4 Wrestlers Scott Steiner Made Look Legit (& 4 He Made Look Like A Joke)
David Craig Scott Steiner, known for his aggressive and intense in-ring style, made a name for himself in the world of professional wrestling in multiple promotions. He was one half of the WWE Hall of Fame tag team The Steiner Brothers, but also had a successful solo career. Throughout his time in the ring, he faced off against a variety of opponents, both established stars and up-and-coming talent.
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Some of these matches elevated the status of his opponents, making them look like legitimate threats in the ring. On the other hand, there were also many matches and feuds where Steiner made his opponents look like a joke with his dominance in the ring. This will examine 4 wrestlers "Big Poppa Pump" made look legit and 4 wrestlers he made look like a complete joke.
8 Made Look Legit: Booker T
The careers of Booker T and Scott Steiner paralleled each other in WCW and their early rivalries defined the company's tag team division. Harlem Heat and the Steiner Brothers were two of the top tag team units holding the WCW Tag Titles 16 times between the two legendary units.
Their singles feud showed how much they had advanced in their careers, with Steiner as the top heel defeating Booker to win the WCW Championship. WWE even wanted to give the rivalry a proper conclusion by having Booker beat Scott to win back the championship on the final Nitro. Booker took his steam to WWE where he became a top star. Scott Steiner helped put him over in a big way.
7 Made Look Like A Joke: Triple H
Scott Steiner and Triple H were two of the top names in wrestling during the tail end of the Monday Night Wars. Scott Steiner was brought into WWE as a babyface in 2003, but the role limited his ability to showcase his promos which made him a star in WCW. Triple H faced Scott Steiner for the World Heavyweight Championship at Royal Rumble 2003, but the match was a huge disappointment.
The match received the "Worst Worked Match" award from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and the rematch at No Way Out 2003 was similarly criticized. These events led to Steiner being pushed down the card. The feud between Triple H and Scott Steiner is considered one of the worst World Championship feuds in history. It also proved Triple H, who had become "the guy" in WWE, could not have a great feud against everyone.
6 Made Look Legit: Randy Orton
Randy Orton and Scott Steiner did not have a great match on Raw in 2003. Scott Steiner still helped Orton make huge leaps after their feud by becoming one of the first "legends" to be taken down by the future 14-time WWE Champion.
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Before his match with Steiner, Orton had defeated opponents like Maven, The Hurricane, and Val Venis. Although his mini-feud with Steiner wasn't the moment that "the Legend Killer" was born, it's hard to argue that Scott Steiner wasn't the first true legend he defeated.
5 Made Look Like A Joke: Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho and Scott Steiner had one single match in WCW and one in WWE. None of these matches lasted more than ten minutes and both were bad. Jericho has been known to have decent matches with practically any opponent, although Scott Steiner proves otherwise. Steiner also did little to help Jericho show his skills during their matches. The two legends should've had at least one great moment, but instead, their clashes are mostly forgotten.
4 Made Look Legit: Diamond Dallas Page
Scott Steiner had a successful career as a heel in WCW. He won multiple titles, including the United States and Television Championships, and had great feuds against a few stars like Diamond Dallas Page. Their matches stood out and elevated the status of both wrestlers. It also laid the groundwork for Steiner's world title run in WCW. DDP also looked like a stud against Steiner. The two helped build each other up in all the best ways as foes.
3 Made Look Like A Joke: Test
The last major feud of Scott Steiner's WWE return was as poor as his first against Triple H. The matches between Steiner and Triple H were bad, but the overall storyline with Test was worse. They started as partners but Test turned heel.
Steiner's arrogant and misogynistic behavior towards Stacy Keibler left fans confused about how they were supposed to feel about him. Test did little to make himself feel any better as a person to root for. Their matches were also laughable. It was an awful ending to Steiner's awful run in WWE. Steiner also tanked Test's status on his way out the door.
2 Made Look Legit: Goldberg
Goldberg and Scott Steiner had both a feud (and match) that surpassed everyone's expectations in WCW. Scott Steiner and Goldberg rivaled in the "down days" of the company, which is why their rivalry isn't as iconic. Their encounters were billed as "beast versus beast" and most fans bought it since they were both massive men.
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Steiner, with a fractured face, wore a Batman mask and won their No DQ match with the help of a baseball bat and Vince Russo. It was a brutal brawl between two unpredictable wrestlers and solidified Steiner's spot. The two always served each other well as opponents and nobody talks about Golberg's limited wrestling moveset when they mention this feud.
1 Made Look Like A Joke: Mike Awesome
Mike Awesome and Scott Steiner had their first televised match at Spring Stampede 2000. The match was supposed to be a clash of powerhouses but ended up being a quick bout that ended with the help of Kevin Nash.
The two clashed multiple times after this on Thunder, Nitro, and even on pay-per-view again, at Bash at the Beach in July, but all those bouts were forgotten because they were way below average. There was huge potential here for a feud, but Steiner always made Awesome look not-so-awesome.