Lance Storm Retires From In-Ring

Hugg · April 26, 2004

Full Circle

April 26, 2004

Last Monday night in Calgary was a monumental evening for me. For those of you with terrible short-term memory, last Monday night was RAW live in Calgary. I?ve done 3 TV events in Calgary, the first was my WWE debut with the first Invasion RUN-IN, the second I was not given a match, and this third time I had a match and I am both happy, and sad to tell you that it may have been my last. WHAT? Let?s start with, No I have not been fired, and No I am not quitting the business. I am, if I can borrow an expression from good old Vinny Mac, moving onwards and upwards.

A lot of you have been wondering why I have been completely of the road and television the past few weeks; well this is your answer. I have been talking with the office about taking my career in a new direction for some time now. This actually dates back to before WrestleMania. I have been dissatisfied with my in ring career for quite a while. I have been lost in the quagmire for the better part of the year, with no direction, no focus, and quite frankly no forward motion. This isn?t anyone?s fault so much as it is a compilation of several factors. I have always wanted to be an important part of the product and I had come to the point where I was feeling that I could contribute more outside the ring than I have been inside it.

With the encouragement and support of Dave Finlay (WWE road agent and the man I respect most in this business) I started looking into the possibility of becoming a road agent. I?ve always thought I would be good at, and enjoy being an agent, when it came time to hang up my boots and I was to the point where the idea of hanging them up was not looking all that unfavourable to me. I?ve mentioned my back troubles to you in the past and I have always played down the pain and discomfort I am in. The truth is my back has been quite bad and it was making my decision much easier. I have 4 bulging discs in my lower lumbar and a chronic problem with my sciatic nerve. It has gotten to the point where there a certain bumps I won?t take and I am limping and in great pain after most matches, I have even had my legs go numb on me on a few occasions. It is a condition that with proper time off and rehab I could likely work through, but with the way everything else was going I started to look at alternatives, like the agent job.

When I first breached the topic of the agent gig with the office they were a little hesitant yet receptive. I think they felt I could be an asset as an agent but thought the transition from ?locker room? to ?office? would be a bit too quick. They then asked if I would be interested in opportunity to pass on my knowledge as a trainer in OVW (Our developmental territory). This caught my interest, as teaching was another avenue I?ve thought about for when I?m done wrestling. I was predominately working with guys recently brought up from OVW anyway, and this was a chance to get at them even earlier and maybe even make a difference. The office and I have been discussing terms for the Training position for the past few weeks, which is why I?ve been sitting home. There was no point giving my character any direction if I wasn?t going to be wrestling much longer and to be honest the time off has done wonders for my back. It hasn?t felt this good in over a year. Last Monday night in Calgary we came to an agreement for the Trainer position, which I am quite excited about, and they were nice enough to give me a match in Calgary so I could have fun and wrestle at home. So it was last Monday that my career came full circle. I was trained in Calgary and my WWE debut was at the Saddle Dome here and what will be my last match, at least for a while, (never say never) was in the Saddle Dome in Calgary as well. I hope everyone caught Heat on Sunday because that?s when my last match aired.

It was a real emotional time for me Monday night. The prospect of this being my last match weighed on me heavily. I was originally wrestling a local kid (I think the office figured why beat a regular guy with a someone who won?t be on TV again) but Steven Richards asked if they could switch our matches so he could work with me. I would have liked to have an amazing match for my last outing but I was a professional to the end and did my job. Stevie and I had a good 6-minute match for HEAT (going all out with countless near falls would have been out of place, in my opinion, and I?ve never been one to do a match just for my own purposes) and I had the time of my life. If this match is going to be my last I?m so glad it happened in Calgary. I am proud to be one of a long line of great (if you?ll indulge my ego one last time) workers to come out of Calgary, and the support I received that night from the crowd was unbelievable. I love you all and can?t thank you enough for making possibly my last night one to remember. I managed to get my ?Tribute to Owen? flip in as well as my Davey Boy suplex, and if Benoit wasn?t? on the card I would have even worked in a Sharp Shooter. My post match celebration was very emotional, if the cameras hadn?t cut so quickly you may have even spotted a tear in my eye.

Part of me hopes there is another chapter to be written in my ?in ring? wrestling career, but part of my wants it to end as it did in Calgary?Alberta, Canada, in front of my family, my friends, and my city. Either way I hope you guys stick with me on my site because I?m going to keep this site going as long as my ?Stormtroopers? keep stopping by. I am still going to be a part of this business and I am confident (cocky) enough to think an important part. If I can pass on my knowledge to the future of this business perhaps, I can still, indirectly, have a positive effect on your wrestling enjoyment. I start in OVW May 2nd, and if all goes well that will be my regular gig. The travel schedule and off time should work out very favourable for my family and I am excited about my future role in this business. I will likely do several ?Looking back? commentaries over the next few weeks so be sure to look for those. All the best everyone, and thanks; I wouldn?t have been able to have almost 14 years of fun in the ring if all of you hadn?t showed up to watch. I am truly grateful.

Lance Evers

http://www.stormwrestling.com/042604.html

Special K · April 26, 2004

So long Lance. Thanks for everything. :tissue

geemoney · April 26, 2004

I don't really see a downside to this. He wasn't getting over as a wrestler, and he's been hurt, so let him stay on in a non-wrestler position.

bman8316 · April 26, 2004

I always liked Storm as a wrestler in ECW, and felt that WWE could have used him better, but atleast he is staying involved in the company. :tissue

Buckeye · April 26, 2004

I don't really see a downside to this. He wasn't getting over as a wrestler, and he's been hurt, so let him stay on in a non-wrestler position.

