TSC Evaluation #32: Ricky Steamboat

[mrken12]

I delayed the thread because of the post-Wrestlemania activity.

In the last evaluation, Shelton Benjamin got a score of 7.50.

TSC Evaluation #31: Shelton Benjamin

Spoiler: Leaderboard

Rick Rude: 9.16 TSC Evaluation #21: Rick Rude
Sting: 9.00 TSC Evaluation #20: Sting
Rey Mysterio Jr.: 8.78 TSC Evaluation #15: Rey Mysterio Jr
Scott Steiner: 8.59 TSC Evaluation #2: Scott Steiner
Booker T: 8.53 TSC Evaluation #25: Booker T
Terry Funk: 8.40 TSC Evaluation #11: Terry Funk
Vader: 8.25 TSC Evaluation #12: Vader
Rob Van Dam: 8.14 TSC Evaluation #9: Rob Van Dam
Andre The Giant: 8.10 TSC Evaluation #18: Andre The Giant
DDP: 7.95 TSC Evaluation #16: Diamond Dallas Page
CM Punk: 7.92 TSC Evaluation #7: CM Punk
Owen Hart: 7.79 TSC Evaluation #30: Owen Hart
Raven: 7.71 TSC Evaluation #19: Raven
Batista: 7.69 TSC Evaluation #28: Batista
Ron Simmons: 7.56 TSC Evaluation #26: Ron Simmons
Roddy Piper: 7.53 TSC Evaluation #6: Roddy Piper
2 Cold Scorpio: 7.36 TSC Evaluation #23: 2 Cold Scorpio
Goldberg: 7.18 TSC Evaluation #3: Goldberg
Sycho Sid: 7.02 TSC Evaluation #4: Sycho Sid / Sid Vicious
Junkyard Dog: 6.92 TSC Evaluation #24: Junkyard Dog
Ultimate Warrior: 6.79 TSC Evaluation #10: The Ultimate Warrior
MVP: 6.64 TSC Evaluation #27: Montel Vontavious Porter
D'Lo Brown: 6.48 TSC Evaluation #13: D'Lo Brown
Sabu: 6.12 TSC Evaluation #22: Sabu
Lex Luger: 6.03 TSC Evaluation #8: Lex Luger
Tazz: 6.02 TSC Evaluation #5: Tazz
Mike Awesome: 5.94 TSC Evaluation #29: Mike Awesome
Chyna: 5.74 TSC Evaluation #17: Chyna
Jeff Jarrett: 4.49 TSC Evaluation: Jeff Jarrett
Tommy Dreamer: 3.96 TSC Evaluation #14: Tommy Dreamer

If people have any requests for future wrestlers you want to see evaluated, let me know. I'll have one wrestler evaluated for each week every Wednesday.

For #33 it will be Arn Anderson.

Pending requests: Ted DiBiase, Jake The Snake Roberts, Bam Bam Bigelow, Kurt Angle, X-Pac, Billy Gunn, Kane, Undertaker, Big Show, Rikishi, Mr. Perfect, Chris Kanyon, The Godfather, Val Venis, Big Boss Man, JBL, Harley Race, Stan Hansen, Eddie Guerrero, Christian Cage, Brian Pillman, Goldust, William Regal, Tully Blanchard, Eddie Gilbert, Sandman, Barry Windham, Bobby Eaton

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Major accomplishments

Maple Leaf Wrestling
NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (1x)

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling / World Championship Wrestling
NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1x)
NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (2x)
NWA United States/WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (4x)
NWA Mid-Atlantic/NWA World Television/WCW World Television Championship (4x)
NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (5x) – with Paul Jones (3), Dino Bravo (1) and Jay Youngblood (1)
NWA/WCW World Tag Team Championship (8x) – with Jay Youngblood (5), Paul Jones (1), Dustin Rhodes (1) and Shane Douglas (1)

National Wrestling Alliance
NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2012)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Match of the Year (1987) vs. Randy Savage at WrestleMania III
Match of the Year (1989) vs. Ric Flair at WrestleWar
Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2009)
Rookie of the Year (1977)
Stanley Weston Award (1995)
Tag Team of the Year (1978) with Paul Jones
PWI ranked him #6 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1992
PWI ranked him #13 of the Top 500 Singles Wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
PWI ranked him #19 of the Top 100 Tag Teams of the "PWI Years" with Jay Youngblood in 2003.

