Robert Rechsteiner (born March 9, 1961) is an American professional wrestler and politician, better known by the ring name Rick Steiner.
Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion (seven times with his brother Scott as half of the Steiner Brothers, and once with Kenny Kaos). In addition to tag team success, he was also a one time United States Heavyweight Champion and a three time World Television Champion. Beyond WCW, Steiner found success in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he and Scott held the IWGP Tag Team Championship twice, and the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), where they won the World Tag Team Championship twice.
In addition to his career as a professional wrestler, Steiner also has served as a member for the school board of Cherokee County, Georgia since 2006.
Early life Steiner was a collegiate wrestling standout at the University of Michigan, where he placed second at the Big Ten Championships in 1983 for the Wolverines, became an NCAA qualifier, and established the fastest pin record in the school's history at 15 seconds. At the 1983 NCAA tournament, Steiner wrestled against three-time All-American and future National Champion Tab Thacker of North Carolina State. After earning his bachelor's degree in education, he was introduced to professional wrestling by George "The Animal" Steele and entered pro wrestling immediately out of college.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1983–1988) He initially wrestled under the name Rob Rechsteiner before he took on the simpler ring name Rick Steiner. He spent time in the American Wrestling Association, Montreal promotion International Wrestling, and the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF). While in the UWF he formed a tag team with Sting, winning the UWF World Tag Team Championship in 1987. Also in 1987 he wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The UWF was bought out by Jim Crockett Jr. in 1988, acquiring much of its roster (including Steiner), for his National Wrestling Alliance territory, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP).
Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling (1988–1992)
Steiner was a charter member of the faction known as The Varsity Club along with Mike Rotunda and their manager Kevin Sullivan, with the long-term angle being that Rotunda was favored by Sullivan and both of them looked at Steiner as their dull-witted underling. It also started a slow fan favorite turn for Steiner, as he began breaking rules less often and was portrayed as a dim but good-hearted guy who was a villain by association only. Steiner and Rotunda were given a spot at the second ever Clash of the Champions, which took place in Miami on June 8, 1988. The duo faced Jimmy Garvin and Ronnie Garvin in a losing effort. Eventually, this would lead to a breakup and Steiner subsequently became a fan favorite before winning the WCW World Television Championship from Rotunda at Starrcade '88: True Gritt.
In early 1989, his brother Scott began accompanying him to the ring and eventually, the two formed a tag team. They proved they were a serious tag team by defeating the Freebirds for the NWA World Tag Team Championship in November 1989. The pair continued to dominate in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) (as JCP came to be known following its sale to Turner Broadcasting System), winning multiple championships and making occasional trips to New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
World Wrestling Federation (1992–1994) The two jumped to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), WCW's biggest competitor, in December 1992 after WCW Executive Vice President Bill Watts lowballed them on a contract extension and then gave them the option for an early release from their present contracts. They found success there as well, winning the WWF World Tag Team Championship from Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster) on two occasions.
The Steiners left the WWF in 1994, with Rick stating that he felt that Vince McMahon was not following through with promises made to the team.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995) After leaving the WWF, Steiner debuted in Extreme Championship Wrestling in April 1995 at Three Way Dance, substituting for Sabu in the main event.
The Steiner Brothers reunited in ECW on July 28, 1995, defeating Dudley Dudley and Vampire Warrior. A few days later on August 4, they defeated Dudley Dudley and 2 Cold Scorpio. The following day, the Steiner Brothers made their debut in the ECW Arena at Wrestlepalooza, where they teamed with Eddie Guerrero in a loss to Scorpio, Dean Malenko, and Cactus Jack. On August 25, they defeated Scorpio and Malenko and then Scorpio and Chris Benoit the following evening. On August 28, they defeated Dudley Dudley and Dances with Dudley.
At Gangstas' Paradise on September 16, 1995, they teamed with Taz in a loss to The Eliminators (John Kronus and Perry Saturn) and Jason. On September 23, they defeated Raven and Stevie Richards. Rick made his final ECW appearance on October 28, teaming with Taz in a loss to The Eliminators in a tag team match.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1991–1997, 2000) Steiner made his return to New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 1991 with Scott. They won the IWGP Tag Team Championship two times. In 1995, the Steiners wrestled for NJPW full-time until going to WCW in March 1996. Rick returned later that year while under contract with WCW with Keiji Muto as a tag team. On May 3, 1997, he teamed with Scott and Muto as they lost to Masahiro Chono and The Outsiders, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
On January 4, 2000, Steiner defeated Randy Savage in Savage's last singles match.
