Johngy Takes Licking Courtesy of Aniviel

Aniviel is a contributor to HeavyMetalNation.com.  Rather than have me write about it, do yourself the pleasure of reading Aniviel's bio here.  It's pretty funny, completely accurate and from there, you can also find all of her pieces on HeavyMetalNation.com.
In addition to her passion for music, Aniviel licks rockstars and wrestlers.  She says it is a gimmick to go with her column at HeavyMetalNation.com.  (I still have to find out how that got started, but that's for another time).  Of course, she is also firmly entrenched on the Resistance Pro scene and can usually be seen at R Pro events.
At the March R Pro show, I approached Aniviel about inducting Johngy into her "licked" club.  Notice, I wrote "Johngy," not because I write in the third person, but because I was actually referring to the Johngy logo on my shirt.
I am neither a rock star nor a wrestler, and therefore did not feel that I deserved the licking treatment.  I did think Johngy stood a chance.  Besides, it was easier to ask for a lick of the Johngy cartoon face than of my own face.  How does one even go about asking for a face lick?
Still, I was nervous about asking for the lick.  Aniviel is very cool though.  She eagerly agreed to lick Johngy and that moment was captured and is shown below.
How cool is that?  I have joined the many rock stars and star wrestlers in her lick club.  Maybe I should write that Johngy joined that list.  Heck, either way, it is logged in!  I am very proud of this moment and achievement.
Thank you, Aniviel!  You rock!
I encourage everyone to check out Aniviel at HeavyMetalNation.com.  You won't see Johngy on there, but you see a lot of heavy metal fun!

Aniviel and me in Willowbrook, IL-March 2013.

On the Beat with the Chicago Rush-Game 9

Because of three road games and one home game that I had to miss, I have not seen the Chicago Rush in over a month.  I was really itching to get back to the action.

A lot has happened since my last game.  The league has taken over the team and the future is a bit cloudy.  I refuse to use "doubtful" for the Rush's future, not with so much positive feelings everywhere I look.

I worked for years for a company with a constant uncertain future.  It is stressful and unpleasant, but that was kept within the confines of our office.  The Rush organization is experiencing the cloudy situation on a big stage in front of everyone and they are all showing their class, grace and professionalism.  Their positive outlook is palpable and contagious.

The game on Sunday promised to be a great one and it did not disappoint.  Tied for 1st in the Central Division, the Rush (4-4) hosted the Arizona Rattlers (7-1), who were in 1st place in the West Division.  This would be a big test for the Rush.  Despite the 56-49 loss, I believe the Rush passed the test.

Arizona jumped out to a 7-0 lead and expanded the lead to 35-21 at halftime.  The lead grew to 21 at various points of the second half, but the Rush kept coming back.  The Rush closed the gap to 56-49 with just under six minutes left in the game.  The Rush actually had a shot at putting the game into overtime, but they fell just short on the last minute drive.

Despite the outcome, there were many positive points.  The Rush got 210 yards on 9 kickoff returns, including Rodney Wright’s 57 yard return for a score.  Several Rush defenders came within inches of interceptions.  The Rush matched up with the Rattlers statistically for most of the categories.  The one big exception was Red Zone production, where the Rush went 2-5 and the Rattlers went 6-6.

This is all even more remarkable considering that quarterback Luke Drone was recently signed and had only one day to practice.  Regular quarterback Carson Coffman is nursing an injured ankle.  Drone hit some big passes and looked sharp all things considered.

The crowd of roughly 5,000 also remained positive.  They cheered throughout and I don’t think anyone left early.  The game was just that exciting.

JohngysBeat.com’s Matt Parker talked to Drone and linebacker Kelvin Morris after the game (see accompanying videos).  They were disappointed with the loss, proud of the effort and positive for the future, as was Coach Bob McMillen in the post-game media session.

The next four games are critical for the Rush playoffs hope.  The Rush head to New Orleans and Orlando, followed by two “home” games in Rockford.  Three out of four will bring the Rush to 8-8, with 5 more games left.

You might want to call me a biased journalist, but I defy anyone to attend a Rush game and not feel the same.  I will be following Les Grobstein’s call for the two away games, but I cannot wait to watch the Rush in person in Rockford in three weeks.  I hope you are enjoying the Rush season with me.

On the Beat with Lance Storm at Resistance Pro Wrestling "Back for the Attack"

Lance Storm does not make many appearances, especially in the ring.  He did come out for Resistance Pro Wrestling's "Back for the Attack" last month.  That is just another example which speaks volumes of the industry opinion of the folks at R Pro.

Storm started wrestling in 1990 and had success and won titles everywhere he went.  Since 2004, he has wrestled a much lighter schedule, in a sort of a semi-retirement.  He also runs a pro wrestling school, the Storm Wrestling Academy, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

At the peak of his career, Storm ranked #13 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2001.  In the same year, the Wrestling Observer named him the "Most Underrated."  He is the first wrestler to hold three titles simultaneously in World Championship Wrestling promotion.

I met Storm prior to the action of "Back for the Attack" and found him to be incredibly nice.  He agreed to do an interview, but unfortunately, he got very busy, very quickly.  Still, he kept true to his word and talked to us for a bit on his way out for the night.

