as a REAL DRAGON! He wasn't Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, he was The Dragon. Commentators were made to to think he was some Johnny Come Lately that no one knew about, and he was pretty much "Feuding" at house shows with Skinner, Haku, and other lower mid-carders. He did have 2 MSG wins in the summer of 91 over other "greats" like Paul Roma and Demolition Smash (who was going singles until being given the Repo Man gimmick). Too bad he left before Survivor Series 91, I remember looking forward to seeing him in the match against Hercules, Skinner, The Berzerker, and Col. Mustafa. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumMan831 0 Report post Posted September 5, 2004 Did he even lose a match in his 1991 WWF stint? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted September 8, 2004 Probably at the end of his run, but on T.V. he really didn't fight anyone good enough to beat him unless it was DQ/CO. I personally have only seen him squash jobbers and MSG event matches. I'd check Cawthons site but I'd go nuts after a month of results. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
