Mike Curkov at Blizzard Brawl

Great Lake Championship Wrestling's big annual event Blizzard Brawl returns Saturday, December 6. Held at the Waukesha County Expo Center, Blizzard Brawl is a "can't miss" on my calendar.

One of the more recent additions is newsman Mike Curkov. A few years back, Mike made his in-ring debut. I admit, I figured Mike would make a cameo appearance, get a big cheer and make the pin after others did the work. I was mostly wrong. Mike did get a huge pop from the crowd and he got the win, but he did more than just be in the match. Mike had moves. Mike did extremely well for being so inexperienced, much better than most mainstream folks who enter the ring. Mike has continued wrestling, while not leaving his newscasting career.

The best part of Mike's appearances is his support of dogs. Mike donated his proceeds from sales of his merch. I always give a little, because I appreciate Mike's efforts.

This year, Mike will once again be at Blizzard Brawl. Raven is the headliner, but also appearing are Layla El, Paul Ellering, Serena Deeb, Shotzi and more to be announced. Blizzard Brawl usually has 20+ legends and current stars. Despite the large number of folks appearing, there is plenty of time to meet any and all you want. It is run so well.

Tony and I will be there as usual. We are most looking forward to seeing Ellering, but many more are on our list, too.

Watch our interview at On the Beat with Mike Curkov. Also, go to GLCWWrestling.com for more info on this great event.

Mike Curkov and me in Waukesha, WI-December 2021.

Squared Circle Expo 2026: Brian Myers

 Squared Circle Expo returns to Indianapolis March 27-28. SCX VI promises to be better than all, as hard as that is to believe.

When SCX debuted, expectations were high and it exceeded all. Since then, every SCX event upped the bar even more.

Several guests have already been announced for SCX VI. Saraya is probably the headliner, with no disrespect to the others. Also on the list is Brian Myers.

Currently the SCX Prime champ, Myers has been wrestling more than 20 years. He won the WWE tag team titles twice and the TNA tag tiles three times. He also has a huge collection of sports cards and is a noted fan of the New York Mets. Myers is a very popular guest wherever he appears.

SCX is a two day event of meet-and-greets, photo ops, panels, Q&A's and a full evening of wrestling. It is a "Can't miss" on my yearly schedule.

For more info, go to SquaredCircleX.com. Also, check here for my updates.

Brian Myers and me in Schaumburg, IL-August 2022.

Squared Circle Expo 2026: Heath Slater

Squared Circle Expo VI is less than five months away. Running March 27-28, it promises to be another great SCX  held at Wyndham Indianapolis West.

SCX is a fantastic wrestling convention, featuring 50+ wrestlers, many vendors, panels, Q&As, photo ops and a full wrestling card on Saturday night. The wrestlers consist of legends and current stars. One such who fits in both categories is Heath Slater, one of the first guests announced.

Heath spent 14 years with the WWE, winning three tag team championships, one SmackDown tag title and one 24/7 title. He was a solid worker, who many thought was underutilized.

last year, I saw Heath at a 2econd wrestling show. He can still go and he was in great shape, even though he is in his mid40s.He was also very engaging during the meet-and-greet.

I expect the same at SCX VI. He'll definitely have a table for meets and I suspect he will be involved in the wrestling action at some point. Either way, it'll be good to see him there.

I will be covering SCX VI, providing updates as they are announced and there will be plenty of announcements. For more info though, go to SquaredCircleX.com.

Heath and me in Vernon Hills, IL-April 2024.

Friend Encounters: David Schultz and Tony

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

When Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling announced Dr. D David Schultz as a guest for its Fan Fest, Tony and I immediately started making plans to make the trip to St. Louis. Several more wrestling legends were there, but Schultz was one of our main targets.

Schultz had a relatively short wrestling career. He is possibly most known for his interaction with ABC reporter John Stossel. Still, old school fans like Tony and me recall him fondly.

When we arrived, we saw his saw removed and were so disappointed. Fortunately, his spot was only moved. As is our usual style, we kept looking for him to appear and once he did, we were right there to meet him. When you want certain folks, you get them first to ensure the meeting.

Schultz was extremely engaging. I think Tony really won him over by mentioning some specific matches and feuds. Unlike his wrestling persona, Schultz was as nice as could be. It was one of the best experiences of the weekend.

Tony purchased his book, but I already had it. I still got a picture with him though. I wasn't going to miss that opportunity. I was probably happier for Tony though. He was a bit giddy, but he looked calm on the outside.

David's book, Don't Call Me Fake: The Real Story of "Dr. D" David Schultz, is available on Amazon. Tony and I highly recommend it.

Tony and David Schultz in St. Louis, MO-May 2025.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #766 Bianca Ryan & Sheena Melwani

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series on which I make virtual trading cards for celebrities wearing sports jerseys. Today, I turn my attention to football.

Philadelphia native singer Bianca Ryan won America's Got Talent in 2006 at the age of 11. She soon put out an album. Her career was stalled a bit for her education and also for health reasons. She overcame two throat surgeries to continue her singing career. She earned her Celebrity Jersey Card singing the National Anthem for her home town Philadelphia Eagles. She wore #36, most notably worn by former running back Brian Westbrook.

