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Post by Jindrak Mark on Sept 20, 2022 18:45:38 GMT -5
Remember that random 4-5 month period when he suddenly got a big singles push as a heel despite being absolute dogshit in the ring at the time?
He was getting marquee PPV matches with Sting and Goldberg. He won the US and TV titles. He went over Benoit and Saturn on PPV who both could have really used the wins more.
Much of the summer the main event scene on Nitro was some combination of Hogan/Sting/Goldberg v Nash/Sid/Steiner and he always looked out of place compared to the others, star-power wise. As bad as the booking was WCW still had a stacked roster at the time and he was nowhere near main event worthy.
He was barely over too when just a year earlier he was a really popular face during the feud with Scott.
I've heard in the past that Rick was hunting buddies with Bischoff so that's potentially a reason why he was booked so strong and why it petered out later in the year after Bischoff got canned.
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Post by Oh Cry Me a Screwball on Sept 20, 2022 19:46:21 GMT -5
They really rammed his shitty catchphrase into the ground too, and yet half of it got really over several years later.
"You want some, come get some!.....You don't like me, bite me!"
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Post by "Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik on Sept 20, 2022 19:49:50 GMT -5
This doesn't scream main event talent to you?  |
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Post by BorneAgain on Sept 20, 2022 19:54:44 GMT -5
It kind of feels like when Scott got hurt, managed just shrugged and figured Rick could fill the role just as well.
(He couldn't)
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tirtefaa
Unicron
If you wanna know the truth, you gotta dig up Johnny Booth.
Posts: 2,865
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Post by tirtefaa on Sept 20, 2022 20:15:36 GMT -5
He should have brought back Alex and won the tag titles with him.
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Post by James Fabiano on Sept 20, 2022 20:18:52 GMT -5
It's the DFG! Where's the Whiz-Pop?
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Post by ThankGodForSidJustice on Sept 21, 2022 3:47:36 GMT -5
Ray Traylor was also a hunting buddy of Bischoff and it didn't help him any.
As far as Steiner goes he was definitely pushed way above his station by that point. I think he was just one of those guys who was always a favorite of the upper brass in WCW and was always pushed and kept strong as a result.
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Post by "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay on Sept 21, 2022 5:18:02 GMT -5
He was incredibly over only a year earlier so it wasn't as weird a choice as you might think, but he also absolutely sucked by this point
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Post by kingoftheindies on Sept 21, 2022 8:58:19 GMT -5
He was incredibly over only a year earlier so it wasn't as weird a choice as you might think, but he also absolutely sucked by this point Yeah Ric was really over in late 98 as a face. If I remember he was still really over in 99 but they turned him heel and that's where it went downhill. (Story being Stevie Ray kept helping Booker T win his matches so Scotty helped Rick win the TV title) |
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tafkaga
Samurai Cop
the Dogfather
Posts: 2,124
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Post by tafkaga on Sept 21, 2022 9:52:19 GMT -5
I remember that damn catchphrase just pissing me off to no end. Like stfu dude and get out of the main event picture.
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Post by chronocross on Sept 21, 2022 10:08:52 GMT -5
I remember not liking the heel turn at all and wished he stayed as a babyface as I found him boring around this time.
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XIII
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Posts: 18,569
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Post by XIII on Sept 21, 2022 10:38:18 GMT -5
The only two things that I remember Rick doing around this time were:
1) Nitro was on Ohio State campus and he cut a promo that ended with: “I am the DFG and I come from the baddest school in the land, so if any of you buttnuts want some come get some, if you don’t like me bite me”
2) the Cat was in the ring rambling like always once and Rick punched him hard as hell in the back of the head.
Legendary stuff. lol
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Johnny B. Decent
Patti Mayonnaise
Had one once
Everybody's Favorite Arizonian.
Posts: 31,076 
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Post by Johnny B. Decent on Sept 21, 2022 20:43:01 GMT -5
Aren't Gremlins just like little trickster things? But I guess Orcs weren't quite in the public mindset yet.
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Post by Psicofreak667 on Sept 22, 2022 0:25:12 GMT -5
I didn't remember that Scott was injured at the time... but it really seemed like WCW thought they could turn Rick into a singles superstar with the exact same playbook they used for Scott. They even had him dye two stripes in his goatee, and they gave him that weird camel clutch to the arm submission hold.
