Match #5 – 30 Minute Iron Man Challenge: Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat vs. WCW United States Champion ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude
Steamboat is accompanied to the ring by his family, he makes sure his son is out of harms way before he goes on the attack. He sends Rude for the ride and a gut buster. Steamboat charges with a shoulder block in the corner. Rude is thrown to the canvass and Steamboat works over the ribs. Punt after punt and the US Champ is hurting. Rude reverses the whip, a hip toss is blocked and a series of rights on the injured ribs again by Steamboat. Side bearhug to work over the injured spot, and The Dragon locks his hands.

Steamboat drives Rude into the corner and throws more shoulder blocks to the ribs. Rude fights back, lifting the knee. Rude with a forearm to the head, he sends The Dragon to the ropes, Steamboat ducks and lifts Rude up with a fireman carry slam. Bow and arrow submission on the ribs by Rude and the champ screams out in pain, reaching for the ropes. Rude rakes the eyes to break the hold. Steamboat is pushed off of Rude and into the ropes, he comes back though, flips over the top of him and goes for the Boston Crab. Steamboat locks it in, Rude trying to strength out of it.

Rude in a push-up position but can only take it for so long. Steamboat gets more torque as Rude inches forward. He finally makes it to the ropes, and there is a clean break. Steamboat yanks Rude back to the center, he lands a big splash and drives his knee back to the hurting ribs. A kick to the ribs and Steamboat tells Rude to get up. Rude favoring his side hard, more rib work. Front face lock and Rude is lifted into a vertical suplex position, instead being dropped on his face. He goes for a cover and Rude kicks out. Big chop by Steamboat followed by a right. Irish whip, but Rude catches Steamboat in the face with his knee. Steamboat goes down hard, Rude grabs the trunks and makes the pin.
Fall #1: ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude

Rude stays on him, dropping his forearm on Steamboat’s head. Knee to the midsection, but Rude is moving slowly. He goes for the Rude Awakening and lands it.
Fall #2: ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude
Rude goes back to work with a back breaker and he goes for the top rope. He lands a flying knee drop. It is now illegal to come off the top rope, so Rick Rude is disqualified from this decision.
Fall #3: Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat

Rude didn’t care about the DQ, he wanted to injure Steamboat. Rude pulls Steamboat to his feet and immediately pins him with an inside cradle.
Fall #4: ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude
Rude is slow to pursue The Dragon and he gets shots to the gut as a result. Steamboat hammers away at the ribs, judo chop, he goes for a back body drop but Rude ends it with a facebuster. Clubbing forearm by Rude, and he works his way into a camel clutch.

Steamboat pushes up to a crawling base and he goes for the ropes, he reaches out but Rude leaps and lands on Steamboat’s back. Rude tries to gyrate but his ribs won’t allow for it. Knees to the back by Rude, and the US Champ goes right back to the camel clutch. “Steamboat” chants breakout in the crowd as The Dragon once again crawls. He pulls himself up and lifts Rude on his shoulders, he falls backwards and both men are down. Steamboat is up first, he tries a big splash and Rude gets his knees up. Swinging neck breaker by Rude and he goes for a cover, Steamboat gets his shoulder up. He tries again and again but Steamboat won’t stay down. Back to a vertical base and The Dragon fights back with chops.

Rude stops the momentum, kick to the gut, snapmare and a reverse chinlock placed on Steamboat. Ricky reaches down and gets back to his feet, elbows to the ribs, the hold is broken, Steamboat hits the ropes but he runs into Rude’s knee. Steamboat’s head is driven into the turnbuckles, Rude digs the eyes. He sets up the piledriver and gets it. Slow cover and Steamboat kicks out, Rude complains to the referee. Rude lifts him for another piledriver, Steamboat fights his way backwards. He climbs Rude’s body, flips to the other side and hits a piledriver of his own.
Fall #5: Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat

Both men are incredibly slow to get going. Steamboat is up first but Rude grabs the trunks and sends him into the turnbuckle. Rude is drowsy and he’s climbing the turnbuckles again. Steamboat catches him, Rude is sat down and The Dragon lands a superplex. He is too fatigued to make a quick cover, he finally finds his opponent but Rude kicks out at two. Rude ducks a clothesline, turns and they both fall to the mat on a double clothesline. Rude is slow to cover, Steamboat bridges out of it and all the way to his feet, he hooks Rude’s arms and ties up the contest with a backslide.
Fall #6: Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat

That decision woke up both competitors who are quick to their feet and firing away. Steamboat goes for an inside cradle and he gets two. A single leg pick up, and Steamboat flips over for another cover but cannot get three. Crossbody by Steamboat and Rude has to kick out again. Rick finally slows it down with a chin buster. Rude is up to his feet first and he uses the hair to drive Steamboat’s face into the canvass. He pulls The Dragon up to his knees and does it again. Rude taunts his opponent, hooks the leg and Steamboat kicks out. Scoop slam by the champ before he drops a forearm, another kickout by Steamboat.

Back to vertical and Steamboat fights with some big chops, Rude goes back to the eyes and clubs some forearms before a standing clothesline. He poses with just his right side and the fans tell him what they think. Rude cuts down Steamboat at the knee and chokes him across the middle rope. More heavy forearms by Rude, he tries another Rude Awakening, Steamboat grabs his opponents hands and separates them. They spin, Steamboat ducks a clothesline and hits Rude with his own signature move. Ricky is slow to cover and Rude gets his foot on the ropes. Steamboat drops some knees on Rude’s chest, he pulls him up and lands a vertical suplex.

He goes for the cover and Rude kicks out. Belly to back suplex and Rude somehow kicks out once again. Rude reverses the whip to the ropes, climbs onto Steamboat’s back and locks in a sleeper hold. Steamboat stumbles around the ring but cannot break the hold in the corners. The Dragon tries to pull Rude’s hands apart, but he’s fading. Steamboat’s knees start to buckle as he tries to reach for the ropes. Steamboat falls all the way into a seated position as there are two minutes left in the contest. The referee checks on Steamboat’s eyes before drop checking the arm. Steamboat won’t give and works to his feet. He climbs the turnbuckles and falls backwards on top of Rude, holds him down with a bridge and gets a 3 count with 30 seconds left.
Fall #7: Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat

With time against him, Rude charges up to his feet, lands a clothesline and makes a cover. Steamboat kicks out. Shoulder tackle by Rude and another cover. No! He tries the same thing again but cannot get three. He tries an inside cradle and still can’t get him. Rude lands a scoop slam with 6 seconds left, Steamboat kicks out one last time and that’s enough for the win.
Winner: Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat

• EA’s Take: It should come as no surprise that these two told a great story here. They knew when to speed it up, when to slow it down, how to sell the action throughout the match and ultimately get themselves over. Steamboat had some more ferocious moments than we’re used to seeing which was fun and Rude’s desperation in the final minute was perfect. It was smart to bring the girls back out after this to let the fans recharge because this would be a tough act to follow. More odd decisions though, as neither the World Champion or the feature bout in promotion for this event are your main event.

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