8 Greatest Karate Dudes in pro wrestling history

#5 Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

Ricky Steamboat in 1991, when he was just "The Dragon"

Here's a fun fact to tell at parties you may have probably already known but I'm going to tell you anyway: Ricky Steamboat's actual given name is Richard Blood.

Now, I'm not saying that Ricky Steamboat isn't a cool name - it is. And, it fits the family man/good guy-but-still-formidable persona he cultivated over the years better (the man who gave him the name, Eddie Graham, correctly identified that "Blood" is a better bad guy name), but... man. Blood. "Richard Blood" sounds like the secret identity of a really spooky comic book superhero.

ln researching this article, I was almost tempted to take Steamboat off this list - only because I couldn't find any indication that he received any actual martial arts training over his life. That doesn't mean he didn't - maybe I just suck at researching? That's entirely plausible.

However, whether I'm wrong or not, the fact of the matter was that martial arts were an integral part of Steamboat's character. He certainly looked the part - and, no, not just because he had Asian ancestry. His physique resembled that of legendary actor and martial artist Bruce Lee - Steamboat competed in some bodybuilding competitions in the late 1970s, even winning the title of Mr. North Carolina in 1978.

His moveset didn't just involve chops, kicks, and strikes, either. His moves were extremely fast, yet fluid - like he and his opponent were suspended in time for just a moment. Look at his armdrag, often called the best version of the move ever done in the business.

Whereas Steve Blackman was a great Karate Dude who was also a good pro wrestler, Steamboat was a great pro wrestler who turned out to be a pretty good karate dude. Better than most. That's why he gets a slight nod over Blackman, although it's close.