Steven Glover is a Scottish born professional wrestler (born 21st Feb, 1964) best known for his character, The Purest in several federations from January 2007 till August 2009 Starting his career in 1981 at the age of 17 the now ring veteran went uncrowned until after he retired in 1996 and returned to the business 11 years later in the UK Independent Circuit. Away from the ring Steven has been married for the last seven years and has one daughter from this marriage.
Among other accolades, Steven is a former tag team champion, hardcore champion, intercontinental champion and six time world champion.
| Steven Glover | |
|---|---|
| |
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Steven Glover |
| Ring Names | The Purest |
| Height | 6'4" |
| Weight | 240lbs |
| Date of birth | Feb 21st, 1964 (45 Years Old) |
| Place of birth | Ayr, Scotland |
| Date of death | {{{death_date}}} |
| Place of death | {{{death_place}}} |
| Resides | New York, New York |
| Billed from | Undisclosed Location |
| Trainer | Desperado & Ocheeva |
| Current federation(s) |
N/A |
| Previous federation(s) |
SPWA, JWA, TWA, MPW, ICW, APW, ICW:Rev, WPW, TIW, VWE, AVW, EVPW, GHW, UWA |
| Handled by | {{{handler}}} |
| Win/Loss Record | 2007-Present: 59-2-18 |
| Debut | July 3rd, 1981 |
| Retired | Jun 27th 1996 (Returned 2007), Aug 31st 2009 |
Wrestling Career
FWA, ICWS, SPWA & JWA (1981-1996)
On July 3rd, 1981 Steven Glover made his professional wrestling début at a local gym for FWA against John Vincent under his own name with the companies booker Alan Johnson as his manager at ringside. He went on to win this match aswell as impressing the other wrestlers there, earning him a place on the south of Scotland tour with no promises of money but instead a chance to get his matches seen and his name known in the hope of getting a deal at a mainstream wrestling company. After 9 months touring Scotland, Steven finally got called down to Manchester to compete on television for a regionally recognised wrestling promotion, ICWS, where he stayed for the next two years in a mid card position whilst also working for several other local companies. He only left this role when he injured his lower back during a match with Giant Haystacks, resulting in a six month leave of absence from the wrestling world, only for him to return to see the drastic changes to the UK scene, eventually though he got used to being exclusively at one company and finally joined SPWA in the fall of '85--the company he would spend his next 11 years in professional wrestling with until his retirement in 1996 at the age of 31. Though his name was well renowned in the British isles and somewhat in Japan after a talent exchange program between SPWA and JWA, he never cracked the so called "big leagues" of American wrestling. Until his return in 2007 he only made one further wrestling appearance in 1998, a one off match in Japan with British wrestler Leslie Brander. One of his most well renowned matches outside the United Kingdom before he made it onto the American wrestling scene.
TWA & MPW (2007)
Before returning to big league wrestling in ICW for the first half of 2007, January to July, Steven participated in no less than 22 independent matches while working between the London based TWA and Manchester based MPW. Using the return to wrestling angle and calling himself The Purest, Steven sold out the MEN Arena in Manchester as main event against Darren Johnson, a crowd of 23,000 strong packed into the building to see him win the MPW Unified World Championship to go next to his MPW Hardcore Title and TWA World & Tag team titles. When he got the call to go to ICW he handed all his titles back to the companies on televised events, stating his wish to let the young stars of today "make me proud". He was never under contract with either company but his performances left them both stating they would gladly take him back anytime.
Intense Championship Wrestling:Original (2007-2008)
Eleven years after making his retirement speech and leaving the wrestling world, Steven Glover returned to mainstream televised wrestling at Intense Championship Wrestling as The Purest. His reasons for calling himself "The Purest" was because of both his hatred for "the extreme wrestling fad" and the fact that despite the thousands of Purists out there, he always has been and always will be The PUREST as he prides himself on being a wrestling technician. In the build up to his first match and subsequently the first ICW hosted show, Steven took part in the training and fitness scheme set up by Desperado & Ocheeva--his first official training program. Débuting on the first ICW house show against Samoan Bulldozer, whom he beat, he went on to a battle royal with the entire roster for the Saturday Night Knockout title--Losing out to Steven Daniels III. The following week he went head to head with Big Jimmy for the right to face SDIII for the title, but they went to a double Knockout meaning that the title match would be a triple threat and as an added twist it was held inside a steel cage match. Again Steven Daniels won this match and it would turn out to be Purest's only title shot in the entire time he was at ICW. Soon after this, he aligned himself with Big Jimmy and Dr.Tre to form one of the most instrumental teams in the companies history but upon the closure of the original Intense Championship Wrestling federation they decided to go separate ways, creatively.
