Every Wrestling Rookie Of The Year: Where Are They Now?

16. 2007: Erick Stevens

Essa Rios Lita
ROH

Best remembered for an incredible Fight Without Honor against Roderick Strong at ROH Respect Is Earned II, Erick Stevens suffered from the curse of comparison and a case of suboptimal timing: he was very good, but not as good as the elder statesmen of Ring of Honor, and arrived in the promotion as it started to age out of the trend cycle. It didn't help that he was pushed too early, either.

He retired in 2010 - or never was invited back, in his words - but has embarked on two comebacks thus far in addition to becoming a foodie on social media.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!