Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat ... U.S. Title Match with Andre the Giant as special guest referee 1979

Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat ... U.S. Title Match with Andre the Giant as special referee 1979
Old 16mm Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling house show footage 1979

[@timburr4453]

It doesn't get better than this. Truly doesn't. Steamboat, Flair, ANDRE. Legends. The crowd was red hot. Ladies screaming like a Beatles concert. This was really the beginning of a fun, glorious era in wrestling

[@JuliusC1973]

Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling was one of the best Professional Wrestling Promotions in the entire world. It did not take a backseat to anybody. And I've always been a sucker for wrestling matches where Wrestlers can go hold for hold and move for move. Steaboat and Flair were one of the great rivalries that stretched across decades. It doesn't get any better than this.

[@timburr4453]

@@JuliusC1973 Amazing how they went on like this night after night, 45 min to hour long matches, just brilliant creativity and psychology back and forth. These guys were true legends and masters of their craft

[@freebee8221]

It did get a little bit better with randy vs Ricky tho

[@EdsterIII]

​@@JuliusC1973Well said! The Flair/Steamboat rivalry was one of the most iconic rivalry/feuds in professional wrestling. BOTH of these wrestlers could go a full 60 minute time limit match. Both had really great moves/holds/reversals, and both could go toe to toe as well. Plus Steamboat had his aerial attacks. This feud had everything, and Flair, and his incredible way of selling his promos got people so fired up and enraged that the crowds would go nuts! This truly was one of, if not THE BEST feud in pro wrestling.

[@jcdoors1978]

Matches like these are what made me a fan for decades. If these new guys used half the psychology these guys did, I might be able to watch it. Even ECW guys used a bit more than today's guys.

[@flrpitflrp1965]

Wrestling will never get back to this. And that's too bad. This is pure gold

[@donarthiazi2443]

God I miss the territories 😔

[@freebee8221]

Its way better now

[@areguapiri]

America and American men don't have manhood and masculinity anymore.

[@emptyhand777]

​@@freebee8221- It's not

[@RamsLakersDodgers]

@@emptyhand777Have you watched?Probably not.

[@lucianopavarotti2843]

To think that Flair would be having his last match 43 years after this...

[@danielvrodriguez81]

This is when people loved wrestling. The crowd never stopped cheering

[@dougfredricks2017]

From the good old days of JCP wrestling

[@abcdefg12089]

because they all thought it was real, and also the performers weren't doing gymnastic shit like they do today and don't sell moves.

[@pulsarlights2825]

@@abcdefg12089 The crowd was totally marking out in this one...

[@coletraincyclist5979]

This is when it was wrestling worth loving

[@ukhillboy365]

Steamboat/Flair matches were legendary...10 yrs later they would have another classic...don't get fan reaction like this anymore!

[@tito.tarantula]

Absolute giants of wrestling. And man, could they sell it!

[@Thesmokeeffect]

The crowd makes this even better

[@amc5966]

Just listen to that crowd. This was REAL for them. Amazing.

[@perrytornado]

Theatrically real is my kind of real/ Thrilling performances of professional wrestlers/

[@tarzlegacy9446]

HOLY COW!! GREAT FOOTAGE... 3 OF THE GREATEST WRESTLERS EVER! A RARE TREAT!

[@EdsterIII]

The Flair/Steamboat rivalry was one of the most iconic rivalry/feuds in professional wrestling. BOTH of these wrestlers could go a full 60 minute time limit match. Both had really great moves/holds/reversals, and both could go toe to toe as well. Plus Steamboat had his aerial attacks. This feud had everything, and Flair, and his incredible way of selling his promos got people so fired up and enraged that the crowds would go nuts! This truly was one of, if not THE BEST feud in pro wrestling. Kudos to Flair for really helping to make Steamboat's popularity explode. 👏 Flair is truly a legend!

[@zumaanandrade3961]

Yep...He sure knows how to entertain.

[@pulsarlights2825]

...and not seeing an obese Dusty Rhodes opposite a young Flair is a beautiful thing to see....

[@swolepatrol2139]

One big pop lasted the entire match! Just a house show. This was better than any PPV.

