Foley vs Steamboat, Why The Dragon Wins
At Wrestlemania 25 Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat looked like he hadn’t missed a step, wowing audiences with his ariel offense, picture perfect arm drags and all around great ring shape. Emotional chants of “you’ve still got it” and “thank you Steamboat” echoed throughout the arena and that nostalgic sense of pride returned, which we haven’t felt since Ric Flair’s retirement. Were fans reliving Wrestlemania 3 in their minds, or were they legitimately drawn in by his amazing promo on Raw against Chris Jericho? Whatever got the fans young and old to get behind the legend is unclear, but it felt like something special and it was nice to see a fresh face.
Steamboat takes to the air at Backlash
At TNA Lockdown Mick Foley put on a brave performance against Sting, he worked the best he could, considering his ring shape, took some solid bumps and even brought a barbed wire bat in to play. Despite this the crowd were flat, unsure who to cheer, and it seemed like they were longing for something more; maybe the big cage spot they’d been teased with. Ultimately Foley pulled off the victory and became the TNA Heavyweight champion to most people’s surprise, but the excitement wore off within seconds.
Why are fans buzzing about Steamboat, and indifferent about Mick Foley, who pulled off a far greater achievement and is now at the top of a national promotion?
This may bring on some heat, but if you really look at it Steamboat’s performance was nothing spectacular, and far from his prime years. He did his signature moves, but they weren’t as polished, and he was obviously aided by Chris Jericho. It was a good performance, but nothing more than a legendary baseball player taking a gimmick swing of the bat. Equally Foley did some ok bumps, told a good story and had some intensity, but he wasn’t jumping off the top of the cage and moving at the speed he used to; ironically he actually did take a gimmick swing of a bat. So what’s the difference between Mick Foley’s situation and Ricky Steamboat’s?
Foley wins the title, but do we really care?
Steamboat was used sparingly on TV and lost his match after a well executed heel build by Chris Jericho. Mick Foley has been rammed down our throats week after week, and won his match with no overtly clear heel or face.
The reason fans have gotten behind Steamboat is because he is an underdog veteran that put on a great performance but lost to the heel Chris Jericho, as we secretly all expected, and which is the most realistic outcome. We can pat him on the back and say “good job Steamboat, we still believe in you, you’ve still got it.” On the flip side, Foley, who is overweight and overexposed wasn’t a clear babyface or heel, went against an uncertain babyface or heel, and won his match, which realistically wouldn’t have happened in his condition and time removed from the ring compared to Sting. Did any of us really think in 2009 Mick Foley would be a world champion? No because it doesn’t make sense. If he’d have lost after a bloody massacre and refused medical help, only to raise Sting’s hand with a tear in eye, we’d have gone “good job Foley, we still believe in you, you’ve still got it.” But instead we go “Foley’s the champ? Meh.” It’s like eating a supermarket choc ice. It tastes good, but you’d rather be eating a Benny Bongos Bombastic Banana Boat.
Historically speaking whereas at the first sight of injury the modest Ricky Steamboat took years off from the business and helped the younger guys in training, Foley has been putting his body through hell, retiring, and coming back year after year, to the point that it isn’t special anymore, then continuing to bark on about it in his best selling books. Foley has booked himself in to a corner. We saw him fall off the cell, nothing can top that. If he retired then, he’d arguably be in a much better position now. So unless fans get to see that bump, or something even more extreme we’re just going to get sick of him, and his legacy will suffer because of it. It already has in my eyes as a fan tuning in to Impact.
Although nothing suggests that Mick is an egotistical power player, some are still going to see his win as something political. “Oh they’re just putting the title on an old WWE guy” or “do you think Foley had a title win written in to his contract?” He just doesn’t come across as deserving, and although he can be entertaining on Impact “just tweaking it” and interviewing himself, one has to look at the date and realize it’s 2009, not 1999. WWE understands how to book Steamboat, but TNA after having Foley do nothing but talk about WWE for months seem to have just thrown this out there to see if it sticks.
Although it is not horrendous, and having Foley in some kind of on air role is no doubt better than not having him at all, in a hypothetical stand off my money right now is on Steamboat.
As always feel free to leave your comments below.
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I haven’t seen lockdown but it seemed like a complete joke to put the belt on Foley. This is the same guy who said 6 months ago he wouldn’t wrestle more then 3-4 matches a year for tna. And they put the belt on him? Very stupid on their part. I dont care if hes a veterian. I have respect for him, but that doesn’t mean that I want to see him run over young talent that need the belt more then Foley does. Hell, Sharkboy with the title would have been more realistic then Foley, just stupid decisions by tna.
