Better known around the wrestling circuits as Big Poppa Pump, Scott Steiner has really come into his own in the past year or so. In the
ring, he not only looks good, he sounds good. The former Michigan State Wolverine, who was a 2-time all-American wrestler in college,
has added an impressive mouthpiece of late to an already lethal wrestling arsenal. He currently is considered one of the meanest and most
powerful grapplers in the WCW and both federation head honchos, Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff, have big plans for Poppa with him joining
their New Blood regime in late 2000.
Steiner is not only an amazing wrestler, he also has a great story. Due to very serious back mand shoulder injuries, he almost called it
quits. In an interview with scoopswrestling.com in september 2000, Steiner explained that he'd almost hung up his trunks, when, after having
surgery for the injuries, he couldn't even walk.
"It was real close," he said. "I was like that for 6 months. I had 3 ruptured discs, and I couldn't stand up straight. In fact, I came to
New York because my buddy Jumbo Elliot, who plays for the Jets, he set me up with the guy who worked on Dennis Byrd (a football player who
was injured and paralized with a spinal injury that occurred during a Jets game). He worked on me, took X rays. My spine looked like I had
sculiosis. It's the way my body was trying to keep itself out of pain, you know? I went to him, but he couldn't do the surgery for 2 weeks,
so i went to California to Dr. Watkins. They were good friends so I trusted him. Right after surgery I couldn't walk. Two or three feet and
I felt like my knnes were going to explode. It was a hard trip, man. Yeah, I really thought I was done. I was lucky I came back.">
Correction, Poppa, the WCW and the fans are the ones who have been lucky. Steiner has been known to tkae over whole shows lately with his
mouth and his in-and-out-of-ring antics. Last season, on a Nitro broadcast, he made 6 seperate appearances, doing something different each
time. One of the things he did on this night was challenge federation exec Vince Russo to a duel, another time he had dared to take on Booker T
while also having it out with own flesh and blood, he would even duke it out with tank Abbott on this night. When he wasn't picking fights
with someone on this broadcast, he worked the mic and crowd to perfection, boasting about his between-the-sheets action with Chiquira and
Midajah.
This was all in one night's work for Pump. So much for his being done in the industry, Big Poppa Pump seems to have only just begun. Many
in and around the WCW believe that Poppa is one of the ones that can bring the federation back to its glory days. They feel the 6'2", 270 pound,
chiseled grappler has his finger on the pulse of modern-day wrestling, and they wouldn't be opposed to having him carry them on his musular
back to the promise land.
Although his style is not what the WCw put up with in the past, as Big Poppa likes to curse and talk about his female fan club, the top officials
seem to want to move in a new direction and follow in the ways of wrestlers just like Pump. Today, the wrestlers can't get by on just ring skills
and moves anymore, they must also be blessed with the gift of gab. They have to know how to work a crowd as well as an opponent. They must be
masters of disaster on the microphone. And Steiner brings all those qualities to the table.
All of these new qualities are what makes wrestling such a soap opera these days, but it also makes for great viewing and entertainment. Little
did anyone know that this wrestler, who was known throughout the industry as a tag specialist along with his brother, Rick, would blossom into such
a big singles star.
Steiner has not only won 6 WCW World Tag team titles with his brother during his career, he also at one time used to work for Vince McMahon's WWF
promotion, where he and his brother also found success in the duo ranks, no one could have predicted the success that he has today. Yes, he was a
good wrestler, there are no 2 ways about that, but he just didn't seem like the breakout type of wrestler who had not only the skills but also the
savvy to go places.
Rick was the more charismatic wrestler. He seemed to have more of a ring personality than his brother. Scott just seemed like the guy who was
all-business and nosay. The grappler, who sometimes wore a U.S. flag type outfit kept to himself and did his talking in the ring.
But after proving everything that he had to on the tag circuit, he broke away from his brother and started hanging with the bad boys of the New
World Order. He would also change his look at this time to the short, dyed-blonde hair he still wears today, proving to everybody that blonds do have
more fun and success.
Blessed with the biggest arms in the business, this blond-bomber has managed to capture 3 WCW U.S. title straps along with 2 World Tv titles. He
made an impressive showing on April 14, 200, at Spring Stampede, winning the U.S title tournament by defeating 3 rough-and-tough opponents in The Wall,
Mike Awesome, and Sting.
This grappler, who is always escorted into the arena by a harem of gorgeous women, has the size, strength, and skills to be one of the gam's greatest.
Although he doesn't use it much anymore, he has one of the most lethal weapons in his back pocket in the Frankensteiner to go along with his signature
Steiner Recliner.
No matter how you pump it, Big Poppa has the power to not only destroy anyone in the ring, he also has the ability to carry this federation into the future on his broad shoulders.
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