On the latest edition of his Grillin JR podcast legendary commentator Jim Ross spoke about the Steiner Brothers, and why they decided to leave WCW back in 1992. Ross also discusses how Dusty Rhodes originally wanted Rick Steiner to squash Ric Flair at the Starrcade 19888 pay per view. Highlights are below.
Says Dusty Rhodes wanted Rick Steiner to squash Ric Flair at Starrcade in 1988:
“Yeah, I didn’t believe it. Was Dusty that big of a fan of Rick Steiner, or that big of an enemy to the Nature Boy? So, it was shocking to hear that because there was no buildup to a program where you’d have a blowoff in a cage. All it was, it was a match. But yeah, there was some discussion about it. I never took it as seriously as some did because it just seemed to me to be implausible. I couldn’t wrap my arms around it. Ric needed to be rebuilt. He had been booked down, and his perception had been harmed I thought……he was devalued in my view. Would Rick Steiner had been a good champion at some point in time? I think so, but it was not time. It’s again going back to too much, too soon. He needed more seasoning and more time to get over. You don’t beat the world champion in a cold match, and that’s kind of what it was.”
Why the Steiners left WCW in 1992:
“I remember Cowboy [Bill Watts] had issues communicating with Scott Steiner to the point that I think they were gonna have a meeting. He [Watts] mentioned to me that he’s got his gun with him. Jesus Christ, Bill. Saddle your horse, leave the gun at home. Obviously, he perceived Scott as being very volatile and dangerous for a guy Cowboy’s age. What do you do? You get an equalizer to protect yourself. So, Bill’s lack of ability or motivation to make peace with Scott was unsuccessful. When Bill told Rick, ‘I’m not gonna sign your brother back,’ that made the decision to leave WCW for WWE that much easier for the Steiners. His little brother not getting renewed, however you wanna look at it, did not sit well with big brother. That facilitated their exit much easier and more quickly. It was a blow. They had earned a national and global reputation as being as good a tag team as there was. You don’t replace a team like the Steiners without hurting your roster.”
Calls the Steiners one of the best tag teams of all time:
“They’re on the list. It’s hard to say. I’m partial to the Briscos. We mentioned Owen and Bret, and you can’t have a list of brothers without mentioning Owen and Bret. But there were a lot of really good brother tag teams. But there would be no list that would be complete or believable without the Steiners.”
(H/T and transcribed by 411 Mania)
