A CLOCK DURING A THUNDERSTORM

Wrestling is an important part of my life. It has been for about twenty years. I watch it. I follow it on the internet. I write about it. I love it. Yet, I find that often when I write about it or speak of it with fellow fans, I do so about what is wrong with the business. Problems that, in my arrogance, I believe I have the answer. Not today, good reader. Today, I write about a man who, in my opinion, is everything that is right and good about professional wrestling. From his solid ringwork to his near-flawless grace and motion. From his history of good attitide and respect for the business to his communication with his many, many fans.

Today, I want to say how much I respect Lance Storm. This article will be part biography, part opinionated commentary, and part gushing love letter. Enjoy.

A full history would be far too lengthy, but I will speak about major moments and of federations in which I have seen Lance wrestle. Lance Evers, better known to wrestling fans as Lance Storm, broke into professional wrestling in 1990 after being trained by at the legendary Hart Brothers Pro-Wrestling Camp. It has bred champions like Bret and Owen Hart, Chris Jericho, Brian Pillman, Chris Benoit, Dynamite Kid, and many, many more. If you've seen any of these men wrestle, you may have a glimpse into what intense training must have been required at this famous training school.

Storm began his career in The Canadian Wrestling Connection. His opponent? None of than Chris Jericho. Storm and Jericho trained at the Hart school at the same time and would wrestle each other and as a team many times over the years. Early in their careers, they forged a tag team in Canada known as Sudden Impact. Years later, after much time as singles competitors, they joined forces again. This time in Smokey Mountain Wrestling as The Thrillseekers.

I have recently watched some old (and very poor quality) matches and promos by Storm and Jericho as The Thrillseekers in SMW. I wish I had the technical ability to take screen captures of these video cassettes to show any interested readers, but alas, I am ungifted in that area. Allow yourselves the better tool of imagination. Close your eyes. No, wait. You'd need to read this. Keep your eyes open, but use your mind and imagine a promotional music video to the tune of Bon Jovi's "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" featuring Lance Storm and Chris Jericho waking up after a hangover, going to a club, and then repeating the process. Knowing Lance Storm as Mr. "If I Can Be Serious For a Moment" for much of his career, it is side-splittingly hilarious to see this music video. I'm still humming "Live when I'm aliiive - sleep when I'm dead!" days later.

Lance Storm isn't about overblown gimmicks, though. At least, not usually. He is a ring general. Even early in his career, one can see the greatness. His high-flying moves, at the time still uncommon in North American, were touted as "innovative" by SMW announcers. His high-altitude dropkicks, planchas, flying crossbody slingshots, and many other manuevers made him a star on the rise. For those more familiar with his strong technical style, Storm is actually a Renassiance wrestler. He can fly. He can mat wrestle. He can do hardcore (though, why would you want him to?) as will be seen later. He can do it all.

So, why doesn't he?

Allow me to take a quick break from our history lesson. Because of the pace of the WWE style and lack of quality opponents he has been given for one-on-one encounters, today's fans haven't even come close to seeing all of what Lance Storm can do in the ring. He is so constantly, as I will soon explain, thrust into tag teams that he isn't given enough time to shine as a singles wrestler. Meaning even in his greatest matches, he'll only be doing half the work and not having enough time to put on the classic we know he can. What a run-on sentence...

Back to the 90's. Lance Storm soon travelled the globe. His talents were becoming known and was soon given a position at WAR Wrestling in Japan. He tagged with Yuji Yasuroaka and won the War Jr. International Tag Team Championship. His opponents? Gedo and Chris Jericho. Y2J and Storm seem inextricably linked, especially considering what happened next. Jericho recommended to Storm that he speak with Extreme Championship Wrestling owner Paul Heymen. Storm was offerred a job.

At the time, ECW was growing fast. Its hardcore style (though sometimes excessive) gave it attention. Despite its infamous history as being one of the bloodiest wrestling companies of all time, and perhaps the reason over-the-top hardcore wrestling became popular, ECW should still be considered a federation that showcassed incredible wrestlers. Chris Benoit, Perry Saturn, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Misterio, Dean Malenko, Al Snow (don't believe the gimmick, Al was and still is very good) and many other talented grapplers called this company home at one time or another and produced wonderful matches. Believe it or not, even the living legend Bret Hart showed up once.

Storm soon teamed up with Triple Threat (a popular ECW stable at the time) member Chris Candido. Another tag team. Seeing a pattern?

