Here's a little review of 2004 for "Completely" Cody Steele ...
I have been extremely blessed this year. I will have been wrestling for 5 years this January 2005. I have already accomplished so many goals that I have set out to accomplish ... and I plan on acheiving more in 2006. I try to remember to thank God everyday for all he has blessed me with in the wrestling business ... especially over the past year. Let's look at 2004 for Cody Steele.
1) ESW - February 17th
Loss- w/ Jennifer Blake vs. Derek Wylde via inside-out bomb
I had no idea that my debut with ESW was going to make such an impact on my career. I feel that God set this booking up for me. I had one of the best matches of my career this night with Dangerboy (which would eventually cause various bookers across the US and Canada to book us for their shows). Here's what this match on this particular night did for me:
a) It made me a mainstay at one of my favourite promotions to work for - ESW.
b) It got me on TV in the Buffalo area and increased my exposure.
c) The promoter for The Ballpark Brawl saw this match and booked me for his amazingly awesome shows this past summer which in turn ...
d) Resulted in myself wrestling Abyss ...
e) Which in turn ... helped me get a shot with NWA-TNA later in the summer.
f) And last but not least ... I sent a copy of the match to WWE ... it was seen by the right people ... and I was booked for WWE in Buffalo and Rochester and made my WWE TV debut vs. Kurt Angle in his "Hometown Inviatational" on SMACKDOWN!
SO ... when I look back ... this match was HUGE! And it catapulted my career in a big way. God has things happen for a reason ... and I believe I wrestled Dangerboy this particular night in order for the preceding opportunities to happen for me.
2) Squared Circle Training Show - June 12th-
"Discovery Channel TV Taping"
1) Win - w/Tornado vs. Big Deel and Joe E. Legend after Cody hit a DDT on Deel and Tornado hit the frogsplash for the victory
2) Win - w/ Tornado and Big Deel vs. Joe E. Legend, Magnus, and Flesh after Deel rolled up Flesh after Flesh missed a spear
These matches were taped for the Discovery Channel SLAM BAM show that is airing this week on Discovery Channel. Being on TV is cool. :)
3) Ballpark Brawl - July 17th
Loss - vs. Abyss w/ Jimmy Hart via "Black Hole" Slam
This was my biggest show and match of my career up to this point. Working with an AMAZING wrestler like Abyss ... and doing an in-ring promo with one of my childhood heroes - Jimmy Hart - was an amazing experience. Not to mention 5000 screaming Buffalo fans were there to see it all go down.
All in all, the show was awesome, the people behind the scenes of the show were awesome ... and the hype for the show and the press it got did nothing but help my career. Another huge happening in 2004 for Cody Steele.
4) NSP "Full Throttle" - August 7th
Win - vs. Derek Wylde via a small package after a gruelling 60 minute match-up
I cried at the end of this match. The first and only time I've ever TRULY "broken character" and the reality of wrestling hit me head-on. This match was also another milestone I set out to acheive ... I wrestled for 60 minutes. I'm glad it's over with ... I never want to do it again. :) It's a match I will never forget.
5) NWA-TNA - August 11th
Loss - vs. Abyss via a running torture-rack backbreaker
4 days after my gruelling 60 minute match with Dangerboy I found myself standing across the ring from Abyss on national TV on NWA-TNA Explosion! Another goal I had set for myself at the beginning of the year was accomplished. It was an awesome experience. I spent the entire week hanging out with Team Canada. It was great. I met some more of my childhood heroes and wrestled for the 2nd biggest wrestling company in the Western world. Another blessing.
6) Ballpark Brawl - August 14th
Loss - vs. Derek Wylde (for the NSP Independent Title) via an "inside-out bomb"
3 days later I found myself in the ring with Dangerboy once again at the 2nd Ballpark Brawl of the summer. This show was even better than the 1st. My match with Dangerboy was considered "Match of the Night" by the radio personalities of "The Pain Clinic" in Rochester, NY ... which is a great compliment considering the show was stacked with great matches ... (ie. Daniels vs. Red, Abyss vs. Killings, and AJ vs. Sabu vs. Teddy Hart). I learned ALOT during these shows ... and I later realized that these shows prepared me for some even bigger shows I was going to do in November (see below).
7) World Impact Wrestling - Wilmar, Minnesota - Nov. 20th
Match #1 - vs. Johnny Ova (with Bobby Reidel)
Loss - Cody had the match going his way when Disco Inferno hit the ring, slammed Cody's back up against the ring post, allowing Ova to get the 1,2,3.
Match #2 - vs. Kid Italy
Win - Italy attacked Cody after his match with Ova, causing an impromptu match later on in the night. Cody was eventually able to defeat Italy out of nowhere via a somersault neckbreaker.
World Impact Wrestling - Minneapolis Minnesota - Nov. 19th
Disqualification - vs. Justin Glory after Viscera hit the ring beating up both competitors and giving Cody his "D-Bomb"
These shows were ANOTHER goal I had set for myself the previous summer ... wrestle on a show that concluded with testimony, teaching the Gospel, and prayer. The shows were amazing. Even more amazing than the shows was the people on them. Big Viscera, Luna Vachon, The Agenda ... all friends I made on this trip and all friends that I am proud to say are my true friends. The shows marked the first time I have given my testimony publicly. It was awesome. God definitely showed up at these shows and blessed the crew AND the people in attendance. Over 120 people answered the altar call on the 20th. A great experience ... and again, one I will NEVER forget.
8) World Wrestling Entertainment - Rochester, NY - Nov. 23rd
Loss - vs. Kurt Angle during Angle's "Hometown Invitational" after taking a stiff kick to the face, an Angle Slam, AND an Ankle Lock
World Wrestling Entertainment - Buffalo, NY - Nov. 22nd
Loss - vs. Muhammad Hassan via a flatliner followed by a camel clutch
The year couldn't have ended any better. Basically a lifelong dream was accomplished. I stepped foot in the same ring for the same company that ALL of my heroes stepped in when I was just 5 years old. I accomplished what many people (including people in my own family) said I would NEVER accomplish ... I wrestled for the #1 wrestling company in the world ... the WWE. I shook hands with the likes of Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair, and Vince McMahon. I know I sound like a "MARK" ... but darnit ... I am a mark. If loving wrestling means I'm a mark ... than I'm the biggest mark in the world. :) Personally, I never thought I'd get a shot with the WWE. I always thought I was too small. I told that to myself, and I was told that by MANY of my peers. But God has a funny way of working sometimes. He decided He wanted to let me give it a try. And he helped me keep my cool throughout the whole experience. I was never once overly nervous during my two matches with the WWE. As I mentioned earlier, my experienced at the Ballpark Brawl prepared me for the large crowds, and my TNA experience prepared me for the reality of national TV. God prepared me for the whole visit.
One of my good friends in the business said this to me after my WWE dates: "Cody ... even if you don't get signed by the WWE, or you never wrestle for the WWE again ... NOBODY can take away this experience from you. You did what millions of people across the world only dream about. When you are old and grey, you'll be able to tell your grandkids that you wrestled for the WWE. No one can take that away from you."
Man, he was right.
That concludes our look at the Year in Review (2004) for Cody Steele. Obviously, the BEST year for me thus far in wrestling ... and maybe the best year of my entire life to be honest.
It's easy to be negative and think ... well, I've already accomplished so much ... there's nowhere to go but down from here. I beg to differ. I have many more goals I want to accomplish both on a personal and professional level. Only time will tell what 2005 will bring. Let's pray that's a WWE contract. :) LOL!
Merry Christmas,
Cody