Being the son of a WWE and NWA legend, who is also a WWE Hall of Famer, automatically results in being expected to fill into some sizeable shoes in order to carry the family banner. In pro wrestling, fans have seen some second and third generation stars succeed in carrying the torch.
Unfortunately, on the contrary, some have been unsuccessful in achieving this feat. For Richie Steamboat, his time in FCW and NXT gave a clear indication that he was on the right path to becoming a star for the company.
Winning the FCW Championship on July 20, 2012 by defeating Rick Viktor (now Viktor of the Ascension), Steamboat was the final champion before the developmental territory changed into NXT. Interestingly, Steamboat also shared an FCW Tag Team Championship reign with two-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
Unfortunately, his career took a turn for the worse during a match in NXT against Kassius Ohno. In a recent interview with the Pancakes and Powerslams Show, Steamboat explained his career-ending incident.
"The [back] injury couldn't have happened at a worse time in my career. It was really getting to the point where things were taking off, all the hard work I had done for so many years was paying off. I was having a feud with Kassius Ohno on NXT, and I injured my back doing a moonsault.
I landed wrong and I lost feeling in everything from my chin down. I could still move everything, but I couldn't feel anything. Over the next few days, feeling started to come back to me, and I wrestled through it. I worked several more weeks and really kind of kept my mouth shut about it because I was given this position and I wanted to make the most of it, I didn't want to give up that opportunity.
And it got to the point where my son at the time was like two or three and I couldn't even pick him up. I sat down and talked to the WWE doctors to discuss things with then and I flew up to Pittsburgh to see some specialists. The best idea for my career and my future would be to kind of put the brakes on for a little bit and get some things fixed in my back."
It has been four years since Steamboat has returned to a WWE ring. Steamboat gave a status update on his back and possible in-ring return.
"I've always had that itch for wrestling. It's always been missing from my life... I feel good, my back feels good. I've really been listening to my body and how I feel. I weigh about 215.
“I love the sport of professional wrestling, I love all the fans, and I appreciate everyone so much and everything that they've given to me. Their cheers and everything that goes along with the sport. I just feel like I need to give back. I don't know, we'll see what happens."
With his successful time as a singles and tag team competitor in FCW and NXT, it would be very interesting to see Richie Steamboat back in action once again. Carrying the legacy of the legendary Ricky Steamboat, who was touted as an amazing athlete and an inspiration to many, is not an easy task.
However, with the confidence that Richie has as a result of learning from his father, receiving pointers from other legends while he was growing up, as well as during his time as a professional wrestler, he would do very well extending the Steamboat legacy with his success, if he’s medically cleared to return and chooses to do so.
For latest WWE News, live coverage and rumours visit our Sportskeeda WWE section. Also if you are attending a WWE Live event or have a news tip for us drop us an email at fightclub (at) sportskeeda (dot) com.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
