Savage vs. Steamboat WM3: How Does It Hold Up?

[The Brain]

Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage from WrestleMania III is one of the most famous matches in WWE history. It blew people away in 1987 and is still held in high regard 27 years later. It is credited for helping usher in a new style of wrestling in the WWF where smaller and more athletic wrestlers were given a chance to shine. Some people still call it the greatest WrestleMania match of all time.

I still love this match but I wouldn't call it the greatest WrestleMania match of all time. It was a fantastic match and still ranks among the best matches. I was watching in 1987 so I appreciate how good it was relative to when it took place. I just think other matches have surpassed it. I wonder if this match took place today or even ten or twenty years ago if it would be remembered as fondly. I'm sure people would still look at it as a great match but would it be in the discussion for greatest match of all time?

I know the match has fallen out of favor with some because we learned every single spot was planned out well ahead of time. Personally, I don't care about that at all. I look at wrestling as a play and it doesn't bother me that Savage and Steamboat went through a lot of rehearsals before performing in front of the live crowd. If you've accepted wrestling matches are scripted then learning that wrestlers rehears shouldn't bother you.

I know a lot of us were watching WWF in 1987 while most probably were not. I'd like to hear from both points of view here. How does this match hold up nearly 30 years later? Should a match from 1987 be held to different standards than a match from 1997, 2007, or 2014? Does the fact that is was so carefully rehearsed bother you? If you don't mind please tell us if you were watching in 1987 in your reply.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

It's dated, there's no getting past that. But eighties wrestling is completely different to the wrestling we have today. You can't easily compare the two.

What is true is that Savage/Steamboat is still a very good match and most importantly it is a stone cold classic.

 

[The Butcher]

One of my favorite matches ever. I didn't start watching until '88, but when I saw the match on VHS it blew me away. I think it holds up magnificently. Conversely, I don't think that the standard for a match has ever really changed; the goal is to tell a story and entertain the fans. You can go from Savage/Steamboat to Warrior/Hogan to Austin/Hart to Taker/HBK; they share a lot of the same basic elements and they all captivated the audience. The fact that Savage/Steamboat was carefully planned and practiced means absolutely nothing to me. That doesn't make it any less fun to watch.

 

[Creepy Old Man]

Still hands-down the greatest match ever.

Smark morons can talk about how the match somehow doesn't count because Savage and Steamboat planned it. Um, the structuring of the match concerns you... how? That's right, it doesn't. You're not the backstage officials you wish you were, you're lowly viewers. What happened behind the scenes before the match has absolutely zero impact on how it holds up as a piece of video.

 

[rymflaherty]

With the WWE Network I've been going through all the PPV's in order starting with the oldest, and I've actually been pleasantly surprised with many of the matches. The move sets and athleticism may be limited at times, but there is also a story-telling that is often lacking in today's product.

While I think it may have been surpassed in terms of "Greatest Ever" I certainly think the Steamboat/Savage match is one that still holds up today.

As for the planning ahead aspect - that's the first I've heard of that, and I find it curious people would criticize the match because of that.
My initial reaction was that it means they care, and they realized how big a spot WM was. It was always my belief that was what house shows were for - you worked on spots for the big money/big viewership events - Especially back then when there was no way photos/video or reports of what you were doing could instantly reach millions.

To those that do see that as a negative I wanted to mention that I had the privilege of seeing the Shawn Michaels/Razor Ramon ladder match months before Wrestlemania, at my hometown (Torrington, CT) armory of all places. Seriously, the place held a couple hundred people and is the equivalent of a Bingo hall.
Jan. 20th 1994, if you need to find evidence of it.
I wonder if that is well known , and if not, than it means they have to look down on that match as well?

 

[ccotreau1]

Still one of the best matches of all time in my book, and for those who complain that it was rehearsed, so what? They wanted to make sure it was epic for us fans, can't really blame them. I would rather them get it perfect, then have one of them pull a Sin Cara-esque move and botch, and ruin what chemistry they had, everyone would focus on that botch, not how good the match was as a whole.

 

[Pedigree1]

The mere fact that this match is almost 30 years old,to me everytime i watch it its like the first time im seeing it... I dont care if it was rehearsed or not... You can still botch a move or here no matter how many times its rehearsed. Its a classic and one of the best ever not just at WM but of all-time..

