5 Greatest transformations in WCW history
Over 20 years ago, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Nitro went head-to-head with WWE RAW on a weekly basis, spawning the Monday Night Wars. Although WWE eventually won the war, WCW had its fair share of stars that kept the fans invested in the product.
Wrestlers such as Goldberg and Sting were at the top of the company until its closure in 2001. While WCW had big names on its roster, it also had some trouble with creative direction. In order to tell a compelling story in the ring, wrestlers need to play their roles convincingly.
Finding a fitting gimmick and using it properly is a difficult task for many pro wrestlers, but it gets fans invested in the character and the person portraying it. When wrestlers feel that they're no longer getting the desired reaction from the crowd, they often take the next step by altering their gimmicks, which usually includes a face or heel turn as well.
The ending result is often successful, as new stars are created or their popularity increases by a huge margin. It's very important for wrestlers to transform themselves so that they can keep up with the time and remain relevant.
Here are the five greatest transformations in WCW history.
#5 WCW: Scott Steiner to Big Poppa Pump
Scott Steiner was very successful in his early career along with his brother and tag team partner Rick Steiner during their run as the Steiner Brothers. Together, they held Tag Team Championships in different promotions such as WCW, NJPW and WWE.
The Steiner Brothers made their televised WWE debut in 1992, made an appearance on the pilot episode of Monday Night RAW and their first PPV appearance was at the Royal Rumble the following year when they defeated The Beverly Brothers.
They also had a stint in ECW in 1995 after leaving WWE but they returned to WCW in 1996. They defeated Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) for the WCW World Tag Team Championship after their return. From late 1997 to early 1998, Scott started going through some physical changes.
As the New World Order's popularity began to soar, Scott Steiner saw an opportunity beyond competing as a tag team wrestler. During their championship defense against The Outsiders at WCW SuperBrawl VIII, Scott betrayed his brother Rick and joined the villainous nWo.
He then changed his appearance by dyeing his black hair blonde, sporting sunglasses and a chain mail headgear which he wore during his entrance. He started referring to himself as Big Poppa Pump and his muscle mass was increased furthermore.
After his tremendous transformation, Steiner feuded with major stars such as Bill Goldberg, Booker T, DDP and Rey Mysterio. He went on to capture the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, World Television Championship and World Heavyweight Championship.
He returned to WWE in 2002 after WCW folded and had an infamous feud with Triple H for the World title. Scott Steiner is a controversial figure in pro wrestling, but despite his declining years, he is still an active wrestler. His freakish muscles and body shape are still a sight to behold especially for his age.