Scott Steiner joining WWE in 2002 was a huge move at the time creating massive interest in his work. Many wrestling fans viewed Steiner as the best thing going in the final year of WCW, but he did not join WWE initially. Steiner was missing from the Invasion storyline due to opting to let his AOL/Time Warner contract run out.
WWE added Steiner relatively quickly once he was ready to wrestle for them. Steiner had a noteworthy return with lots of fan interest before things fell apart almost instantly. WWE didn’t book Steiner well enough for a good run, and he left after a few years. Even the most avid viewers have forgotten a few things about Steiner’s stint in WWE, featuring moments that warrant another look.
10 First Appearance Was Unexpected
Scott Steiner had one of the best surprise appearance moments of the Ruthless Aggression when making his WWE return at Survivor Series 2002. This was the first time Steiner appeared with his new look and singles push in WWE.
The all-time loud ovation was helped by both the fans not expecting this and Madison Square Garden typically having a lively crowd. Steiner attacked heels Matt Hardy and Chris Nowinski after they ran down New Yorkers to make the pop even louder.
9 Eric Bischoff & Stephanie McMahon Competed For Him
The brand split felt most interesting at the start in the early 2000s when Eric Bischoff and Stephanie McMahon were the General Managers. Scott Steiner’s first WWE storyline back featured both Raw and SmackDown GMs trying to sign him.
WWE had Steiner appearing on both shows for weeks with Bischoff and Stephanie promising him the best offer. Triple H took part in this storyline months earlier, but this angle felt more sustained since Steiner was legitimately a free agent signing.
8 Changed His Mind About Picking SmackDown Due To Stephanie
Scott Steiner was leaning towards the SmackDown brand when he made his decision between the two shows. SmackDown GM Stephanie McMahon claiming she could offer sexual advances that Eric Bischoff could not led to her gaining the upper hand.
However, it was revealed that she was not planning to follow through on those promises. Steiner claimed that Stephanie was a tease and went back on his agreement. The ridiculous storyline led to Steiner joining the Raw brand signing Bischoff’s contract.
7 Took Part In Controversial Political Debate
One of the strangest WWE segments to look worse today was the political debate about war between Scott Steiner and Chris Nowinski. Steiner talked about his desire to get revenge for 9/11 by sending American troops to Iraq.
Nowinski played the heel arguing for peace and not targeting innocent victims. The segment would be criticized way more today, but it just went by at the time. Steiner entering that role did nothing to help his WWE career.
6 Was In Awful Mixed Tag Match
Scott Steiner was unfortunately involved in an all-time bad mixed tag match on the Raw brand. Stacy Keibler entered the ring as Steiner’s manager to team with him against the heel team of Miss Jackie and Rico.
The match is remembered for multiple botches and Steiner making an insulting comment full of swears towards Jackie. This clip ended up in many future videos like Botchamania and other concepts poking fun at the worst side of wrestling.
5 Ended Vow To Never Return In 2022 HOF
The end of Scott Steiner’s WWE tenure saw him instantly doing interviews complaining about his time. Steiner bashed Triple H and many other prominent names to show his displeasure with the previous few years of disappointment there.
Various interviews saw Steiner claiming that he would never work for WWE again. The insults continued to grow throughout the years, but it finally ended in 2022. Scott agreed to join the WWE Hall of Fame with his brother Rick to end that vow and make peace with WWE after the previous run.
4 Was First Person Eliminated In Epic Survivor Series Match
WWE had one of the most well-received Survivor Series elimination matches in 2003 between the teams representing Steve Austin and Eric Bischoff. The winning team would get their respective General Manager leader the full power moving forward.
Scott Steiner joined Team Bischoff as a heel and was the first name eliminated in the entire match. Even with Scott gone early, Bischoff’s team won thanks to Batista interfering to help Randy Orton pin Shawn Michaels. Steiner is a name few fans will reference when talking about that great match.
3 Booker T Got Better Of Him In Last WWE Match
WWE never got much out of the noteworthy Booker T vs Scott Steiner rivalry in WCW. Both wrestlers joined WWE shortly after, but they were kept apart for the most part. Booker did have a moment getting the better of Steiner in Scott’s final WWE match.
The Royal Rumble match in 2004 was the final on-screen appearance for Steiner during his WWE run. Booker ended up being the one to eliminate him from the match as an overlooked part of their rivalry. WWE kept Steiner off television until his eventual release a few months later.
2 Steiner Actually Won First Match Vs Triple H
The horrific feud between Triple H and Scott Steiner doomed Steiner’s chances to finding main event success in WWE. Both wrestlers were placed in terrible segments to build the feud, like a pose down contest and arm-wrestling match.
The first official match between the two came at Royal Rumble 2003 with Steiner technically winning the match. Triple H using a sledgehammer disqualified him to retain the title and gave Steiner the win to continue the feud. Their rematch saw Triple H winning to retain the title and put Steiner in his past.
1 Missed Both WrestleMania Cards During His Time
Scott Steiner’s WWE tenure can be defined as a failure based on WWE not putting him on a WrestleMania card in his time there. The loss to Triple H in early 2003 saw Steiner removed from television and not featured in any manner at WrestleMania 19.
Steiner was in a worse place the following year dealing with injury issues and losing any of his remaining credibility. WWE didn’t factor him into WrestleMania 20 cards despite finding a way to get everyone on the card with numerous multi-man matches.