[1991-03-02-WWF-Superstars] The Dragon vignette

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Ricky Steamboat is coming in. Just don't call him that. 10-second spot. I don't think I saw his face.

[jdw]

Interesting year for Steamer. Comes back to the WWF. Gets the silly Dragon gimmick. Mid-card feuds, which he wins literally every one of them (I'd have to look close to see if he did even a single job). Not much of a push... just rolled out in the mid-cards. Not terribly happy. Gets the offer from WCW. Gives his notice. Refuses to job on the way out. Shows up in WCW in one of the most memorable "surprises" ever (which is the second time he's done that), and gets the tag belts.

 

Then he has a pretty decent run in WCW the rest of his career, treated fairly well. You do wonder what would have happened without the injury and how he would have done first in the Hogan Era, then the Early Nitro Era, then the nWo Era. He was still a fine worker at the time of the injury. But the insanity of the nWo Era... wonder how long he would have lasted before getting annoyed.

 

John

[Loss]

It was in the WON at the time that he quit the WWF because they wanted him to lose a three-minute squash to Undertaker.

[jdw]

I think the opposite: he gave his notice at the taping, they wanted him to do jobs on the way out (i.e. taped at that Superstars taping and possibly the next night at the Challenge taping), which he refused and they simply sent him home.

 

John

[Strummer]

I had always heard he balked at doing a stretcher job to Undertaker because he had done one for IRS at the same taping and he thought it was a blatant breaking of kayfabe

[shoe]

I'm so glad he got the hell out if dodge.

[PeteF3]

Their big idea for Steamboat, as I recall from WWF Magazine, was to feud him with Skinner. You know, reptile-hunting and all that.

[Kevin Ridge]

A little flash of fire and you can briefly see Steamboat’s face. I remember him saying on his DVD that he was brought back but told there wasn't an open spot for him at the top of the card but if something happened to one of those guys he would be in consideration.

[soup23]

The Dragon is coming in. These spots are really too brief to resonate.

[garretta]

There isn't much here except Steamboat throwing a fireball, just like there wasn't much to this whole run. If a feud with Keirn was the best thing Vince had to offer, Ricky was better off with Turner.

 

Strummer has the story right over why Ricky left, at least according to Ricky's shoot. I've always thought it was a way for Vince to get rid of someone he had neither plans nor any need for while also getting payback for his departure in '87 and possibly damaging his reputation within the business. Of course, it all backfired spectacularly, as he was an important player in WCW right up until the time he was injured.