#176: Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat, WWE WrestleMania III (3/29/1985).
Hello, readers!
You ever read about a match that everyone talks about and think to yourself “is it really that good?” Well, if you’re like me and wonder about stuff like that always, then you’ve come to the right place! This week, my theme is known as “Is It That Good?”, where I take a look at matches that are universally considered to be great in the wrestling business, and see if they are worth their weight in gold.
Now I must say up front that this is simply my opinion, and not the true facts on whether these matches are good or not. This is me simply looking at them from my own perspective. I’m just one fan in a fandom full of people with big opinions.
Starting things off is a match that many consider to be not only the best match in the history of WrestleMania, but also the greatest match of all time. Big stakes already! It’s the legendary clash betweeen “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat for Savage’s Intercontinental Championship. It was the culmination of a hot rivalry between two of the company’s best performers, and it took place during an event that catapulted the WWE to a place it had never been before.
Six months before this, Savage took Steamboat out with a ring bell attack, causing Steamboat a larynx injury. When The Dragon came back, he was hell bent for revenge against the Macho Man, and WrestleMania III in the Silverdome was decided to be the place where things would be settled for good.
This match is famous for many reasons. Firstly, in an era where cartoon characters were the norm, this was a “workrate” match. Meaning, well, they worked! It was technical, scientific, and all the other terms that describe a bare bones wrestling contest. It’s also famous for how meticulously laid out it was. Randy Savage was known for having his matches planned out beforehand, and none were as planned out as this one. He and Steamboat were determined to have the perfect match, so they came up with every spot in the match, and had them memorized going into WrestleMania.
I believe it was in Bret Hart’s autobiography that I read that talked about how Savage and Steamboat would have each spot in the match labeled by number, and would constantly shout them out to each other to see if the other knew the spot. If Savage called out #50, Steamboat knew the spot. If Steamboat called out #27, Savage knew the spot. That kind of crazy dedication has led to this being one of the most beloved wrestling matches of all time.
But, is it that good? Let’s find out.
The bell sounds, and Miss Elizabeth takes her place at ringside. The two lock up, and Savage takes control of the back. Steamboat tosses him aside, and both are back to their feet. Savage jumps to ringside and places Elizabeth at a different spot. He returns to the ring, and locks up with Steamboat. Steamboat with an arm drag, and another, and he lifts Savage up by the throat. Savage rolls to the floor to get a breather.
Steamboat chases him back into the ring, and Savage drops the hammer to the back. Savage chokes Steamboat on the top rope, and gets a nearfall off of it. He elbows Steamboat in the head, and holds him against the turnbuckle. Steamboat avoids a splash, and lifts Savage up by the arm. He holds the wrist lock tight, and twists the arm around. He pulls Savage to the ropes, and drops the arm against it. Steamboat continues to work on the arm, but Savage counters back with an elbow to the face. Savage tosses Steamboat to the outside, as he sells the pain in his arm.
Savage has Steamboat on the apron, and drops an elbow right in the throat. He’s going after the larynx! Savage stomps Steamboat hard in the back of the head. He snap mares Steamboat back into the ring, and elbows him between the eyes for a 2 count. Big knee drop to the sternum, and another nearfall for the Macho Man. He goes to send Steamboat into the turnbuckle, but the Dragon fights back with strikes to the head. Big chop against the ropes, and Savage is caught in the ropes!
Savage escapes, and walks into a crossbody for a 2 count. Steamboat with an arm drag, and some shoulder tackles for some nearfalls. Savage with a high knee in the back. Savage throws Steamboat over the top rope, but he skins the cat, only for Savage to send him back to the floor. Savage with a running knee to the back that sends Steamboat over the barricade into the front row. George “The Animal” Steele, Steamboat’s second, brings him back into the ring, only for Savage to throw him back to the floor.
Savage goes to the top rope, and hits an axe handle to Steamboat’s back. Steamboat is brought into the ring, and eats another axe handle. Big elbow to the head by Savage, and Steamboat kicks out. Savage clotheslines Steamboat throat first into the ropes for another nearfall. Atomic Drop by Savage, and Steamboat kicks out. Suplex by Savage, and Steamboat kicks out again. Steamboat fights back with a punch and a chop, and Savage rakes the eyes.
Gut wrench suplex by Savage, and Steamboat kicks out. Steamboat slips out of a back suplex, and connects with some chops. He sends Savage over the top rope to the floor. Steamboat slams his head off the apron, then brings him into the ring. Steamboat with a flying karate chop, and he makes the cover, but Savage gets his foot on the ropes. More chops to the head by Steamboat. He strikes Savage, and knocks him off the apron.
Steamboat with a sunset flip into a pin, and Savage kicks out. A roll up attempt, and Savage kicks out. Steamboat is spamming nearfalls now, and he follows with a scoop slam. He sling shots Savage to the tunrbuckle, and he ends up hitting the ring post! Steamboat with another nearfall off of that. Savage counters some strikes by sending Steamboat shoulder first into the ring post. They exchange irish whips, and the referee ends up getting knocked down.
Double clothesline sends both down, but Savage is back up, and he hits the Diving Elbow Drop! He covers, but there’s no referee! Savage goes to the floor, and he grabs the ring bell! That’s how he originally put the Dragon out of commission. Steele grabs the bell, and Savage kicks him away. Savage goes to the top with the bell, and Steele pushes him to the mat. The bell hit Savage on the way down. He goes to powerslam Steamboat, who’s able to counter it into a small package to get the win out of nowhere! The crowd goes nuts, as Elizabeth looks on in disbelief.
That was a really great match that’s only gotten better to me as I get older. When I first watched this match as a kid, I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t get it. But with age comes wisdom, and more knowledge of what makes a wrestling match work. I get it now! This was fantastic pro wrestling. Both men sold great here, and the psychology of Savage working the throat of Steamboat throughout added weight to the story coming in. Compared to just about everything else going on in the WWE in 1987, this match was an exciting sprint the likes of which no one had seen before. The match being so thoroughly laid out before hand likely had a hand in the spectacle, as both Savage and Steamboat made sure that no stone was left unturned.
In the cartoon land of WWE, this almost felt like an NWA style match – ironic, given that two years form this, Steamboat would go on to wrestle Ric Flair in three of the greatest matches of all time. This was fresh, exciting, fast paced, and something that felt genuinely different to everything else going on. Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant had the spectactle, but this definitely had the workrate. That right there is the tale of two different kinds of wrestling fans.
But, is it that good?
I will say this: This match does feel dated. When thinking of Steamboat’s matches with Ric Flair in 1989, I can say that those matches feel timeless. They hold up well today, and are textbook examples of simple pro wrestling done right. This match, while excellent in its own right, feels like the first chapter of a book that gets better. Everything they did here worked. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this contest, but when compared to the stuff that followed it, you get the sense that this match is good, but it could be better.
This is a great starting point for work rate style matches, but I’ve definitely seen those kinds of matches done better. That’s not a negative point against this match, either. This is very much a match of its time, but it’s groundbreaking for its time, and that’s a positive in my book. I don’t think any promotion in America was doing wrestling like this in 1987, so it’s safe to say Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat are trailblazers in that regard. Also, it’s no wonder that they are still considered two of the all time greats.