By the time Scott Steiner bleached his hair, grew a goatee and dubbed himself "Big Poppa Pump," it was clear that WCW recognized the singles potential in the former tag team specialist. When they put a microphone in front of his face, it only enhanced the appeal. Steiner was a loose cannon, a performer capable of saying or doing anything at the drop of a hat. He spewed venom and the censors always needed to have their fingers on the button, never knowing if he would curse or deliver an innuendo that went way over the line. As he continued getting over with the audience, it became more and more apparent that Steiner had the potential to become a main event star for a company desperately in need of something different, fresh and exciting at the top of the card. In November of 2000, Steiner defeated Booker T to captured the WCW Championship. He would hold the title all the way to the following March, when he dropped it back to Booker. When WCW went out of business the same month, Steiner opted to sit at home, heal some fairly major injuries and collect money still owed to him by Ted Turner. When he debuted with WWE in November of 2002, the belief was that Steiner would inject some star power into a company whose ratings were beginning to sag. Instead, a series of poor performances against Triple H in early 2003 led to Steiner becoming the butt of many jokes. By the summer, he was demoted to the midcard and shoved into a rivalry with Test over the lovely Stacy Keibler. Eventually, Steiner turned heel and teamed with Test but by that point, it was too late. Fans no longer cared about the "Big Bad Booty Daddy." A guy who had been one of the most must-watch stars in the sport thanks to the air of unpredictability that surrounded him suddenly was an afterthought in a company that was focused on pushing young stars such as Randy Orton, Batista and John Cena.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
