Chicago Sun-Times: Raw' nears contract with Steiner

It looks more and more like the bidding war for Big Poppa Pump" Scott Steiner will be won by Eric Bischoff and the Raw" brand. In what will be one of the biggest moves pulled off by Bischoff since becoming the general manager of the Monday night program, Steiner will be signed in the next few weeks and should begin a series of matches with HHH, possibly culminating in a world title match at Wrestlemania.

Despite being suspended by Stephanie McMahon on Thursday, Brock Lesner will be back on SmackDown in short order and immediately will become that brand's No. 1 fan favorite. Already featuring Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio and Edge, Smackdown seems to be all set and could get by without Steiner. Raw, however, is desperate for main-event talent, having to rely on RVD, Kane and HHH week after week, to the point where the final 20 minutes of the show have become as painful to watch as the old Nitro" shows. With Steiner, Raw will get a true star whom the fans can rally around. Meanwhile, WWE can catch it's breath for a few months while waiting for the inevitable returns of the Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

HEARD AROUND THE RING: Word is the reason Brock Lesner lost to the Big Show at Survivor Series was to get the fans on his side for a long feud against Paul Heyman. Lesner already was being cheered in arenas around the country, but now he has additional sympathy from the fans for the way he was screwed out of the title. I would expect Heyman to begin recruiting a new cast of characters to help in holding off Lesner. ... Congratulations to Kurt Angle and the Undertaker, whose wives gave birth to baby girls this past week. ... The WWE was happy enough with the performance of Earnest The Cat" Miller that he will be given the color commentator role on Velocity."

HOTLINE: I have details on the Undertaker's return to the ring in the coming weeks, as well as shocking news from X-Pac and what he has to say about the wrestling industry. All that and much more on the hotline: (900) 990-SLAM ($2 per minute).