Jay Bradley and HP Cares For Cooper

Earlier this month, I attended a special weekend in Highland Park, IL. Hosted by Billy Corgan and the National Wrestling Alliance, HP Cares For Cooper and NWA Powerrr Television tapings made for an amazing weekend. A more detailed recap of my weekend is on the Highland Park Patch.

There were several old friends I wanted to see at the events. I saw all of them, with varying levels of engagement due to time and situation constraints.

One of those people was Jay Bradley. When I was involved with Resistance Pro Wrestling, Jay was one of the first faces of the company. Jay was an excellent wrestler, who probably would have won the title if he didn't have other wrestling commitments.

Jay's parents were two of the first folks I saw that weekend. It was great catching up with them. I kept a close eye on them after the shows, because I figured Jay would eventually go to them, which he did. I took that opportunity to grab Jay for a quick chat and picture. I knew he was busy with them and his duties at the show. I was happy for that moment.

Go to NationalWrestlingAlliance.com for more info on Jay and the NWA. Check back here for my recurring wrestling coverage.

Jay Bradley and me in Highland Park, IL-July 2023.

Jay Bradley at Blizzard Brawl 2019

Jay Bradley has wrestled for the WWE (as Ryan Braddock), for TNA/Impact (as Jay Bradley and Aiden O'Shea) and several independent companies. It was at Resistance Pro in 2011, where I first met Jay, although I was aware of him already at that point.

I was always and still am a big fan of Jay's work. His "Boom stick" move can be devastating and he delivers it well. His size, skills and attitude, coupled with the boom stick make him as good a total package is there is out there.

Jay is currently working for THE nwa, as an active wrestler, but probably a bit of a coach, too. Jay has the mind needed to be a great teacher. I am pretty sure any students of Jay's would not be big into the flipping and flopping that is too common these days. Jay is much more old school, but still very relevant.

I haven't seen Jay since Great Lakes Championship Wrestling's Blizzard Brawl 2019, where he was part of a 6 man tag match. Jay did deliver the boom stick during the bout, but in this type of match, he did not see a ton of action. I was a bit disappointed, because I wanted to see Jay go smashmouth one-on-one with any opponent. I wanted to see a brutal slugfest, which I know Jay can deliver.

Still, it was great seeing Jay. I consider him to be one of my favorites on the indy scene.

I really think he would have been the champ at RPro during his time there, except he was in demand in Japan and by TNA. You always knew you would see an excellent match when Jay was involved.

Go to NationalWrestlingAlliance.com for more info on Jay and the NWA. You can go to the Great Lakes Championship Wrestling site for all of their news and events, the next of which is Release the Titan featuring Adam Scherr (aka Braun Strowman) on Saturday, February 19.

Jay Bradley and me in Waukesha, WI-December 2019.

Catching Up With Jay Bradley

Prior to Resistance Pro, I was aware of Jay Bradley, having seen him on WWE television and knowing he was a local guy.  At Resistance, I got to see him up close and actually know him.

The big departure of Billy Corgan (and several wrestlers) from RPro has been well-documented.  Jay was part of the departure.

I still followed Jay.  He went to TNA Impact Wrestling, but transformed into Aiden O'Shea, an Irish brawler.  Besides the fact that the Irish brawler gimmick has been done to death, I never liked that role for Jay.  He didn't need that gimmick.  He is a natural brawler.  That is Jay.  He brings down the boomstick and smashes you in the mouth.  I wouldn't tinker with any of his persona, except maybe to give him a manager as a mouthpiece.

Jay wasn't bad on the mic at RPro, but his strength is definitely in the ring.  Pairing him up with a manager to talk the talk and Jay could easily be a solid contributor to TNA (or WWE for that matter).

Aside from my angst over the gimmick, I feel a bit of a loss from not seeing Jay regularly at RPro.  He'll be the first to admit that he can be a bit of a caveman, but he was always fun to watch and he treated me well.  I had no complaints about Jay.

I have seen him a handful of times since his departure from RPro and it is always good.  I don't think he holds any animosity towards me (like some of the departed).  What I did to deserve that wrath of the few is still beyond me, but I don't worry about them anymore.  Jay doesn't seem to have that mindset, maybe because to Jay it is all about the wrestling.

This is part of what makes Jay great, even though it is also the source of some criticism hurled at him.  I don't see Jay playing games.