I totally appreciate it.  Storm (and everyone else) has no obligation to talk to us any time.  As the guest feature of the night, he was in demand all night.  Yet, when all was done, there he was, talking to JohngysBeat.com.  It was very professional of him and very nice of him.  We appreciate it greatly.

After you enjoy our quick hit with Lance Storm, head over to StormWrestling.com to learn more about Storm and get his updates.  You can also follow him on the Lance Storm-Authorized Fan Page on Facebook as well as follow Storm on twitter.

Friendly Encounters: Michele Mupo Meets Lisa Marie Varon

This is a weekly series about friends who have met celebrities.

Both of today's featured people are celebrities whom I have met and consider friends.  They are both very cool and dynamic ladies.
As a professional wrestler, I always assumed Lisa Marie Varon could probably put a hurting on me, despite her very sweet demeanor.  Up until I saw the picture below, I never gave much thought to Michele's strength.  Now I have to wonder if I would stand a chance against either lady.  I digress however, as this piece is not about their physical strength.
I guess you could say that this is about their inner strength.  LMV has excelled in the male-dominant cut-throat world of professional wrestling.  With or without the title, she is one of the all-time greats.  That did not just happen,  It took a lot of hard work and perseverance.
Through it all though, LMV has remained grounded.  She is sweet, funny, outrageous and more.  I have interviewed and talked to her several times and she is simply awesome.
Michele is also a woman of strength.  The multi-talented woman known as Fuchsia has many titles in her professional life.  She is a ball of action, seemingly never stopping and hardly even slowing down.
Yet, Michele finds time...makes time to continually support our troops.  She created the music video Keep the Peace.  You can get a ton of great info and also donate to the project, by going to Keep the Peace.  It's a beautiful tune done for a fantastic cause by a wonderful woman.  That's a great trifecta!  You can learn more about Michele by following Fuchsia on twitter.
Back to Lisa Marie Varon, she is keeping busy with The Squared Circle , her restaurant in Chicago.  I wrote about my great experience there for the Patch.com.  In short, it is excellent and LMV is there often.  You can check it out online at theSquaredCircle.biz.
These ladies probably have a bunch f pictures together, but the one below is my favorite.  It demonstrates the fun these women have.  It also shows the strength of Michele.  I guess if I am going to take on these women at some point, I will need a strong tag team partner.

Michele Mupo and Lisa Marie Varon in Cherry Hill, NJ-April 2009.

On the Beat with Dennis Stamp at Resistance Pro Wrestling's "Back for the Attack"

Dennis Stamp made his wrestling debut in 1971.  He had a lengthy, solid career, including holding several titles.  He also appeared in Paradise Alley and Beyond the Mat.
Stamp was a special guest of Resistance Pro at "Back for the Attack" last month.  Although soft-spoken, Stamp is very engaging.  He has stories upon stories and they are all gold.  We approached him for our interview and he immediately went into a few.  I had to stop him and ask that he hold them for the interview. I did not realize that he had enough to fill hours of interviews!  From wrestling Terry Funk in Funk's hometown to drinking with Andre the Giant, each story was fascinating, as JohngysBeat.com's Scott Beatty (lead interviewer, music historian, comics master, all around big shot and wrestling guru) lead him from topic to topic..
Stamp talked to us about his collection of short stories.  He bristles at writing an actual autobiography.  He'd rather tell interesting short stories, than recite facts and dates.  Unfortunately, for now those stories are unpublished.  The publishing world is hard (and often cruel).  I have learned this by talking to so many authors over the last few years.  Stamp is not alone in his struggles to find an outlet for his stories.
Truthfully, I would love to read his stories.  Biographical info always pales in comparison to the stories behind the events.  I could feel Stamp's emotions as he retold some of his stories to us in the interview and after.
Stamp also has written poems.  He was selling some of his poems at the show.  He even recited I'm Not Booked during the show and part of Andre during our interview.  I was pleasantly surprised at how good they were and how much heart he poured into them.
After the show, I talked to many members of the R Pro family, as well as fans.  Everyone walked away so impressed with Stamp.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #139 Mariah Carey & Justin Timberlake

This is a regular series which attempts to combine my lifelong passion for trading cards with my semi-professional interest in celebrities.  Today I am caving in and offering up sex symbols in a lame attempt to draw viewers to my site.  Did it work?  If you are answering that question, it worked!

Mariah Carey has been belting out hit tunes for many years.  I admit I have been on the Carey bandwagon almost from the beginning.  My elitist rock music friends will mock me (what else is new?), but I don't care.  As for the cheesecake part...isn't that obvious?  Although Michael Jordan had his #23 retired, I have no problem with Carey wearing it.  No problem at all.

I know.  Women will complain that Justin Timberlake's Celebrity Jersey Card depicts him at a young age.  Okay, perhaps this is before he became true beefcake.  Sorry, I must have been preoccupied with the first Celebrity Jersey Card.  Did I mention I like Mariah Carey?

