'Dragon' unretires to test self

MANILA, Philippines - Wrestling legend Ricky (The Dragon) Steamboat said the other day he returned to the mat last March, ending a retirement of nearly 15 years, to find out if his body could still take the grind and to face the challenge of grappling with today’s stars.

Although he is now primarily involved with the WWE as a “road agent” and TV producer, Steamboat said he will make appearances “periodically” but ruled out a full-blown comeback.

“In my 35 years of wrestling, I’ve been blessed with no major injuries,” said Steamboat who presided in a press conference at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel the other day. “My hips and knees are good. So is my lower back. I’ve had four shoulder separations, two broken ribs, two herniated discs and stitches all over but they weren’t career-threatening. When I came back, I just wanted to see if I could still do it, if I could pull it off.”

Chris Jericho, who beat Steamboat at “Backlash” last April, said the Dragon still has what it takes to win. “It’s like playing hockey against Wayne Gretzky even though he retired years ago,” said Jericho. “Gretzky is still better than half the people on the ice nowadays. Steamboat, at 56, is still better than 80 percent of our roster.”

Steamboat said if he’s 80 percent of what he was once, that’s not bad, considering his age.

“I’m older, slower and a little heavier now,” said Steamboat. “It’s not like 20 or 25 years ago when Jimmy ‘Superfly” Snuka and I would take off from the top rope. I still do that but after about 5,000 dives over the years, what’s on my mind is I hope I don’t slip and fall.”

Steamboat was far from being an embarrassment in his recent comeback matches. He teamed with Roddy Piper and Snuka to take on Jericho at Wrestlemania XXV and in a “Raw” episode, joined John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy and CM Punk to defeat Edge, Big Show, Matt Hardy, Kane and Jericho in a 10-man tag team war.

Steamboat said the game is on the right track with rising stars like Jack Swagger, Ted Di Biase, Jr. and Cody Rhodes carrying the torch into the next era.

“Aside from showing today’s wrestlers things to do in the ring, I advise them about preparing for the future,” said Steamboat who turned pro in 1976 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame last February. “I talk to them about the right lifestyle, saving for the future now, not next year. I’ve seen headliners go broke because of high-living. They blow their money just as quickly as they earn it. It’s sad when former main eventers now open a show because they need the money.”

Steamboat said his son Ricky Jr., 22, is now training to follow in his footsteps. “I’ve told my son to treat his career like this is his last year, to save now, not later,” said Steamboat. “He was a student at Harley Race’s school. He spent three months in a Japanese dojo. He’s moving on to Puerto Rico with Carlos Colon and to Europe with British promoter Brian Dixon. I want him to be exposed to the different flavors of wrestling, pick up new twists along the way. He’s a second-generation wrestler like Di Biase and Rhodes and you can tell if a wrestler is a wrestler’s son.”

Steamboat said he’ll never forget his match against Randy (Macho Man) Savage for the Intercontinental title before 93,173 fans and a huge pay-per-view audience on Wrestlemania III at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, in 1987. The year before, Savage banged Steamboat’s throat – damaging his larynx – with a ring bell and the brutal assault provided a “bad blood” angle to the rematch.

Steamboat said the main event featuring Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant drew the crowd but his battle with Savage stole the show. The bout lasted 14:35 with 19 two-counts, 11 from Steamboat and eight from Savage. In a dramatic climax, Savage grabbed the timekeeper’s bell and climbed the turnbuckles to jump on Steamboat but was shoved to the canvas by the Dragon’s ally George (The Animal) Steele, intervening from ringside. That allowed Steamboat to bundle Savage in a small package for the pin.

Another unforgettable match was his win over Ric Flair for the world heavyweight title in 1989.

“Ric and I started our feud in 1977 and I couldn’t believe that 12 years later, there we were, fighting for the championship after hundreds of matches between us,” said Steamboat. “I’ve had feuds with guys like Jake the Snake, Macho Man, Steve Austin and Jericho but my war with Flair was at a different level. We were opposites, like a positive and a negative. I’m humble and respectful and he’s running around, whooping. I guess opposites attract because we had a heckuva feud. It was significant for me that when I was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ric was on stage to recognize me. That was special – it was a respect thing.”