Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will wrestle his first match in 12 years at Big Time Wrestling’s Nov. 27 event at the Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The match was officially confirmed on Sunday as a six-man tag match, pitting Steamboat with AEW’s FTR against Jay Lethal (in his Black Machismo persona), Brock Anderson and a mystery opponent. The matches bears an odd resemblance to the Ric Flair’s Last Match event from earlier this year, which was originally supposed to see “The Nature Boy” team with FTR to face Steamboat and The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express. Steamboat turned down the match offer, resulting in Flair teaming with Andrade El Idolo to face Lethal and Jeff Jarrett.ย
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“Well, I was approached and given it really some serious thought. A lot of respect to the guy in the ring. You know, both of us are night and day when it comes to stuff out of the ring. Flair wouldn’t be Flair without it. I thought about it for a week and just recently just declined on it. I know when I wrestled Jericho at WrestleMania 25, then we had the return match at Backlash in a singles, but at 69, and I know it’s a six-man tag and I could get a little this and that in, but with all due respect to our fans, I want them to remember me that last time I was in there with Jericho when they chanted, ‘You still got it.’ I don’t want to scar that phrase,” Steamboat explained back in May when asked why he turned down the initial Flair idea.
“Even that night with Jericho, you know, I was working for theย WWE. I was one of the trainers at the school and was pretty active in the ring, so I had a lot of confidence in myself. But knowing Ricky now and not being in the ring for a number of years, I don’t want to tarnish the memory that the fans have of me. It’d be a good payday, sure, but I don’t want them thinking, ‘Maybe he should have stayed retired.’ You know, and I could get out there and maybe pull it off and say, ‘Well, you know, for a guy who’s 69 years old, he sure did pretty good,’ but that’s the double-edged sword right? So, you know, The Dragon does have a lot of pride in his work and the way the fans remember me in the ring, and I want that lasting impression. I know my physical capabilities right now. I would love to be able to go out there and perform like I did with Jericho. I was 56 or 57 years old, but I think I want my fans to remember me as that guy and not have a chance of disappointing. That’s how much I love my fans,” he added.
Steamboat’s return to action also has Flair seemingly going back on his retirement claim. He recent said on his podcast that he was already back in the ring training. Do you think he’ll be the surprise sixth man in the upcoming match? Let us know down in the comments.ย
