Rechsteiner, under the ring name Scott Steiner, debuted in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) during a backstage interview at Chi-Town Rumble, later accompanying his brother Rick to the ring as he lost the NWA World Television Championship to Mike Rotunda. Scott would begin wrestling in singles bouts on WCW programming before the Steiners began teaming together. The Steiners lost their first high-profile bout to Kevin Sullivan & Rotunda at Clash of the Champions VII but defeated them in a rematch at the Great American Bash 1989. The Steiners also competed in the "King of the Hill" two-ring battle royal earlier in the show but were unsuccessful.