10 Reasons Why Scott Steiner Is The Most Unappreciated Pro Wrestler Ever
5. ...And Refused To Kowtow To His Masters
The above destruction of Ric Flair was one of the most shocking shoots in an era which popularised them. P*ssed off beyond belief at the state of the company which employed him, and the toxic politics which were eroding it from the inside, Steiner directed his ire towards Ric Flair in an astonishing February 2000 rant.
"Last week, I was watching TV, and I watched a 53-year-old man - who has more loose skin than a Shar Pei puppy - come out here and say he's still the man. In this wrestling business, there's never been a bigger ass-kisser - and you belong where you're at in WCW, because WCW sucks!"
Flair questioned the logic behind Steiner's burial of WCW in his autobiography, To Be The Man. "Yeah, WCW sucked, but it wasn't smart to advertise that on your own show. He's a guy who meant nothing as an attraction, drew no money, and has no legacy. People will forget him the minute he retires." That, patently, is untrue. Steiner might be unappreciated, but the man is unforgettable. That promo alone was far more memorable than anything Flair did at the time. His own, famed drawing power didn't save WCW. Nothing could - even an act as sharp as Steiner's.
In his own way, Steiner cared about WCW. So many of his main event peers could not have given less of a sh*t. He helped build it, and he wanted to save it. He thought he could by killing its darlings, who had driven into the unrecoverable ground.
He was on the same wavelength as the WWF. If only he'd joined the company before his body betrayed him.