In 1991, Steamboat would return to the World Wrestling Federation after signing a two-year contract. Billed simply as The Dragon, a series of vignettes began airing in February 1991 that featured him breathing fire. Despite his previous success in the WWF as a one-time Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, Steamboat was mainly treated as a brand-new wrestler, save for the announcers occasionally making reference to his WrestleMania III match and former title reign. Steamboat's first match came on a "Superstars" taping on March 11 in Pensacola, FL when he defeated Jeff Sword. His first televised match was on the March 30 edition of "Superstars" when he defeated the Brooklyn Brawler with his signature diving crossbody. On subsequent episodes of "Superstars" and "Wrestling Challenge", Steamboat would go on to win numerous squash matches. He would also be victorious on televised Madison Square Garden events, defeating the likes of Haku, Demolition Smash, Paul Roma, Col. Mustafa, Pat Tanaka, and The Warlord.