Ricky Steamboat

Richard Blood ( 2009)

Richard Blood ( born February 28, 1953 in West Point, USA), better known by his ring name Ricky Steamboat, is a former American professional wrestler, currently working for the wrestling organization WWE as a road agent. He has performed during his playing career for the largest wrestling organizations in North America. His greatest successes were the preservation of the NWA World Heavyweight Champion title, the WCW World Heavyweight Champion title and the WWF Intercontinental Champion title. Blood is still regarded as one of the technically best players in the history of the wrestling business.

Blood grew up in Florida and has an athletic background as a wrestler; among other things, he was the Florida State Champion. His girlfriend at the time was on a training academy for an airline in Minnesota and told her there room with the daughter of Verne Gagne. About this came Blood to her father, who coached him as a wrestler. He made his debut in the American Wrestling Association.

Career

To make it known to the public, Blood received the ring name Sam Steamboat Jr., who was adopted from the Hawaiian wrestler Sam Steamboat because he looked a lot like this. A short time later the name was changed to the better-known Ricky Steamboat. After Blood left the AWA, he worked under his ring name for Reusing Championship Wrestling From Florida and later for Georgia Championship Wrestling. From 1977, he joined eight years in territorial leagues of the National Wrestling Alliance. During this time he received numerous titles.

In 1985 he moved to differences with Booker Dusty Rhodes in the World Wrestling Federation, where he was nicknamed The Dragon. In his first three years in the WWF played Blood feuds with Don Muraco, Jake " The Snake" Roberts, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

At WrestleMania III on March 29, 1987 Blood was allowed the WWF Intercontinental title win, which he lost again on 2 June 1987. His last major appearance in the WWF, he had at WrestleMania IV in March 1988, where he lost to Greg Valentine. Then he announced end of his career.

Blood was in January 1989 made ​​a comeback in the funded by Ted Turner WCW, the main competitor to the WWF. In a feud with Ric Flair, he was the NWA World Heavyweight Championship win, but had the title on May 7, again losing to Flair. After contract dispute with WCW Blood came no longer from the end of 1989. In 1991, he appeared again at the competitors WWF. There, now he had to wear a dragon costume and act as fire-breathers before his matches. Despite his ring presence Blood received no title chances and left the WWF back in the direction of WCW.

The next three years came Blood on the WCW and was one of the top stars of the promotion. He received a number of their tag team, Television and United States title. In 1994, he again had a long feud with Ric Flair for the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. This went seamlessly into another against Steve Austin to the United States title over in the course of Blood so hard on the neck injured in an unsuccessful action that he had to end his career as an active wrestler.

Blood had from 2002 appearances as guest referee for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor Since 2005 he is in the WWE as a road agent under contract, but also occurs occasionally as a guest referee, usually with title matches.

On the night before WrestleMania XXV he was introduced by his former storyline rival Ric Flair into the WWE Hall of Fame.

The next evening he gave after nearly 15 years, a brief comeback to compete together with Roddy Piper and Jimmy " Superfly " Snuka vs. Chris Jericho. Also, in the three weeks following major event Backlash he stepped on; where he played a single match against Jericho.

Find out more

  • Blood is one of the technically best players in the history of the wrestling business. He was four times awarded by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter with rare top score of five stars for its services, as well as twice as participants in the Fight of the Year and once as a participant in the fight of the decade.

Private

Blood is married and has a son.

Achievements

  • Maple Leaf Wrestling
  • Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling / World Championship Wrestling
  • 2x NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship
  • 3x NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship - 2x with Paul Jones and 1x with Jay Youngblood
  • 2x NWA Television Championship
  • 1x NWA United States Heavyweight Championship
  • 1x NWA United States Heavyweight Championship ( Mid-Atlantic version )
  • 1x NWA World Heavyweight Championship
  • 6x NWA World Tag Team Championship ( Mid-Atlantic version ) - 1x with Paul Jones and 5x with Jay Youngblood
  • 1x WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
  • 2x WCW World Tag Team Championship - 1x with Dustin Rhodes and Shane Douglas
  • 2x WCW World Television Championship
  • World Wrestling Federation
West Point (New York) Charlotte (North Carolina) 1976 Dusty Rhodes (wrestler) Dave Meltzer
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