This is exactly the type of match,if you have visions of being a pro wrestler,and story-telling in the ring,then watch this match.. The careful planning,every moveset they planned was just an absolute masterpiece in the ring... Matches come and go,90% we all forget about,but these ones we will always remember!! The fact that it happened almost 30 years ago,means nothing..

I enjoy watching it now as I did then. Simply one of the top five WM matches of all-time easily!

 

[bioshock]

Not only is it a good match, but a good match done in front of 93,000+ people, which is a feat in an of its self. They were under pressure with that big of a crowd and pulled it off with flying colors.

I haven't seen the match in a few years, but I'm betting it still holds up, I've seen it maybe 10 or 15 times in all, never once did I ever think it wasn't a classic.

And to compare it to modern wrestling, while watching it just ask yourself this: would the fans be chanting "THIS IS AWESOME"? My bet is they would be.

 

[T2KFreeker]

There were a few things going on here. Not only was this match AMAZING, but it also helped to make the Intercontinental Championship important again. It proved that a match could be awe inspiring without having to be for the World Heavyweight Championship. The feud between Savage and Steamboat was awesome and this match was actually much bigger than the Hype. it stole the show at Wrestlemania III and showed that hard work pays off. Not that Steamboat and Savage weren't popular before this, but this match made them future Hall of Famers before there was even a WWE Hall of Fame. People knew that what they were seeing was special. They still love it to this day making it an amazing match. Is it as good today as it was back then? Yes, and then some. Not only is it one of the Greatest Wrestlemania Matches of all time, but it's one of the greatest matches in the history of the Intercontinental Championship of all time as well and people seem to forget that aspect too.

 

[Oldschoolersrule]

I think the real question that should be asked is "How do todays matches hold up against Rickey Steamboat vs. Randy Savage at WM3"?

As a number of posters touched on, this match took place well before the internet dirt sheets, or any of the "wrestling secrets" were revealed. Planning a match was and is still standard practice. Any wrestler will tell you that you have to trust the opponent you're facing, wether you like them or not, you have to trust and protect them in the ring. So how do you accomplish that? Do you honestly think wrestling matches are improvised or done on the fly?

Also, wasn't there a story not too long ago about the Rock wanting to plan out his match with Hogan before their big match? (Which Hogan said no to anything physical until the match I believe) Why do you think the Undertaker has a full size ring at his house, so him and the missus can have fun? (though now that I think about it....), but no, its so he can script his epic WM streak matches.

 

[The Butcher]

A thing about the planning aspect as well is that Randy Savage was notorious for meticulously laying out matches. On an episode of Legends of Wrestling, Ric Flair spoke of how he asked Ricky Steamboat how many pages of notes Ricky got for that match after Steamboat returned to NWA/WCW after leaving WWF. To not like the fact that this match was planned out is to not like Randy Savage to a degree, because there may not have been a match in his career that he didn't choreograph. Plus, it worked. If the match was shitty, then yeah, bash the planning because it was a jacked up plan. That wasn't at all the case here. It was a classic. Can't really wrap my head around the concept of downgrading this match because it was heavily scripted.

 

[Bythedockofthebay]

To me on the wrestlemania classic list it's behind HBK and Taker (both matches) but that's about it. The timing was great, the two men worked perfectly and everything about this match was a classic. When comparing matches at wrestlemania, I always look to this one as the standard bearer.

 

[ted sheckler]

I rewatched the match within the past year and felt it still held up as very very good. But it's really hard to take any match from the Rock N Roll Era and take it out of context. The buildup the crowd. The fact that we just weren't too used to seeing those types of matches out WWE at the time really coupled with two all time greats.

THE best ever? I tend to disagree. I would probably rank Taker vs HBK.. Austin vs Bret.. maybe even WM X Ladder Match ahead of it. But even though I feel that Savage vs Steamboat isn't the GOAT doesn't mean it's not an incredible match that will be on almost everyones top 10 lists for all time.

 

[Gibby]

It's interesting because it's undeniably an important match and to my mind a very good one (and I don't have to factor in the era, because Dynamite Kid and Tiger Mask were putting on modern-style matches earlier in the decade). What interests me more is that I think that the wrong things have been taken from this match and the right things ignored.

I actively LIKE that they rehearsed a lot of it. The match is really elevated by a lot of care shown to showcase each other's strengths and moveset. Everything is performed with a smoothness and sense of intricacy and - crucially - adherence to storyline that makes it such an interesting spectacle. They stole the show that night and for a long time it was my 'benchmark' match.

