However, with many wrestlers, perception is EVERYTHING. In other words, they want you to believe the “gimmick”, buy into it. It fact, it has become an extension of themselves and they mark out for it. Vince McMahon is that way. Vince wants people in the office to see him a certain way. To fear him. Be afraid of him. He enjoys that, even though when you really get down to knowing him, you understand that’s not the human being at all. Scott, he’s similar. He loves when people buy into his persona, if not for anything else, simply the peace of people “leaving him alone” even if it’s in fear.
If you know me, you know that I’m draw to characters. I’m draw to anyone who is “different”, and that’s why I immediately fell in love with Scott Steiner the moment I met him. No other human being on this planet is like Scott. Not one. He’s just one of those guys that I don’t think really understand how entertaining he is. I could listen to a Scott Steiner promo ALL DAY and I’m not exaggerating – ALL DAY! The highlight of my TV taping days at TNA was having the privilege to produce Scott Steiner, even though I never did. I basically just told him what he needed to get across and the rest was PURE GOLD. To this day, Steiner’s promo where he “spells out” a mathematical equation is simply GENIUS! The guy is just a naturally born entertainer, both inside and outside of the ring. But, unless you spent years tearing away at the layers that cover the heart you’d never have any idea what Scott Steiner is “really” like.
I can remember almost accidentally stumbling over the real Scott. It was one of those back-breaking days at TV when Scott was pissed off about something. It was usually at those times, where he’d come up to me and cut a balls-to-the-wall promo. Being that I was always so entertained by Scott, I was never in “fear” when he was in one of those moods, but rather in the front row watching him at his best. The words would come out of his mouth so fast, and furious, that you were just watching this bleach blonde ball of energy and anger, and you just had to see how many casualties it was taking along with it once the climax came. My MO was this: I’d wait for Scott to finish, and then I would just crack up and say, “OK, are you done?” At that point the unbelievable would happen – Scott would laugh too, then as two friends, we would sit down and talk about what was making Scott so cranky.
And, no matter what kind of a mood he was in, Scott was ALWAYS a pro. Yeah, he had his moments where he questioned things creatively, but that was only because he wanted every segment that he was in to be the best. One thing I have to say about Poppa was that he always came ready to play. I can remember what a chore it was for me to coral all the members of the Main Event Mafia for pre-tapes. Getting Sting, Booker, Kurt, Kevin and Scott at the same place and time when you needed them there was a full time job. But, along with the Olympic Gold Medalist Scotty was always the first one there. Yeah, he had to pump up before every pre-tae, but that was just his pre-game ritual.
Man, if he reads this I’m dead. So I hope he doesn’t. Scott is also married to the nicest woman on the face of the earth, nobody you would ever picture that “Beast” with. Wholesome, pure, kind, beautiful, a woman who you know takes great pride in taking care of her husband and her two boys. Ah, yes the two children. If you ever want to know who Scott Steiner really is, pull up a chair and watch him wrestle with his two young boys in the empty ring, in the arena before the show. That “treat” would bring even a wider smile to my face then one of his legendary promos. That was the REAL Scott Steiner to me. THAT’S who he REALLY is.
Scott Steiner. Killer? No, I don’t think so. Scott Steiner. Scary man? When he wants to be. Scott Steiner. Friend, husband and father? Yeah, 100% of the time.
(Vince will be launching a new channel on the RELM NETWORK in April. You can catch up with all his daily blogs/podcasts/videos atvincerussobrand.com.)
