Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat wrestled for the first time in 12 years at Big Time Wrestling's "Return of the Dragon" event in Raleigh, North Carolina, on November 27.
The WWE Hall of Famer teamed up with FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler), the reigning tag team champions in AAA, ROH, and NJPW, at the show. The trio faced "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal, Brock Anderson, and a mystery partner that turned out to be Nick Aldis, a two-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion.
At one point in the match, Steamboat hit one of his signature arm-drags, showing that "The Dragon" still had it after all these years.
Steamboat Armdrag!#ReturnOfTheDragon pic.twitter.com/BEP7Oxckre
— JJ Williams (@JJWilliamsWON) November 27, 2022
To remove Arn Anderson, who accompanied his son to the ring, from interfering, Steamboat dropped him with a chop in a moment that likely took many WCW fans back in time. In the end, Steamboat, Harwood, and Wheeler clinched the victory when they simultaneously locked their opponents in Figure-Four leg-locks and made them tap out.
After the match, Harwood and Wheeler praised Steamboat. The legend took the microphone and described why Raleigh has always been special to him. He noted that he once wrestled the world champion for 60 minutes in Raleigh and says the city is number one in his heart.
Check out full coverage of Big Time Wrestling: Return of the Dragon here.
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