Kevin Steen has done a lot of shoot interviews lately. Hell, he’s done a lot of interviews lately, including one with yours truly where we talked about wrestling… and ZOOS! But because Steen likes to talk, enjoys making money, and has a good relationship with Highspots, we now have The Kevin Steen Show. Essentially, Steen is going to do shoot interviews with wrestlers instead of a faceless employee. The conversations can be more natural, and I think the wrestler being interviewed will feel more comfortable by his peer asking the questions. The dynamic is not all that dissimilar from what Colt Cabana does on his Art of Wrestling podcast.
For this first outing, Steen has brought Cheeseburger of ROH fame along for the ride. Cheeseburger is his nickname and has mostly been spending time on shows being trolled by Charlie Haas. He gets some light harassment throughout the DVD but is a fine supplement. He even does Google searches so Steen doesn’t have to. We get to see early Michael Elgin in awful looking tights and get to hear about what happens when you search for “Unbreakable Fuckin Machines.”
The dynamic between Steen and Elgin comes off as smooth. The most famous (or infamous story depending on your point of view) has become Elgin’s story about defecating on a women in a moment of passion. It’s a pretty entertaining story if you have the stomach for it. I’m not saying this is the sort of behavior I would partake in, but the only reason this story has gotten any sort of play is it being made public by Elgin. It was seven or eight years ago; Elgin is now engaged. We all really stupid things when we’re 19-20 years old. Hell, I became an indy wrestling around that age and someone might make the argument that was a dumb decision on my part. But I digress. I laughed the story off and wrote it off as wrestlers being stupid. If he was still doing this at 26 years of age, that might be cause for concern.
Elgin goes through his career and some of the struggles. He really broke out in 2010 by finally getting a chance with Ring of Honor, but he really toiled in a number of Canadian indies and IWA-MS before finally getting a break. Even when he joined Ring of Honor, Elgin didn’t get big time opportunities right away. He expressed some frustration with Roderick Strong and how the House of Truth angle developed. You can add Elgin to the list of people who wasn’t exactly happy with Jim Cornette based on conflicts with his nickname and how Ring of Honor in no way followed up on the incredible MOTYC he had with Davey Richards. I would have liked to have heard more specifics about Elgin’sun happiness, such as when he and Steen talked about why their matches weren’t all-time classics. From a wrestling perspective, their comments about Finlay prove quite salient and explain why they weren’t as amazing as we all would haveliked.
Obviously, Elgin focused a lot on his fascinating childhood and being the son of someone who was nearly in the film Over the Top. Steen and Elgin both relate some amusing Montreal indy wrestling stories as well. If there is a flaw with the DVD overall, it’s that Steen seemed a bit overwhelming at times and wouldn’t let Elgin finish talking. Steen has a bombastic personality and can work a camera like so few wrestlers can. I know what the name of the show is, but to me these interviews should also be a greater time to get to know someone like Michael Elgin. Let’s be honest, Elgin isn’t as charismatic or bombastic. If these interviews are to work, Steen should dial himself back and let the other person have their time. If you listen to Colt Cabana, it’s something he does so naturally that the naked ear doesn’t notice it. As someone who does interviews, it’s something I struggle with and probably am not perfect at.
Obviously, Steen hosting his own DVDs and having guests will be a huge boon for Highspots. It will make for a more entertaining and engaging experience for viewers. I will certainly be a regular buyer of these DVDs and hope Steen improves an interviewer so we can really get to know the wrestlers.
Grade: B+
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