New Lance Storm Commentary

[A Guy Who Injects Heroin Into Kids' Eyes 0]

July 31 Commentary

 

 

If you don't have anything nice to say...

July 31, 2004

 

After all of the back and forth going on, on the Internet, with some of the greatest in our business bashing each other, I am reminded of an old adage; "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." I can't help but think that if everyone could just abide by this simple rule of thumb we would all be much better off. So I think this week I will take the time to say a few nice things about some of the people I've had the pleasure of working with.

 

Johnny Smith: Johnny was a Stampede and All Japan regular and the first real vet I worked with. Johnny was the first person to call me through a match and set the bar of working light that I aspired to. I even wrestled my longest match with Johnny. We did a 45-minute time limit draw.

 

Gerry Morrow: What can I say about Gerry that I didn't in my recent archived commentary. Gerry was one of those Vets who gives back, and he gave me plenty.

 

Chris Jericho: I've worked Chris in more companies than anyone else. We worked Canadian Indies, 2 different companies in Japan, SMW, and WWE together. We have tagged and feuded more times than I can count, and I don't think we ever had a bad match. I don't think anyone does near falls at the end of a match better than Y2J.

 

Fit Finlay: I've said this many time before, but I don't think you can say it often enough. Fit is the most talented man I've ever been in the ring with. If more people worked like fit no one would ever believe this stuff was a work.

 

Hiro Tenzan: Hiro is a big star for New Japan, but I worked him in Europe when he was a young boy. We feuded over the CWA Jr. Title in 93 and our Title Match on Hanover Germany is still one of my favourites. We got a standing ovation after the match, which I was told was exceptional rare.

 

 

Chris Candito: I always loved working with Chris, he was always professional and put the match ahead of himself. My ECW days with Chris were always a pleasure. Chris could also remember every spot we ever did, and I don't just mean during the match he would remember them 5-years later. I don't think I know anyone who loves just wrestling matches as much as Chris.

 

Ultimo Dragon: I worked with Dragon in Japan before he went to WCW and hurt his arm. Dragon is something special in Japan and a pure pleasure to work with. He is an amazing flier, but a very smart worker too. Dragon was responsible for my run in WAR and I can't thank him enough.

 

Bam Bam Bigalow: I became a fan of Bam Bam's work in Japan. When he came over and worked for WAR, I was amazed at how he took control of the ring and the crowd. Bam Bam was made for the Japanese style and was awesome. We really only worked two matches together (both in ECW) and oddly enough I didn't like either one. The first was a single match in Buffalo and it was one of the only times in my career when I was just off. I don't know why but I screwed up a couple times. Bammer covered up and carried me through. The second match was in New Jersey somewhere and Bammer was off that night. I talked him through the match so I guess we are even.

 

Jerry Lynn: I've had more fun working with Jerry than anyone else. I always get asked why Jerry never caught on in WWE. I always use the same analogy: Jerry is an Academy Award winning Supporting Actor, and WWE was only looking for Lead Actors. Jerry makes everyone around him look good, and sometimes people over look him. In ECW he was everyone's best match. My best stuff was with Jerry, as was Justin Credible's, not to mention it was the feud with Jerry that put Van Dam on the map. You can't have a bad match with Jerry, and even the longest and hardest fought are easy.

 

Tommy Dreamer: For all the Hardcore stuff he did he was soooo easy to work with. He was the most unselfish baby face I think I ever worked. Tommy was super over and almost always lost; that is a real rarity. The best promo I ever cut was on Dreamer. Unfortunately it never aired. It was for an Extreme Death Match at the Arena but for some reason the match got changed so the promo never aired. My favourite angle of all time was also with Dreamer: The Urine Test challenge at the Arena.

 

Mikey Whipwreck: The one angle that could have out done the Urine Test angle was the build up for our Three Way dance with Jerry Lynn at a Guilty as Charged PPV. Unfortunately the match never happened as Jerry got hurt and Mikey went to WCW. Oh well it was good while it lasted, and working with Mikey was always a pleasure and very Fake!

 

Shane Douglas: Shane gets bashed by a lot of people, but I always loved working with him. Truth be told I did hate one of our matches but all the rest were a pleasure. Our first match in ECW was at an Armoury somewhere, Shane tripped landing on a leap frog during our "Heat" spot and we covered it up adlibbed a new one and everyone thought it was a planned spot. Now that is working.

