For the next few years, Ricky enjoyed moderate success in JCP.  He had two stints as the Mid Atlantic Heavyweight champion and another as Mid Atlantic Television champion.  He also had some high profile matches against the AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel in late 1979.  I had the privilege of seeing one of these confrontations on September 2, 1979 at the Township Auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina.  After a rugged match, Bockwinkel got himself disqualified to retain his title.  Steamboat also had a shot at Harley Race's NWA World title in December of 1979.  After Ric Flair won the NWA World title in 1981, Steamboat set out to win the one title that he hadn't been able to wear during his brief career.  Unable to win the gold now (he would become NWA champion years later), Steamboat went back to tag team wrestling, this time with a partner with whom he would find his greatest success...Jay Youngblood.

Steamboat and Youngblood were almost an instant hit as a tag team as they won the Mid Atlantic Tag Team titles in August of 1982.  This earned them shots at the current NWA World Tag Team champions Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle.  The champs were obviously afraid of losing their titles to Steamboat & Youngblood, as Slaughter & Kernodle would continually get themselves disqualified just to keep the belts.  These two teams were embroiled in a very bitter feud for the next seven months.  It reached the point that a special stipulation was added to a cage match that was to be held at the fabled Greensboro Coliseum.  This special stipulation was that if Ricky & Jay lost, they could never team up again.  This match was a brutal encounter, but the fans were not disappointed as Steamboat & Youngblood rallied for the victory in a classic match-up!

The champs didn't have time to really rest on their laurels, as they immediately became the target of all the tag teams around.  One surprise came from a brother combination that was probably as well known as Steamboat & Youngblood.  Former NWA World Champion Jack Brisco and his brother, the actual first Mid Atlantic Heavyweight Champion, Jerry issued a challenge to the new champs to wrestle on television.  During the end of this match, the Brisco's astonished the studio crowd as well as all the fans watching on television as they injured Steamboat's leg and abruptly starting a feud with the popular champs.  This series of matches, with the Briscoes playing the heel role, was wild and woolly throughout the circuit.  These teams exchanged the World Tag Team titles and finally culminated with an exciting bout that was one of the features of the very first Starrcade held on Thanksgiving night.  Steamboat & Youngblood would win this final match and regain the belts in spectacular fashion.

As the year 1983 came to a close, Ricky Steamboat decided to end his career on a high note as, on Christmas day, he announced his retirement from pro wrestling.  Steamboat stated that he wanted to devote more time to his new gymnasium.  Fans were heartbroken at this announcement, but bid farewell to Ricky Steamboat with the same enthusiasm that they had welcomed him with just seven years earlier.  But, fortunately, this story wasn't over just yet...

After successfully launching his gym in Charlotte, Steamboat returned to the squared circle in early 1984.  Seemingly without missing a beat, Ricky jumped right back into the title picture by capturing the United States Heavyweight Championship from veteran Dick Slater.  Ricky was once again the top contender for the NWA World Title, now firmly entrenched in the grasp of Steamboat's nemesis..."Nature Boy" Ric Flair.  On a special night of wrestling held at the Meadowlands in New Jersey (the NWA's first card there in two decades), Steamboat tried to wrest the belt from Flair, but was unsuccessful in his attempt.

A short time after that, a bizarre twist in the relationship between Steamboat and long-time friend Wahoo McDaniel occurred.  During a TV interview where Wahoo McDaniel was confronting Flair about getting a World Title match, Tully Blanchard pulled a Pearl Harbor attack on the Nature Boy.  As Wahoo stood by, Flair regrouped and fought off Blanchard.  As Flair then turned to Wahoo, looking for the assistance he didn't get, these two started a verbal joust that ended with Flair accepting Wahoo's challenge for a title match.  In the interim, Steamboat chased Blanchard throughout the Mid Atlantic area, but was unable to win Tully's TV Title.  Then, Wahoo was signed to wrestle Steamboat for the U.S. title.  As the two fan favorites battled, Blanchard once again interjected himself into the situation!

Wielding a steel chair and approaching the ring, Blanchard seemed intent on hitting Wahoo with it.  But, either Wahoo ducked, or Tully's aim was off...Steamboat received the blow and was rendered unconscious.  The fans were then in disbelief as Wahoo took advantage of the "miss" and got the three count!  But, due to the interference by Tully, the title was later held up in a tournament...eventually won by Wahoo after all.  Then, for the first time in his career, injuries started to take their toll on Steamboat.  He would leave the NWA later in 1984.

Ricky Steamboat did return to the NWA after a highly successful stint in the WWF and finally realized his dream of becoming the NWA World Champion by pinning Flair in February of 1989.  After another tour of duty with the WWF, Steamboat then came back to what was now known as World Championship Wrestling (WCW) for a final reign as U.S. Champ in 1994.  He finally hung up his tights in September of 1994 after back problems became too great for him to endure.  During his 18-year career, Ricky Steamboat was always well respected and admired by fans throughout the world.  He is one of the few wrestlers in history to have never wrestled as a heel...he was always the White Knight.

NEXT MONTH:

Top 10 Mid Atlantic Moments