How good was Rick in the ring at his best? As in, was he ever anything other than the character/talker half of a tag team? I know that back in the days of the classic Steiner Bros, Rick held the team up on the character work end while Scott did more of the in-ring work, but I've never heard anyone talk about Rick having main eventer potential or talk about separating him from Scott, and I wasn't really watching back in his Varsity Club days.
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XIII
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Posts: 18,569
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Post by XIII on Sept 22, 2022 7:36:26 GMT -5
I didn't remember that Scott was injured at the time... but it really seemed like WCW thought they could turn Rick into a singles superstar with the exact same playbook they used for Scott. They even had him dye two stripes in his goatee, and they gave him that weird camel clutch to the arm submission hold. How good was Rick in the ring at his best? As in, was he ever anything other than the character/talker half of a tag team? I know that back in the days of the classic Steiner Bros, Rick held the team up on the character work end while Scott did more of the in-ring work, but I've never heard anyone talk about Rick having main eventer potential or talk about separating him from Scott, and I wasn't really watching back in his Varsity Club days. Rick was decent enough in ring. Not going to give you a 5 star match or anything but he was about on par with current Brock minus the aura that Brock has. High impact suplexes and slams with brawling. He wasn’t bad really. |
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tafkaga
Samurai Cop
the Dogfather
Posts: 2,124
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Post by tafkaga on Sept 22, 2022 8:36:19 GMT -5
I didn't remember that Scott was injured at the time... but it really seemed like WCW thought they could turn Rick into a singles superstar with the exact same playbook they used for Scott. They even had him dye two stripes in his goatee, and they gave him that weird camel clutch to the arm submission hold. How good was Rick in the ring at his best? As in, was he ever anything other than the character/talker half of a tag team? I know that back in the days of the classic Steiner Bros, Rick held the team up on the character work end while Scott did more of the in-ring work, but I've never heard anyone talk about Rick having main eventer potential or talk about separating him from Scott, and I wasn't really watching back in his Varsity Club days. Rick was decent enough in ring. Not going to give you a 5 star match or anything but he was about on par with current Brock minus the aura that Brock has. High impact suplexes and slams with brawling. He wasn’t bad really. I think Rick's work got more lazy too after the Varsity Club. Most Steiner Brothers matches were just taking turns doing their signature moves, and I feel like with Rick that it was even more noticeable. I haven't seen a lot of Rick pre-Varsity club simpleton gimmick, but as I recall he worked and sold differently. |
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Post by wrestlingrecap on Sept 22, 2022 18:46:50 GMT -5
Remember that random 4-5 month period when he suddenly got a big singles push as a heel despite being absolute dogshit in the ring at the time? He was getting marquee PPV matches with Sting and Goldberg. He won the US and TV titles. He went over Benoit and Saturn on PPV who both could have really used the wins more. Much of the summer the main event scene on Nitro was some combination of Hogan/Sting/Goldberg v Nash/Sid/Steiner and he always looked out of place compared to the others, star-power wise. As bad as the booking was WCW still had a stacked roster at the time and he was nowhere near main event worthy. He was barely over too when just a year earlier he was a really popular face during the feud with Scott. I've heard in the past that Rick was hunting buddies with Bischoff so that's potentially a reason why he was booked so strong and why it petered out later in the year after Bischoff got canned. WCW put the US Title on him in 2001, which is probably even a worse decision. For some reason him in 1999, it didn't bother me as much. The turn on Booker was fine and if Scott didn't have the back injury I feel like a heel duo of Steiner Brothers could have been something, but they had to pivot to a singles run.
He absolutely should have put over Saturn and Benoit, though. That was WCW's main problem. Relying on the "name" guys far too long. Rick was the job guy in that six man feud, so he had a purpose there. Aside from the dog attack at GAB, I don't really recall him having much solo traction against the bigger names.
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Post by DZ: WF Legacy on Sept 23, 2022 1:20:56 GMT -5
Battle Dome heckler Rick Steiner will forever be in our hearts.
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pinja
Unicron
Posts: 3,012
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Post by pinja on Sept 23, 2022 8:35:20 GMT -5
By that time, Rick looked like he's living on a camping site, sipping beer while sitting in front of a paddling pool with his legs spread. He'd occasionally bark at kids and creep out their young parents.
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Post by Big BosskMan on Sept 23, 2022 11:36:48 GMT -5
This doesn't scream main event talent to you? That screams "when West Coast Choppers meets wrestling" |
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