 

Billy Kidman: I once called Kidman my WCW Jerry Lynn, he was that easy and fun to work with. Kidman and I also hold the record for the shortest feud. I turned on him in a tag match during segment 4 of Thunder, and we had the blow off match segment 7. Nothing like a huge build up.

 

Rey Mysterio: Rey is a one of a kind experience, working him is like working no one else. He is so fast, so smooth and so much fun. You can't really explain it until you are in there; he is something special.

 

Edge: My favourite single match in WWE is my Summer Slam match in 2001. Edge is both talented and a great guy, he is a future World Champ!

 

Christian: I think Christian may be the best all around talent in WWE. If he looked like Lex Luger he would be World Champ, he is that good. Personality, Acting ability, Work Rate, and In-Ring Psychology, he has it all, if Christian can't make you look good, try a new line of work. I think I enjoyed putting matches together with Christian more than anyone else in my career.

 

Kurt Angle: This guy is an absolute machine. My one single match with him on SmackDown was awesome. A program with him would have been a dream. This guy is the definition of Professional. I hope he can stay healthy because Pro-Wrestling is better with him in it.

 

The Rock: I hear all the time about how people don't think he is technically a good worker. This is obviously coming from people that have never been in the ring with him. I didn't appreciate his work all that much either, until I stepped in the ring with him. His energy, his timing, and his ability to electrify a crowd is unreal. He makes everyone in that ring better just by being there, and because of that the fact that he does a shitty Sharp Shooter just doesn't matter.

 

Hulk Hogan: I could out wrestle Hulk Hogan in my sleep, but that doesn't mean he isn't a great worker. It's all about entertaining the crowd and that is what he does in spades. When Christian and I were working with him he actually felt bad that we were doing all the work, but I told him, "You bring the people, we'll do the rest." It's not all about the headlocks. Hogan was fun, easy as can be, and the crowd was always wild, what more can you ask for.

 

This is not an all inclusive list, I've skipped over a lot of great people, but there is only so much space and this is getting to be a long commentary.

 

Till next week,

Lance

 

 

 

 

Pretty cool read I thought. The bad shit everyone is saying about each other the last year or so just isn't cool.

[Guest Real F'n Show]

Great read. I really wish Jerry Lynn would have stayed around in the WWF awhile longer and gotten a bigger push, but what can you do. Storm hit the nail on the head with the supporting actor analogy.

[1234-5678 0]

I don't agree with the "Jerry Lynn made RVD" statement. The "Respect" matches with Sabu made RVD.

[Dewe 0]

My favourite angle of all time was also with Dreamer: The Urine Test challenge at the Arena.

That's interesting. I don't think that angle was interesting at all.

 

I can't compare it to his Team Canada stuff in WCW or when he interrupted America the Beautiful and cut what I think was the best promo of his career.

[Guest JMA]

I would be very interested in reading a book written by Lance Storm.

[Guest MikeSC]

I thought the line about the great build-up for his match with Kidman was hilarious.

-=Mike

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

Hogan praise always makes me smile.

[Placebo Effect 0]

I thought the line about the great build-up for his match with Kidman was hilarious.

-=Mike

Agreed. I'm fairly certain I remember that show.

 

And as far as who made RVD, the Respect Matches made him a viable upper midcarder, while the match with Lynn made him a main eventer in the fans' eyes (whether he was being pushed that way or not).

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Actually, I just think the feud with Lynn made both look better than before, because Lynn was always that close to winning each and every time. Van Dam was already a big name in ECW, but the feud with Lynn just came at a time when nobody else was really feuding (aside from Dreamer/Douglas and the Impact Players, but that ended when Douglas left for WCW), so it made them look better.

 

If anything other than the feud with Sabu "made" Van Dam? It was the fact that he held the TV title for over a year, and made his opponents look great by bumping his ass off for them (regardless of who they were). Plus, his persona is just so cool and so laid-back you can't help but like him.

[1234-5678 0]

My favourite angle of all time was also with Dreamer: The Urine Test challenge at the Arena.

That's interesting. I don't think that angle was interesting at all.

 

I saw it live and it was great stuff.