NWA · WCW · WWF • 1976–2010
Ricky Steamboat
Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat is widely regarded as one of the greatest pure wrestlers in history — a 1× NWA World Heavyweight Champion whose 1989 trilogy with Ric Flair is considered the gold standard of professional wrestling.
- Born
- Feb 28, 1953
- Hometown
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Height / Wt
- 6'0" / 235 lb
- Active
- 1976–2010
- Signature
- Flying Crossbody
- Alliance
- Face (career-long)
The Career Ledger
The record of Ricky Steamboat
A curated ledger of Ricky Steamboat's most significant matches. Cross-checked against WWE.com, Wikipedia and Cagematch.
| Result | Opponent | Event | Date | Stipulation | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | Randy Savage | WrestleMania III | Mar 29, 1987 | WWF IC Championship | Flying Crossbody — ★★★★★ |
| Loss | Honky Tonk Man | WWF TV | Jun 2, 1987 | WWF IC Championship | Title change — guitar interference |
| Win | Ric Flair | Chi-Town Rumble | Feb 20, 1989 | NWA World Heavyweight Championship | Press slam + crossbody pin |
| Loss | Ric Flair | WrestleWar 1989 | May 7, 1989 | NWA World Heavyweight Championship — 2/3 Falls | Flair wins 2nd fall via figure-four — trilogy fall 2 |
| Win | Ric Flair | Clash of Champions VI | Apr 2, 1989 | NWA World Heavyweight Championship — Best of 7 | Reversal pin — trilogy fall 1 (April Clash) |
| Loss | Steve Austin | WCW TV (Clash XXVIII) | Aug 24, 1994 | WCW United States Championship | Austin retains — heel tactics |
| Win | Steve Austin & Brian Pillman | WCW Saturday Night | Mar 2, 1993 | NWA/WCW World Tag Team Championship | Defended vs. Hollywood Blonds — BLONDS WIN (Steamboat & Douglas lose titles) |
| Win | Ric Flair | Clash of Champions XII | Sep 5, 1990 | Singles | Crossbody pin |
| Loss | Ric Flair | WCW Superbrawl | Feb 21, 1993 | WCW Television Championship | Flair pins Steamboat |
| Win | Chris Jericho | WWE Backlash 2009 | Apr 26, 2009 | Stretcher Match | One-night return — Steamboat wins by unanimous praise |
- WinRandy Savage
WrestleMania III · Mar 29, 1987
WWF IC Championship · Flying Crossbody — ★★★★★
- LossHonky Tonk Man
WWF TV · Jun 2, 1987
WWF IC Championship · Title change — guitar interference
- WinRic Flair
Chi-Town Rumble · Feb 20, 1989
NWA World Heavyweight Championship · Press slam + crossbody pin
- LossRic Flair
WrestleWar 1989 · May 7, 1989
NWA World Heavyweight Championship — 2/3 Falls · Flair wins 2nd fall via figure-four — trilogy fall 2
- WinRic Flair
Clash of Champions VI · Apr 2, 1989
NWA World Heavyweight Championship — Best of 7 · Reversal pin — trilogy fall 1 (April Clash)
- LossSteve Austin
WCW TV (Clash XXVIII) · Aug 24, 1994
WCW United States Championship · Austin retains — heel tactics
- WinSteve Austin & Brian Pillman
WCW Saturday Night · Mar 2, 1993
NWA/WCW World Tag Team Championship · Defended vs. Hollywood Blonds — BLONDS WIN (Steamboat & Douglas lose titles)
- WinRic Flair
Clash of Champions XII · Sep 5, 1990
Singles · Crossbody pin
- LossRic Flair
WCW Superbrawl · Feb 21, 1993
WCW Television Championship · Flair pins Steamboat
WWE Backlash 2009 · Apr 26, 2009
Stretcher Match · One-night return — Steamboat wins by unanimous praise
| Result | Opponent | Event | Date | Stipulation | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | Randy Savage | WrestleMania III | Mar 29, 1987 | WWF Intercontinental Championship | Flying crossbody — all-time great WM match |
| Loss | Randy Savage | WrestleMania V | Apr 2, 1989 | Singles | Savage revenge win |
WrestleMania record: 1–1
Ring science
How Ricky Steamboat won — and lost
Steamboat's crossbody was among the most credible high-flying finishers of the territory era — a fast, fluid spot that could beat anyone convincingly. He rarely needed gimmick finishes; his in-ring story told the win.
