Ricky Steamboat Reveals Reason He Backed Out Of Ric Flair's Last Match

Ricky Steamboat backed out of Ric Flair's Last Match after being made aware of the fact his long-time rival was wearing a pacemaker.

Heading into The Nature Boy's retirement match earlier this year, the legendary wrestler was originally set to play a part in the contest. However, plans soon changed once Steamboat discovered Flair had been fitted with a pacemaker after suffering from heart problems over the years.

Not wanting to be a part of a contest that could result in his long-time rival suddenly passing away midway through the contest, The Dragon would tell Sportskeeda's Bill Apter:

"Well, initially, Conrad [Thompson], who’s the promoter, we talked, and I went to Nashville, and we had a sit-down, and it was Conrad, his wife, and me and my wife, Sandy. I was still training pretty good and feeling pretty good. So I said okay, and we hadn’t signed or sealed the deal on the money part of it. But what put the nail in the coffin was a week after that when I found out Flair was wearing a pacemaker. All these years, I never knew, and I immediately just said, ‘I don’t think I wanna do this.’ I don’t want my legacy to be I was in the ring when he happened to pass away or something went wrong. I didn’t want that."

Steamboat was ultimately nowhere to be found in the uncomfortable match that eventually Flair team with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo to take on Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal. Flair also passed out twice during the bout due to dehydration.

The Dragon would wrestle again before the year reached its end, however, teaming with FTR in a trios match the unit won against Brock Anderson, Jay Lethal & Nick Aldis on the Big Time Wrestling: Return of the Dragon card that went down on November 27.

Whether or not that will act as Steamboat's own "Last Match" remains to be seen.