WWE Bound Kevin Steen Bids Farewell To Ring Of Honor
Steen wraps up his run with Ring of Honor and possibly says "Hello" to WWE.
For quite some time now, there have been rumors abound that once Kevin Steen wrapped up his run with Ring of Honor, he would be heading to WWE. Well, on Saturday, July 19th, that chapter of Steens career came to a close, as he competed in his final ROH contest. In Dearborn, MI, Ring of Honors Summer Heat Tour reached its conclusion with an event that featured ROHs signature hard-hitting contests. However, it was the main event that most fans came to see, as Kevin Steen battled his longtime friend -- and sometimes rival -- Steve Corino. Before the match began, fans showered Steen with streamers -- a Ring of Honor tradition adopted from Japanese audiences. Then, as ring announcer Bobby Cruise began the introductions, he was suddenly stopped by Corino. The King of Old School handed Cruise a sheet of paper which the announcer then read. In a throwback to Corinos long-winded ROH introductions from 2003, Bobby Cruise read a list of former Honor stars who went on to further success elsewhere. The list included Claudio Castagnoli, Tyler Black, Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, and even Steens former tag partner, El Generico, among others. Finally, the match was underway when Corino threw the first punch. After a hard fought contest that saw the action spill to the floor on a few occasions, Steen landed his signature Package Piledriver allowing him to pick up the three count. Following the fall, Steen and Corino embraced -- showing their respect and admiration for each other. As the two friends stood in the ring, Jimmy Jacobs -- their former SCUM stablemate -- came out and embraced Steen as well. However, it was a ruse, as Jacobs current partners Roderick Strong and B.J. Whitmer -- collectively known as The Decade -- ran out and attacked Corino and Kevin. Steen fought off The Decade and sent them packing. As the show came to a close, the entire Ring of Honor locker room -- sans Jacobs, Strong, and Whitmer -- came to the ring with balloons, party hats, and even a bottle of champagne. Fans urged on the self-proclaimed Mr. Wrestling with chants of Speech, Steen, Speech -- a play on his Kill, Steen, Kill declaration. The former ROH Champion thanked nearly everyone in attendance. He thanked -- among others -- the fans, ROHs former owner Cary Silkin, and Steve Corino -- not only for his friendship but for exemplifying how to be a good father. Steen also said that there was one man he definitely would not thank, and that was Jim Cornette -- due to their long-standing personal rivalry stemming from Cornettes time as the head of ROH. Now that Steens run with Ring of Honor is over, there is slight air of uncertainty about where he will take his career next. While speculation suggests hes on his way to the promised land of WWE, there have been no official announcements or concrete pieces of information yet. Various news outlets claim they have sources close to the situation who state that Steen has been offered a deal but has yet to undergo WWEs medical testing. Only time will tell what happens with Kevin Steen and the potential furthering of his wrestling career. Obviously, all signs point toward an imminent contract signing and debut with WWE. If that happens, there are further questions to be answered, such as what WWE plans to do with the hot indy prospect. Will they allow Steen to be himself or completely repackage him? How will the barely six-feet tall, visibly pudgy competitor fare in the land of the muscled giants? And finally, will he reunite with his longtime tag partner Sami Zayn? Let us know your thoughts on Kevin Steen and what you think his future holds in the comments below. Will Steen be a success in WWE or is he too different to fit their mold?