[@user-dz4ty5tj7q]

Brian Sheetz seems like a fake piped in sound. No show is like this

[@blairpilgrim1725]

Having been to many of these shows when I was young I can tell you Spartanburg...Greenville....Greensboro...Raleigh...and the Omni were always extremely loud with lots of heat throughout the main events

[@TheMainmannc]

@@user-dz4ty5tj7q having gone to many shows in Greensboro and the surrounding areas here the Piedmont. I can tell you we could not talk for three days after going to a show that was real sound coming from the arena.

[@jamesm3657]

Look at that crowd, nonstop cheering!

[@TheKestevon]

This is when people believed wrestling was real

[@martingamer5591]

Flair's charisma is immeasurable.

[@wrlord]

Can't get over how big and strong Steamboat was.

[@davidmiles8423]

Andre was definitely a hands on type of referee.😅

[@johnpaulgarcia6906]

*wack* 😅

[@ericfrontczak8016]

Andre straight up controlling that match wish refs now did that

[@nassermj7671]

He had hands alright. See the size?

[@ronaldshank7589]

He did a pretty good job here...but sometimes, it seemed like he was a little bit too biased towards Ricky Steamboat, and against Ric Flair. However, it was a good match. The crowd was really into it, that's for sure!

[@MrBlackFabio]

Never seen Steamboat this big before. He looks just as big as Flair.

[@lancethiele1563]

For a short time he got huge. Probably roids, everyone was on them.

[@warrenbates2949]

Flair was short.

[@raidernation7427]

Very rare the ref is the biggest person in the ring. R.I.P. Andre.

[@ronaldshank7589]

I know, right? Usually, the Ref is the smallest guy in the ring!

[@BarekHalfhand]

Man that crowd is going nuts 😁

[@ROCK.ON.]

Man i love it i remember back in 70s watching ric flair and ricky steamboat live at the township audotorium in columbia s.c. tuesday nights was the big night all the great people in the place we would all start stomping our feet at same time and hallar.n. man it was great saw andre giant jay youngblood chief wahoo black jack mulligan super stars 1 & 2 greg the hammer valentine mighty igor and many others what a great time in my life back in 70s cherrish all the memories 4ever

[@ronaldshank7589]

The two Ric people:"The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. They certainly had their clashes and wars over the years, I know that for sure! What a lot of people didn't know back then, was that, behind the scenes, Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat were actually very close. They were best of friends, and actually loved each other like brothers. They also had one other thing going for them:Great ring chemistry. They knew what to do, and they followed through on things!

[@jasonlassiter9229]

Can’t believe how swollen Ricky Steamboat is here. He was pretty pumped up 🏋️‍♀️when he was in the WWF in the Mid-80’s, but he looks even bigger here.

[@pickettpride6980]

Andre makes Flair & Steamboat look like elementary school kids.

[@johnpaulgarcia6906]

😅

[@LanceJ.]

People that think the 80s and 90s were the peak of wrestling have no idea about the 70s.

[@pulsarlights2825]

People that think the 70s were the peak had no clue about 50s......

[@ronaldshank7589]

I just happened to think-That this (1979) was the first year I started watching Wrestling! I was 16 at the time, and I think it was either January or February. Now, back then, I only knew of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, which, at that time, was under the Auspices of the old National Wrestling Alliance (The NWA). I never even knew about any other Wrestling Organizations, such as The World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), which later, sometime in the Early 1980s, became known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and then, in Mid-2002, became World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Also:I knew of the American Wrestling Alliance (AWA), but, unfortunately, their organization went out of business in either 1990 or 1991. Then, later on, the NWA had, back in the very late 1980s, or the very early 1990s, become known as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which lasted until March 26, 2001, & then disbanded, due to poor management. There were so many bad things that had happened to WCW, that I'm totally surprised that they didn't go out of business sooner. As it turns out, Eric Bischoff had worked out a deal with a Company known as Fusient, and he thought that they would carry WCW Wrestling Content on their Channel... only for Fusient to stab Eric Bischoff and WCW in the back, stating, after everything had been finalized, that they didn't want Wrestling on their Channel! Poor Eric! He'd fought long and hard, tooth and nail, to get WCW that deal...and then, they changed their minds..... Well...them's the breaks. Anyway: This is what Wrestling has come to, nowadays. WWE has become the Premiere Wrestling Brand to work for. Time sure does march on, doesn't it?

