On June 20th, 1992, WCW presented Beach Blast, featuring Ricky Steamboat and Ravishing Rick Rude. That night, several rivalries were settled. On this night, these two battled in an intense 30-minute Iron Man Challenge.
Ricky Steamboat and Ravishing Rick Rude –
Rude Awakenings
The history between these two began in the WWF. Both were always top star. Steamboat was a babyface with a house of fire.
Ravishing Rick Rude was, well let’s just say he liked to show all the “sweat hogs what a real man looked like.”
He wanted to mock and embarrass any opponent stealing their wives in the process. Both Rude and Steamboat left the WWF for WCW in 1991.
Rick Rude became the ravishing face of the Dangerous Alliance devised by the mind of Paul Heyman or aka Paul E. Dangerously.
Shortly after he became the WCW United States Champion, the Dangerous Alliance included Rude, Madusa, Stunning Steve Austin, Larry Zybysko, Arn Anderson, and Bobby Eaton.
Enter the Dragon
When Ricky The Dragon Steamboat arrived in WCW, he began a feud with the Dangerous Alliance. Madusa regularly accompanied Alliance members at ringside.
Steamboat got into several altercations with her. One time, he defeated Steve Austin for the WCW TV title, but Madusa put Austin’s foot on the ropes.
After the match, Steamboat grabbed Madusa and was attacked by the rest of the alliance. On an episode of WCW Worldwide, Rude attacked Steamboat and beat him with a leather belt.
A few weeks later, Steamboat got revenge, attacking The Ravishing One with a belt of his own. This led to a match at Super Brawl II, where Rude retained the US title.
After the match, Rude attacked Steamboat again, using Paul E. Dangerously’s infamous phone to break Steamboat’s nose. In retaliation, The Dragon wrapped a belt around Rude’s neck and attempted to hang him on the ropes. Things were getting very personal.
How, Rude
A few weeks later, Paul E. Dangerously accused Steamboat of stalking Madusa. This led to Rude claiming he had a line a woman that could testify against the dragon calling him a “woman beater.”
He also sarcastically apologized to Mrs. Steamboat for her husband’s actions. Steamboat denied all allegations. It was found out later that Rude was lying through his teeth.
Steamboat and Rude went round and round however with the help of the rest of the Alliance, Rude escaped with his United States title time and time again. Could Ravishing Rick defeat Steamboat one on one? Rude promised that;
“Beach Blast will be Steamboats last.”
Ricky Steamboat and Ravishing Rick Rude
The Iron Man Challenge
On June 20th, 1992, at WCW Beach Blast, Ricky the Dragon Steamboat fought Ravishing Rick Rude in a thirty-minute Iron Man Challenge. The winner is the man with the most falls.
WCW barred all members of the Dangerous Alliance from ringside including Madusa. Uncharacteristically, Steamboat attacked Rude before the bell rang, but this was justified due to the circumstances.
He targeted Rude’s ribs. Steamboat hit a gutbuster and after several kicks applied a bearhug. Finally, Rude caught The Dragon in the face with a knee lift to the jaw, hooked the tights, and scored the first fall.
Amazingly directly after that Ravishing Rick Rude slapped on the Rude Awakening neck breaker and gained another fall. Steamboat was now down 2-0.
With Steamboat still incapacitated, Rude went to the top rope and landed a knee right on The Dragon. Due to WCW’s top rope rules, Steamboat was awarded the fall by DQ.
It was obvious Rude’s plan was to injure Steamboat. He could have cared less about losing the fall. The damage was done, Steamboat was hurt. Rude rolled up him up in a small package, winning yet another fall.
At the twelve-minute mark he picked up Steamboat for a piledriver, but it was reversed and Steamboat drove Rude’s head into the mat. The Dragon pinned Rude and gained a fall.
Ricky Steamboat and Ravishing Rick Rude –
Iron Man Challenge Match
It was now 2-3, and Ricky was gaining momentum. At the ten-minute mark, both athletes clotheslined each other. Rude crawled over onto Steamboat.
However, using his incredible athleticism, Steamboat bridged out and caught Rude in a backslide for the pin. The score was now tied 3-3. Steamboat fought back with a series of chops, and Rude begged for mercy.
Finally, Rude caught Steamboat with a rake to the eyes and grabbed a sleeper hold on the dragon. At the one-minute mark, Ricky was fading fast. The referee checked him by raising his hands twice. Steamboat finally responded on the third try .
The Dragon’s heart started beating and he remembered all the things the Dangerous Alliance had done to him and his family. Steamboat began to fire up.
At the thirty-three-second mark, he used the turnbuckle to throw himself into rude causing a pinfall. Steamboat now had Rude’s number.
Desperately Ravishing Rick Rude attempted to pin Ricky Steamboat, but the Dragon would always kick out. The crowd was going crazy. Steamboat refused to be pinned.
Finally, the time limit had expired. Ricky the Dragon Steamboat was declared the winner of the Iron Man Challenge.
He won the battle but not the war, as Ravishing Rick Rude’s United States Title was not on the line. However, it was the fans that won by watching a wrestling clinic.
