Ring of Honor Focus: A Look at Steen vs. Generico

We’ve all heard this story before.

A tag team comes together and gains an almost instant chemistry.

They battle through the ranks and find themselves gelling together, forming a perfectly cohesive unit. Success comes in the form of championship belts and fan adulation.

Over time, the chemistry starts to fade. The cohesion slowly disappears. One more often than not, finds themselves receiving more adulation than the other.

Jealousy begins to rear its ugly head.

It’s no surprise what happens next.

The inevitable split comes and the two men who once called themselves allies transform into bitter enemies.

It is a story told countless times in professional wrestling, but it may never have been told quite as well as it has in Ring Of Honor, where former partners Kevin Steen and El Generico are set to go to war with one other at, “Death By Dishonor VIII,” ROH's Internet PPV next month in Toronto.

The team, often referred to as “Steenerico” by fans, spent several years competing together in independent promotions including Combat Zone Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerilla and most famously in Ring Of Honor.

Steen and Generico are two-time PWG tag team champions. They also held the ROH tag team championship for over six months before dropping the belts to The American Wolves.

Some of the best ROH tag matches of the past few years have featured “Steenerico,” including two incredible ladder matches against the Briscoes and the Wolves, respectively.

The night of December 19, 2009 marked the end of this partnership and the beginning of one of the most violent feuds in recent memory.

After losing to the Young Bucks at Final Battle, Steen grabbed the microphone and addressed the crowd.

It seemed like a normal enough thing for Steen to do. His knee was injured and it was likely that he would be taking some time away from the ring. Why not use ROH’s first ever Internet PPV as a forum to thank his fans before going away for a while to recover?

The crowd was eating it up, chanting his nickname, “Mr. Wrestling,” over and over as he thanked them for all of their support.

When it came time to address his partner, the two men embraced in the center of the ring. Things had been tough for them as of late and it was a truly heartfelt moment, which made what came next even more shocking.

“I hate your (expletive deleted) guts,” Steen said.

Before the crowd could even react, Generico was kneed right in the crotch and Steen was grabbing a steel chair from outside of the ring. He slid back into the ring, standing over his hurt and confused former partner.

There was a sense of complete shock as the sound of steel cracking skull echoed throughout the Manhattan Center.

Steen claimed that he did what he did because he needed to cure himself from the disease that was known as El Generico and it marked the rebirth of “Mr. Wrestling” Kevin Steen.

Many fans feel that Steen had become jealous of the crowd’s constant “Ole!” chants and overall love of Generico, causing him to lash out and become his own man.

In the five months since, Steen has found a new ally in, “The King of Old School” Steve Corino. El Generico has formed a partnership with Colt Cabana.

The two teams have done battle on a few separate occasions, including an ultra-violent, “come-as-you-are Chicago street fight,” last month.

Under Corino’s tutelage, Steen has become angrier, nastier and more devastating than he has ever been. He was a likeable, every-man, workhorse who has become one of the most cunning and deadly heels in the business.

He does not just want to simply defeat his former partner; he is focused on ending Generico’s career.

When they finally meet one-on-one at, “Death Before Dishonor VIII,” on June 19, one of the most intriguing rivalries in all of pro wrestling will come to a head.

This tale may have been told before, but rarely has it hit this level of violence and intensity.

This first contest will probably not be the end of this rivalry.

Steen is hell-bent on destroying his former partner and Generico wants nothing more than revenge.

How will it play out in Toronto when they finally step foot in the ring, six months to the day of Steen’s betrayal?

One thing is for sure, this match has classic written all over it.

Photo courtesy of Scott Finkelstein