Canada native Sheena Melwani grew up performing. She loved music, but she also wanted to be a young mom. Once she had kids, she took time from singing to be with her family. She has since restarted her career with a lot of success. With more than 2 million followers on social media, Melwani certainly has a huge fan base. Melwani performed for the New England Patriots wearing #24, best worn by former defensive back Ty Law, to earn her Celebrity Jersey Card.

Eddy Curry at Bulls Fest 2025

Chicago-area native Eddy Curry was a star high school basketball player. Nicknamed "Baby Shaq," he had a lot of eyes and pressure on him.

His hometown Chicago Bulls selected him in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2001 NBA draft. Curry played four seasons with the Bulls, never playing up to the projected potential. He followed that with five seasons with the New York Knicks, and off season and one more each with the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks.

In 11 seasons, he played 527 games, averaging 12.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. That's a solid NBA career. The perceived problem is he did not live up to the hype. Perhaps he would have been better not playing for the Bulls. Maybe his status was overrated. It's hard and even unfair sometimes to ask why a player did not live up to expectations.

Maybe Curry was just meant to have a nice NBA career. He played 11 seasons and made more than $70 million. On its own, that is a major success. I don't care about his high school scouting report. I just see a successful NBA player.

At BullsFest 2025, I met Curry. He was extremely engaging and seemed to enjoy interacting with fans and even us annoying press members. Actually, I pretty much took off my press hat and just talked to him a bit about being a local star. Ever humble, Curry just thanked me for being a fan and knowing his career.

Eddy Curry and me in Chicago, IL-August 2025.

Happy Birthday, Cuzz!

Today, I celebrate the birthday of longtime friend Cuzz Gekas. Cuzz's birthday starts a string of three birthdays between him and his two cousins, Jim and Chuck, in the next month or so.

As I previous explained, Cuzz is actually Chuck. The Cuzz moniker developed because he is a cousin to the first Chuck in our group. It's a name Cuzz quickly embraced. Doesn't he look like a Cuzz?

Anyway, I have known Cuzz for close to 30 years now. We have gone across country on baseball trips and to comic cons. We don't see each other as much these days, but it doesn't diminish my love and appreciation for my friend.

We have had so many great conversations. Sometimes they are silly, like about backup catchers. Other times, they are deep, like religion. Either way, I always appreciate the chat and Cuzz's opinions.

They say to surround yourself with great friends. There is none better than Cuzz.

I won't be with Cuzz on his big day, but I wish him a fantastic day and upcoming year.

Cuzz, Lindsey Wagner and me in Novi, MI-May 2010.

Nei Ruffino at Wizard World (Fan Expo)

I meet a lot of creators in Artist Alley at Fan Expo (formerly Wizard World). Many of them I see every year. Some of them I have seen only once. Nei Ruffino is a one-timer so far.

Cover artist, colorist and creator Rufino started her career as a tattoo artist. She eventually made the move to comics and has worked for DC, Marvel, Dynamite, Top Cow, Image, Aspen, Zenescope, and Big Dog Ink.

You can see some of Ruffino's work behind usin the picture below. Her pieces are bautiful on their own or within the context of a series. Her style fits anything, but retains he unique touches.

Hopefully, I will meet Ruffino again at a comic con. Then I can learn first hand a bit more about her work.

For more info on FanExpo go to fanexpohq.com. Also, see her  work at The Art of Nei Ruffino on Facebook.

Nei Ruffino and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2015.

James Finn Garner at C2E2 2020

I first met Chicago-based author James Finn Garner at C2E2 about 12 years ago. Unfortunately, I haven't seen him in a few years, but I still follow him online and enjoy his books.

At Comic Cons, in Artist Alley filled with creative folks, he stood out with his garb. Hs look was inspired by Rex Koko, one of his characters. Koko was the main character in several books written as clown noir. It is such a unique concept. I was immediately hooked and have all the books in the series.

James has written other books, too. I enjoy all of his writing, but clearly the Rex Koko series is my favorite.

I have done several fun interview with James. Our last interview was actually done with my pal Joey Roth handling the interviewing. That interview is at On the Beat with James Finn Garner.

I have a few other interviews with James on my YouTube channel. You can also get more info at jamesfinngarner.com.

James Finn Garner and me in Chicago, IL-March 2020.

Grammar Gripes - Cubs Fan or Cub Fan?

I haven't written about any of my grammar gripes in a while. This one bugged me for a long time.

I am not an English major, nor do I perfectly speak the Queen's English. I am open to anyone correcting me. I ran this particular one by my high school English teacher, the late great Roscoe Lindsay. He confirmed my feelings. So from now on, my grammar gripes are dedicated to Mr. Lindsay.

I often hear someone say they are a Cub fan or they are going to a Bear game. Unless you are a fan of only one Cubs player or going to a game played by one member of the Bears, please use the plural. It is not a Cub game. It is a Cubs game. You aren't a Bear fan (unless you only like one, as in Caleb Williams). You are a Bears fan.

Thank you for allowing me to vent. Please feel free to share your Grammar Gripes or to correct mine. Check back here for more Grammar Gripes.