One of the best WWE matches ever left Vince Russo feeling "legitimately p****d" (Exclusive)

Former WWE writer Vince Russo recently recalled how he felt annoyed after watching a widely praised match between two legends.

In 1987, Ricky Steamboat defeated Randy Savage at WrestleMania 3 to win the Intercontinental Championship. The 14-minute bout is viewed by many as one of the greatest technical wrestling matches in history.

Russo spoke to Dr. Chris Featherstone and EC3 on Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Outlaws about how current wrestling does not make him feel much emotion. Reminiscing about his love of wrestling four decades ago, the one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion said he wanted Savage to retain his title:

"Bro, at 26 years old, I was p****d that Savage lost the title," Russo stated. "At 26. I look at today and I'm like, what has happened in wrestling in the last 25 years that had any kind of an effect on me whatsoever? I was legitimately p****d at 26, knowing it's a work, knowing what the business was. That's gone, bro. That is gone." [13:56 – 14:23]

Watch the video above to hear the panel's memories of wrestling legends Ole Anderson and Virgil.

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What made the WWE WrestleMania 3 match so good?

At the time, WWE stars with larger-than-life physiques were often presented as bigger attractions than smaller wrestlers with impressive in-ring skills. At WrestleMania 3, for example, Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant headlined the event. However, Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat was deemed the best match of the night.

In 2023, Steamboat spoke to Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter about his legendary win over Savage. He explained that the number of pinfalls in the match set it apart from other in-ring encounters during that era:

"Back then, an average match would have eight or nine or 10 pinfalls," Steamboat said. "False finishes. That seems to be about the average for back then. And we had 20. And then you had to remember, in consecutive order, the 20 false finishes... And then remember the spots in between each of the false finishes leading into the false finish."

Steamboat joined the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009, while Savage received a posthumous induction in 2015.

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Did you prefer Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant or Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat? Let us know in the comments section below.

Please credit Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws and embed the video if you use Vince Russo's quotes from this article.