He would go on to team with Paul Jones to capture the Mid Atlantic Tag Team Championship from Flair and Greg Valentine and then the United States TItle from Ric Flair as well. He and Flair would trade the United States Title throughout 1978 and 1979 before Steamboat captured the Mid Atlantic Heavyweight Title in 1980, defeating Hussein Arab. He dropped the title one year later to Ivan Koloff and went on to another Mid Atlantic Tag Team Title reign alongside Dino Bravo. He returned to the singles ranks to regain his Mid Atlantic Heavyweight Title from koloff and kept winning Tag Team Titles, including the NWA World Tag Team Titles alongside Jay Youngblood. Steamboat shocked the world by announcing his retirement in 1983, vacating the Tag Team Championship. 

    Steamboat was lured back into the business, joining the World Wrestling Federation and taking on the Dragon gimmick in 1985. He quickly became a headline attraction, forming a team with Jimmy Snuka known as the South Pacific Connection. Steamboat defeated Matt Bourne as part of the first ever Wrestlemania in March of 1985 and began feuding with Mr. Fugi's stable including Fugi, Nikolai Volkoff, the Iron Sheik and George Steele, defeating Fugi in a Karate Match on Saturday Night's Main Event. Steamboat began feuding with former WWF Intercontinental Champion Don Muraco, who had joined Mr. Fugi's stable, before also feuding with Hercules Hernandez, who he defeated at Wrestlemania II. Around this time, as well, Steamboat drew the ire of Jake "The Snake" Roberts and was put out of action after Roberts DDTed Steamboat on the concrete floor. Steamboat made his return with a Komodo Dragon to combat Jake's python, leading to some classic matches. 

    In late 1986, Steamboat began another violent feud with the Macho Man Randy Savage and was, once again, put out of action with a supposedly crushed larynx. Steamboat made his return in December of 1986 during a match featuring Savage and quickly made it clear that he wanted the Intercontinental Title. The two met in one of the all time great wrestling matches at Wrestlemania III in front of 93,173 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome. The match is still held up as one of, if not THEE greatest match in Wrestlemania history. Steamboat, as Intercontinental Champion, would routinely headline WWF cards while Hulk Hogan wrestled in other locations throughout the spring of 1987. In nothing short of a shock, the Honkey Tonk Man upset Steamboat for the title on an edition of WWF Superstars in November of 1987 and Steamboat took a backseat role. Steamboat took part in the first Survivor Series, teaming with old rivals Jake Roberts and Randy Savage, as well as Jim Duggan and Brutus Beefcake to defeat the Honkey Tonk Man, Harley Race, Hercules, Ron Bass and Danny Davis. Steamboat then took part in the first Royal Rumble, defeating Rick Rude on the undercard before losing to Greg Valentine in the first round of the WWF World Title Tournament as part of Wrestlemania IV. Steamboat then left the WWF to spend more time with his family after tearfully waving goodbye to the crowd after losing to Valentine in an act that would gain significance, perhaps, only after he left the company. 

    Steamboat was away for less than a year and returned to the NWA to help Eddie Gilbert in his feud with Ric Flair and Barry Windham of the Horsemen. Steamboat battled Flair in several matches, finally defeating him at Wt the Chi-Town Rumble in 1989. Flair regained the title a few months later and Steamboat went on to have classic bouts against Terry Funk, Lex Luger, and other NWA heels. Steamboat left the NWA again in the summer of 1989 and went into semi-retirement. 

    Ricky Steamboat made his return to the WWF in March of 1991 with a more overt Dragon gimmick, complete with pyro allowing Steamboat to breathe fire. Steamboat took part in only one pay per view, teaming with the Texas Tornado and Davey Boy Smith at Summer Slam to defeat the Warlord and Power & Glory in a six man tag. Steamboat got the chance to wrestle Ric Flair in the WWF only once, before he once again left the company in October. 

    Steamboat returned, again, to the NWA, now known primarily as WCW, as Dustin Rhodes' mystery partner to defeat Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko for the World Tag Team Titles. He joined with Sting and other WCW fan favourites to battle Paul E. Dangerously's Dangerous Alliance, leading to some classic bouts against Rick Rude including an Iron Man Match at Bash at the Beach. Steamboat took part in WAR GAMES in 1992, joining Sting, nikita Koloff, Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes to defeat Rude, Anderson, Zbyszko, Bobby Eaton and a young Steve Austin. 

    Steamboat captured the Television Title, defeating Steve Austin in September of 1992 at the Clash of the Champions, but dropped it to Scott Steiner less than a month later. He formed a team with Shane Douglas, who was the hottest young wrestling prospect going in the WCW at the time. They captured the World Tag Team Titles, defeating Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham at the Clash of the Champions in November of 1992 before losing them to Steve Austin and Brian pillman in March of 1993. Steamboat dissolved the team and won another WCW Television Title over Paul Orndorff at the August 1993 Clash of the Champions before feuding with Orndorff, Lord Steven Regal, and others. Steamboat challenged World Champion Ric Flair in a fan favourite versus fan favourite bout at the 1994 Spring Stampede pay per view, before renewing his rivalry with Steve Austin, eventually beating him for the United States Title. Steamboat suffered a career ending injury in the series against Austin, leading him to legitimately retire from the mat wars for good. 

    Steamboat stayed out of the business, more or less, until 2002 when he joined TNA to serve as a guest referee and then as the kayfabe Commissioner of the organization. He also began appearing for Ring of Honour as a referee and commissioner, feuding with CM Punk and Mick Foley without actually stepping into the ring. In 2004, Steamboat accepted a job as a Road Agent for WWE and is a lock for the WWE Hall of Fame sometime in the near future. 

    Steamboat ushered in a new era of high flying, main event wrestlers. He was perhaps one of the very first high fliers to hold a national Heavyweight Title and truly set the gold standard for tag team wrestling with some of the great wrestlers of the late 20th century. Congratulations are in order, Rick Steamboat... welcome to the Hall of Fame.