WWE Execs Wanted Scott Steiner To Win The 1993 Royal Rumble And The WWE Title At WrestleMania IX
Rick and Scott Steiner, collectively known as The Steiner Brothers, are one of the greatest tag teams in pro wrestling history, proven by their tag team title reigns with WWE, NWA, WCW, NJPW, and several other promotions. Scott eventually went on to have a successful singles career, but fans may be surprised to learn that he had an opportunity to branch off to be a full-time singles star years before he actually did.
Back in 1992, when the duo was signed to WCW, Rick had to take time away from the ring to rehabilitate an injured pectoral muscle. This opened the door for Scott to show off his abilities as a singles star, a transition that went well enough that he eventually became WCW Television Champion. Off-camera, however, things weren't going as well due to Bill Watts taking control of WCW and putting his son, Erik Watts, in charge.
The father-son duo brought drastic changes to the way wrestlers were allowed to conduct themselves inside and outside of the ring in WCW. They banned heels and babyfaces from spending time together outside of the ring, which would directly affect Scott and Rick's lives away from work. Erik and Bill Watts also banned top rope maneuvers and brawling outside of the ring -– two aspects of pro wrestling that are commonly used to elevate matches. Scott, naturally, had some issues with the decree and chose to confront Bill about them.
The Steiner Brothers go to WWE
One man with inside details on the inner workings of countless promotions, Jim Ross, mentioned on a past episode of the "Grillin' JR" podcast what Bill Watts told Rick Steiner about Scott Steiner. "Bill's lack of ability or motivation to make peace with Scott was unsuccessful. Bill told Rick, 'I'm not going to sign your brother back.' That made the decision to leave WCW for WWE that much easier for the Steiners."
Bill and Rick had previously worked together in Mid-South Wrestling, but that bond wasn't nearly as strong as the one he had with his younger brother, so Rick joined Scott in departing for the seemingly greener pastures of WWE. Upon their arrival, WWE executives Bruce Prichard and the late great Pat Patterson saw major potential in the star power of Scott and wanted to push him to the moon. Their master plan was to have Scott make his WWE debut in the Royal Rumble, win the match, and then become WWE Champion in the main event of WrestleMania IX. On a past episode of the "Something to Wrestle With" podcast, Prichard reflected on why the pitch fell through, with one reason being Vince McMahon's lack of confidence in Scott as a top babyface on the level of Hulk Hogan.
Similar to how Rick stood up for his brother in WCW, Scott stood up for Rick and requested they stay as a tag team. Four months into their run, The Steiners defeated Money Inc. to become the WWE Tag Team Champions for the first time.
The legacy left behind
Unfortunately, that momentum as a top tag team in WWE would only last for about a year for Scott and Rick Steiner. They traded the WWE Tag Team Championship a couple of times with Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster) at the height of their run, but didn't make much of an impact otherwise.
According to Prichard, the Steiner Brothers' decision to leave WWE was largely due to the way negotiations went down at the time of their contract expiration. NJPW offered the brothers more money for fewer matches, so they decided to try their hand at competing overseas. After a successful year with NJPW, they transitioned back to a Watts-free WCW and rose to prominence as a tag team yet again.
Scott would switch up his gimmick to "Big Poppa Pump" in 1998 and carry it throughout the remainder of his career. He went on to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, along with several other world titles in various promotions. Scott also returned to WWE as a singles star at one point, having memorable stories with the likes of Stacy Keibler, Test, Triple H, and other stars.
The Steiner Brothers were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2022. Rick's son, Bron Breakker, has held the "NXT" Championship and is touted to be a huge star in the future, showing that the Steiner name is in good hands to carry on the legacy.