Scott Steiner
Scott Rechsteiner, better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler.
Steiner is known for his time in World Championship Wrestling, and has also wrestled for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Extreme Championship Wrestling. He is a four-time world champion in wrestling, being a one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, a one-time WWA World Heavyweight Champion, and a one-time WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion and a one-time WWA World Heavyweight Champion. He is the eighth WCW Triple Crown Champion.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Steiner wrestled alongside his older brother Rick as The Steiner Brothers. He has won several tag team titles, including the WWF Tag Team Championship, WCW World Tag Team Championship, IWGP Tag Team Championship, and the TNA/Impact World Tag Team Championship. He headlined multiple pay-per-view events for WCW and TNA, as well as the WWF's Survivor Series in 1993.
Early life
Scott Rechsteiner was born in Bay City, Michigan, on July 29, 1962. He was a folkstyle wrestler at 156 lbs during his time at the University of Michigan. He became a three-time Big 10 runner-up after finishing fifth as a freshman. In 1986, he became an NCAA Division I All-American and placed sixth in the nation his senior year. His brother, Rick Steiner, also wrestled for Michigan and became a professional wrestler.Professional wrestling career
Early career (1986–1989)
Rechsteiner trained under Dr. Jerry Graham Jr. at Torio's Health Club in Toledo, Ohio, as well as The Sheik, and debuted under his real name in the Indianapolis-based World Wrestling Association in 1986. On August 14, 1986, in Dearborn, Michigan, Rechsteiner defeated The Great Wojo for the WWA World Heavyweight Championship. He held the title until May 3, 1987, when he lost it to Wojo in Toledo. He then formed a tag team with his trainer, Graham. On October 6, 1987, they defeated Chris Carter and Mohammad Saad for the WWA World Tag Team Championship. On December 6, they lost the title to Carter and Don Kent.In 1988, Rechsteiner joined the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association under his real name. He formed a tag team with Billy Joe Travis and defeated the Cuban Choir Boys for the CWA World Tag Team Championship on May 29. On June 6, they lost the title to Gary Young and Don Bass. Rechsteiner and Travis regained the title on June 27 and lost it to the Rock 'n' Roll RPMs on August 15. Rechsteiner formed a new tag team with Jed Grundy, and on February 18, 1989, they dethroned CWA World Tag Team Champions Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden. Rechsteiner's third and final CWA reign ended on February 25, when Fuller and Golden regained the title. He left the CWA soon after.
World Championship Wrestling (1989–1992)
Rechsteiner, under the ring name Scott Steiner, debuted in World Championship Wrestling during a backstage interview at Chi-Town Rumble, later accompanying his brother Rick to the ring as he lost the NWA World Television Championship to Mike Rotunda. Scott would begin wrestling in singles bouts on WCW programming before the Steiners began teaming together. The Steiners lost their first high-profile bout to Kevin Sullivan & Rotunda at Clash of the Champions VII but defeated them in a rematch at the Great American Bash 1989. The Steiners also competed in the "King of the Hill" two-ring battle royal earlier in the show but were unsuccessful.During this time, the Steiners were managed by Missy Hyatt and often brought their pitbull Arnold to the ring. Rick nervously began a relationship with a shy fan named "Robin Green" who eventually received a make-over and transformed into Woman. Green was responsible for tripping up Scott at Clash of the Champions VIII and costing the Steiners the NWA World Tag Team Championship as well as luring Scott into a parking lot assault by Sullivan and her new masked tag team, Doom. Doom, with Woman in their corner, defeated the Steiners at Halloween Havoc '89 after Woman interfered.
On November 1, 1989, in Atlanta, Georgia, The Steiner Brothers defeated The Fabulous Freebirds for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. They held the title for over five months before losing it to Doom in Washington, D.C., at Capital Combat. The Steiner Brothers defeated The Midnight Express for the NWA United States Tag Team Championship on August 24, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. During their title reign, WCW withdrew from the National Wrestling Alliance and the title was renamed the WCW United States Tag Team Championship. The Steiner Brothers competed in a WarGames match at WrestleWar 1991. After winning the WCW World Tag Team Championship on February 18, they vacated the United States Tag Team Championship, on February 20. After they won the IWGP Tag Team Championship from Hiroshi Hase and Kensuke Sasaki at the WCW/New Japan Supershow on March 21, announcers began referring to them as "Triple Crown Champions".
