WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner gives some insight into why he changed his look in WCW to a bleach-blonde egomaniac.
Steiner had a very impressive tag team career long before he started a singles run. He was one half of the Steiner Brothers tag team with his real-life brother, Rick. In 2022 the Steiner Brothers were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
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However, the Steiner Brothers version of Scott Steiner is vastly different from the “Big Poppa Pump” version he used while wrestling as a singles competitor in WCW. On a recent episode of Two Man Power Trip, Steiner revealed why he felt the need to drastically change his look and character.
“We [Steiner Brothers] had that tag team for so long and had wrestled everybody and we were popular. I knew I had to do a drastic change from what I was with the black hair and mullet. Otherwise people would see me as the same so that’s when, as soon as I turned on my brother we were in California. The next morning I went into a salon and bleached my hair and bleached my goatee.
“I showed up and when I showed up, believe it or not, a whole lot of people didn’t recognize me, a lot of the announcers didn’t recognize me either because I didn’t really tell anybody I was going to do it. The only person that knew it was, I ran it by Eric Bischoff.” H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
The Debut Of Scott And The Steiner Brothers
Steiner debuted in wrestling in 1986 and spent most of his early career in the tag division. He went from one partner to the next. Eventually he found a partner who he clicked with and they would achieve a lot of success together. It just so happens that this partner was his brother Rick. Rick had already been in the wrestling business for a few years by the time Scott debuted. This led to the brothers not being in the same promotion together until 1989.
The brothers, Rick and Scott, eventually started teaming up and the Jim Crockett Promotions/WCW and the tag division in general was never the same. The Steiner Brothers gimmick was two legit amateur wrestlers and based much of their style on suplexes, throws and power. They were two powerhouses and worked in a stiff style. Being in the tag division in the late ‘80s and ‘90s must have been hell with the Steiner Brothers and the Legion of Doom walking around.
Leaning Into The Amateur Background
Since the Steiner Brothers had an amateur wrestling base their look fed into that. They wore singlets and Rick even wore headgear in the ring. Scott had a long mullet and was clean shaven for much of his Steiner Brothers run. While in WCW they won the tag titles a total of eight times.
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In 1998 Scott joined the nWo by attacking his brother. When Scott came back he was a completely different person. His dark hair was now bleached blonde. He didn’t just change his visual appearance. Along with his new look he changed his wrestling style. He stopped doing the Frankensteiner because according to Scott it was too popular and began wrestling with a more ground-and-pound style. He also began to put on more muscle mass as well.
This new version of Scott Steiner became known as “Big Poppa Pump” and the “Big Bad Booty Daddy.” He became much more egotistical and focused on his looks and it was very common to see him kiss his biceps.
Big Poppa Pump Only Cares About His Peaks And His WWE Freaks
This “Big Poppa Pump” gimmick stuck with him and he used this gimmick from 1998 to the present day. He has used the gimmick in WWF/WWE, TNA and NWA. Time will tell if he will join the list of two-time WWE Hall of Famers for their tag and singles work in wrestling.
If the Steiner Brothers look and style sounds familiar it is because Bron Breakker is Rick’s son and their style lives on in tag teams like The Creed Brothers and Alpha Academy.
What did you think of the sudden change in the look of Scott Steiner? Do you think it was necessary to make his heel persona work? Did you prefer his Steiner Brothers look and style or his “Big Poppa Pump” one? Do you think he would have continued his success with his Steiner Brothers tag team or was the gimmick about to run its course? Let us know on social media if you think his work as a tag team wrestler or as a singles competitor is more impressive.
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Sources: Two Man Power Trip, Wrestling Inc.
