Guest bravesfan Posted October 31, 2002 Report Posted October 31, 2002 credit: wwe.com Some interesting things, some of the "same ol', same ol" and a closing look inside the mind of a WWE employee... Is Big Poppa Pump our hook-up? by Brian Solomon 10/29/02 There are few free agents of any real value left floating around the sports-entertainment business as it stands today. Recently, it was reported that one of them, Scott Steiner—a.k.a. Big Poppa Pump—has signed on with World Wrestling Entertainment. Last night, promos for Steiner aired on RAW, helping to hype up the anticipation for his return to the national spotlight.Such an event is something that used to be a lot more common in the days when there was more than one major American promotion. Fans used to mark out on a regular basis at the possibility of a top-flight star from one company showing up in another company. Nowadays, that type of thing just doesn’t seem to happen anymore for obvious reasons, and so WWE’s signing of Big Poppa Pump has garnered even more attention than it might have otherwise done.When you think about it, Steiner was one of pretty much only two major unsigned stars marketable on a national basis—the other being Goldberg. In the year and a half since WCW went out of business, they were the only two headliners worth a damn that hadn’t shown up here yet. Logically therefore, this may be the last opportunity for this kind of thing to occur, where WWE brings in a competitor whose national name was made elsewhere. After all, your chances of seeing Goldberg in a WWE ring anytime soon are about as good as O.J.’s chances of finding the real killer. Now obviously, this isn’t Steiner’s first run in WWE, as long-time fans will remember his exploits as one half of the Steiner Brothers, former WWE Tag Team Champions. The Steiners were one of the most lauded tag teams of all time, enjoying success in WWE, WCW, ECW, New Japan and just about everywhere else. Some would say they ruled the tag team scene in the 1990s.In fact, the reputation of the Steiner Brothers was so powerful that Scott Steiner’s dramatic transformation in 1998 was previously unthinkable. The tag team days seem literally like another lifetime. The man who now refers to himself as the Big Bad Booty Daddy is absolutely nothing like the long-haired, fresh-faced, high-flying Scott Steiner fans were originally introduced to. But in erasing his previous character, Steiner put himself on the map as one of the hottest performers around. Now, there’s a big qualifier that has to be attached to that if the real value of Scott Steiner is to be assessed. Big Poppa Pump was indeed one of WCW’s top main eventers at one time. However, it must be remembered that that was during WCW’s dying days of 1999-2001. It’s an undeniable fact that being a main eventer for that company during that period simply doesn’t necessarily mean all that much. The company was losing money at a ridiculous rate, thus calling the drawing power of any headliners from that period into serious question.That doesn’t, by definition, rule him out as an asset to the roster. After all, look at someone like Booker T, who was also a main event guy during the WCW tailspin. While his usefulness may have been in question a year and a half ago, he’s now one of the highlights of WWE programming. Fresh faces are always a good thing—it’s just a matter of how they’re used. In addition to strong story lines, a constant stream of new talent must flow in order to maintain a healthy promotion. But all the same, the task falls to the creative team, because let’s face it, every talent is at their mercy when it comes to whether or not they can fulfill any potential they may have. It falls to those who hold the pencil to determine whether BPP is a boom or a bust. Certainly, the possibilities are there. A feud with someone like Brock Lesnar could yield some great things. And Steiner’s penchant for delivering controversial promos could also help to establish him as a must-watch segment on any show. His character certainly seems tailor-made for the WWE product. That said, there are definitely a number of wild card elements involved. The man’s physical well-being is a very big question mark. Plagued by injuries, his ability to perform has undeniably fallen off in a big way since the days of Rick & Scott. Specifically, his back has been a source of problems, and he continues to cope with the effects of drop foot syndrome, the result of repeated nerve damage. What his body will allow him to accomplish remains to be seen.There’s also the personality factor. In the past, Steiner has had a reputation for being somewhat volatile, to say the least. If half the stories that have made the rounds regarding him are true, the guy might be just about as stable as Bobcat Goldthwaite on crank. Still, if Scott Hall deserved the benefit of the doubt, then anyone does. No matter the upside, it’s important to remember that it’s highly improbable for one man to turn things around, especially in today’s environment. Scott Steiner is not WWE’s savior. Those kind of overblown expectations lead to guaranteed letdowns and often irreversible career damage. I’ll be taking a “wait and see” attitude. He could very well play a part in renewing casual fan interest or luring back some of WCW’s fan base. He could also go the way of the Lex Express and Brakkus. It’s partly up to him, and partly up to those who will be responsible for getting him over.Big Poppa Pump’s catchphrase used to be, “Holla if you hear me.” We’ll soon find out if anyone does. And the KICKER OF THE WEEK (as the column closes)... On a side note, I wanted to thank the hundreds of readers who sent in their feedback to last week’s commentary. “Overwhelmed” is a good word to describe my reaction to all of your feedback. Maybe necrophilia does equal ratings after all… That's EXACTLY what we wanted to hear.
Guest FeArHaVoC Posted October 31, 2002 Report Posted October 31, 2002 After all, look at someone like Booker T, who was also a main event guy during the WCW tailspin. While his usefulness may have been in question a year and a half ago, he’s now one of the highlights of WWE programming. Most knew Booker T would be great in the WWF. Only ones who really questioned him was Vince, the Writers and the rest of WWF mindless sheep. He made some good points about Steiner though. I know he's a WWE Employee, but I like this guys Columns. Now we just have to wait and that Anthony "SomethingOrOther" will do one how Steiner's is a God and just what WWE needs. <Fresh faces are always a good thing—it’s just a matter of how they’re used.> Same can be said about the guys you already have.
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