The ever-lasting impact of "The Hurricane": Discover pro-wrestling the Gregory Helms way

Stand back. There's a hurricane coming through.

It's been over two decades and yet, this entrance catchphrase hasn't lost its entertainment value.

But it's not just any catchphrase that has generated enormous pops over the years. It's a childhood emotion for millions of wrestling fans today.

Gregory Helms battled nasty injuries and tackled the obstructions that came his way over 30 years of his commendable career. In many ways, the iconic catchphrase of his superhero persona has been the blueprint of his wrestling career.

Survival of Helms and the advent of ''The Hurricane''

Gregory Helms as "Sugar Shane Helms" in WCW, performing his iconic finisher- "The Vertebreaker"

The seeds of his success weren't first planted in WWE. Ever since he made his wrestling debut back in 1991, he started to inculcate all the tools required to make it to the big leagues. He honed his craft and won championships in various smaller promotions for about eight years before WCW signed him up in 1999. There, he wrestled as "Sugar Shane Helms" and made a name for himself.

It's no secret that WCW had plenty of backstage issues by the time WWE bought it. Ego-clashes and scuffles were common in WCW locker rooms back then, much like the infamous backstage fight between Chris Jericho and Goldberg. For a lot of guys, it was hard to survive, let alone thrive in WCW. But that's when self-belief and standing up for yourself mattered most.

A few years ago, Gregory appeared on the "Talk is Jericho" podcast where he opened up about standing up for himself since his WCW days. He quoted:

"You need to know that I will never let anyone hit me. You know, if someone hits me than I'm gonna fight. I am not a big man on campus, but that's not gonna happen. I had to live like that to live my life ahead. You had to fight to survive, you know. Not like it was a war though but it made life easier if you fall back how I came up".

Superhero spirit, isn't it?

WWE was quick to recognize the spark in him, both as a person and as a performer. He was the first to be hired by WWE when the acquisition happened. He said:

"I was actually the first person Johnny [Laurinaitis] called. I asked him about that. He said that you are the first person I called to say that you are hired and would be picked up to sign a contract to bring you here. I was very happy about that."

Monumental rise of the superhero in WWE

Very few wrestlers get to become instant fan-favourites in a short amount of time. The Hurricane was one such performer. Not only did he boast an impressive moveset, he knew the art of how to sell well and put the opponents over.

The best example would be his match against AJ Styles in 2002 when AJ was brought in as an enhancement talent for a squash match against him. Instead of squashing Styles for his own benefit, he selflessly allowed AJ to showcase his skills to the world. Till date, AJ Styles is grateful to him. Read here.

Superheroes are selfless in bringing out the best in others, aren't they?

Working with big names and being a main eventer

The Hurricane went on to feature in some of the best-known segments and matches in the history of WWE. His match against ''The Undertaker'' remains a classic example of how ''David and Goliath'' story-telling is delivered.

Him teaming up with Kane to win the WWE Tag Team Title as ''Hurri-kane'' is remembered even today. The biggest match of his career was a main-event match of RAW against ''The Rock'' where he delivered a performance for ages.

From battling a brutal neck injury to rising again

Wrestlers like Edge and Daniel Bryan are well-deservingly appreciated for making their heroic returns to wrestling after battling career-ending neck injuries. Although it isn't talked about enough, it was a similar case for ''The Hurricane'' as well.

The longest reigning Cruiserweight champion in the history of WWE struggled with a career-threatening neck injury with two broken vertebrae in his neck, one of which was pressing on his spinal cord. He was out for almost two years.

He returned to WWE in a non-wrestling role as Gregory Helms, a backstage interviewer. Then came a rough career patch in 2010 when he was released from his WWE contract. He vowed to remain strong and return better than ever. But fate had other plans to test his determination.

Superheroes have to face their fair share of challenges, don't they?

Life-threatening accident and the inspirational comeback

The Hurricane with John Cena at the Royal Rumble 2018 match

In 2011, he was involved in a life-threatening accident where he suffered a broken leg, jaw, ankle and nose. As a result, his foot had to be reconstructed with four plates and 22 screws. He also sustained several other fractures and received over 200 stitches. His wrestling career was said to be over, but he arose like a true superhero.

Showing incredible resilience, he returned to the ring like a champ. From 2011 to 2015, he wrestled for various notable indie promotions like PWG and Lucha Libre USA to name a few. He had a name value already but he looked incredible in the ring despite carrying the effects of the injuries he sustained.

Utilizing his wrestling acumen and return of "The Hurricane"

In 2015, Impact Wrestling acquired his services in the role of an agent. A valuable asset that he was to this promotion, soon enough he became a regular feature in the TV programming of IMPACT Wrestling.

With all the good stuff going for him like "The Helms Dynasty'' faction, eventually ''The Hurricane'' persona made a surprise return to the wrestling world. In the iconic "Total Nonstop Deletion" event, fans got to see their beloved character emerge from the 'Lake of Reincarnation'.

The Hurricane went on to perform for "Ring of Honor"' in 2018, where he was involved in a memorable feud with Marty Scurll.

A superhero always finishes what he starts.

Coming full circle to the big leagues

"The Hurricane'' received a superhero's welcome from fans in attendance as he entered the Royal Rumble 2018 match as a surprise entrant. He also featured in the RAW Reunion show in 2019 where he was so well-received that WWE had to bring him back for the Royal Rumble 2019.

Pulling out all the stops, he even made a fantastic appearance for AEW in 2020 during the ''Elite Deletion'' match between Matt Hardy and Sammy Guevara.

He indeed fought out the negatives that came his way with absolute grit. Not only did he inspire a lot of people with his memorable comebacks after possible career-ending injuries, he showed the world that fighting spirit lies in one's heart. One just has to be ready to face the challenges with the best of their abilities.

Gregory "The Hurricane" Helms has been one of the most underrated performers to have ever graced the world of pro-wrestling/sports entertainment.

In many ways, ''The Hurricane'' has been more than just a superhero character. He has been a personification of perseverance for over two decades.