Action Packed Wrestling (2008)
Despite initial reports that Intense Championship Wrestling had went under, Action Packed Wrestling appeared on the scene the next week with the same line up as ICW and only a slightly different management structure. Soon it came clear that after the departure of Ocheeva, ICW was bought out from under Desperado by Crash Barley--the only notable thing Purest done at APW was start a rivalry with Joey Lexus that he would carry on with him to ICW:Rev. The closure of Action Packed Wrestling came when, after attempts to open communication failed, Desperado and his supporters abandoned Crash to recreate Intense Championship Wrestling. Many fans and wrestlers alike see APW as a blemish on the ICW legacy.
Intense Championship Wrestling: Revolution (2008)
Steven Glover joined the final instalment in the ICW story at the inception of the Revolution era, debuting on the first show against Brezzy in a table match he would go on to rival with Joey Lexus for the next two months until Lexus left the company--shortly followed by Steven himself. He wasn't done though as his departure was on the terms that he would still appear when called on by the Intense Championship Wrestling:Revolution, which he did in one final match (which he won) on May 23rd against Lachlan Smith, AJ Scally and El Conajo Blanco for the right to have a world title shot at the time and place of the winners choosing. "Family issues" would take Steven out of the company before he could cash in on this opportunity and when he returned almost seven months later ICW:Revolution had already been bought by Eagle Vision Professional Wrestling. He has stated on many occasions that he still wishes to use this title match at EVPW but his calls have been repeatedly denied by the management.
Worldwide Professional Wrestling (2008-2009)
After returning from his near seven month absence to find ICW:Revolution had been bought out by Eagle Vision Professional Wrestling and his ex-colleagues had split into two factions--EVPW Supporters who now worked for Nathaniel Banks, and ICW supporters who banded together to form Cataclysmic Glory Wrestling Federation which, despite dropping the name, was seen by its creators as the next chapter in Intense Championship Wrestling. Steven couldn't decide which band wagon he wanted to jump on so instead joined both companies. CGWF would ultimately close two weeks later but this prompted him and his former team mate Jimmy to create their own company which would be his first run as a promoter and booker. His intentions were also to wrestle at WPW but his schedule didn't allow this and eventually he became strictly clerical staff, leaving the General Manager duties to Mr.Stryker. After two months, Steven wasn't turning a profit by owning his own promotion and decided with Jimmy to close Worldwide Professional Wrestling and return to active competition.
Eagle Vision Professional Wrestling (2008-2009)
At the same time as he returned from his 7 month absence to ICW:Reborn he signed up to Eagle Vision Professional Wrestling where many of his former colleagues from the original ICW were now working and that also owned the rights to all the companies names, logos and master tapes. His former boss Mr.Ace gave him a job at SNK again where he quickly aligned himself with a team of young upstarts whom he branded the LoCash cowboys in what started as a crusade to pass on his "knowledge and wisdom" but soon became clear was his own way of trying to keep himself fresh and high up in the card, the highlight of which being a storyline with TNT which ended in a PPV hell in a cell match. Before long Steven systematically kicked out over half the members of his group before leaving himself, subsequently the stable then folded any involvement they had with each other. In the meantime he had what is often referred to as his best match in EVPW with Metal Faggon. He would eventually leave the company a few weeks later on march 29th because of "personal differences with the company and the direction in which it was headed."
Total Impact Wrestling (2009)
When TIW opened for a second run Steven was invited to join the roster and after only two weeks he won the world title, but after successfully defending it the next week he handed it back to Justin Savior as he intended to leave the company but he decided to stay and won the title back just under a month later. He held this title through the rest of TIW's time open, remaining undefeated, until the show went into liquidation. Later he was invited to join the follow-up to TIW under the same name, he declined under health reasons.
