Scott Steiner Blames Hulk Hogan For Derailing His WCW Heel Turn
WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner has voiced his frustration over the level of creative control Hulk Hogan wielded during his time in WCW.
Speaking on Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho podcast, Scott Steiner recalled how Hogan’s influence directly impacted his career, particularly following his heel turn in 1998. After turning villainous, Steiner was booked to face Lex Luger in his first match as a heel. However, despite the momentum behind his character shift, he was not given the victory—a decision Steiner later discovered was influenced by Hogan.
“As soon as I got turned into a bad guy, my very next match was against Lex Luger and I lost, which was so disappointing to me,”
Steiner revealed. He expressed concerns that losing so soon after his turn could undermine his credibility.
“There’s always a fear of when they turn you either babyface or heel that that’s one way they can bury you. They can say, ‘Oh s**t, you see? He wasn’t any good.'”
Steiner later found out that Hogan had been behind the decision.
“I come to find out that was Hogan’s call. Yeah, that motherfu**er.”
He only learned the truth after speaking with Sting.
“The only reason I knew that is because Sting was in the room, and he told me that was his call. It was like, wait a second, he had creative control, but the creative control wasn’t just him. He controlled everything on the show.”
Hogan’s backstage influence in WCW has long been a controversial subject, with many wrestlers expressing frustration over his power.
Why Was Scott Steiner Shocked By His WWE Comeback In 2002?
Scott Steiner spoke about being shocked by the positive fan reaction to his WWE comeback in 2002. Steiner said that he wasn’t sure if the WWE fans would remember him since he hadn’t competed in the company since 1994 and had spent many years as one of rival promotion WCW’s top stars.
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