I am less bothered about it 'being proof that athletic guys can do good matches'. In reality EVERYONE paid to wrestle should be able to put on a match that displays this level of care, interest, psychology and timing. OK, maybe that is overstating it, but I don't get why guys who are less 'natural' performers in-ring (usually larger guys) WOULDN'T rehearse, why they wouldn't plan out not just high spots but transitional sections. Attention to detail is what led Hulk Hogan v Ultimate Warrior, two of my least favourite guys ever, to a classic at WM6.

I'm sure that a lot of the bigger matches have road agents detailing spots between the guys, and also with the hectic schedule, how often do people get to just go in the ring and practice? I don't think planning is as prevalent as people think, because a lot of guys working indy feds are constantly moving, showing up in different halls each night, I doubt they even get an email conversation going.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Just happened to watch it last night, along with the rest of WM3.

In comparing the match to the others from the same event, the thing that stands out most is the speed in which it was contested. The rest of the card was really good, but with all the other big-bellied wrestlers plodding around the ring, spending huge amounts of time writhing in pain on the mat (while actually resting, imo) Savage and Steamboat never stopped moving. Their bouncing-off-the-rope maneuvers were performed at such a high clip that I was waiting for them to botch moves as they passed each other; yet, it never happened .....not even once. They were speedy, they were precise, they were technically proficient.......and they worked so well together I wished they had met in the ring more times than they did.

Also, I mentioned the "fat" wrestlers on the card; Savage and Steamboat were tremendous physical specimens.....both sleek and muscular. Savage was as graceful as a lynx while Steamboat looked like a rock and moved with deadly efficiency and purpose.

I thought it was easily the best match of WM3.

 

[god-soldier]

Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat at WM3 is still the standard of what a great match at WrestleMania should be like. Now Bret Hart vs HBK is my number 1 only because it went 60 minutes at WM it was a great match. But if Randy Savage n Ricky Steamboat went 60 mins then that would be the best WM match of all time. I have been watching wrestling and a fan since the Hulkamania Rock n Wrestling/ Ric Flair n Horsemen/80's wrestling era. I'm 30 yrs old and I can tell I have seen every wrestlemania and before WM XII there wasn't a better match then Steamboat vs Savage. Even after 30 yrs of WM there is still only one match better and that's it. I know HBK vs Taker 1 was great, and HBK vs Angle, Bret Hart vs Steve Austin, Hogan vs Rock all great but Savage Steamboat is better than all those. Now you can say its downgraded because it was rehearsed but so what that doesn't matter nor make a difference. Savage n Steamboat always had some of the best matches with other wrestlers as well as each other they were 2 of the best wrestlers in that time they both went on too win world championship after that match which says a lot during the Hogan/Flair 80's era. This match is still the standard and will always come as the 2nd best match in WM history. Savage vs Steamboat> then all the rest but one and that's Hitman vs HBK at WM XII!!!!

 

[The Warlord]

Just like how many people all of a sudden say HBK/Taker at WM 25 is overrated (when I think thats the best Mania match in history)...I believe Savage-Steamboat is overrated. It was the best Mania match for the first 10 years until 2 matches at WM 10 blew it away. It told a good story and had many near falls....but I wouldnt put it in my top 10.

There have been too many great Wrestlemania matches over the years, and with every year gone by that match gets pushed further down the rankings, IMO.

It doesnt even compare to HBK/Taker, Austin/Hart, HBK/Hart, Austin/Rock, Angle/HBK, HHH/Taker, Jericho/Michaels, etc.

It was a great match for its time...but honestly I can pick 5 matches from Raw in the last couple years that blow it away. Thats not to take anything away from Steamboat and Savage...2 amazing talents.

My $.02

 

[FlairFan2003]

The main critique about Savage and his planning was that when everything is so tightly scripted it leaves no room for change based on the audience reaction. There's no room to improvise based on good (or bad) crowd response. Savage was so obsessed with his match vs Flair at W-Mainia he had Flair come to his home in Tampa and practice the bout in his own ring in his basement.

That said both matches worked very well and stand the test of time, as most of Savage's bouts do. His approach may have been different (compared to Flair & Steamboat for instance who would plan only the finish and a couple of hi spots and then improvise the rest of the match, covering 30-45 minutes) but it worked.