Lance Storm Recalls Being An 'Outlier' In ECW

Despite not exactly fitting the mold, Lance Storm caught the eyes of many fans in ECW before moving on to other promotions in his later career. Appearing on "Busted Open Radio," Storm reflected on his time in ECW and shared some details on the backstage environment.

"Obviously, I was more of an outlier personality-wise," Storm said, before confirming to Bully Ray that he was not doing cocaine in the locker room with Raven and Sandman. "I think what I liked about ECW was: there were all kinds of different people with all kinds of vices, lifestyles, and habits, and they let you stay in your lane. They didn't try to pressure you into their lane."

After joining ECW in early 1997, Storm stayed with the promotion until 2000, when he left for WCW and later WWE. Still, he admitted that he had the most fun in ECW, even while not necessarily partaking in many of the extracurricular activities that much of the roster did.

"When we went to the ring, we did business and we believed in it, and it didn't matter if I'm in there with Raven, or Sandman, or [Bully], or Taz, or Shane Douglas, or Chris Candido – it [was] time for work and we did it because we loved it," Storm continued. "We had a creative investment in it, and then we'd leave, we'd all hug, we'd do everything else, and then you went and did whatever other things you wanted to do."

Storm credited that combination of personal freedom and creative input for ECW's success, both as a locker room and a promotion for the fans. It was also a matter of the company (and Paul Heyman) having impeccable timing, as Storm pointed out that the promotion offered something fresh to a growing and hungry fanbase in the mid-1990s.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.