Scott Steiner had an outstanding WCW career that helped lead to his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. Even though WWE, TNA and other promotions booked Steiner to have great moments, WCW is the place that his career is most synonymous with. Scott worked both in a singles role and in tag team action with his brother Rick.
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The WCW tenure of Scott is often remembered for the greatest moments like his classic tag matches or WCW Championship victory later in the company’s run. However, not everything was perfect by any means with quite a few flaws playing out. Scott witnessed the following worst mistakes made by WCW at various points in his career.
10 Secondary Role In New Blood Faction
WCW coming up with the New Blood vs Millionaire’s Club feud played into the real story of younger talents wanting their chances over the veterans holding down the top spots. Scott Steiner was a rare name to jump back and forth between both factions.
The biggest mistake with Steiner was not putting him in a bigger role with the New Blood. Jeff Jarrett was considered the top wrestler with Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff as the leaders. Steiner deserved to be in that same tier since he was the next breakout heel waiting to happen.
9 Tag Team Run With Buff Bagwell After Betraying Rick Steiner
WCW pulled the trigger on one of their biggest potential storylines when Scott Steiner betrayed Rick Steiner to end the Steiner Brothers tag team. Scott joining the New World Order was a bold move that came with a gimmick change for a singles push.
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However, there was a bit of stalling for Steiner’s push since he moved right back into another tag team. Buff Bagwell and Scott became a long-term team to feud with Rick Steiner moving forward. Scott had to wait until over two years later to get his main event push.
8 Not Having Anyone Defeat Him For TV Championship When Leaving
The earlier run in WCW for the Steiner Brothers saw Scott Steiner breaking out for the first time in wrestling. Scott had such a great look and individual potential that he received a singles push without having to end his tag team with Rick.
The TV Championship win was a huge accomplishment for Scott. However, backstage disagreements with management led to Rick and Scott wanting out for WWE when their contract expired. WCW didn’t book anyone to beat Steiner and had to vacate the TV Championship in embarrassing fashion.
7 "White Thunder" Nickname
The new look of Scott Steiner when he joined the New World Order featured him taking a lot of inspiration from the legendary Billy Graham. Steiner’s new look and persona each had fans wondering what other changes would come.
WCW gave Steiner a strange nickname called “White Thunder” that just never clicked. Even the timing made no sense since WCW just introduced the show called Thunder not that long ago. Steiner eventually found more success with the “Big Poppa Pump” moniker.
6 Fake Retirement Segment
WCW fell into a routine of booking high stakes matches or angles that ruined all meaning. Quite a few wrestlers either announced retirements or lost matches that forced retirement, but they always came back right after to make future ideas less credible.
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Scott Steiner claimed to retire in late 1999 when suffering an injury and attempting to get sympathy. This turned out to be a huge swerve when Steiner later attacked Sid Vicious to continue their feud, but it just came off like a joke based on the history.
5 Letting Him Cut Unscripted Promos Insulting Other Talent
WCW started to give Scott Steiner more creative freedom towards the end of his run as a main eventer. Unfortunately, this eventually led to problems with other wrestlers when Steiner went into business for himself when cutting shoot promos.
Ric Flair was randomly attacked by Steiner for previous heat backstage, but fans were confused since they didn’t have a storyline. Steiner even got into a fight backstage with Diamond Dallas Page after insulting his wife Kimberly in a promo.
4 Feuding With Authority Figure J.J. Dillon
Scott Steiner had an overlooked and forgotten rivalry with an authority figure shortly after turning heel in WCW. J.J. Dillon was the Commissioner when Scott clashed with management and refused to wrestle his brother Rick on multiple occasions.
A fake injury from Steiner made Dillon his enemy for trying to force him to compete. Scott playing a bully character led to him trying to intimidate Dillon too often. WCW wasted time with Steiner’s heel character by having him in a story like this too long.
3 Waiting Too Long For Payoff Vs Rick Steiner
The end of the Steiner Brothers created a huge match that all WCW fans wanted to see. Scott betrayed Rick in the winter of 1998, but they did not have their big singles matches until the fall. WCW hoped that dragging it out would add to the appeal.
Fans instead started to lose interest with Scott finding new and cheap ways to get out of facing Rick. WCW didn’t book this program effectively enough to get the full potential out of an iconic team ending of the brothers being at odds.
2 Placing Him In The Same Faction As Ric Flair
The final major storyline for Scott Steiner featured him becoming the top heel and leading his own faction. WCW booked The Magnificent Seven as Steiner’s group to help him retain the WCW Championship and hold power.
Ric Flair was the other leader of the group since he held power as the heel authority figure. However, it made no sense to see Steiner and Flair on the same side after years of tension. Steiner running down Flair in his shoot promo not that long before this faction formed created a lack of logic.
1 Not Booking Him Vs Booker T In Starrcade 2000 Main Event
WCW witnessed both Scott Steiner and Booker T becoming their final main event success stories in 2000. Booker T first won the WCW Championship, but Steiner emerged as a top heel when becoming his best challenger later in the year.
The duo faced off on multiple PPVs for the world title until WCW decided to end the feud right before Starrcade 2000. Steiner ended up facing Sid Vicious in a terrible match that night instead of having what would have been a much better match against Booker.
