Erick Stevens
Encyclopedia
Erick Stevens is an American
professional wrestler
. Stevens wrestles for many independent
promotions
, most notably Ring of Honor
and Full Impact Pro
where he is a former 2 time World Heavyweight Champion
.
. He began working for the now defunct NWA Florida promotion and eventually won the 2005 Rage in the Cage, an annoual cage match battle royal
that rewarded the winner with a heavyweight championship shot. Before Stevens could capitalize and challenge then champion Bruce Santee for the belt, however, the promotion folded
. Shortly after Stevens was involved in rivalries with both Sedrick Strong and Vordell Walker.
and Jay Fury), the Miracle Violence Connection 2006 took on Sal Rinauro
and Colt Cabana in a series of matches that culminated in a loss during a Crystal River
Street Fight in May 2006. After losing the match, Madison turned on Stevens, giving him a piledriver
. Stevens and Madison (along with his Y.R.R.) feuded for the better part of 2006 and capped their bitter rivalry off with a brutal and bloody Dog Collar Match in Crystal River, where Stevens came out on top.
On March 10, 2007 during the Eddie Graham
Memorial Battle for the Belts, Stevens defeated Shingo
, Delirious
, and Roderick Strong on his way to becoming the first FIP Florida Heritage Champion. Stevens claimed his entire purpose for winning and defending the belt was to bring back the prestige Florida had lost since it's Golden Age. After becoming champion he defended it against the likes of Nigel McGuinness
, Claudio Castagnoli
, and Delirious. After months of successful defenses, Sal Rinauro became the new champion after hitting Stevens with his own belt.
At ROH's Final Battle 2007, Stevens defeated Roderick Strong
to win the FIP World Heavyweight Championship
. Stevens would make successful defenses of the title in ROH against the likes Austin Aries
and Bryan Danielson
before losing it back to Strong at FIP's Redefined. Stevens then came up short in a rematch for the title at "Dangerous Intentions 2008" on April 26, 2008, in a Last Man Standing match. Three months later, on July 19, Stevens regained the FIP World Heavyweight Championship from Strong in a Dog Collar match.
Stevens was defeated for the FIP World Heavyweight Championship by Go Shiozaki
at FIP's Heatstroke 2008 on August 23, 2008.
On December 20, 2008, Stevens teamed with former rival Roderick Strong to defeat Kenny King
and Jason Blade of The YRR to win the FIP Tag Team Championship
, making Stevens the first triple crown champion in FIP. On October 3, 2009, Strong turned on Stevens in a match where they lost the Tag Team Championship to Chris Gray and Tommy Taylor of The British Lions.
at All Star Extravaganza III. Shortly after this, he was contacted by Austin Aries
to join The Resilience. Doing so, Stevens aligned himself against Roderick Strong and his No Remorse Corps (NRC). The NRC and The Resilience were currently engulfed in a heated feud, until Aries disbanded The Resilience at Glory By Honor VI Night 2, which left Stevens' position in ROH uncertain. Stevens returned to Ring of Honor on November 30 in Dayton and December 1 in Chicago. Stevens made a giant impact in ROH as he defeated Roderick Strong
for the FIP World Championship ending Roderick's 13 month reign. Stevens has been occasionally teaming with the Briscoe Brothers
against the NRC and The Age of the Fall
.
On June 6, 2008 Stevens defeated Necro Butcher and Brent Albright in a three-way dance. The following night, however, he lost the final match in his feud with Strong when Strong defeated him in a Fight Without Honor.
On July 25, 2008 in Toronto, Stevens fought Go Shiozaki to a 15 minute time-limit draw. Shiozaki's manager, Larry Sweeney
, refused to allow the match to continue for an additional five minutes, which resulted in a brawl between Stevens and Sweeney's faction, Sweet N'Sour Incorporated. On July 26, 2008 in Detroit, MI he won a Four Corners Survival Match defeating Shane Hagadorn, Delirious and Ruckus when he pinned Delirious following the Doctor Bomb.
On November 6, 2009, Stevens turned heel
and joined Prince Nana
's Embassy stable.
Stevens left ROH in late 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
. Stevens wrestles for many independent
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
promotions
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
, most notably Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
and Full Impact Pro
Full Impact Pro
Full Impact Pro is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Florida. Their shows are taped and then sold as DVDs. Full Impact Pro was the sister promotion of Ring of Honor until 2009...
where he is a former 2 time World Heavyweight Champion
FIP World Heavyweight Championship
The FIP World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Full Impact Pro promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in FIP. The title was introduced on September 25, 2004 at FIP's "Emergence: Part Two" event as the FIP...
.
NWA Florida
Stevens debuted in May 2003 after completing his training with Roderick StrongRoderick Strong
Chris Lindsey is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Roderick Strong. Strong currently competes in several independent promotions, most notably Ring of Honor , Full Impact Pro , and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla .He initially debuted as The Jester on the Floridian...