Steamboat on the otherhand didn’t do anything that I saw as wrong. He put over Jericho with Jericho trying to sement himself in wwe as the biggest heel there is. Steamboat seems so much better then Foley, he is practically a luchador in the ring, and is 15 years older then Foley. And unlike Foley he left with most fans wanting him to countinue which is the complete opposite how I feel about Foley right now.
Agree completely. Foley at his age and shape SHOULD NEVER win a World Championship. Steamboat didn’t win, just performed well
I think Foley would have been much better in a managerial position than winning the belt. I think by putting the belt on Foley, TNA is trying to draw in more fans that recognize Foley as a legend, and say “hey, look what we have here!” They want to be recognized as the future of the buisness, but in my opinoin, as much as, WWE is lacking right now, I doubt TNA will be able to top them.
Foley should of stayed retired after that H.I.C. match with the undertaker. After winning numerous Titles, being in ECW hardcore matches and flying off that cage, what else did he have left to prove? after leaving WWE, we all thought he was done, then we see him on TNA. So Now when he says something about done with wrestling or retiring, we cant help but wonder if its really true. With Steamboat even though he lost the match, he showed everyone what it was like back in the day – no drama, no pyro, no long limo’s or fat checks, just Classic wrestling moves. The only Unfortunate thing about Steamboat being back in the ring is that Vince might use him until he is crippled. I guess he don’t like to see WWE legends in good shape.
I agree to. Even though the is a substantial contrast in their wrestling styles. To put a title on a former WWE guy in ridiculous. However if they faced each other in a non-title match, (same to when Ric Flair last feuded with Triple H, the Intercontinental title the Flair had wasn’t involved in their bouts.) This match may have worked to improve foley’s legacy. Steamboats loss was logical as was Shawn Michaels loss to Undertaker. Same veteren vs. veteren type match. TNA still need alot of work to build and present big-time one-off matches
Sorry guys but I have to disagree. I was bored out of my mind watching the Jericho v Steamboat matches at Mania and Backlash. It felt like such a waste of Chris Jericho’s talent. However I enjoyed the Foley v Sting match, it was certainly no HBK v Taker, but enjoyable non-the-less. I think you’re getting tied down with there being no big Foley “spots”
In my humble opinion Foley was never exclusively about falling of of high structures or fighting with weapons it was about his heart, determination to succeed in the face of adversity and his amazing promo’s. It has been an absolute delight to watch him in TNA, he makes me laugh so much and has so much more to offer than Sting did as world champion.
I agree that it’s not all about the spots, but to some it is. One of the main problems live was the fans were flat after seeing the great tag team street fight. As for his promos, he’s always been one of the best, but in this TNA world I think he’s lacking something.
I have to disagree with most people here. I think that TNA has improved by having Foley there and the match with Sting on Lockdown was better than most matches on WM25 (I said most, not all). Foley showed that he’s “still got it” too. He took some solid bumps, showed a lot of heart as always and had a good match.
I think Sting’s been a pretty bleak champion lately, and I was to be honest pretty sick of the TNA champion just being one of Kurt Angles lackeys (which is what Sting has been for the most part the past couple of months). Giving the title to Foley at least mixes it up a bit and I for one am excited to see what will happen during what will probably be Mick Foleys last title run in any promotion.
oh no dean steamboat vs jericho was a good match and what do you expect more from steamboat , he is at age of your grand parnet or may be bigger , some of our grand parents at age of steamboat cant even walk and see steamboat
I agree with this article completely steamboat over foley. it also shows how TNA continually choose veterans over youngsters. I mean sting defeated the likes of Aj Styles, Samoa Joe and (although not a youngster) the world best in my opinion Kurt Angle yet he loses to mick foley? it makes no sense. Steamboat came in gave a few great matches then put over the younger star as should be done for the future of wrestling.
Jawad, I understand your point but Steamboat is only 56 years old.
For people to say Foley should have retired after the HITC match with ‘Taker are just plain dumb. He had some classic matches with Triple H and one of the best hardcore matches in history with Edge. His stuff in TNA, though, just crap. He should have sucked it up and stuck to announcing or went away from the business or did behind the scenes stuff with TNA. All that match was is just to give him the title so he can lose it to someone else at the next PPV.
With Steamboat, it wasn’t a Main Event program like with Foley. He didn’t take up a huge amount of time on TV and there was no one for Jericho to have a huge match with. Sting, on the other hand, could have faced a number of young talent and put them over, but instead, had to put over an old man like Foley who is in no shape to be the cornerstone of a wrestling promotion.
Ricky Steamboat is in a different league from foley, we all knew it was ricky’s last set of matches or appearances, at least as a character and also helped put jericho over as a major heel, however witht the mick foley tna champ thing, but sting was becoming a stale champion, but why couldnt someone like aj, or joe take the belt, we’ll see where this story goes tho