Richard Henry Blood Sr. (born February 28, 1953), better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE).
Tony Atlas probably summed up Sunday night’s A&E Biography on Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat best when he said that his friend is so humble that “He’d rather brag about you than brag about himself.” It’s not that Steamboat didn’t talk about his accomplishments, because he did, but others did it better. Ric Flair called him the “greatest babyface of all time” for one.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat during his WWE Hall of Fame induction.
Early Career and Training
Richard Henry Blood was born on February 28, 1953, in West Point, New York, to a Japanese American mother and a white father. He went to high school first in New York and later graduated in 1971 from Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport, Florida, where he was on the amateur wrestling team. Blood was trained to wrestle by Verne Gagne and The Iron Sheik.
He debuted in March 1976 as a babyface in Gagne's Minneapolis, Minnesota-based American Wrestling Association (AWA), wrestling as "Rick Blood". His early opponents included Scott Irwin, Buck Zumhofe, Mad Dog Vachon, and Blackjack Lanza. In May 1976, he took part in a two-ring, $50,000 battle royal that was won by Mad Dog Vachon and Larry Hennig.
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Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP)
In 1977, Steamboat entered the National Wrestling Alliance-sanctioned Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), where he would remain for the next eight years of his career. Steamboat was doing an interview on the syndicated Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling when Flair, then Mid-Atlantic television champion, began goading him. Steamboat knocked Flair out with a backhand chop to set up a match between the two.
Notable moments in the Mid-Atlantic territory include:
- The day Flair dragged his face around the television studio, causing facial scarring.
- Steamboat retaliating the following week by ripping Flair's expensive suit to shreds.
- Steamboat and Youngblood painting yellow streaks down the backs of Paul Jones and Baron von Raschke.
- Steamboat and Youngblood's top drawing feud with Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle.
- Steamboat and Youngblood being turned on by their friends Jack and Jerry Brisco.
- Steamboat in a shocking feud against former mentor McDaniel.
- His last great series in the territory, feuding with Tully Blanchard over the NWA TV title.
World Wrestling Federation (WWF)
In 1985, Steamboat was offered a contract by Vince McMahon and joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Shortly after his debut, Steamboat was given the gimmick of a babyface nicknamed "the Dragon"; Steamboat's jacket-and-trunks attire was replaced by a keikogi and long tights. Steamboat's mother is Japanese American, hence his Asian features crucial for his "Dragon" gimmick.
He appeared at the inaugural WrestleMania, where he defeated Matt Borne in the card's third match. On the September 14, 1985, edition of Championship Wrestling, Steamboat defeated Mr. Fuji, but after his victory was attacked by Fuji's protege Don Muraco, pitting Steamboat in a feud against Muraco and Fuji.
During a televised episode of Championship Wrestling, Steamboat and Muraco were scheduled for a match that never officially started after Muraco jumped Steamboat before the bell. Following the beat down, Muraco and Fuji used Steamboat's karate black belt to hang him outside the ring from the top rope before Steamboat was finally saved by Tito Santana and the Junkyard Dog.
After a victory over Hercules Hernandez at the Los Angeles portion of WrestleMania 2, Steamboat began his next feud with Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Their feud began when Roberts attacked him before their match on the May 3 Saturday Night's Main Event VI, which did not occur due to Roberts assaulting Steamboat.
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On the November 22, 1986 edition of Superstars, Steamboat got a shot at the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship against Macho Man Randy Savage.
WrestleMania III vs. Randy Savage
Admired by WWE fans for his physical rivalries with the likes of Don Muraco and Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Steamboat’s greatest contribution to WWE history remains his WrestleMania III bout against Randy Savage.
Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III.
After winning the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, Steamboat asked WWF owner Vince McMahon for some time off to be with his wife Bonnie, who was expecting the birth of their first son, Richard, Jr. This did not sit well with WWF management as he had been groomed to become a long-term champion. The decision was made by WWF management to punish Steamboat by having him initially drop the title to Butch Reed, but Reed did not show up that night, so he dropped to The Honky Tonk Man on the June 15 edition of Superstars; his son was born a month later.
After defeating Ravishing Rick Rude by disqualification at 1988 Royal Rumble, Steamboat was entered into the tournament for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania IV in March 1988.
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Return to WWF and Departure
In 1991, Steamboat would return to the World Wrestling Federation after signing a two-year contract. Billed simply as The Dragon, a series of vignettes began airing in February 1991 that featured him breathing fire. The Dragon was undefeated on television during his 1991 run and lost only one match, a house show bout against Skinner.
The day after his dark match loss, Steamboat gave his notice to WWF management and then quit the company shortly thereafter. It is rumored that Steamboat was booked to be squashed by The Undertaker on Superstars to build Undertaker for his impending WWF Championship match against Hulk Hogan, and that Steamboat chose to quit the WWF rather than lose to Undertaker. During his time in the WWF, Steamboat asked Pat Patterson to work as a heel.