. He began working for the now defunct NWA Florida promotion and eventually won the 2005 Rage in the Cage, an annoual cage match battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
that rewarded the winner with a heavyweight championship shot. Before Stevens could capitalize and challenge then champion Bruce Santee for the belt, however, the promotion folded
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. Shortly after Stevens was involved in rivalries with both Sedrick Strong and Vordell Walker.
Full Impact Pro (2005–present)
In 2005 Stevens debuted for Full Impact Pro as Steve Madison's tag partner as The Miracle Violence Connection 2005/2006. After feuding with The Fast & The Furious (Jerrelle ClarkVincent Clark
Vincent Jerrelle Clark is a retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.-Early life:...
and Jay Fury), the Miracle Violence Connection 2006 took on Sal Rinauro
Sal Rinauro
Salvatore "Sal" Rinauro is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Ring of Honor and Full Impact Pro in addition to being a member of The Embassy.-Ring of Honor:...
and Colt Cabana in a series of matches that culminated in a loss during a Crystal River
Crystal River, Florida
Crystal River is a city in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,485 at the 2000 census. . According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 3,539. The city was incorporated in 1903 and is the self professed "Home of the Manatee"....
Street Fight in May 2006. After losing the match, Madison turned on Stevens, giving him a piledriver
Piledriver (professional wrestling)
A piledriver is a professional wrestling driver move in which the wrestler grabs his opponent, turns him upside-down, and drops into a sitting or kneeling position, driving the opponent head-first into the mat. The most common piledrivers are the basic belly-to-back, or Texas piledriver, and the...
. Stevens and Madison (along with his Y.R.R.) feuded for the better part of 2006 and capped their bitter rivalry off with a brutal and bloody Dog Collar Match in Crystal River, where Stevens came out on top.
On March 10, 2007 during the Eddie Graham
Eddie Graham
Edward Gossett was a professional wrestler. He was also the promoter and booker for Championship Wrestling from Florida and President of the NWA in the 1970s. His son, Mike Graham, was also a professional wrestler.-Career:Edward F...
Memorial Battle for the Belts, Stevens defeated Shingo
Shingo Takagi
Shingo Takagi is a former Japanese bodybuilder, turned professional wrestler. Shingo is currently competing for the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate and American promotion Dragon Gate USA...
, Delirious
Delirious (wrestler)
Hunter Johnston is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Delirious. He is currently wrestling for Ring of Honor, International Wrestling Cartel, Chikara, Pro Wrestling Noah, and Jersey All Pro Wrestling...
, and Roderick Strong on his way to becoming the first FIP Florida Heritage Champion. Stevens claimed his entire purpose for winning and defending the belt was to bring back the prestige Florida had lost since it's Golden Age. After becoming champion he defended it against the likes of Nigel McGuinness
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth is an English professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Desmond Wolfe and Nigel McGuinness. As McGuinness he first gained notoriety working for Ring of Honor in the United States and Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
, Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli is a Swiss professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, working in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling under the ring name Antonio Cesaro...
, and Delirious. After months of successful defenses, Sal Rinauro became the new champion after hitting Stevens with his own belt.
At ROH's Final Battle 2007, Stevens defeated Roderick Strong
Roderick Strong
Chris Lindsey is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Roderick Strong. Strong currently competes in several independent promotions, most notably Ring of Honor , Full Impact Pro , and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla .He initially debuted as The Jester on the Floridian...
to win the FIP World Heavyweight Championship
FIP World Heavyweight Championship
The FIP World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Full Impact Pro promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in FIP. The title was introduced on September 25, 2004 at FIP's "Emergence: Part Two" event as the FIP...
. Stevens would make successful defenses of the title in ROH against the likes Austin Aries
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy "Dan" Solwold, Jr. better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is the current X Division Champion...
and Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...
before losing it back to Strong at FIP's Redefined. Stevens then came up short in a rematch for the title at "Dangerous Intentions 2008" on April 26, 2008, in a Last Man Standing match. Three months later, on July 19, Stevens regained the FIP World Heavyweight Championship from Strong in a Dog Collar match.
Stevens was defeated for the FIP World Heavyweight Championship by Go Shiozaki
Go Shiozaki
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is the current GHC Heavyweight Champion. In addition to Noah, he has previously worked in the American-based promotion Ring of Honor and its former sister promotion Full Impact Pro, where he won the latter's...
at FIP's Heatstroke 2008 on August 23, 2008.
On December 20, 2008, Stevens teamed with former rival Roderick Strong to defeat Kenny King
Kenny Layne
Kenny Layne is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kenny King. King currently wrestles for Ring of Honor. He was a contestant in the second season of WWF Tough Enough.-Early life:...
and Jason Blade of The YRR to win the FIP Tag Team Championship
FIP Tag Team Championship
The FIP Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the independent professional wrestling promotion Full Impact Pro . It is currently the third ranked championship in FIP, where it is conteted for in their tag team division...