[@chrismartin7509]

Thank you for this footage. A true honor as a fan to see it.

[@lucianopavarotti2843]

Andre was a great ref. He had such ring smarts.

[@oldschool9447]

This is when wrestling was really fun.

[@BigBass-xf5yi]

And real. Lol

[@briscoedarling3237]

I was at the Charlotte Airport back in the day and I did not realize Andre was behind me until I turned around to walk and he was standing right behind me. I have never been startled by another human being but he stopped me in my tracks..I had never seen another human like that. He was truly a giant…

[@richardmorris6365]

I had a similar experience in LA airport w/ Richard Keil the Giant from the James Bond movies. I was at the urinal & a huge shadow appeared & it startled me good.

[@johnpaulgarcia6906]

Lol both of you. great stories 😅

[@JD_2597]

Man Andre is stupidly big here and in relatively good shape. His hands look like fucking frying pans

[@Chicoman67]

Flair & Steamboat had great chemistry in the ring. Many of their matches were classics. This one was no exception especially with Andre the Giant as the Special Guest Referee. Just listen to the pops of the crowd.

[@timburr4453]

The crowd, you'd think it was a Zeppelin concert. Just hanging on their every move

[@pulsarlights2825]

@@timburr4453 Zeppelin crowds were usually stoned out of their minds...

[@EdsterIII]

Gotta love the 3:05 mark right after Steamboat slams Flair and Flair rolls up to Andre the Giant and "crawls" up his 👔shirt👔 and Andre brushes him off like a fly and launched Flair across the ring! Flair was so great at selling moves, holds, and especially those type of shots.

[@SwatZombie]

Man, I'm loving some of these old Steamboat matches. I became a fan in the mid 80s during his time in the WWF but he seems more intense and aggressive in these earlier matches. He looks a little heavier built and uses more power moves than he did when I first started watching. Love it

[@geraldlocklear4373]

He was huge when he was in the Mid Atlantic area. When I later saw him on WWF he was much smaller. He and Flair had the greatest matches. My first live event was seeing them in Laurinburg,NC Steamboat was new to the area but everyone knew these two were great in the ring after that night.

[@charliebrownie4158]

A time we will never see again from the silver age of wrestling

[@falcundo]

It's a pity such a classic match has inexplicably deleted sections throughout.

[@michaelj7850]

That pop was amazing, sustained the whole match, don't get that in today's wrestling.

[@TonyRichards]

because pro wrestling died, now you have sports entertainment. There is a huge difference in the two, not just terms

[@slickrichelicopter8977]

Magic shows and wrestling both died, when everyone found out their secrets.

[@joeblo5804]

When wrestling was magic and 3 iconic athletes like this are in the same ring........... I say magic because these guys were so good at this art they made u believe it was "real" in the professional wrestling sense and they gave it their all. Freakin awesome!

[@jbellflower83]

Flair using his promo at the start to set up his exploits after the match. Complement the pretty blond and get her all hot and bothered then pick her up later on. Only flair could do that.

[@Dregen1]

*Fan fiction above*

[@dkbrain3434]

The sequence of moves with Ric’s strut starting at 5:15 may be the most entertaining in the history of professional wrestling.

[@timburr4453]

and then Steamboat mocking him to a roaring crowd pop. Loved it

[@nofrop]

And hardly any wrestling.... All selling..and waiting... And still better than anything in the last 10yrs

[@areguapiri]

That was pure gold!...​... Better than anything in the last 30 years.

[@linocordova7465]

At 5:15 to 5:21 the Flair strut❤. Diamonds💎 are forever and so is Ric Flair wooooooo.

[@peterp2153]

Goddamn those Stramboat press slams! I know Rick jumped into them but it looked like He presses him in one motion.

