Steamboat made his WWE debut in 1985 and was given the gimmick of a babyface nicknamed "the Dragon" which he kept for the remainder of his career.
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Richard Henry Blood Senior (born February 28, 1953, West Point, New York, United States) is an American retired professional wrestler better known by his in-ring name Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. He is known for his work with the American Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE). In JCP and WCW, he was a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, a four-time United States Heavyweight Champion, a four-time World Television Champion, a twelve-time World Tag Team Champion and a two-time Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion. In the WWE, Steamboat was a one-time Intercontinental Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
Ricky is of Japanese American descent and was born in West Point, New York. He went to high school in New York and graduated in 1971 from Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport, Florida, where he was on the school’s wrestling team. He was a two-time New York State wrestling qualifier and a Florida state champion. He debuted in 1976 in the American Wrestling Association under his real name Rick Blood. He then joined Championship Wrestling from Florida and got the name Ricky Steamboat by Eddie Graham. It was based on his resemblance to Hawaiian wrestler Sammy Steamboat.
| Name | Richard Henry Blood Senior |
| DOB | 28 February 1953, 69 years |
| Height | 178 cm |
| Weight | 107 kg |
| Occupation | Wrestler |
| Professional Debut | 1976 |
| Wife | Sandi McAlister |
| Professional Name | Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat |
Steamboat made his WWE debut in 1985 and was given the gimmick of a babyface nicknamed “the Dragon” which he kept for the remainder of his career. He appeared at the inaugural WrestleMania where he defeated Matt Borne. During a televised episode of WWF 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 then 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.
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Steamboat got a shot at the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship against Macho Man Randy Savage in 1986. He lost the match by count-out but after the match, Savage continued to assault him and injured Steamboat’s with the ring bell. Steamboat returned on January 3, 1987, to prevent Savage from attacking George Steele like he had done to Steamboat six weeks prior. At WrestleMania III, Steamboat defeated Savage for the Intercontinental Championship. The match was considered an instant classic by both fans and critics and was named 1987’s Match of the Year by both Pro Wrestling Illustrated and the Wrestling Observer. Steamboat left the WWF shortly thereafter.
Steamboat was named as one of the members to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. After the announcement, 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. While both Snuka and Piper were swiftly eliminated during the match, Steamboat held his own against Jericho, performing exceptionally well for his age and also dropped some of his trademark moves. Jericho would eventually go on to win the match and Steamboat received a lot of plaudits for his performance.
WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2009)
Steamboat has had quite a life when it comes to marriages. He has been married five times. He is currently married to Sandi McAlister with whom he tied the knot in 2017. Before this, he married Maureen Powers in 1977. He divorced her in 1980. He was then married to Debra Blood from 1981 to 1985. Bonnie Hastings was his third wife from 1985 to 2003. After divorcing her, Steamboat married Claudia Sobieski and that marriage lasted from 2004 to 2012.
The calculating Savage attacked Steamboat after their IC title match on WWF Superstars in November 1986. He leapt from the top turnbuckle with the ring bell in hand. Steamboat flailed around on the mat like a cod in a fisherman’s boat. His hands clutched his neck.
