Ricky Steamboat Recalls Working With A Young Triple H In WCW

Predicting the next superstar in wrestling is never an easy feat, but Ricky Steamboat knew he was in the presence of a future great when he encountered a young and unknown wrestler working under the ring name Jean-Paul Lévesque.

In an exclusive interview with Wrestling Inc. Senior News Editor Nick Hausman, Steamboat recalled working with Triple H during the latter's 1994-1995 stint at WCW.

"It was just one of those enhancement matches and wasn't a main event thing – it was a TV enhancement," he said. "But I do remember that as a young kid, he's one of those guys that had it, that got it. Light bulbs clicked on."

Steamboat recalled Triple H as being a "very, very good diplomat" when discussions were held over the story to be played out in the match, noting he was the type of wrestler "who may have an idea but is also open to other people's ideas."

The match between the two occurred on Sept. 3, 1994, in a "WCW Saturday Night" bout, when Steamboat held the United States Heavyweight Champion title. Steamboat won the match but would be fired by WCW President Eric Bischoff later that month. Triple H would leave WCW the following year for a new home at WWE. Although both were in WWE together during the mid-to-late 2000s, the two men were never in the ring together again; Steamboat's last match to date was when he teamed with his son during a 2010 WWE live event.

Steamboat will return to the ring this Sunday night at Big Time Wrestling: Return of The Dragon, which will stream live on FITE.