Virtual Wrestling Entertainment (2009)
Steven joined VWE while still at EVPW and TIW, after three straight wins he became the world chaos champion (beating Krylon for the belt) he held it successfully, undefeated for nine weeks until he decided it was time to move on. Agreeing to one last match with Kahlan before he left, sadly his last match wasnt as happy as he may have wished when Shawn Dreamer (the owner) rushed to the side of "Little K" to effectively steal the victory from Steven and take the title from him before he left. Despite his initial attempts to get revenge on Shawn, Steven stated less than two days later that he "couldn't care less about the outcome of the match. I was going to hand him my title afterwards...His own paranoia will end this company!" His predictions couldn't have been more correct with VWE folding little under three weeks later.
All-star Virtual Wrestling (2009)
From April 1st 2009 to May 29th 2009 The Purest had a more than successful stint at All-star Virtual wrestling, culminating in him winning both the intercontinental championship and world heavyweight championship on the same night (May 27th), two nights later he sacrificed both belts to the chairman of the board before walking out of the arena, citing his wish to let someone else take the reigns--cockily joking that hadn't he left, he'd have been six feet under before losing them.
Gods And Heretics Wrestling (2009)
Despite signing a contract with GHW in January 2009, Steven didn't debut until June 2009 against Matthew Oliveira at Tried And Convicted, a match which he lost. Citing their wish to keep the match special for Ragnarock, both Shawn and Steven no showed his next match. Due to several other more important commitments Steven couldn't make any show for four weeks, prompting him and GHW management to come to an agreement allowing him to break his contract. He was removed from the GHW.com website on the night of his retirement match.
Eagle Vision Professional Wrestling (2009)
In June 2009 Steven came to an agreement with the EVPW staff where he would return to the SNK brand. He lost to Dominik Santiago on July 4th, following which he was attacked backstage by Shawn Dreamer in the build up to a match the following week on PPV at Ragnarock. First Steven stated he would not stop in his pursuit of destroying Dreamers career until either of them was six feet under, he later changed his stance and went on record saying that they would only fight on his terms infront of his crowd. After failing to appear for the match Steven was attacked backstage by TPK and Nicholas Carson, he was thrown through several car windows during which. When taken away by the EMT's he was unable to speak and barely responsive, having had a large piece of glass from one of the windows lodge itself in his throat. Two weeks later on the first episode of SNK following Ragnarock a video package of Purests better matches was shown, followed by a short message from him in Scotland inviting both Dreamer and TPK over for a one off "Scottish Submission" match--the rules of which have yet to be revealed. As an added stipulation if Purest loses he won't be able to wrestle again in the united states or Scotland, this came about after he first added the factor that Shawn, Psycho or himself wouldn't be able to wrestle in the USA if they lost and TPK decided to make the repercussions from the match a little more fair given that Steven stated on camera that he has no real desire to wrestle in America again anyway. In separate segments, Both Shawn and TPK accepted the challenge. Before this match took place, he was temporarily suspended by his general managers, Desperado and Metal Faggon, citing the fact they will not tolerate anyone making them look incapable of holding together their own company.
Retirement (2009)
He refused to meet with EVPW staff to renegotiate his contract a week before it was due to expire on August 1st and instead departed for the independent circuit, working only two further matches, the latter a dual retirement bout with longtime friend DaKondemed. Ending his career in the UK Based--anti hardcore--Ultimate Wrestling Alliance meant alot to Purest, with him going as far to state "I feel with the rebirth of real wrestling here in the UK, I can finally do what I've wanted to for the last two years--Retire."
Statistics
Match Records
Pre-Retirement
- Win - 1831
- Lose - 272
- Draw - 39
Post Return
- Win - 59
- Lose - 18
- Draw - 2
Theme Music
- Metallica - For Whom The Bell Tolls
- Slipknot - Dead Memories
- Multiply - Xzibit
- Metallica - Master Of Puppets
Tag Team/Stables
- Team Tre with Big Jimmy & Dr.Tre
- LoCash Cowboys with Phenomena, Nathan Drake, AJ Scally & Alex Thunder
Finishing Moves
- Superkick
- Frog Splash
Accomplishments
Championships
- MPW Unified World Championship x1
- MPW Hardcore Championship x1
- TWA World Championship x1
- TWA Tag Team Championships x1
- TIW World Championship x2
- VWE World Chaos Championship x1
- AVW World Heavyweight Championship x1
- AVW Intercontinental Championship x1
Character References
- Modern Messiah
- The Omega
- Sam Blade
- Danny Defiance
- Seraphiel