Return to WCW (1996–2001) On the March 11, 1996 episode of Nitro, the Steiner Brothers redebuted in World Championship Wrestling in a losing effort to The Road Warriors. The following week on Nitro, the Steiners picked up their first win since returning after they defeated The Public Enemy. After briefly feuding with both the Warriors and Public Enemy, the Steiners began feuding with the World Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat. On July 24 at a house show, the Steiner Brothers defeated Harlem Heat to win the World Tag Team Championship, although they re-lost the title to Harlem Heat three days later. The Steiner Brothers then reclaimed the title after defeating The Outsiders on January 25, 1997, at Souled Out. Only two days later, they were stripped of the title by Eric Bischoff. Rick then faced Kevin Nash for the title at Spring Stampede on April 6 due to Scott Hall not appearing, but was unable to win the title back.
In a shocking move during the August 4, 1997 episode of Nitro, the Steiner Brothers introduced Ted DiBiase as their new manager (DiBiase was no longer a member of the nWo and had not been seen on TV since April). After starting a winning streak, the Steiner Brothers defeated the Outsiders in a rematch for the World Tag Team Title on August 9 at Road Wild, but due to winning via disqualification, they did not win the title. On the October 13 episode of Nitro, the Steiner Brothers finally reclaimed the World Tag Team Title after defeating Hall and his substitute tag team partner Syxx. On the October 27 episode of Nitro, the Steiners successfully retained the title in their first defense against The Public Enemy. After several successful title defenses, they re-lost the title to the Outsiders on the January 12, 1998 episode of Nitro. Nearly a month later, they defeated the Outsiders for the championship on the February 9 episode of Nitro.
During a title defense against the Outsiders during SuperBrawl VIII on February 22, the Steiner Brothers disbanded when Scott turned on Rick and DiBiase, becoming a villain in the process by allowing the Outsiders to pin Rick and win the World Tag Team Championship. Scott subsequently joined the New World Order (nWo) faction and began feuding with Rick, whilst also trying to get him to join. In addition to Scott, Rick also began feuding with various members of the nWo, facing them in either singles matches or teaming with Lex Luger on occasion in tag team matches over the following months, and DiBiase remained in Rick's corner during this stretch. Rick took several months off soon after this due to shoulder surgery caused by an ambush attack from Scott and Brian Adams during the May 4 episode of Nitro.
Scott would talk trash about Rick for months until Rick finally healed and was ready to return for revenge. Upon returning from his injury, Rick was no longer accompanied by DiBiase (Rick made his return to TV during the August 3 episode of Nitro). Rick and Scott were then scheduled for a long-anticipated match at Road Wild, but the match didn't happen after Scott and Bagwell came out to claim to J. J. Dillon that Scott could not compete "due to injury". Then, after wrestling to a "no contest" against Scott at Fall Brawl on September 13, Rick teamed up with Scott's "former" ally Buff Bagwell to defeat Scott (who was a substitute for Scott Hall) and The Giant for the World Tag Team Championship at Halloween Havoc on October 25 despite Bagwell turning on Rick during the match. Immediately after the tag team match, Rick defeated Scott in a singles match (which included overcoming an ambush attack from Bagwell and Stevie Ray.
The next night on Nitro, Steiner nominated Kenny Kaos as his new tag team partner to hold the World Tag Team Championship with due to Bagwell turning against him after winning the title at Halloween Havoc the previous night. Later on in the night, Steiner and Kaos successfully retained their title against nWo members The Giant and Stevie Ray. At World War 3 on November 22, Steiner was attacked backstage by nWo Hollywood, who injured his right shoulder. Despite the attack, Rick still made his way to the ring for his scheduled match against Scott, but he clearly wasn't healthy enough to wrestle which led to the match ending in a "no contest" (Rick was further attacked by Scott and Bagwell in the ring before Goldberg ran in to make the save). This would be Steiner's last TV appearance for several months. On January 7, 1999, the titles were vacated, with a Tag Team Title tournament beginning that evening on Thunder.
On the March 1, 1999 episode of Nitro, he made his televised return as he and Goldberg defeated Scott and Bagwell. After winning several matches, Steiner became a villain and lost to Booker T in a match for Booker's World Television Championship on the April 12 episode of Nitro. On May 9 at Slamboree, Steiner defeated Booker in a rematch to win the World Television Title. After becoming a villain, Rick reunited with Scott on a few occasions and began feuding with Sting, culminating with a successful title defense at The Great American Bash on June 13. After four months as champion, he lost the title to Chris Benoit on the September 13 episode of Nitro, before reclaiming it a little over a month later at Halloween Havoc on October 24. At Mayhem, Scott Hall defeated Booker T to retain his United States Heavyweight Championship as well as win Steiner's World Television Championship, which he had to vacate due to being injured.
On December 19 at Starrcade, Steiner reformed the Varsity Club with Mike Rotunda and Kevin Sullivan to wrestle an eight-man tag team match with Jim Duggan against the Revolution, whom Duggan had been feuding with. However, the Club turned against Duggan, allowing him to be pinned. After Starrcade, Sullivan left the club as Steiner and Rotunda wrestled as a tag team throughout the rest of 1999 and into March 2000.