1989
Year of his trilogy with Flair — the benchmark for match quality
★★★★★
WM III vs. Savage — one of the first matches to receive a perfect five-star rating from Dave Meltzer
3×
Held the WCW World TV Title — most reigns of any holder at his era
2009
One-night comeback at Backlash — still got a standing ovation working with Jericho
Title history
Championship gold across four decades
Chapter by chapter
Career timeline
Territory debut
Trained in the NWA system; debut across Southeast territories.
WWF arrival
Brought in as a fan-favourite babyface; immediate push into the IC title picture.
WrestleMania III — the match
Defeats Randy Savage for the Intercontinental title at WM III (93,000 fans, Silverdome). One of wrestling's greatest moments.
NWA World Title & the Flair Trilogy
Three all-time-great matches with Ric Flair over the NWA title (Chi-Town Rumble, WrestleWar, Clash VI). The 1989 trilogy set the standard for match quality worldwide.
WCW second run
Returns to WCW; feuds with Austin over the U.S. title. Still delivering ★★★★+ matches in his late 30s.
One-night return
Competes at WWE Backlash 2009 in a Stretcher Match — receives a standing ovation from the live crowd and media.
WWE Hall of Fame
Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010, presented by Ric Flair.
Essential viewing
Signature matches
vs. Randy Savage — WM III (1987)
WWF Intercontinental Championship · Mar 29, 1987
60+ spots in 14 minutes, fluid as any match ever filmed. Set the template for what a WWF title match could look like on the grandest stage.
vs. Ric Flair — Chi-Town Rumble (1989)
NWA World Heavyweight Championship · Feb 20, 1989
The first act of the trilogy — Steamboat wins the NWA title with a press-slam crossbody. Pure technique and storytelling.
vs. Ric Flair — WrestleWar (1989)
NWA World Heavyweight Championship 2/3 Falls · May 7, 1989
The third act and many observers' favourite match in history. A 55-minute masterclass that is still studied in wrestling schools today.
Greatest feuds
Rivalries that defined an era
Ric Flair
The defining rivalry of Steamboat's career — a 1989 trilogy across three pay-per-views that remains the standard for five-star wrestling.
Randy Savage
WM III and WM V — the matches that put Steamboat on the map and defined mid-card wrestling excellence.
Steve Austin & Brian Pillman
Hollywood Blonds stole the NWA/WCW tag titles from Steamboat & Shane Douglas in 1993 — a high point of early-'90s WCW tag team storytelling.
Chris Jericho
2009 one-night feud that produced a Backlash stretcher match — proof that Steamboat still had it decades in.
Tag teams & alliances
Partnerships & relationships
Tag partner
Shane Douglas — won the NWA/WCW tag titles in 1993; the Blonds dethroned them.
Trainer lineage
NWA territory system — same system that produced Ric Flair, Wahoo McDaniel, and the Funks.
Son
Richie Steamboat — also a WWE developmental talent (2010s), trained by his father.
On Screen
Television & film
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
Did Ricky Steamboat ever win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship?
Yes. Steamboat defeated Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Chi-Town Rumble on February 20, 1989. He held the title for approximately two months before losing it to Flair at WrestleWar 1989 in a 2-out-of-3-falls match.
What is Ricky Steamboat's best match?
Most historians cite either the WrestleMania III match vs. Randy Savage (March 29, 1987) or the WrestleWar 1989 2/3-falls match vs. Ric Flair as Steamboat's best. Dave Meltzer awarded both ★★★★★. The 1989 Flair trilogy is widely considered the greatest series of matches in wrestling history.
How is Ricky Steamboat connected to Steve Austin?
Steve Austin and Brian Pillman (as The Hollywood Blonds) defeated Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas to win the NWA/WCW World Tag Team Championship in March 1993. Austin also feuded with Steamboat over the WCW United States Championship in 1994, with Austin winning that feud.
When was Ricky Steamboat inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame?
Ricky Steamboat was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010, presented by his long-time rival and friend Ric Flair.
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