On the Beat with Adam Mock at C2E2 2013

Adam Mock is a true artist.  He loves art.  He believes in art.  He creates art.
I first met Mock at Wizard World in 2012.  He was promoting Fallen Superheroes, a coffee table book about "D list celebrities with extraordinary super powers," according to Mock.  It is a three man project consisting of Mock, Scott Allen Perry and Eric Curtis.  Fallen Superheroes is brilliantly illustrated and includes hilarious blurbs.  It features celebrities (including Doug Jones, Andy Dick and more).  Mock also makes an appearance in the book.
This is the second project for the previously listed three man team.  They (along with Doug Jones) previously created Mime Very Own Book, a book looking into the life of mimes.  It is hilarious and interesting.
I ran into Mock again at C2E2 2013.  The interview below is a recap of Fallen Superheroes and an update, too.
Mock is a genuinely nice guy.  He even tried to set up an interview for us with wrestling legend Booker T.  Unfortunately, Booker became hospitalized and could not make it to C2E2, but Mock's gesture was certainly appreciated.
This is another example of friends I ahve met through these conventions.  Mock is as nice as he is talented.  I plan on following his career and creations and I encourage all to do so, too.
After you watch the interview, you can learn more about Adam Mock at MedallionMediaGroup.com.  Also, check out Adam Mock on Facebook and follow Adam Mock on twitter.

Happy Birthday Laura

My niece Laura is celebrating a birthday today.  Suffice it to say, she is in her mid-20's.
Laura is fantastic and not just because she is my niece (maybe even despite her being my niece).  She is bright, funny and completely cool.
As I have previously documented here, it is my fault that I missed parts of her youth.  I do take some consolation in two road trips to New York.  Seventeen hours in a cramped car with each other (and my sister/her mom) will really serve as a crash course in bonding.  Oh sure, I grumbled, but I loved every minute of it (even when Nancy actually drove for a few minutes).
Laura is courageous and strong.  She has done things I would have been too frightened to try at her age.  Nothing bad, all good, but still too daunting for me to attempt.  Yet, there she was.  I was amazed, impressed and proud.
It's Laura's day today.  I hope it is a great one.  She deserves it!
Happy birthday Laura.  Your uncle Crash loves you.

Laura Fitzpatrick in Fox River Grove, IL-Winter 2012.

On the Beat with Eric St. Vaughn at Resistance Pro Wrestling "Back for the Attack"

Eric St. Vaughn is living his dream as a wrestler for Resistance Pro.  As a friend, I am enjoying experiencing all of it and being a small part of it.
ESV is working hard and quickly improving as a wrestler.  He wrestles as a heel, but he usually gets a good amount of cheers.  When he started doing his Body Magic rap, he got some of the loudest cheers I have heard at R Pro.
Then last month, just when I started thinking he might turn to the good side, ESV and his Body Magic partner GQ gave a post-match beatdown to the Two Star Heroes.  This ESV is an interesting guy.  Maybe I don't know which side of the fence is in his near future.
I do know success is in that future.  That I can see and so can all else.  He's got the look, the attitude, the fans and (like I wrote) his wrestling is improving every time out there.
ESV Superfan and JohngysBeat.com Contributor Extraordinaire Matt Parker missed the last show and therefore I handled his usual ESV interview.  I must say, it was a pleasure and an honor to interview this young star.
ESV's wrestling career started shortly after R Pro debuted.  They have grown together, which is appropriate.  R Pro is full of quality people and ESV (despite the bad guy we see in the ring) is a class act.
JohngysBeat.com believes in ESV's future.  That is why we jumped on the ESV sponsorship bandwagon.  We want to be in for the full ride!
After you watch our latest ESV interview, check out the Eric St. Vaughn Facebook page and follow ESV on twitter.

On the Beat with Lin Brehmer

When going to a Resistance Pro Wrestling event, you never know what might happen.  You will definitely see great wrestling.  You will see the JohngysBeat.com crew.  You might even run into a radio legend, like the "Reverend of Rock and Roll" Lin Brehmer.

Brehmer has been on the radio since the mid 70's and has been on WXRT in Chicago since 1991.  Merely surviving that long on one station earns him legendary status.  Brehmer has done much more than survive though.  He is one of the most knowledgeable and most popular radio personalities in Chicago or anywhere to be honest.

I approached Brehmer for a picture at first.  When he offered to jump down from the stage to pose with me, I was immediately impressed.  JohngysBeat.com's Scott Beatty and I talked to him for a bit and he was so interesting, we both knew we wanted to get an interview with him.  He agreed and the result is shown below, with Scott (lead interviewer, all around big shot, comics master and music historian) asking the questions. 

Brehmer is one of those people who could talk for hours and still be fascinating.  His stories and opinions were fascinating.  Even his choices for summer record picks were intriguing.

On top of all of that, Brehmer is another great person brought in by R Pro.  No shock there.  The Baron brothers have a history of working with good people and bringing in quality people for appearances.  This is what you get from an R Pro show.

We really appreciate Brehmer's time.  Talking with a radio legend was unexpected, but totally cool.

After you watch the interview, check out Lin Brehmer on Facebook and follow Brehmer on twitter.