In 1990, Steiner began wrestling in singles matches. WCW's weekend TBS shows, featured the NWA/WCW Gauntlet Series, in which a wrestler was selected to face a different top star on each show that weekend, winning $10,000 if they defeated all three. Steiner was the first to successfully "run the gauntlet" from September 21–23, defeating Bobby Eaton, Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. On January 30, 1991, Steiner had a WCW World Heavyweight Championship match against Flair at Clash of the Champions XIV: Dixie Dynamite, which ended in a time limit draw. In late 1992 the Steiners temporarily disbanded when Rick suffered a torn pectoral muscle. Scott then started wrestling single matches, and then later teased a heel turn when he teamed with Marcus Bagwell against Steve Austin and Brian Pillman on an October 10, 1992, episode of WCW WorldWide. During the match Bagwell was injured when he was attacked by Arn Anderson and when Steiner went to tag Bagwell, he was unable to. An angry Steiner then kicked Bagwell and slammed him into the ring where he was attacked by Austin and Pillman who then won the match. Shortly after he won the WCW World Television Championship on October 17, 1992. Steiner later vacated the title when The Steiner Brothers left WCW for the World Wrestling Federation that November, after a contract dispute with WCW Executive Vice President Bill Watts.
World Wrestling Federation (1992–1994)
WWF talent relation officials Pat Patterson and Bruce Prichard were enamored with Scott Steiner and pitched an idea to Vince McMahon for Scott to come in as a surprise entry into the Royal Rumble in 1993 and win the event, then moving on to win the world championship at WrestleMania IX. However Vince was not keen on the idea and both the Steiners themselves voiced their desire to remain as a tag team, therefore Vince began booking them as such. The Steiner Brothers made their WWF television debut with a promo on the December 21, 1992, episode of Prime Time Wrestling. They appeared on the debut episode of Raw on January 11, 1993. Their pay-per-view debut came on January 24, at the 1993 Royal Rumble, where they defeated The Beverly Brothers. At WrestleMania IX on April 4, The Steiner Brothers defeated The Headshrinkers.After WrestleMania, The Steiner Brothers feuded with Money Inc.. At King of the Ring on June 13, The Steiner Brothers and The Smokin' Gunns defeated The Headshrinkers and Money Inc. in an eight-man tag match. The following evening in Columbus, Ohio, in an untelevised match at a Raw taping, The Steiner Brothers defeated Money Inc. for the WWF World Tag Team Championship. Money Inc. regained the title on June 16, at a house show in Rockford, Illinois, and lost it back to The Steiner Brothers at another house show, on June 19, in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Steiner Brothers defended the title against The Heavenly Bodies at SummerSlam on August 30 in their home state of Michigan and walked away victoriously with a pinfall win.
On the September 13 episode of Raw in New York, New York, The Steiner Brothers defended the title against The Quebecers in a "Province of Quebec Rules" match, wherein the title could change hands via disqualification. The match ended when the manager of The Quebecers, Johnny Polo, threw a hockey stick into the ring and Scott caught it. When the referee saw Scott holding the foreign object, he disqualified The Steiner Brothers and awarded the title to The Quebecers. Scott defeated Pierre in a singles match the following week on Raw. Steiner competed in the elimination match main event of Survivor Series, marking his only headlining WWF pay-per-view appearance. On January 22, 1994, Scott Steiner was the first entrant in the Royal Rumble. After nine minutes, he was eliminated by Diesel. Following this, the Steiner Brothers left the WWF in mid-1994.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (1991–1995)
In 1991, the Steiners worked for New Japan Pro-Wrestling while under contract with WCW and WWF. On March 21, 1991, they defeated Hiroshi Hase and Kensuke Sasaki for the IWGP Tag Team Championship. They dropped the titles to Hase and Keiji Muto on November 5. Then On June 26, 1992, they defeated Big Van Vader and Bam Bam Bigelow for the titles. They dropped them to Scott Norton and Tony Halme on November 22. During their time in the WWF, they only did a few matches.In 1994 after leaving the WWF, they returned to Japan as full-time workers until the end of 1995.