[@TheMainmannc]

I remember not being able to talk 3 days after going to an NWA show in Greensboro or Reidsville or Winston-Salem or Roanoke

[@Wadzillia]

Same here as a kid went to Spartanburg and Greenville.

[@danielhackman9810]

Santana fantastic

[@tonyruby4467]

Best shape I've seen Ric Flair in

[@dantedlane2]

82-85 rica shape is incredible

[@lionellawson8272]

These two were amazing to watch ...both knew how to sell it ....

[@AbdulRashid-ii9xz]

Good old days of early wrestling and Andre was at his peak here young and healthy sadly died in January 1993 life is too short.

[@stevenmichienzi9833]

Flair and Steamboat at the end of the 70s had some of the best matches ever, unfortunately many of these took place in house shows, but this video is proof of the athletic and technical quality they achieved, furthermore Andrè the Giant was the most feared man in the wrestling business, you really couldn't ask for anything better, true legends 💙

[@hhh123837]

These three guys are really hamming it up for the audience!!!!!!!! Lovvvvvvvveee it!!!!

[@garysmith1863]

Andre could’ve had an entire career as just a referee.

[@pulsarlights2825]

He should have just been a ref the last 10 years of his career, he could barely move in the end

[@zackjay71]

Yeah cause his wrestling matches are horrible. Unfortunately they are. He is slow, and uncoordinated

[@zackjay71]

@@pulsarlights2825he wouldn’t have been able to get out of the way. Thats why he didn’t

[@pulsarlights2825]

@@zackjay71 Andre was a novelty act, I don't think anyone would consider him a great worker, even when he was younger...He was like a circus freak in the wrestling business, but he did draw asses in the seats...

[@waynep1178]

Greatest fued in wrestling history

[@whompmaster]

1:23 Andre's hands look like baseball gloves!

[@RemarkableMusicLounge]

Andre could block out the camera when he stood in middle of the ring 😀

[@sasquatreyz3841]

Man! This is great!

[@dennisorr1746]

I've been catching up on all the Andre related matches...Andre was always the best draw! Talk about a one man gang!

[@antbarn5210]

Wow andre was huge , dont matter how tall he was or wasnt just look how big he was.. only be 1 Andre

[@MAGA-kv1nj]

Great footage; 3 legends

[@johncallander886]

Andre's hand is as big as Steamboat's face. Andre was a literal giant in his prime

[@eccoparallel]

Thx for this video I enjoy watching the match but to see Andre and his size as a ref was cool..I can see why they still put him in one of my favorite games Streetfighter as Hugo..He has a daughter that takes over his legacy😊.

[@richardwillams7086]

Rip to Andre the giant he was one of the greatest ever to step in the ring

[@majestic_irrelevance]

Ricky is j-j-jacked up son

[@SaverioP]

I saw them so many times at the Scope Arena and Hampton Coliseum back in the day. Good times.

[@acewilliams7917]

Need more refs like Andre.

[@dantedlane2]

Nah need less

[@acewilliams7917]

@@dantedlane2 more! Wrestling is already chaotic. It needs some order.

[@jasonbrown1401]

Even with andre helping steamboat cheat the GOAT still keeps the title. Whoooo !!!!!

[@Wadzillia]

The best Feud ever in Mid Atlantic.

[@davidstone2820]

When wrestling was actually entertaining!

[@unlimitedrabbit]

When, the actual wrestling was both the sizzle *and* the steak.

[@sonofsarek]

Wow. Both of them were so fast back then, especially Steamboat.

[@ronnierungerson8795]

Ric was in great shape back then. He could've called himself"Ripped" Flair

[@timburr4453]

and he was chubby just a few years earlier. Not fat but closer to a Duggan build in his youth

[@roberto0561]

I swear Andre looks exactly like the Incredible Hulk, hands down,

[@chr970]

The crowd sounds like the Ed Sullivan theatre, “….the Beatles!”

[@ECWnWWF]

this was one of WCW's better pay per views, one that Eric Bischoff can be proud of producing.

