2007 Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup Profile: Erick Stevens

Please credit Alan J. Wojcik of http://alanwojcik.com if used, thank you.


Erick Stevens
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 250
Hometown: Sarasota, FL
Pro Debut: May 2003 vs. Bruce Santee
Website: http://erickstevens.net
Myspace: www.myspace.com/erickstevens

Tournament history: 2006 IWA-MS Ted Petty Invitational (lost 1st round to Trik Davis), Winner 2007 Eddie Graham Florida Heritage.

Where you have seen him: Full Impact Pro, NWA Florida, Pro Wrestling Warfare, Ring of Honor, JAPW, EWE, CZW, NNW, AWA World -1 South, SCW Florida, ACW, AWF and IWA-MS.

Championships held: AWF Universal champion (Florida and Heavyweight) and NNW Heavyweight. Erick Stevens is the current FIP Florida Heritage champion.

Alan J. Wojcik: You won a tournament in the Orlando area (Yapro Cup) to become the 1st announced competitor in the 2007 Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup. Please talk about the honor of being in the tournament and anything you knew of Jeff from other wrestlers.



Erick Stevens: I'll be honest; ever since I broke into wrestling here in Florida I've wanted to be a part of the JPC. I've been in attendance at every one of them and even competed at a few, but never in the tournament. It's an honor to be included in the field.



Alan J. Wojcik: If my research is correct you are the 1st competitor to be part of the JPC to have won the Rage in the Cage match. For those that never attended any of the previous eight events, give them a view from inside the cage.



Erick Stevens: The cage, pardon the cliché, is four sides of merciless steel. Then you add in a bunch of crazy dudes with weapons and what you have is essentially complete chaos. Rage In the Cage is a dangerous match, I know first hand.



Alan J. Wojcik: This year’s JPC event has a new dimension, the inclusion of its first female competitor Allison Danger. If you were to face her in the tournament who you wrestle her any different than say Roderick Strong or fellow 2007 competitor Chris Hero?



Erick Stevens: Nobody gets special treatment... Hell, if that was my girlfriend in that ring with me I'd beat her up. This is pro wrestling, after all.



Alan J. Wojcik: You had both a tag team partnership and a bloody feud with “Modern Revolution” Steve Madison that ended with a dog collar match. Where does he rank in the “toughest opponent in your career” listing?



Erick Stevens: Definitely near the top. I doubt we've seen the last of each other as well.



Alan J. Wojcik: During 2006 you were doing some work for the EWE promotion where you had an alteration in your character, actually you became a pirate “the Devil of the Sea” Davey Jones. Do you feel that was a positive for you in learning to develop a character?



Erick Stevens: You saying I don't have character? I was just experimenting. You know all about that right Alan?



Alan J. Wojcik: In the past few months you have faced some top competition like Bryan Danielson, 2006 JPC competitor Arik Cannon, Austin Aries and “the Shooter” Brent Albright. Were you intimidated or encouraged that promoters booked you against them?



Erick Stevens: I'm always a bit excited to wrestle top caliber opponents like those guys, but if you let them intimidate you they'll eat you alive. They are the best for a reason, so you gotta' go at full speed and hope you have what it takes to hang.



Alan J. Wojcik: On March 10th you made history by winning an eight person tournament to become the FIP Florida Heritage champion (defeating Shingo, Delirious and Roderick Strong.) Tell the readers what this honor means to you.



Erick Stevens: That was a huge night for me. It was a grueling and physical tournament but when I finally pinned Roderick to win the belt, the feeling was indescribable. It was a very emotional moment and I'm so proud to be able to be the champion as I'm a Floridian, born and raised. Also having Mike Graham in attendance to award me the belt was an honor, as the Graham family played a huge part in Florida's wrestling history.



Alan J. Wojcik: You recently made your Ring of Honor debut (defeating Alex Payne on 3/30 and Mitch Franklin on 3/31, each in less than one minute). How do you feel you were received by the fans and what were your thoughts when you were asked to join the Resilience (with Matt Cross and its leader Austin Aries)?



Erick Stevens: The fans only saw a minute of me, so I didn't expect them to fall in love. I hope in time I can show them what I'm REALLY capable of. Being asked to join The Resilience was a huge surprise and of course very flattering, as Austin is a former ROH World Champion and ROH Tag Team Champion. Having that kind of guidance is invaulable... Hopefully his troubles are over soon and we can have him back leading us against the NRC.



Alan J. Wojcik: Having now wrestled around several regions of America, who are the hardest and easiest fans to work in front of and is there a crowd you hope to never see again for fear you might hurt someone?



Erick Stevens: ROH fans, from my limited experience, are amazing. They're so into everything, it's like they get emotionally invested in what's going on in the ring. I wish more crowds could be like that. FIP fans, although much different, are also awesome. I love wrestling in front of them. As far as negative crowds go, no place in particular irks me, but any crowd that sits on their hands is of course a wrestlers worst nightmare.



Alan J. Wojcik: In your brief career you have seen the deaths of IPW-Hardcore, EWE, NWA Florida and Alliance Wrestling Force. All that time Full Impact Pro is alive and seems to be doing well. What do you think attributes to its success?



Erick Stevens: I think it's pretty simple. FIP excels to be the best by using FL's best talent and many great stars from outside the state. There is no better promotion in the state and that's why it's outlasted everybody else. The wrestlers are better, the fans are better, the promotion is better. Yeah, it may sound like I'm kissing ass, because I AM. Without FIP I probably wouldn't be wrestling right now. I love FIP.



Alan J Wojcik: Are you still designing websites for wrestlers or have you retired from that part of your life?



Erick Stevens: I would love to continue web design, but the fact of the matter is I had trouble getting clients, so I pretty much gave up. Only site I'm doing right now is mine.



Alan J. Wojcik: On your Myspace page there is a “Crest” t-shirt on sale. Who designed it and what other merchandise do you have in the future?



Erick Stevens: That shirt has sadly sold out. I have a new and improved T-shirt that will be available in June!



Alan J. Wojcik: Let’s flashback a bit. When we did an interview after the 2005 JPC you weren’t sure if you wanted to call your tag team match with Steve Madison vs. the Strong Brothers (Roderick and Sedrick) one of your best until you saw the DVD. Did you ever check it out and if it’s not your best match to date what do you think is?



Erick Stevens: Nah, that match hardly held up over time. I'm always hesitant to call it my best, but my FAVORITE match to date was the finals of the Eddie Graham Memorial against Roderick.



Alan J. Wojcik: In that same interview when asked what you are hoping the future holds, you said, “I would love to work for ROH.” Now that goal has been achieved what’s next for Erick Stevens?



Erick Stevens: What can I say, hard work yields results. I'm living my dream right now... Some wrestlers might scoff at that, but four years ago I was watching ROH tapes in Roderick's living room after training... And he and I are both there. It's surreal.