Carrie and The Squared Circle Expo

The Squared Circle Expo is the best wrestling convention I have attended. It was recently announced SCX V will be April 25-26 in Indianapolis, IN. (As a point of clarification, the date was moved back one week to avoid coinciding with WrestleMania.)

One of the unsung heroes of SCX is co-promoter Carrie, wife of co-promoter Adolfo. Usually found working the merchandise booth, Carrie is a calming, behind-the-scenes type. While other promoters Ed, Heather and Adolfo have gotten in the ring at one time or another, Carrie has remained outside the squared circle. I would be shocked if Carrie ever got in the ring, but it could be an awesome moment.

In or out of the ring, Carrie is simply a sweetheart. She is immensely helpful and nice at the conventions, which isn't easy. Attendees tend to voice complaints to promoters more than praise. I have never seen Carrie rattled, although she would probably disagree. Maybe on the inside, but outside, she is a smiling, welcoming presence.

I will be at SCX V as always and I encourage every wrestling fan to check it out. When you see Carrie, make sure to tell her how great it is. For more info, go to squaredcirclex.com.

PL Myers, Carrie Gedeon and me in Schaumburg, IL-November 2017.

Carrie at Squared Circle Expo

Squared Circle Expo returns to Indianapolis March 29-30. SCX IV promises to be bigger and better than the previous ones and that is a big statement.

Today, I salute one of the real stars of SCX, although one who eschews the limelight. Carrie, wife of co-promoter Adolfo, might fly under the radar, but everyone there loves her.

While Adolfo and co-promoter Ed have managed wrestlers during the matches portion of the weekend, and Heather has actually wrestled, Carrie has stayed out of the ring. Instead, she can usually be found handling the merch booth. Despite the fun chaos of any convention, Carrie always has a smile. She is definitely a welcome sight every year.

Carrie would probably hate this post, but I am sure she would forgive me, because it is meant with much appreciation. Don't get me wrong though, Ed, Heather and Adolfo certainly appreciate Carrie and each other. They are a great team and I love them all.

Guests have not been announced yet, but there are a few good guesses to start. SCX Champ Matt Cardona, SCX Women's Champ Freya the Slaya and SCX Tag Champs Rhino and Heath are good bets to defend their titles. In addition to them, there will be about 50 other great legends, current stars and future stars on the talent list.

Go to SquaredCircleX.com for more info and scheduling. Check back here for my recurring coverage.

Carrie Dorta and me in Schaumburg, IL-November 2018.

Carrie at Squared Circle Expo

The Squared Circle Expo returns to Indianapolis, IN April 7-8. I will be "On the Beat" as always. Carrie will also be there and she will be working a lot harder than me.

The wife and partner of co-promoter Adolfo, Carrie has a low profile at the event, but she is truly an unsung hero. Adolfo and other co-promoter Ed Gonzales had some ring time with their chosen wrestlers. Hardcore Heather Owens, wife of Ed and also a co-promoter, saw time as a ref in one of the matches. Carrie, however, kept her behind-the-scenes role.

I love all the promoters at SCX. They bust butt to make this a great convention. I have praised it many times over the years, but it really is one of the best conventions I have ever attended.

While she isn't in the limelight, Carrie is a big part of SCX. Whether it is at the ticket office or on the floor handling any number of impromptu situations, Carrie is always a welcome sight. She is the perfect partner for Adolfo and I am proud to call them and Ed and Heather friends.

When quality people do great things, it is the best situation. That is the case with SCX. That is why I promote them every throughout the year. They don't only work on SCX weekend. It is a year lomg endeavor. I simply try to highlight their effort and remind everyone to go to this event!

For more info, go to SquaredCircleX.com. Also, check my recurring coverage.

Carrie Gedeon and me in Indianapolis, IN-July 2017.

Friend Encounters: Ric Flair and Adolfo and Carrie Dorta

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

After much anticipation, the Squared Circle Expo debuts in Indianapolis this Friday and Saturday. It promises to be two days of fantastic wrestling fun.

Two of the main folks behind the Squared Circle Expo are Adolfo and Carrie Dorta. I met Adolfo many years ago when he was one of the organizers of a different convention. He met Carrie at one of those events and they got married a couple years ago. It was  a true convention love story involving two awesome folks.

Along with some other great people, Adolfo and Carrie have organized the Squared Circle Expo. Banking on years of convention experience, excellent people skills, pure energy and a passion for wrestling, the promoters of SCE have gone all out to make it a success.

Adolfo, Carrie and the crew have brought so many great wrestling legends to other conventions. Roddy Piper was a frequent guest, while many others enjoyed the convention so much they appeared multiple times, too. The quality of wrestlers was a testament to how well they were treated by Adolfo and the staff there.

Of all the wrestling guests, it didn't get any bigger than 2015 when "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair was the headline guest. Fair's line was one of the longest I have seen, but he made every fan feel special in their interactions. Normally a blur of activity, Adolfo and Carrie did make sure to stop for a moment to get a picture with the Hall of Famer. Adolfo even flashed the famous "Four Horsemen" sign.

The announced wrestling guest list for Squared Circle Expo includes, Glen "Kane" Jacobs, Rey Mysterio, Christian, Vickie Guerrero and many more. I am quite certain there will be many wrestlers in the crowd as attendees as well. I am sure the crowd will also include many other folks involved in wrestling on some level. I can't wait, but fortunately it is only a few more days away. 