, making Stevens the first triple crown champion in FIP. On October 3, 2009, Strong turned on Stevens in a match where they lost the Tag Team Championship to Chris Gray and Tommy Taylor of The British Lions.
Ring of Honor (2007–2010)
On March 31, 2007 Stevens made his debut for Ring of Honor (ROH) in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
at All Star Extravaganza III. Shortly after this, he was contacted by Austin Aries
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy "Dan" Solwold, Jr. better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is the current X Division Champion...
to join The Resilience. Doing so, Stevens aligned himself against Roderick Strong and his No Remorse Corps (NRC). The NRC and The Resilience were currently engulfed in a heated feud, until Aries disbanded The Resilience at Glory By Honor VI Night 2, which left Stevens' position in ROH uncertain. Stevens returned to Ring of Honor on November 30 in Dayton and December 1 in Chicago. Stevens made a giant impact in ROH as he defeated Roderick Strong
Roderick Strong
Chris Lindsey is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Roderick Strong. Strong currently competes in several independent promotions, most notably Ring of Honor , Full Impact Pro , and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla .He initially debuted as The Jester on the Floridian...
for the FIP World Championship ending Roderick's 13 month reign. Stevens has been occasionally teaming with the Briscoe Brothers
Briscoe Brothers
The Briscoe Brothers are the professional wrestling tag team of Jay and Mark Briscoe. They are currently wrestling for the American promotions Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as occasionally for the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah.Their wrestling careers have...
against the NRC and The Age of the Fall
The Age of the Fall
The Age of the Fall was a professional wrestling stable, primarily in Ring of Honor and its sister promotion Full Impact Pro, but also in other independent promotions such as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.-2007:...
.
On June 6, 2008 Stevens defeated Necro Butcher and Brent Albright in a three-way dance. The following night, however, he lost the final match in his feud with Strong when Strong defeated him in a Fight Without Honor.
On July 25, 2008 in Toronto, Stevens fought Go Shiozaki to a 15 minute time-limit draw. Shiozaki's manager, Larry Sweeney
Larry Sweeney
Alexander K. Whybrow was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name Larry Sweeney...
, refused to allow the match to continue for an additional five minutes, which resulted in a brawl between Stevens and Sweeney's faction, Sweet N'Sour Incorporated. On July 26, 2008 in Detroit, MI he won a Four Corners Survival Match defeating Shane Hagadorn, Delirious and Ruckus when he pinned Delirious following the Doctor Bomb.
On November 6, 2009, Stevens turned heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
and joined Prince Nana
Prince Nana
Prince Nana Osei Bandoh is an American professional wrestler of Ghanaian extraction, better known by his ring name, Prince Nana. He has stated that he is an Ashanti prince.-Professional wrestling career:...
's Embassy stable.
Stevens left ROH in late 2010.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Doctor Bomb (Gutwrench powerbomb)
- The Sarasota Screwdriver (Reverse piledriver)
- Signature moves
- Corner body splash preceded by Stevens shouting "CHOO! CHOO!"
- Lariat
- Overhead belly to belly suplex
- PowerslamPowerslamA powerslam is a professional wrestling body slam move in which the wrestler performing the slam falls face-down on top of his/her opponent. The use of the term "powerslam" usually refers to the front powerslam and the scoop powerslam.-Emerald Flowsion:...
- TKO
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "The Runaway Train"
- "Explosive"
Championships and accomplishments
- Alliance Wrestling Force
- AWF Universal Championship (1 time)
- AWF Florida Championship (1 time)
- Yapro Cup Tournament
- Full Impact ProFull Impact ProFull Impact Pro is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Florida. Their shows are taped and then sold as DVDs. Full Impact Pro was the sister promotion of Ring of Honor until 2009...
- FIP Florida Heritage ChampionshipFIP Florida Heritage ChampionshipThe Full Impact Pro Florida Championship is the second singles title contested for the independent professional wrestling promotion Full Impact Pro.-History:...
(1 time) - FIP Tag Team ChampionshipFIP Tag Team ChampionshipThe FIP Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the independent professional wrestling promotion Full Impact Pro . It is currently the third ranked championship in FIP, where it is conteted for in their tag team division...
(1 time) – with Roderick StrongRoderick StrongChris Lindsey is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Roderick Strong. Strong currently competes in several independent promotions, most notably Ring of Honor , Full Impact Pro , and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla .He initially debuted as The Jester on the Floridian... - FIP World Heavyweight ChampionshipFIP World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe FIP World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Full Impact Pro promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in FIP. The title was introduced on September 25, 2004 at FIP's "Emergence: Part Two" event as the FIP...
(2 times)
- FIP Florida Heritage Championship
- No Name Wrestling
- NNW Universal Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #128 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Rookie of the Year (2007)