Bruce Prichard Says Ricky Steamboat’s Verbal Skills Kept Him From Being A WWE Top Guy

Bruce Prichard says he never thought of Ricky Steamboat as a potential top guy in WWE, and he recently explained why. Prichard weighed in on the situation during a recent episode of Something to Wrestle With, noting that Steamboat’s in-ring skills were fantastic but that his verbal talents held him back. You can see the highlights below, per Wrestling Inc:

On if Steamboat had the skills to be a top guy in WWE: “No. I don’t think Ricky had the verbal skills to be the top guy. I think he was a little too … I loved Ricky’s work — Oh my god, Ricky’s work was fabulous, but I just don’t know that, to the masses, he could really captivate. He definitely had a charisma to him, he was awesome — unbelievable athlete and talent. But I’m not sure that people believed what he was saying. I’m not sure Ricky believed what he was saying.”

On Steamboat’s verbal skills holding him back: “Ricky just knew he could go out there and do whatever the hell you want him to do — because he was that good. But I think the verbal skills are what would have prevented Ricky from ever being the top guy.”