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In a CD case on a bookshelf in my office is a simple DVD with the title "Ricky Steamboat in Japan." Yummy. The DVD contains six matches from the early 1980s when Steamboat regularly toured for the All-Japan promotion. It's a piece of wrestling history.

Earlier this week, we asked Torch readers which match they're looking forward to the most on tonight's WWE Backlash PPV card. Ricky Steamboat vs. Chris Jericho was given the nod, so I thought I would provide some notes on the Legends star of tonight's PPV.

I legally purchased the Steamboat DVD - very important to note that - a few years ago when I was on one of those "1980s in Japan" kicks looking for Sting in his prime, old-school Funks, and Ric Flair sporting the golden locks.

I'm not even sure the website exists anymore where I picked up this particular Steamboat DVD, but highspots.com has a double-disc collection of the Steamboat DVD I'm talking about tonight.

The first disc contains five matches and just about three hours of content. First match is Steamboat vs. Jumbo Tsuruta from December 1, 1980. If you don't know about Mr. Tsuruta, well, grab some DVDs or tapes. He was one of the all-time great Japanese wrestlers of the 1980s with a very tall, athletic build and an unwavering personality in the ring. Jumbo was a rock in the ring.

Also on the DVD is Steamboat vs. the original Sheik, two matches against Jimmy Snuka, and what appears to be an hour-long match against Ric Flair from June 1982. I won't be able to review the Flair match today before the WWE Backlash PPV, but I'll have a review of that match in Part 2 of the DVD review on Monday.

Steamboat vs. Jumbo Tsuruta - December 1, 1980

It's early 1980s, which means Ricky Steamboat is sporting the '80s 'stache and some wild, wavy Hawaiian beach hair. It's awesome watching his hair slowly grow longer and longer with each passing minute as the sweat accumulates in this 30-minute draw.

Steamboat had only been a pro wrestler for about four or five years in 1980. Jumbo hadn't been a pro wrestler much longer than that, but he had tremendous respect based on his amateur wrestling background. He was an Olympian and a dang good pro wrestler.

The theme of this DVD collection is Steamboat playing that underdog babyface. Steamboat is considered one of the all-time great babyfaces in pro wrestling history, but it's a good thing he worked in this era and not today's era. Today's wrestling fan wouldn't appreciate the "fighting spirit" and over-exaggerated facial expressions to draw sympathy from the crowd. In Steamboat's prime, though, he made the audience feel the pain from the given opponent.

Considering Jumbo was a bigger and stronger man than Steamboat in this December 1980 match, Steamboat sucked the crowd into the match every time Jumbo struck him with power offense. Then, when Steamboat made his comebacks with trademark aerial moves, the crowd oohed and aahed after being sucked into the drama of Steamboat being in peril for so long.

Steamboat picked up some close nearfalls that drew strong reactions from the traditionally quiet and reserved audience. There was a collective "gasp!" in the audience when Tsuruta's shoulder lingered an extra split-second on the mat before each nearfall. Tsuruta gave Steamboat a considerable amount of offense and close nearfalls that really helped Steamboat win over the crowd in this match.

Steamboat working the 'stache, sporting the long wavy hair, and drawing sympathy with the babyface facial expressions of doom made this a very good 30-minute match that remained entertaining throughout. It's a great learning tool for younger wrestlers to watch two wrestlers "work" by taking their time and slowly sucking the audience into the match.

Steamboat vs. The Sheik - December 9, 1980

And then there's The Sheik. Not The Iron Sheik, but the Original Sheik, Ed Farhat. Sheik was a crazy, wildman who scared the crap of audiences with his unpredictable style of "wrestling." Sheik was touring All-Japan in late 1980 after his "Big Time Wrestling" promotion in Detroit folded up.

Prior to this "match" against Steamboat, Japanese fans watched Sheik wrestle some wild matches against Abdullah the Butcher. Naturally, fans were frightened to see Sheik, much less contemplate the potential horror against the lovable babyface Ricky Steamboat.

The match didn't last too long, as both men brawled all over the arena and Sheik drew blood on Steamboat, which only intensified the crowd reactions to see the babyface Steamboat covered in blood.

Sheik played into his character by wandering all over the arena, even after the match was thrown out. There was a sense of uncertainty as to what exactly Sheik was capable of. There wasn't a "cut" to commercial break or an official end to a segment. It ended when Sheik decided it ended, which put Steamboat in more peril.

Steamboat played up the angle perfectly by showing fire and toughness trying to take it to Sheik all across the arena, even with blood covering his face. Mix the 'stache, the wavy hair, the facial expressions of doom, and now the crimson mask, and you have a recipe for a memorable angle featuring a young, athletic star like Steamboat.

The match is good for understanding how to build up a babyface, even though the formula might not work with today's jaded wrestling fans. WWE hasn't exactly protected their "wildman" type characters like Mike Knox, either, but you can see what WWE was trying to do with the Knox vs. Rey Mysterio program a few months ago. WWE just didn't have the discipline to follow-through and reach a conclusion using the formula program.

Steamboat vs. Jimmy Snuka - June 3, 1981

Jacked-up Jimmy Snuka was another "wildman" type character to oppose the lovable Steamboat in this June 1981 match. Snuka was cut from head-to-toe and he could actually work in 1981. He had a blown spot or two, such as tripping on the top rope attempting a springboard on the wobbly ropes, but Snuka methodically took apart Steamboat in this match and he made sure every movement meant something.

What was interesting about this match was the finish. The story was Steamboat becoming tired of the referee trying to prevent his corner attacks on Snuka to punish the heel for his dastardly deeds earlier in the match.

Steamboat kept shoving the ref away until finally smashing him on the head to earn a DQ. It didn't seem right for the babyface Steamboat to take such drastic action, but the audience was in a position to justify his actions because of the opponent.

The DVD then jumps one week later to June 10, 1981 when Steamboat scored the fall over Snuka to score his revenge. All was forgiven. The program was simple: wild heel pushed the lovable babyface to do something uncharacteristic, then the lovable babyface gets revenge in honorable fashion to win back the crowd.

Consistent in the first batch of matches on the DVD is Steamboat's high-flying offense that won the crowd. It was the early 1980s, so the audience had not been exposed to every flip, dive, and trick that today's audience has seen. Steamboat made every highspot mean something in the context of the match.

Tonight on the Backlash PPV, I expect a similar formula match from Steamboat. He'll return to the basics with highspots only when necessary, the babyface expressions of doom to draw sympathy as Chris Jericho works over a body part, and then the big comeback before the finish.

It will be simple, but it should be great to watch two pros tell a classic story tonight on the PPV.

Coming Monday: Steamboat vs. Flair - June 4, 1982

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