Big Time Wrestling Promoter Recalls Convincing Ricky Steamboat To Come Out Of Retirement

Big Time Wrestling promoter Steve Perkins has detailed the process behind convincing Ricky Steamboat to come out of retirement next month.

The Dragon is scheduled to participate in a six-man tag match at the promotion's November 27 show. He will team with FTR against Brock Anderson, Black Machismo (Jay Lethal) and a mystery partner (managed by Arn Anderson).

Speaking on The Business of the Business podcast, Perkins had this to say about what it took to coax the WWE Hall of Famer back into the squared circle:

"So, and some of it, I'll get into it as much as I can [Perkins said about Ricky Steamboat’s in-ring return] but obviously, everybody had heard about Ricky possibly getting back into the ring for Ric's 'Last Match' and it didn't happen for whatever reason and you know, it's probably for a myriad of reasons that most the internet doesn't get right but didn't happen. But that allowed me to know that, hey, Ricky's not against this. Ricky's capable of doing this. This was close because Ricky's agent was a friend of mine, Tony Hunter, who's an agent for a lot of guys too. 

"Bret [Hart] and I happened to be in Knoxville for a Comic Con and I was there with Bret. I just started asking Ricky questions and Ricky wasn't adverse to doing it and I just went to Ricky and said, 'Ricky, this night's going to be about you. This is a night about Ricky Steamboat'. We’re gonna do it at the [J.S.] Dorton Arena and that's just a historic place for Ricky Steamboat, it's an historic place for Jim Crockett. The amount of one-hour draws Ricky and Ric [Flair] probably had there is, you know, insurmountable, the number of times they probably went 60 minutes and it's just a historical building and a great place and I said, 'Ricky, it's gonna be a classy thing. It's gonna be all about you and we've got a hell of a lot of talent that's gonna wanna jump on board and be around this'. 

"So I took quite a bit of time to convince him and come to terms on it but it's gonna be incredible. I know in my head who's committed to be there and it hasn't fully been announced because we'd love to get promos filmed first but…the talent on the card doesn't end with Ricky Steamboat. It could be Ricky Steamboat in one match and you could take the ring down and go home and everybody would get their money's worth because I don't know if you’ve heard, I don't think Ric Flair could have been more correct about it but when Ric was asked on his podcast about it, Ric said, 'Hey, Ricky Steamboat wouldn't be getting in the ring to do this if he wasn't going to do it right and wasn't gonna look like a million bucks.' And Ricky trains, Ricky works out, Ricky doesn't have carbs after lunch. Ricky takes his body seriously now so, I guarantee no one will be disappointed by Ricky Steamboat in the ring". 

Steamboat's last match was tagging with his son (and former NXT star) Richie Steamboat (against The Dudebusters) on a Florida Championship Wrestling show in June 2010.

H/T POST Wrestling