So, as a Cleveland native, and an attendee at Summerslam 2024, I’m rewatching the event right now.

One line on commentary caught my ear, from one Sterling James Keenan.

Oh, I’m sorry. I’m using the name he wrestled in AIW under in 2007 on the indies. You guys know him today as Corey Graves.

What? You don’t appriciate using old names? Well here in Cleveland we’re all about honoring the old names.

It’s not Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, it’s Gund Arena. Site of Summerslam 96, and the boiler room brawl.

It’s not Progressive Field, it’s Jacobs Field. Site of the 1995 and 1997 world series. It will always be The Jake!

And it’s not…ok, gotta be honest. I don’t even KNOW the corporate name for Browns Stadium. Whether it was Muni Lot, or the current Stadium, it was ALWAYS Browns stadium!

But there was ONE LINE that caught me right in the feels.

“Some people, Including present company, seem to always make excuses for why McIntyre is so furious. Why McIntyre wants to eviscerate CM Punk. Look, I’m a fan of what Punk is doing, I’m a fan of what McIntyre’s done. Luckily, for us, these two gladiators are willing to rip one another apart, for our enjoyment. For our entertainment. The COLLUSIUM has come to CLEVELAND tonight.”

For 99% of the audience, that was a throwaway line. A reference to the Roman Collusium. It was forgotten as soon as it was said.

But SJK…erm…Corey Graves, is from Pittsburg. And I’d like to think having started his career wrestling in the Pittsburg/Cleveland area, he threw a bit of an easter egg out for the locals.

See, prior to 1994, the Cleveland Cavaleers (NBA team) didn’t play IN Cleveland. They technically played their home games in Richfield Ohio. About an hour drive. Roughly halfway between Cleveland and Akron.

In an arena called Richfield Collusium.

Granted SJK didn’t wrestle in AIW (Cleveland promotion still going today) until 2007. And granted, by then the Cavs had moved to the modern day Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, in 2007 known as Quicken Loans Arena, originally known as Gund Arena.

I’d like to think that SJK knew his history and threw an easter egg out for the locals.

And for this reason, I condider corey Graves/SJK on the same level, maybe even surpassing Bobby Heenan.

And if you know anything about my tastes, that is a HUUUUUUGE honor.