The Steiner Brothers' brilliant and brutal style changed wrestling forever
The first time that most people saw the Steiner Brothers together as a force in tag team wrestling, their eyes must have been popping out of their heads.
Whether in WCW or WWE, the Steiners were known for firing off moves and maneuvers so innovative that any match they were involved in was a 'can't miss' affair. They didn't talk much, but they didn't have to. Their incredible explosiveness did all the talking for them.
The two Michigan Wolverines were already stars on the mat as amateur wrestlers, but it was how they adapted that to the squared circle that really set them apart.
Steiner Screwdriver https://t.co/4ZBB8svUhV
The siblings unleashed a slew of stunning suplexes and shattering slams that were based on the fundamentals of Olympic-style grappling.
The Steiner Brothers did it with a force like no other team before them, sending shockwaves through the world of pro wrestling.
Not since The Road Warriors began plowing over teams in Georgia and the AWA had the world seen anything like Rick and Scott Steiner.
Their path of technical destruction was laid in the early days of WCW, and they went through successful stints in WWE, Japan, WCW again and (later) TNA. Throughout the course of their illustrious careers, they almost seemed to take pleasure in squashing their opponents and driving them helplessly through the mat.
We see the influence that the Steiner Brothers had on the industry to this day. Their punishing 'plexes are lodged in the repertoires of every technical and 'strong-style' grappler out there. From Bryan Danielson to Kenny Omega to Kazuchika Okada, they have influenced two generations of in-ring talent to copy their stunning style.
There's also a certain NXT Champion who prescribes to this same poetry of pain. While his last name might be Breakker, he seems an awful lot like a Steiner...
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#WWENXT #NXTChampionship #HalloweenHavoc @bronbreakkerwwe @NXTCiampa https://t.co/QN6zIrMDea
The Steiner Brothers changed wrestling in a way that few other teams could have managed to. They mixed their incredible collegiate backgrounds with the impact and entertainment that makes professional wrestling the show that it is. They added a believability that anyone who followed them attempted to live up to.
Their distinct blueprint for brutality forced the next generation of hard-nosed grapplers to emulate the standards they set. And because of that, the bar for hard-hitting action was set even higher when wrestling entered a new millennium.
If you don't believe that? Then watch out... You might get 'Steinerized'.
Where would you rank the Steiner Brothers among the greatest tag teams of all-time? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.