[@donarthiazi2443]

Eric wasn't in wrestling in 1979

[@chrischar9428]

JFC

[@marklane4403]

Man Steamboat was jacked here

[@mrmoonlight3643]

The ladies went crazy for young flair

[@James-ql8bo]

😂 Ric Flair could wrestle a broom stick and make it look good. One of if not the best.

[@richardwillams7086]

This was when wrestling was at it's best

[@izzysantiago978]

I couldn't bear to see 666 likes so I hit it to change it to 667...

[@michaelzoran]

I can't believe Ric Flair is competing for the "U.S. Title" here. Ric Flair is synonymous with the word, "World Heavyweight Title."

[@BigBass-xf5yi]

The intensity of the crowd says it all. I miss these days so much. I can’t even watch the new product anymore.

[@roberto0561]

You’re not the only one brother

[@panchito1384]

This is GOLD..

[@TheImapotato]

With these old wrestling matches, since they were not scripted, I always like to watch when a wrestler specifically gives the other an opening or invitation to hype the crowd even more. These guys had impeccable chemistry doing that, the only one Ricky missed was Flair's first 'Natuh Walk' and then he pointed at his head saying he was smarter. He wanted Ricky to pull some moves to show the crowd that he was indeed just as smart but I guess Ricky couldn't think of something right there, so he waited until he multichopped and did the swagger walk himself.

[@user-fn6lt2cn3o]

😊Awesome. Post. Thanks

[@michaelbrantley.8628]

Rip andre the giant greatest wrestlers and a actor in a movie wrestle mania three when hulk hogan pick him up and slam him great moments andre gone but not forgotten with the Lord 🙏 forever amen the nature boy ric flair wooooo you gotta beat the man love his catch phrase Ricky the dragon steamboat my favourite wrestler Ric flair also andre to.

[@campervanhelsing]

So awesome. That's how you work a crowd. No top rope crap

[@Toracube]

Can an area get any louder? This is gold!

[@ronniewilloughby2035]

These are the Greatest Champions

[@toadysplash881]

No default run of the mill chants. Just pure emotion. Today's fans suck

[@robertgrissom5760]

That's true, but today's wrestling sucks also!

[@blackops8996]

Fans know now that wrestling is fake

[@gbody2617]

@@blackops8996 - It's a show but those slams and even back then their hits were life half full force so calm down on the fake crap. Those men were proving themselves tough in and out of the ring back then before it became the World Weenie Entertainers.

[@rachaelnichter5525]

geez...flair did the exact same match in the 70s too

[@nizamnizam5540]

The best of channel

[@elmoreleopard4760]

Both Flair and Steamboat look amazing here...just jacked

[@xalfomasterx6631]

Great match love rics hair

[@kellygal621]

Andre the Giant looking like Hugo on street fighter

[@mikejeff7157]

Wanna see more!

[@tplomonte]

Two of thee very best .. Hogan was more show pop these guys wrestled 90 minutes

[@camphope9344]

Looks like someone dad letting their kids wrestle lol

[@inDAhole176]

Anderson civic center. Greenville memorial auditorium. Fun times

[@anthonycrimi4789]

Ric could sell man!

[@Trains4Fun]

Funny how Andre the Giant didn't check Rick for any hidden weapons. Dirtiest player in the game with full robes on. Ricky get checked 0:58 . lol

[@syambakar409]

This was when Ricky stopped competing in bodybuilding shows, he competed once with Jimmy Snuka

[@RyanStapleton-ge2xm]

Wow was steamboat jacked here

[@CarolinaWrestlingShow]

Flair vs Steamboat matches were complete 🔥

[@eddiejames7201]

this is where Andre in his prime

[@lancethiele1563]

Look how easy Andre moves. By Wrestlemania he was a shadow of his best.

[@lucianopavarotti2843]

@2:03 beautifully done

[@FirebrewTV]

Was this one of the matches after Flair rubbed Steamboats face in the mat at a TV taping?

[@Wadzillia]

Nah I'm pretty sure this match was before that. They feuded for years in Mid Atlantic and drew great crowds.

[@Mic-oi5kb]

It's like a father watching his boys fight.

[@kidneystonermusic]

Listen to this crowd