Say what you will about WCW but there is one thing they recognized almost immediately upon signing Lance Storm in 2000: he was good. Really good. Vince Russo, clearly a fan, immediately pushed the former ECW star, having him win the United States, Hardcore and Television titles all within months of making his debut. Storm became a featured act and his dryness helped him become one of the most hated villains in the industry. That he utilized fictional Canadian wrestling rules to constantly ensure that he and his fellow Team Canada mates were able to retain their titles only enhanced and intensified the crowd's hatred for the phenomenal technician. A wrestler's wrestler with unmatched skills between the ropes, Storm was a bright spot for WCW at a time when the company was in dire straights and nearing death. He delivered solid performances on a nightly basis and was treated with respect, for the most part. Sure, he was involved in some of the same ridiculous, asinine storylines that the rest of the WCW stars did but he seemed to make the most of them when others would not. He was an MVP candidate for the company at a time when it needed something, anything to convince fans to stick around. Storm debuted in WWE in 2001 after the purchase of WCW and for a brief moment in time, it looked like the company may wind up using him to his potential. He almost immediately captured the Intercontinental Championship, but lost it weeks later to Edge at SummerSlam. He led the Un-Americans in the fall of 2002 but that faction ultimately fell apart. He formed a solid tag team with William Regal and even won the division's championships but one could not help but notice that WWE seemed perfectly content to let him be just another face in the crowd. By the summer of 2003, Storm became largely irrelevant, despite being one of the company's better workers. He wrestled matches on Heat, partnered with Rico, became a dancer and had his lack of natural charisma called out by Steve Austin, who led the crowd in chanting "boring" during one of his matches. How he was ever supposed to get over when commentators and talent alike would go out of their way to bury him for his one deficiency remains a mystery. After everything that Storm accomplished in WCW, to see him so woefully misused when Vince McMahon's company got hold of him was truly disheartening.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
