Welcome to the High Spot, Place to Be Nation’s weekly pro wrestling update. Steve Wille (@SteveWille34) will take you through the biggest story of the week in the world of wrestling, adding in a unique view to help put the story in perspective. Glenn Butler (@Glenniebun) then takes a quick look at other important stories of the week. If you have any tips or story ideas, please contact us at info@placetobenation.com!
And now, Glenn provides a crucial update on things that are not happening:
- Sting is not on television. In the wrestling world’s only story with a higher writing versus anything-actually-happening ratio than Global Force Wrestling, Sting has signed a WWE contract and is in the new video game. This will surely be a boon for his fans, as will the probable documentary feature and the probable Hall of Fame induction, as well as some hypothetical television appearances and a hypothetical One More Match, which Sting is too old and broken down to have, or even the long-sought match against The Undertaker, who is nearly as old and even more broken down. (To be fair, who am I to talk?)
- CM Punk is not coming back before his contract expires. In fact, by the time you read this his contract will have already expired. It’s always possible that he might get the itch to wrestle again, and he might call Vince McMahon or Triple H, and they might work out a new deal. But these are all things that, to date, have not happened.
- Seth Rollins is not injured. There was speculation after this week’s Raw that Seth Rollins might have injured his leg during an awkward landing outside the ring that limited his participation in the ending of the show. Some other wrestling sites reported that Rollins had suffered a serious injury, but events seem to have transpired otherwise. Rollins will appear on this week’s SmackDown, and while he’s not in a match himself, from the spoilers I read it sounds like his level of participation hasn’t dipped. It’s technically possible that he was hurt and is working through it, and it’s always possible that he could get injured in the near future, but right now it appears that this story, you guessed it, didn’t happen.
Another crucial thing that will no longer happen: Kevin Steen wrestling for Ring of Honor. Steve takes a closer look, in an homage that borders on creepy (Steve’s own words):
This weekend, in something that will happen, Kevin Steen wrestles in his last two matches for Ring of Honor. As previously noted in the Honor Report, Steen fights Justin Rozzero’s two man-crushes on consecutive nights: “The Last Real Man” Silas Young and Place to be Nation’s own Steve Corino.
While I’m met with a modicum of sadness over Steen’s departure, especially since he won’t be at next month’s Midwest shows for one last appearance, I can’t help but look nostalgically at my personal memories of his seven-year run and optimistically hope for his future. I first saw Steen and his long-time associate, the retired El Generico, during ROH’s first PPV attempts. He was prominently featured in a brawl around the arena with the Briscoe Brothers, and it was inexplicable to the viewer why the two teams had any beef, or why anyone would be interested in these two seemingly random characters appearing. This quickly changed as the feud with the Briscoes escalated, leading to the first Ladder War in Ring of Honor, which I was lucky to view live in Chicago with my closest friends. This brutal affair led the crowd to really embrace Steen and Generico on a national level.
Though I’ve seen Steen wrestle live on numerous occasions, it wasn’t until the last year or so that I realized why he’s become so beloved and often receives the biggest pops at shows, no matter his placement on the card. He’s relatable. He looks more like the average fan than, say, Chris Masters, yet through a combination of hard work, heart and surprising athleticism, can do incredible things in the ring. Unlike most, he can work an array of styles. Though he excels at brawling, he can work comedy into any match. And, as I work through his appearances in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla during 2010 and 2011, he knows how to interact with the fans both in and out of the ring. Overall, Steen’s a likable person. I’ve personally witnessed him at shows conversing with concession stand workers and building employees, and when I’ve run into him before or after shows, he always takes a moment to wave or shake hands, unlike several former ROH champions my friends and I have run into. His humor and good nature can be seen in his tweets, his Highspots’ interview show and podcast appearances. For what it seems, he’s much admired by his peers, as well.
The popular rumors (which also can be filed under things that haven’t happened) have Steen signing with the WWE, though this hasn’t officially been announced. Like another fan favorite, Sami Zayn, I can only hope that, if this is true, Steen becomes a huge star, makes a ton of money, and opens a beautiful zoo in Canada. He has alluded during promos that he may take some time off to spend with his family, which is even more admirable. Again, though I’m sad to see him go, Steen has done virtually everything one can do in his current position, and no matter what decision he makes going forward, I, like many others, will continue to support his efforts. Despite his “EVIL” nature, he’s as lovable as the koalas and pandas that he adores.