Storm and Candido won their first match as a tag team against veterans Doug Furnas and Philip Lafon. It was considered an upset at the time, as it was a way to instantly push the duo of Storm and Candido. They won the tag tag belts, but the angle was that they didn't like each other even though they were a team. It produced some good television. I have tapes of some of the matches together and some of their matches as opponents. Once, when they were feuding and decided to tag with other partners against each other, Candido chose Sabu as his "dream" partner and Storm chose Rob Van Dam. Yes, another tag partner. The reason for the angle was that Storm and Candido's lady friend, Tammy Lynn Syth, known to WWF/E fans as Sunny, were rumored to be seeing each other behind his back. Candido and Sabu were to face Storm and Van Dam as a way for Candido to get back at Storm for Sunny's unfaithfulness.

The feud went perfectly. Even though they were champions, Lance would speak about how much he detested Candido and vice versa. Unfortunately, Storm's microphone skills are average, at best. As wonderful as an in-ring performer as he is, bookers will not often give the ball to a man who can't cut a great promo. He has more charisma than some think, as seen by his recent dancing gimmick, but it isn't enough for many fans. During an ECW match that had Storm hit his opponent with a mic, the commentator joked that "Storm finally uses a microphone effectively!" Ouch.

Lance Storm and Chris Candido broke up, but Storm found a new tag team partner in Justin Credible. The team was The Impact Players.

"I had 3 ECW Tag Team Title runs and got to be a part of The Impact Players, likely the most fun I've had in this business. Working with Dawn Marie and tagging with one of my best friends in this business (Justin) was something that just clicked and worked." -Storm

I should say something about Storm's hardcore days. Despite working in barbed-wire country, Storm was never (nor is he now) sloppy. His chairshots are something to be seen. Ocassionally, these days, he must perform one. Watch closely. See how he delivers it. The chairshot is done in such a way that it is clear that not much damaging impact is done, yet it still appears legitimate enough. As someone who does not want to see too many chairshots in my wrestling, I salute Lance Storm for being careful in a business that isn't always that way.

Back to the history. ECW was facing financial problems, and in effect, so was Storm. Ironically, he found his way to another sinking ship, World Championship Wrestling. While in the final days (late 2000 and early 2001) in the business, WCW gave Lance Storm a tremendous push. He was one of the last reasons to watch WCW in at that difficult time. Storm was given three championship belts at once to give him the appearance of a perfect wrestler, which is not too far from the truth. Storm held the Cruiserweight, United States, and Hardcore Championships at once. He changed the U.S. title into the Canadain title and the Hardcore title into the Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title, which was a thinly-veiled joke on what that title was becoming: SHIT.

Later, he tag teamed (what a shock) with fellow Canadian "Primetime" Elix Skipper. Primetime later gained great fame in NWA-TNA. As great as Storm was in WCW, he could not keep the company floating. Vince McMahon purchased WCW, as well as many contracts including Storm's, and the company wrapped up.

"I worked the last ever WCW Nitro on March 27th, 2001 and was even the last person to leave the locker room that night." -Storm

Soon began the massive Invasion angle. WCW and ECW would soon "compete" with WWF for control of professional wrestling. Lance Storm was the first WCW performer to appear on Raw. He made a surprise run-in that left me squealing like a mark. "That's Lance Storm!" I cried to those watching the show with me. He won the Intercontinental Championship over the Summer.

After the Invasion was over, Storm was still very much a part of WWF (quickly to become WWE) television. My gripe with the WWE bookers, however, is that Lance Storm will never be given the chance to become World Heavyweight Champion. Someone like Storm was being given a storyline that proclaimed him "boring" while Bill Goldberg and Kevin Nash were main eventing. Because of Storm's size and so-so abilities on the microphone, he will forever be either a mid-card singles wrestler or in a tag team with his partner of the month. In the WWE, he has already been teamed with Christian, William Regal, Goldust, and now Val Venis. Who's next? I'd prefer Storm as a singles wrestler, even if he will forever be caught in the middle of the card. Many great workers are trapped there with him. He could still put on classics. I fear that that will not come to pass.

I will not end this column on a bad note, though. I refuse. I promised I wouldn't at the beginning, and Lance Storm deserves better than that. To end this piece, I'll leave with a joke. Here is an exchange between Rob Van Dam and Storm about Tammy Lynn Sytch...

RVD: "Hey, did you know I grabbed her ass?"

Storm: "Hey, did you know SHE grabbed MY ass?"

I love Lance Storm, and you should too.