Lance Timothy Evers, better known as Lance Storm (born April 3, 1969 in Sarnia, Ontario) is a Canadian professional wrestler, now retired as an in-ring performer. He most recently wrestled for World Wrestling Entertainment on its RAW brand, but has wrestled all over the world and wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling.
Profile
Career
Lance Storm was trained for professional wrestling by Stu Hart in Calgary, Alberta and debuted in 1990. He mainly wrestled in Calgary, but also spent time in Japan for the Wrestling and Romance (WAR) promotion. He also wrestled in Smoky Mountain Wrestling in Tennessee, forming a tag team with Chris Jericho (Chris Irvine) called The Thrill Seekers .
In 1996, Storm joined Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). He made a name for himself by becoming a heel and first teaming with Chris Candido, then being placed with valet Dawn Marie (Dawn Marie Psaltis) and teaming with Justin Credible as the Impact Players.
Storm left ECW in 2000 to join WCW, where he became a singles wrestler. He quickly became one of WCW's most important on-screen characters, as he won the United States Heavyweight Title, World Cruiserweight Title and Hardcore Championship in rapid succession. He renamed the titles to the Canadian Heavyweight Championship, 100 Kilos and Under Championship, and Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title, respectively-- complete with large stickers that covered the belts' faceplates. Storm was the first triple-champion in WCW history, and tried to win the WCW World Heavyweight Title as well, but his efforts were defeated by champion Booker T.
Storm's stable, Team Canada, feuded with General Rection's stable, the Misfits in Action, for several months. In particular, Storm and Rection feuded with each other over Storm's "Canadian" Heavyweight Title, which Rection finally won from him and promptly renamed back to the U.S. Heavyweight Title.
When WCW was purchased by WWE in 2001, Storm's contract was kept and he became a WWE employee.
Storm was arguably a very underrated performer and skilled wrestler. However, due to poor microphone skills and limited charisma, the WWE never booked him in any major angles, to the disapproval of smark wrestling fans, with whom he had gained popularity thanks in part to his personal website, stormwrestling.com. In fact, Storm was briefly involved in an angle in which Steve Austin, an authority figure, encouraged the fans to chant "Boring" during Storm's matches, which led to concern about X-Pac heat.
In April 2004, he chose to retire from in-ring action due to a chronically bad back. He accepted a position backstage with WWE, working as a wrestling trainer with Ohio Valley Wrestling, WWE's main developmental territory.
On March 23, 2005, Storm came out of retirement to participate in a six man tag team match with Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro against fellow ECW alumni Tommy Dreamer (also "retired") and The Dudley Boys. On April 9, 2005 Storm teamed with Matt Cappotelli to face Matthews and Nitro again.
Titles/Accomplishments
Job Titles
- WCW Commissioner
- OVW Trainer
- Janitor at WWF New York
External links