I'm going to hate right now.

Your opinion sucks. There I said it.

How is a guy who was given the "boring" gimmick supposed to EVER get over? Lance Storm, in his WCW run, was one of the most charismatic in-ring performers I've ever seen. He was over, hell, he was HATED. And it was done just right (until the end).

The WWE can get ANYONE over anytime they want. Look what they did with Shelton Benjamin and Randy Orton in one night. I'm sick of this "He wasn't very over" crap. The fans care when the WWE gives them reason and WWE never gave them reason to care about Storm.

I agree if he's hurt he shoudln't be wrestling, but to say he wasn't very over is a reason to quit is stupid. Steven Richards is one of my faves on the roster and I only get to see him once every couple of months.

When the WWE decides to push you and they do it in a way that doesn't demean you, then you get over. They never at any point got behind Storm. Yeah, he was IC champ and had a helluva match with Edge, but he looked like a punk just like everyone else in the Invasion storyline.

Storm, I'll miss ya' buddy.

Libelula · April 26, 2004

I always liked Storm as a wrestler in ECW, and felt that WWE could have used him better, but atleast he is staying involved in the company. :tissue

That "Smiley" kicks ass!

And Lance Storm was great a few years ago but got fat and the WWE didn't even wanna use him. His gimmick for his whole career has pretty much been a boring one. He never really got over with the fans and needed someone to carry him. In ECW he needed Dawn Marie. In WCW he needed Team Canada. In the WWE he wasn't even part of the invasion storyline and then they tried to have Val Venis put him over which didn't work.

Good, but not the best.

Buckeye · April 26, 2004

Lance Storm WAS Team Canada. He was the Triple H of that particular Evolution. Those other guys were there to support him. And since WHEN did Dawn Marie get Storm over? You think that girl look good or something? Do you have testicles? Sorry, she just doesn't look good at all...

Yeah, Storm was SO fat! He was BISCHOFF FAT!

Hugg · April 26, 2004

In WCW he needed Team Canada.

Team Canada RUINED Lance Storm in WCW.

He came in and won 3 belts right away, was getting good heat, and then they bring in those 2 losers they stuck him with and put them dumb feuds, culminating with Hacksaw Jim Duggan joining.

Lance Storm didn't need Team Canada and neither did the fans. It was typical stupid WCW.

Special K · April 26, 2004

I always liked Storm as a wrestler in ECW, and felt that WWE could have used him better, but atleast he is staying involved in the company. :tissue

That "Smiley" kicks ass!

And Lance Storm was great a few years ago but got fat and the WWE didn't even wanna use him. His gimmick for his whole career has pretty much been a boring one. He never really got over with the fans and needed someone to carry him. In ECW he needed Dawn Marie. In WCW he needed Team Canada. In the WWE he wasn't even part of the invasion storyline and then they tried to have Val Venis put him over which didn't work.

Good, but not the best. Lance Storm got Dawn Marie over. Period. He was the main reason the Impact Players were succesful. You honestly think a bald jackass in jeans who used to wear a jockstrap on his head could get over? Please. Lance Storm was Team Canada as BAW stated. That stable was built to centralize around him. They gained a rub from Storm, not vice versa. Storm was one of the top heels in the waning days of WCW, and would still be a top heel if that company had stayed afloat. If you don't like Lance or his gimmicks thats fine, but saying the guy had no charisma and couldnt get over just makes you look ignorant.

Libelula · April 26, 2004

Lance Storm WAS Team Canada. He was the Triple H of that particular Evolution. Those other guys were there to support him. And since WHEN did Dawn Marie get Storm over? You think that girl look good or something? Do you have testicles? Sorry, she just doesn't look good at all...

Yeah, Storm was SO fat! He was BISCHOFF FAT!

Oh man, a Lance Storm fanboy. Seriously, there are a TON of you guys arten't there?

If Lance Storm was so great, he would have had a great singles career BY HIMSELF and he never did. He was also with Justin Credible and of course, that didn't work either. Nothing worked for him. He'll go down as a guy who had tons of internet fans because they appreciate his work and abilities, but a guy who was just boring to everyone else.

And no one got as fat as Bischoff.

Libelula · April 26, 2004

I always liked Storm as a wrestler in ECW, and felt that WWE could have used him better, but atleast he is staying involved in the company.? :tissue

That "Smiley" kicks ass!

And Lance Storm was great a few years ago but got fat and the WWE didn't even wanna use him. His gimmick for his whole career has pretty much been a boring one. He never really got over with the fans and needed someone to carry him. In ECW he needed Dawn Marie. In WCW he needed Team Canada. In the WWE he wasn't even part of the invasion storyline and then they tried to have Val Venis put him over which didn't work.

Good, but not the best. Lance Storm got Dawn Marie over. Period. He was the main reason the Impact Players were succesful. You honestly think a bald jackass in jeans who used to wear a jockstrap on his head could get over? Please. Lance Storm was Team Canada as BAW stated. That stable was built to centralize around him. They gained a rub from Storm, not vice versa. Storm was one of the top heels in the waning days of WCW, and would still be a top heel if that company had stayed afloat. If you don't like Lance or his gimmicks thats fine, but saying the guy had no charisma and couldnt get over just makes you look ignorant. When I said he needed Team Canada and Dawn Marie, I meant that without them, he would have been even more boring and still wouldn't be liked by the crowd. He was just never entertaining.

Damn me and my opinions!

Buckeye · April 26, 2004

Storm's not even in my top ten of favorite wrestler. He used to be.

I'm a Bautista fanboy! Stop being jeluse.