50 Best WCW Moments Ever
31. Ricky Steamboat Does It
1989's Chi-Town Rumble took place during that weird period when WCW was the NWA but also kinda wanted to become something new too. The company still kept NWA lineage for belts, and that's a plus point when it comes to the Rumble pay-per-view's main event between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat - that NWA strap added some legitimacy to a classic match-up.
The 'Dragon' was breathing fire in front of a white hot crowd eager for some traditional wrasslin'. Flair and Steamboat wouldn't disappoint. Their 23-minute bout was laced with Flair's greatest hits, as well as his willingness to sell like few others when a babyface was getting the best of him. Steamboat obliged by acting like he was bloody terrified of the Figure Four.
This was a do or die night for Ricky.
He'd win the NWA World Title as the PPV climaxed, and the babyface reaction he got for countering Flair's submission attempt into a small package pin combo was fierce. Everyone in Chicago was a Steamboat mark that evening, and the win justified Ricky moving on from the WWF after WrestleMania IV the prior year.