Check out SquaredCircleX.com and follow them at Squared Circle Expo on Facebook for all of the info and updates. I hope to see you all there this weekend.

Carrie, Ric Flair and Adolfo in Indianapolis, IN-June 2015.

Friend Encounters: Danny Trejo and Carrie and Adolfo Dorta

Friendly Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

The new year marks a new era for Adolfo and Carrie Dorta and Days of the Dead. Prior to the last show in 2018, Adolfo announced he was amicably splitting from DotD.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about Adolfo's announcement. Obviously, I am very happy for Carrie and Adolfo and I wish them well in whatever direction their lives take. They are two of the coolest, funnest, most genuine people I have ever met.

I first met Adolfo at the first DotD in 2011 in Indianapolis. We worked a deal for me to cover and promote DotD. A year or so later, I met Carrie Gedeon, who became Adolfo's partner in DotD and more importantly in life, too. They are such a great couple.

Over the years though, it became much mote than me just covering an event. Days of the Dead became a big friend reunion for me. I looked forward to seeing my friends almost as much as I enjoyed meeting the celebrities. I attended every DotD in Indy and Chicago and the debut show in Louisville, too.

Adolfo and Carrie have always treated me well at DotD. They welcome me every year and I always look forward to seeing them, even though both are usually a blur at the events, because they are also two of the hardest-working people I know.

Rarely have I seen such a combination of passion, friendliness and fun. These two bust butt all year to make sure the events run smoothly. When any minor blip occurs at the events, these two quickly resolve any issue. Running a convention like this is an arduous, thankless task, but these two deserve much praise.

They always put the fans first, but they do occasionally get in a picture with a celebrity guest. Such was the case several years ago when they posed with Danny Trejo. On Facebook, Carrie made me laugh when she wrote, "people gave me a lot of sh!t about not texting, but I bet they never give Machete sh!t about not texting."

Days of the Dead will go on without Adolfo and Carrie. They would want it that way, too. Still, it will be a little empty without them. I'll miss their calming (yet insane) presence.

I think I will see both in the future and hopefully work with them in some capacity again.

No matter what the future brings though, I want to publicly thank them and wish them a lifetime of happiness. They weren't just my main contacts for a convention I cover. They are friends I consider to be class acts and top quality people.

Carrie Dorta, Danny Trejo and Adolfo Dorta in Atlanta, GA-February 2013.

Friendly Encounters: Gene Simmons and Carrie Gedeon

Friendly Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

Today we are featuring a superstar and a pretty good musician, too. The superstar is Carrie Gedeon, of course. If you don't believe me, ask anyone with the Days of the Dead conventions. Carrie rocks!

As promoter Adolfo Dorta's partner in life and in the shows, Carrie has been a huge part of the DotD scene the last few years. She coordinates the volunteers and does many other things to keep everything running smoothly. She is a tireless worker and a total sweetheart.

Gene Simmons is a tireless worker, too. His musical career is legendary and his other business ventures keep him quite busy, but probably not as busy as Carrie during DotD events.

These two stars met at the recent DotD in Indianapolis and I was there to witness it.  Of course, she did get a picture with Simmons. I'm not sure who was more excited. Carrie is a big fan, but Simmons had some fun with her in the picture.

Actually Simmons was great with all of the fans. Obviously, photo ops have time constraints, but Simmons did the best he could and was very friendly with all of the fans. He even did some pose requests.

Simmons was very professional throughout the whole convention. According to Adolfo, he was great in the whole process of agreeing to do DotD. When a promoter praises a celebrity guest like that, I take it as fact, especially if it is Adolfo. He always deals straight. When he says Simmons was awesome, I believe it. 

When she wasn't with Simmons, Carrie was her usual busy self, but she always has a smile on her face. She's the perfect partner to Adolfo and a great asset to DotD. Somehow things always seem better when Carrie is around.

Check out DaysoftheDead.com for info on the next event. The next event will be in Chicago November 18-20.

Gene Simmons and Carrie Gedeon in Indianapolis, IN-June 2018.

Friendly Encounters: Ric Flair, Adolfo and Carrie

Friendly Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

I have featured wrestling legend Ric Flair several times here, because he is the biggest name in wrestling many friends have met.  Today though, the biggest name in wrestling is pictured with one of the most underrated names in comic cons.  Don't be surprised if Adolfo ends up as one of the biggest names in comic cons sometime down the line.
Adolfo is the man behind Days of the Dead, the little comic con that has grown into five events every year around the country (Atlanta, Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Louisville).  Don't be surprised if more cities are added soon.  He's only been doing this for a few years and already it has grown into big events.
Right by his side is Carrie, his beautiful significant other.  These two appear to be a perfect match.  She is just as much of a blur at these conventions as he is.  Together, they are the dynamic duo who oversee a very smooth operation.
He is pretty low key.  Adolfo doesn't post tons of pictures of him with celebrities, but the ones he does are usually important ones to him.  When he posted this picture with Ric Flair, the significance of it hit me.  Adolfo and Days of the Dead are in the early years of a great run.  Check out DaysoftheDead.net to get in on the fun!

Carrie, Ric Flair and Adolfo in Atlanta, GA-February 2016.