Pro Wrestling

5 Facts About WWE’s Newest Superstar – James Storm

Stephen Randle

http://wrestlingnewsco.tumblr.com/post/130703566371/speculation-on-james-storm-possibly-signing-with Source: wrestlingnewsco.tumblr.com

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If you watched this week’s episode of NXT (and if you didn’t, seriously, why aren’t you watching NXT yet), you might have noticed a new face in the Full Sail arena, named James Storm, who was given something resembling a hero’s welcome by the NXT fans. For those who are wondering just who James Storm is and why they should be interested in his NXT debut, we’ve amassed a few quick facts just to help you understand the history of “Cowboy” James Storm, one of the best tag team wrestlers to come out of North America in the last twenty years.

5. He Actually Got His Start in WCW

You may have heard the NXT commentary team talking about how his wrestling career started in WCW, and that might have surprised you, because WCW has been out of business for a long time at this point. But it turns out, just like other independent stars Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles, Storm was brought in near the end of WCW’s life as part of their last-ditch effort to find young, inexpensive talent to supplement (and, theoretically, eventually replace) the older, highly-paid stars that were clogging up the WCW roster. Storm never made it off of WCW Saturday Night and WCW Worldwide (programs designed to showcase WCW’s younger wrestlers) before the company folded, but it was in WCW where he adopted the James Storm name that he would keep for the rest of his career. Hey, we even found a James Storm match from his time in WCW!

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4. He’s A TNA Original

With WCW going under and WWE apparently not interested (though they would allegedly spend much of Storm’s career trying to sign him away once he broke out), Storm was given an opportunity as part of the fledgling TNA wrestling organization. In fact, he wrestled on the very first TNA show, and then stayed with the company right up until their (at this point) final Pay Per View, Bound For Glory 2015, making him part of a very exclusive club (or, at least, a moderately interesting trivia question). Actually, given that TNA taped roughly half a year’s worth of episodes back in the summer, some of which are only airing now, it’s possible that Storm may still appear on Impact Wrestling in upcoming weeks, despite making his NXT debut at the last set of tapings. So, if you’re wondering what Rich Brennan meant when he said Storm had been on the independent circuit for thirteen years, well, apparently that is the official position on TNA within WWE. Arguably, between that and letting Storm use the gimmick and catchphrases he originated in TNA, it might be the closest WWE has ever come to even acknowledging TNA’s existence.

https://dailyddt.com/2015/10/21/james-storm-makes-wwe-nxt-debut-video/ Source: dailyddt.com

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3. He Starred In A Music Video

Of course it’s a country song. Why would you even ask that question? In 2011, country music duo Montgomery Gentry made a music video of their song “Longnecks and Rednecks”, which featured Storm in a prominent role and also showed TNA footage as part of it. Storm would use the song as his entrance music going forward. You can see it here, if you’re into that sort of thing.

2. He’s Been In Two Of The Greatest Tag Teams Of The Modern Era

Overall, Storm is credited with 13 Tag Team Championships during his time in TNA (half of them were, officially, NWA Tag Team titles, due to TNA’s early years as part of the National Wrestling Alliance). In fact, Storm is likely one of the most decorated wrestlers in TNA history (it’s probably his two-time reign as TNA Beer Drinking Champion that he’s most proud of, and no, we’re not kidding). What’s interesting is that Storm earned the majority those titles on two different tag teams, both of which were considered the best tag team in the world when they were at their respective peak. Originally, during the early years of TNA, Storm teamed with “Wildcat” Chris Harris as part of America’s Most Wanted, and the duo was almost instantly one of the cornerstones of TNA during the promotion’s formative years, winning the NWA Tag Team Championships six times, including the first ever Steel Cage Match in TNA. In that match, Storm and Harris faced off against the team of Triple X, which was a near-unanimous pick for Match of the Year among the wrestling media.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL4HrKo2ndk

But that’s not all, as after America’s Most Wanted split (Chris Harris left TNA for WWE, in fact, where he had a disastrously short run as Braden Walker), Storm found himself thrown into a tag team with Bobby Roode, who was working under the gimmick of having become exceedingly rich through smart stock investments. Together, they formed Beer Money, Inc. and would go on to become four-time TNA Tag Team Champions, and again, a team that was considered one of, if not the best, tag teamson the planet at the time. Beer Money became so popular that there were persistent rumors that WWE was begging to bring them into the fold, but nothing ever came of it. Eventually, the team would split, but the dissolution took both men to greater heights, and would lead to Storm winning the TNA World Heavyweight title.

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Beer_Money,_Inc. Source: wikiwand.com

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1. He May Never Leave NXT

WWE has signed several older independent stars for their developmental program with the intent of still graduating them to the main roster at some point (Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Asuka, Samoa Joe, and yes, the baby-faced Finn Balor are all in their thirties), but Storm is pushing forty and probably isn’t being brought in with the intention of ever making him a big star on the main roster. It’s far more likely he’ll fill a necessary role similar to Rhyno in NXT, working with the developmental talent on television to help them improve by working with a veteran wrestler. The rumor is he’ll also be working as a trainer in the WWE Performance Center. Arguably, given NXT’s dedication to reviving tag team wrestling, who better to teach younger wrestlers about the intricacies and subtleties of being in a tag team than one of the best tag team wrestlers in the business? But if Storm’s warm welcome during his first NXT appearance was any indication, the NXT fans are more than happy to see him around in any capacity.