Robert Rechsteiner (born March 9, 1961) is an American real estate broker and retired professional wrestler, 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, where they won the World Tag Team Championship twice. Early life Steiner was a freestyle 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