Scott Steiner drastically changed his character towards the end of WCW, and it led to his legacy growing. WCW was criticized for not elevating new talents into the main event scene when the likes of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Randy Savage and others dominated the title picture. Younger stars rarely received opportunities in the top spots, outside of Goldberg finding lightning in a bottle.
The rise of Steiner as a singles star was both fulfilling to those who watched his career play out and enjoyable to casual viewers who just wanted something new. Most wrestlers making that move after getting established would struggle to thrive in the main event picture. Steiner however thrived and should be viewed as the final great success story in WCW’s existence.
Scott Steiner Reinvented Himself In WCW
WCW could have easily used the Steiner Brothers as a tag team but shockingly the duo finally split up in 1998. The argument between WCW fans still sees the Steiner Brothers and Harlem Heat as the two teams with a real conversation for being the best duo in company history. That made it all the more shocking when Scott betrayed Rick to completely end that era of his career.
The long stint together saw Rick and Scott accomplishing everything possible as a duo. WCW did allow them to have singles matches in the right context, but they never truly separated from each other until this turn. Scott specifically wanted to get his shot as a singles star after changing his look with the shorter hair and eventually bleaching it blonde.
WCW pulled off the turn by having Scott join the New World Order to get instant heat. The next few years would see Scott looking to re-establish himself with the new concept of the Big Poppa Pump character. WCW was a bit slow with moving him up the card, but he showed that he was taking the turn seriously by going away from the tag team identity.
Scott Steiner Stepped It Up In WCW's Dying Days
The rapid decline of WCW saw Eric Bischoff’s vision falling apart in early 1999. Poor booking and a reliance on the same names to always work the main event scene harmed WCW’s momentum. Fans tuned out of the program, and it created a rating gap with WWE now taking a massive lead in the ratings. WCW management was upset and made huge changes throughout the next year and a half.
It wasn’t until mid-2000 that Vince Russo and Bischoff each realized they had to build new stars. The experiment working together failed, but there was a bright spot during the summer of 2000. Booker T shining in the main event scene after winning the WCW Championship opened the door for a new push on the heel side.
Scott Steiner would get elevated into a bigger role around the fall. The first massive win to put Steiner over the top featured him defeating Goldberg at Fall Brawl 2000. Steiner scored the most decisive victory over Goldberg that anyone in WCW history. The No DQ stipulation allowed Steiner to use a lead pipe during the Steiner Recliner as Goldberg passed out. WCW realized it was time to put the rocket on Steiner’s back.
Scott Steiner Was WCW's Last Great Success Story
The feud between Booker T and Scott Steiner was cool for the fans who stuck around throughout all the darkest days of WCW. Steiner and Booker worked well together in the Steiner Brothers vs Harlem Heat rivalry, and that added to their time working together in the main event singles scene. The WCW Championship changed hands when Steiner defeated Booker to finally reach the top of the mountain.
WCW trusted Steiner to deliver exciting action, even though he was impossible to control. The chaos of Steiner’s promos, behind-the-scenes antics and the violence of his matches added to his presentation. Unfortunately, they were already at the point of no return after their ratings and buy rates sunk to record lows. Steiner still did his best to give the remaining fans something worth watching.
The dominance of Steiner saw him getting wins over Booker T, Sid Vicious, Diamond Dallas Page and other top faces. WCW even allowed him to lead the Magnificent Seven faction of all the top remaining heels on the roster. Steiner was going to have an even longer run as the unbeatable WCW Champion until WWE purchased the company and wanted Booker to win it before coming over. The horrible final days of WCW gave us the rare bright spot of Steiner proving he could be a true top star in the industry.