The world of professional wrestling is not so dissimilar from the rest of the world in the sense that it really encompasses people from all walks of life, with unique experiences, motives and characters. Certainly, there are particular traits that are often seen in the sport, and that’s especially true when it comes to the “cream of the crop” in wrestling. To be a top star in the sport, it often requires a cutthroat attitude – a willingness to do whatever it takes to get ahead. There are only so many spots at the top of the game after all, and with a genre that historically has relied on machismo and intimidation as key elements, it makes sense that the people who excel in this field are not always the most virtuous. As time passes, it seems, we as fans are continually reminded of a couple of things. First being that: nice guys finish last. Secondly: you never really know who people are behind closed doors. HOWEVER… let’s take what few wins we can get, and be blissful in our ignorance while we still can. Our next inductee is one that I’m personally very happy to be able to induct because he may be the wrestling legend with the most stellar reputation as it relates to the content of his character. But we don’t induct people off of their vibes, we select the greatest contributors to this industry based on the pedigree of their performances, and this man fits the bill comfortably. This is a guy who wore every hat as a wrestler, ranging from tag teamer, to midcarder, to main eventer. He really did it all… except he didn’t play heel. This is one of *the* all-time purest of babyfaces. A star who gave it all to the business, respected the sacred art of wrestling, raised the level of competition and left the game better than he found it. Please welcome to the Wrestling Smarks Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame —
RICKY
“THE DRAGON”
STEAMBOAT
A round of applause for a true icon of the sport! Although he is often placed in conversations about the best guys who were always just a step below being the face of the brand, Steamboat’s legacy in wrestling is permanently etched and there’s no questioning he is one of the most recognizable names and gimmicks of all time. Coming onto the scene in the late 70s through the AWA system, Steamboat took to the sport very seamlessly and would soon use his physical gifts and forward-thinking style to make a huge splash. Steamboat came into his own as a performer in the 80s in JCP alongside luminaries like Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Jake Roberts and The Brisco Brothers, capturing the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship during his near-decade stint there before joining WWF in 1985, as the company was reaching unparalleled heights. The new environment would pit him against many of his old foes that had made the leap, as well as many new, dynamic challengers that Steamboat would have to meet. His initial run in WWF would last just three years, but would help define his career. During his run, he would gain his “Dragon” moniker, compete at the first ever WrestleMania, and deliver a match that is consistently brought up in GOAT conversations, against Macho Man at WrestleMania III. To this day, the virtuoso performance against Savage is one of the gold standard matches in all of wrestling – a moment in time in wrestling history where the stars aligned and two of the all-time greats of pro wrestling collided in a perfect storm, both at the top of their games, and crafted a piece of work that deserves a Hall of Fame induction all its own. And then… he went to WCW and had a few matches that I would argue were even better! The ‘89 series of matches against Ric Flair are right up there with the Savage bout in terms of landmark matches in wrestling history, and it was during this run where he would win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, which would be his only reign with a World Championship at this scale. His career in the early 90s was a bit transient at first, with an NJPW tour and a brief return to the WWF on the books. Steamboat’s final run, which would help cement his legacy as a performer, would come in WCW from ‘91 to ‘94. During this time, Steamboat showed his true versatility as a swiss army knife for WCW, skilled enough to step into whatever role and hit a homerun. This era is remembered for such exploits as the Iron Man match against Rick Rude, War Games 1992, the classic tag match with Dustin Rhodes against Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko, as well as a US Title feud against “Stunning” Steve Austin.
Ultimately, Steamboat’s retirement would be brought on by a back injury in 1994, as he was still at or near the peak of his abilities. A decorated veteran no doubt, but his skills were still sharp enough to hang with the top workers coming up after him. It’s a fine line to walk, knowing when to walk away from the sport. In pro wrestling, all too often, we see legends who drag things out longer than what they probably should. But in a case like Steamboat, a legend’s career was taken from him unexpectedly, without a chance for a proper finale, and that’s much crueler. Or at least it would be. But Steamboat stayed close to the industry, working in numerous roles from road agent to referee to authority figure over the years. Steamboat would make his return to the ring in 2009, at the age of 56, to have a short series with Chris Jericho, which included a big WrestleMania clash that gave the legend his moment in the sun to close out his career on the proper note. So I guess all that leaves is just one thing for Steamboat to really put a button on his career. Everyone, please welcome Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat into the Wrestling Smarks Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame!
RICKY
“THE DRAGON”
STEAMBOAT
A round of applause for a true icon of the sport! Although he is often placed in conversations about the best guys who were always just a step below being the face of the brand, Steamboat’s legacy in wrestling is permanently etched and there’s no questioning he is one of the most recognizable names and gimmicks of all time. Coming onto the scene in the late 70s through the AWA system, Steamboat took to the sport very seamlessly and would soon use his physical gifts and forward-thinking style to make a huge splash. Steamboat came into his own as a performer in the 80s in JCP alongside luminaries like Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Jake Roberts and The Brisco Brothers, capturing the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship during his near-decade stint there before joining WWF in 1985, as the company was reaching unparalleled heights. The new environment would pit him against many of his old foes that had made the leap, as well as many new, dynamic challengers that Steamboat would have to meet. His initial run in WWF would last just three years, but would help define his career. During his run, he would gain his “Dragon” moniker, compete at the first ever WrestleMania, and deliver a match that is consistently brought up in GOAT conversations, against Macho Man at WrestleMania III. To this day, the virtuoso performance against Savage is one of the gold standard matches in all of wrestling – a moment in time in wrestling history where the stars aligned and two of the all-time greats of pro wrestling collided in a perfect storm, both at the top of their games, and crafted a piece of work that deserves a Hall of Fame induction all its own. And then… he went to WCW and had a few matches that I would argue were even better! The ‘89 series of matches against Ric Flair are right up there with the Savage bout in terms of landmark matches in wrestling history, and it was during this run where he would win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, which would be his only reign with a World Championship at this scale. His career in the early 90s was a bit transient at first, with an NJPW tour and a brief return to the WWF on the books. Steamboat’s final run, which would help cement his legacy as a performer, would come in WCW from ‘91 to ‘94. During this time, Steamboat showed his true versatility as a swiss army knife for WCW, skilled enough to step into whatever role and hit a homerun. This era is remembered for such exploits as the Iron Man match against Rick Rude, War Games 1992, the classic tag match with Dustin Rhodes against Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko, as well as a US Title feud against “Stunning” Steve Austin.
Ultimately, Steamboat’s retirement would be brought on by a back injury in 1994, as he was still at or near the peak of his abilities. A decorated veteran no doubt, but his skills were still sharp enough to hang with the top workers coming up after him. It’s a fine line to walk, knowing when to walk away from the sport. In pro wrestling, all too often, we see legends who drag things out longer than what they probably should. But in a case like Steamboat, a legend’s career was taken from him unexpectedly, without a chance for a proper finale, and that’s much crueler. Or at least it would be. But Steamboat stayed close to the industry, working in numerous roles from road agent to referee to authority figure over the years. Steamboat would make his return to the ring in 2009, at the age of 56, to have a short series with Chris Jericho, which included a big WrestleMania clash that gave the legend his moment in the sun to close out his career on the proper note. So I guess all that leaves is just one thing for Steamboat to really put a button on his career. Everyone, please welcome Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat into the Wrestling Smarks Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame!
our ace is in the hall
