The past few years of Impact Wrestling had its ups and downs, but through the uncertainty, the "Deletion" concept from the mind of "Broken" Matt Hardy was a cult favorite among fans. In fact, each stage of "Deletion" generated more buzz and was an unquestionable highlight for the promotion. The very unique presentation wasn't exactly for everyone, but it definitely brought positive reviews from a wide range of viewers. The Hardys, the current WWE tag team champions, started the series of features with the "Final Deletion" before the brothers joined forces to battle other teams in the "Broken Universe." One of the participants was Abyss, a veteran of the industry that at times was the most underrated athlete in the business. The monster that originally surfaced in Puerto Rico in 2002, started his TNA career the following year, and always gives 100% inside the squared circle. The other athlete in the equation of what was called "The Great War" was Crazzy Steve, an eccentric individual, who garnered praise for his ability to keep pace with the more well known veterans.
But, who is Crazzy Steve?
Despite his very unusual persona, his first exposure to professional wrestling and its many cast of characters started very normal. While the Canadian youth had the option of the traditional national sport of hockey to follow in the footsteps of greats like Mario Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky, the action of the rink didn't connect with him. In fact, traditional sports weren't for him at all, Steve became memorized with the mayhem of professional wrestling that projected through the television screen and he became enthralled with the sport.
"I know it's cliché to say, but for as long as I can remember I've always loved professional wrestling. It's been the one constant in my life," he explained.
Always one wiling to take a risk, Steve wanted to pursue the genre that originated on the carnival circuit so many decades ago, which seems fitting in this case. His odd personality didn't affect his judgment when he decided what path to take as he began the journey into professional wrestling, he knew he had to learn from a well rounded teacher and sought the lessons of fellow Canadian, Eric Young. The former member of Team Canada and current NXT star is another versatile performer that always made the best of any situation during the course of his very accomplished career. Speaking from experience, Young offered very honest advice during training sessions.
"The one thing that really stood out to me while beginning my training with Eric Young was the advice he gave me on the first day, he said 'I can't guarantee that you will make $1 million and I can't guarantee that you'll become famous and make it on television, but what I can guarantee, is that you will learn what kind of hard work it takes to become professional wrestler, & that you will be in some sort of pain for the rest of your life.' EY never guaranteed fame and fortune, but if you put in the hard work you will see success. And with guys like myself, Cody Deaner, Jake O'Reilly Tye Dillinger, his track record speaks for its self," Steve recalled.
While Crazzy Steve debuted on national TV in 2014, he was far from a rookie at that point, spending over a decade on the Canadian regional circuit to learn the craft to become the polished professional he is today. However, even with the more technology-based society of the world, there are still extra hurdles for a foreign talent to get a contract in the United States.
"Getting noticed within the United States is not as difficult as it once was, social media being as powerful as it is now it's rather easy to be noticed by other wrestling companies not just in the United States but around the world. That being said, getting work with in the United States can prove to be rather difficult. Acquiring work visas as well as getting across the border can create many difficulties when trying to branch ones talents outside of Canada," Steve said.
Being an odd performer for his entire career, The Menagerie, a band of joyful misfits, was a good fit for Steve as he debuted at the Impact Zone wielding a bundle of balloons in May of 2014. The sideshow theme of the stable allowed for some fun in-ring shenanigans for him, but the following year when the group disbanded, Steve wasn't concerned, instead he viewed it as an opportunity to evolve.
"I made my stain in the short time that I was given, it was time for the clown to die, Time for me to shed that skin, and reveal my true self," he said
The start of 2016 was the beginning of a new chapter in his career, and after being influenced by the previously mentioned Abyss, Crazzy Steve took a much darker tone. With the demented Rosemary by their side, the demented trio proclaimed themselves Decay. As Marylin Manson's "The Nobodies" blared in the background, Abyss and Steve made an Impact in the tag team division relatively quickly, winning the title in March of last year for what became a six month reign.
"It was meant to be. A match made in hell so to speak," Steve said of his time in Decay.
As said earlier, Decay had a very unique series of matches with The Hardys, one of the greatest tag teams of all time. "Delete or Decay," Total Apocalypto, The Great War, and Monster's Ball matches have featured some truly unbelievable occurrences, as well as brutal displayed in the ring. Everything including something as unconventional as a volcano along with barbed wire boards were used throughout the rivalry between the two factions.
"It was very exciting yet not surprising, it was a natural progression of chaos. Nature will always take it's course, the war between the Hardy's & Decay will never end, we will haunt them for the rest of the existence," Steve commented.
After two years on the Impact Wrestling roster, Crazzy Steve views his time there as a successful and positive experience, but plans to promote his brand of chaos further saying, "continue to create, and spread my sickness to as many people as humanly possible."
So, who is Crazzy Steve?
He proved himself to be determined enough to follow his desire to become a professional wrestler, and earned his way to a national promotion. This bizarre athlete showed that similar to his trainer, he's a versatile performer that had fun with a sideshow act before he pushed his mind to a darker place to join Decay. More than anything, Crazzy Steve provided entertainment anytime he stepped into the ring for the many very unique matches he was involved in, and it will be intriguing to see the next chapter of his career.
For more information about you can follow him on Twitter @Steveofcrazzy
prowrestlingtees.com/crazzysteve
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail:drwrestlingallpro@yahoo.com
You can follow on Twitter @jimlamotta