World Championship Wrestling (WCW)
In November 1991 at Clash of the Champions XVII, Steamboat returned to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as the surprise tag team partner of Dustin Rhodes, substituting for an injured Barry Windham. Steamboat and Rhodes defeated the Enforcers (Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko) to win the World Tag Team Championship, Steamboat's first World Tag Team Title under the WCW banner. They lost the titles to Arn Anderson and his new partner Bobby Eaton at a live event in January 1992.
Heading into 1994, Steamboat engaged in one last feud over the WCW World Heavyweight Championship with longtime rival Ric Flair, which culminated in a match in the main event of Spring Stampede where the title was briefly held up due to both men's shoulders being pinned at the same time.
On the August 24 Clash of the Champions XXVIII, he got a rematch against Austin where Steamboat hurt his back, but managed to pin Austin for the United States Heavyweight Championship. However, he had to give up the belt due to the injury at Fall Brawl; he was replaced by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, who made his WCW debut after Duggan left the WWF.
Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat in WCW.
FULL MATCH: Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat – NWA World Title Match: Chi-Town Rumble 1989
Return to the Ring
He appeared on the February 23 edition of Raw, after being named one of the members of the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame class. However, Steamboat was attacked by Chris Jericho, who began to feud with the Hall of Famers.
In his first match in nearly 15 years, Steamboat returned to the ring alongside Piper and Snuka to take on Jericho at WrestleMania 25 on April 5, 2009. While both Snuka and Piper were swiftly eliminated during the match, Steamboat held his own against Jericho, performing his legendary diving crossbody and even a plancha, although Jericho would eventually go on to win the match.
After receiving good reviews for his performance, Steamboat was scheduled to face Jericho in another match at Backlash. However, he lost the match after submitting to the Walls of Jericho. On June 28, 2010, he returned to Raw to promote his new DVD only to be attacked and injured by The Nexus.
Later Career and AEW Appearances
Steamboat worked as an NXT trainer and in the talent relations department with Triple H until the developmental release of his son, Richie Steamboat, in 2013.
On the February 25, 2019, episode of WWE Raw, Steamboat along with special guests Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle and Sting appeared during the main event segment to celebrate the 70th birthday of Ric Flair.
Steamboat returned to the ring on November 27, 2022, at age 69 for the first time since his last match in 2010.
Steamboat returned to AEW on the August 5, 2023, episode of AEW Collision as a special outside enforcer for the "Real World Championship" match between CM Punk and Ricky Starks due to Starks beating Punk by cheating in their previous two matches. After the match, Starks assaulted Steamboat with Steamboat's own belt.
It was later reported that Steamboat requested that he be beaten down by Starks instead of the planned finish of him chasing Starks away after the match and AEW had offered Steamboat a producer role backstage, but turned it down due to not wanting to travel weekly.
On the September 2 episode of Collision, Steamboat presented a contract for a "Ricky Starks vs. The Dragon" strap match at AEW All Out to Starks. On November 12, 2025, Steamboat returned to AEW for the 2025 Blood and Guts special.
During the event, Steamboat attempted to tell a story about meeting he and Ric Flair had in 1977, only to be interrupted by FTR.
Legacy
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat is a 1-time World Champion and has won a total of 19 championships in major promotions during his career. Ricky Steamboat was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 as an individual, in the NWA Hall of Fame in 2012, and in the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) in 2002 as part of the Modern Era wing.
Championships and Accomplishments
| Promotion | Championship | Times |
|---|---|---|
| NWA | World Heavyweight Championship | 1 |
| WCW | United States Heavyweight Championship | 1 |
| WWE | Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship | 1 |
| JCP/WCW | World Tag Team Championship | 6 |
“Ricky Steamboat had everything - charisma, work rate, intensity and one of the best bodies in our business," WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair once said of his greatest rival. That is the type of awe The Dragon inspired in his peers.
Richard Blood Jr. (Richie Steamboat)
Richard Henry Blood Jr. (born July 7, 1987) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Richie Steamboat. Blood trained with George South in Charlotte, North Carolina for several months.
Blood made his professional wrestling debut on July 25, 2008, using the ring name Ricky Steamboat, Jr., when he defeated George South, Jr. at a Premiere Wrestling Showcase. The following month, Steamboat debuted for the Exodus Wrestling Alliance, when he defeated Mr. Florida to win the EWA Florida Heavyweight Championship on August 9. Just under a month later, on September 4, Steamboat vacated the championship.
That same month, Steamboat debuted for Harley Race's World League Wrestling (WLW) promotion, teaming with Naomichi Marufuji to defeat Bao Nguyen and Takeshi Morishima on September 19. He went on a winning streak in WLW, defeating Darin Waid and Tommaso Ciampa, before defeating Terry Murdoch to win the EWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship at a WLW show on October 31.