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
Class of 2002

World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment
WWF Intercontinental Championship (1x)
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2009)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter
5 Star Match (1989) vs. Ric Flair: Chi-Town Rumble
5 Star Match (1989) vs. Ric Flair: 2-out-of-3 falls match, Clash Of The Champions VI
5 Star Match (1989) vs. Ric Flair: WrestleWar
5 Star Match (1992) War Games
Tag Team of the Year (1983) with Jay Youngblood
Match of the Year (1987) vs. Randy Savage at WrestleMania III
Match of the Year (1989) vs. Ric Flair at Clash of the Champions VI
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)


With a scale of 1-10 how would you rate Ricky Steamboat in these categories:

-Mic work/promos

-Personality/gimmicks

-Ring work (along with some of your favorite matches/feuds)

-Overall rating (which doesn't have to be an average of the above scores)

 

[Kunty McPhuck]

GOAT baby face.​

 

[Konnan]

Legend with more 5 star matches than Dean Ambrose has adderall refills

 

[Nero Christ]

Mic work/promos - not his strong suit and it really shows here because at this time everybody was over the top bringing more awareness to him being more subdued. 5

Gimmick - The Dragon is among the most known face gimmicks of all time. 9

Ring work - 10 nothing needs to be said here

Overall - 9. He's a legend in the highest order but he isn't the total package like others

 

[mrken12]

Some of his classic matches

Spoiler

Steamboat vs Savage [Wrestlemania 3, Intercontinental Championship]



Steamboat vs Ric Flair [WrestleWar 1989, NWA World Heavyweight Championship]


Steamboat vs Ric Flair [Chi-Town Rumble, 1989, NWA World Heavyweight Championship]

 

[patscorpio]

-Mic work/promos - he wasn't interesting on the mic..cookie cutter babyface promos...nothing more nothing less 6

-Personality/gimmicks The ultimate babyface...The Dragon was cool..they had him dressed up in gis and shyt but ricky didn't know no martial arts :russ..its a shame that he never had at least run in his career as a heel..it would have been interesting 8

-Ring work (along with some of your favorite matches/feuds) - you kidding me...full monty..dude was an awesome wrestler...matches with flair, luger, austin, rude, savage...this was a guy that used to watch boxing matches just so he can get down how to really sell a strike..thats dedication to your craft..the only negative thing id say about his ring work is his finishers..i hated him ending a match with a crossbody or a damn small package..or the rarer double chickenwing for the submission..but it didnt knock down the quality of his matches

-Overall rating (which doesn't have to be an average of the above scores) a true all time great..it was great watching him make that little comeback in 09...i marked in that legends match at WM25 where he skinned the cat against jericho, dumped him outside, and hit him with plancha..had me like he still got it..like rude it also sucked that a back injury put him into early retirement..although he was in his early 40s he could still go in the ring..unless ive been living under a rock the WWE needs to do a retrospective on his career..he deserves one...9.5

 

[R=G]

His Mic work didn't make or break him in his pri.e thanks to the strong kayfabe era...

All time great worker..

He's a 8.5 to me.

 

[Cheercomp]

I gave him a 10. Where Ricky wasn't Flair or Savage on the mic, he could get his point across without embarrassing himself. He more than made up for it by being dynamic in the ring and telling stories through his ringwork. He made you invest in him and want to see him prevail... that's what the legends do

 

[mrken12]

-Mic work/promos - he wasn't interesting on the mic..cookie cutter babyface promos...nothing more nothing less 6

-Personality/gimmicks The ultimate babyface...The Dragon was cool..they had him dressed up in gis and shyt but ricky didn't know no martial arts :russ..its a shame that he never had at least run in his career as a heel..it would have been interesting 8

-Ring work (along with some of your favorite matches/feuds) - you kidding me...full monty..dude was an awesome wrestler...matches with flair, luger, austin, rude, savage...this was a guy that used to watch boxing matches just so he can get down how to really sell a strike..thats dedication to your craft..the only negative thing id say about his ring work is his finishers..i hated him ending a match with a crossbody or a damn small package..or the rarer double chickenwing for the submission..but it didnt knock down the quality of his matches

-Overall rating (which doesn't have to be an average of the above scores) a true all time great..it was great watching him make that little comeback in 09...i marked in that legends match at WM25 where he skinned the cat against jericho, dumped him outside, and hit him with plancha..had me like he still got it..like rude it also sucked that a back injury put him into early retirement..although he was in his early 40s he could still go in the ring..unless ive been living under a rock the WWE needs to do a retrospective on his career..he deserves one...9.5

I didn't know about that.

 

[Here Comes the Pain]

He's an 8.

Was never really a top draw or world champ like that, but his resume is nonetheless impressive.

 

[mrken12]

From The Complete WWF Video Guide Volume I:

 

[mrken12]

Ricky Steamboat vs Tiger Mask 2 (Misawa) [All Japan 3-8-89 NWA World Championship]

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

I will give Steamboat a strong 8 due to the fact that his all of his matches felt like survival of the fittest. Dude wrestled like a real life Liu Kang. His promos were eh to alright, but I guess that's apart of his charm. A hard working family man that's trying to get by in this bloodsport known as professional wrestling.

His feud with Steve Austin was probably one of my favorite feuds out of WCW.

Bottom line...Ricky Steamboat is so underrated its not even funny.

 

[DosCadenaz]

I gave him a 10 because he's the dragon. Dude makes me believe the matches are real n got real stakes. He 100% is the dragon character in the ring. Oscar worthy matches

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

I gave him a 10 because he's the dragon. Dude makes me believe the matches are real n got real stakes. He 100% is the dragon character in the ring. Oscar worthy matches

For Bret and Shawn, it was a 60 minute iron man match at Wrestlemania. For Steamboat, it was another Wednesday at a house show.