Wrestling is a tough business.  Sometimes it is who you know and how you "play the game" that gets you moved higher up the chain.  Like I have written, to Jay it is about the wrestling.

I recently saw Jay at the Wheaton All-Night Flea Market.  As always, he was fine with me.  He talked about not being with Impact at this time and about his upcoming wrestling gig n Japan.  I'm sure Jay will do well there.  The Japanese fan seems more interested in the in-ring stuff and that is where Jay excels.

I wish Jay well.  I have always liked him and his skills.  I wish things were different all around with the way RPro transitioned, but that's life.  I'm glad at least with Jay, things are okay.

Jay Bradley and me in Wheaton, IL-August 2017.

Aiden O'Shae in Total NonStop Action

Jay Bradley is a true professional wrestler.  He isn;t a guy who jumps pff pf garages or smashes people with barbed wire bats.  He is old school and he is fun to watch.

I've known of Jay for many years.  I've known him for about 4 years, first seeing him at Resistance Pro.  I am sure he would have held RPRO gold if not for his busy wrestling schedule overseas and with TNA wrestling.  He's also the kind of wrestler who doesn't need the gold.

The world of pro wrestling is filled with politics and shenanigans.  I don't claimn to know all of what happens backstage.  I don't know why someone like Jay has never had a bigger push in the WWE or TNA.  I think he has what it takes to be a regular on the card.

I will respectfully admit I do not care for the Aiden O'Shae character.  It's not that I don't like Jay's work.  I just like Jay as Jay.  Jay doesn't need a thug gimmick.  He's an arse-kicker, lone wolf.  That is his character.  That is him.  Changing him into a stereotypical Irish street tough gimmick detracts from the talent that is Jay.  Of course, this is just my opinion.  I don't run the wrestling companies.  I am simply a fan who has an insider's view.  I see Jay and I think he deserves more exposure.

I also want to say that Jay has always treated me with nothing but respect and friendship over the years.  He is a true pro.  If you want to see an excellent wrestling match, check out Jay (or Aiden) in action!

Jay Bradley and me in Waukesha, WI-December 2015.

Jay Bradley or Aiden O'Shea

I am not going to bash TNA Wrestling, but I admit I have not watched it in a long time.  I am interested in one wrestler in particular though.

I first knew him as Jay Bradley from Resistance Pro Wrestling.  Jay was a butt-kicking machine.  He probably would have been a champ at RPro, if he wasn't wrestling away so much (Japan etc).  At that point, Jay was like a 4A baseball player.  He was too good for the indy scene, but couldn't quite get the break in the big leagues (TNA or WWE)..

I watched Jay closely at RPro.  He was a real talent and stood out because of that.  He had a brief run in TNA back then, but returned to RPro.

Fast forward several months and I heard about Aiden O'Shea, an Irish thug fighter sort of character wrestling in TNA.  I didn't think much of it, until I saw it was Jay.  While I would have liked to see Jay return to TNA as Jay, I was happy he was back there at all.

It's good to see Jay getting some tv time with TNA.  I actually watch now, because of Jay.  I wish Jay a lot of success.  He always treated me well at RPro and I appreciated that.  I also appreciated watching him perform.

One of my favorite memories of Jay was when Matt "Big Money" Parker caught him for an interview at Wizard World.  That interview can be found at On the Beat with Jay Bradley at Wizard World 2012.

Jay Bradley and me in Willowbrook, IL-June 2014.

Friendly Encounters: Jay Bradley Meets ChrisDell Harris

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

"Lonesome" Jay Bradley was one of the biggest names in the beginning days of Resistance Pro Wrestling.  Bradley was always around the title scene or wrestling the big names who visited R Pro.  Bradley could always be counted on for excellent matches.
Just when it seemed he was within the grasp of winning the R Pro Heavyweight title, he signed with TNA wrestling.  Bradley definitely deserved the exposure, but everyone hated to see him go.  To his credit, Bradley kept returning to R Pro and putting on high quality matches.  Bradley was always willing to give us an entertaining interview, too.
Recently, Bradley has been wrestling in Japan.  As much as everyone hated to see him away so much, Japan presents a great opportunity for him.  Hopefully, we will see him back here on occasion, as well.
The last time I saw him was at R Pro's "Girls Girls Girls!" event.  He was one of the most popular wrestlers with the Chicago Bliss players who were celebrity lumberjills for the night.
I would like to take this time to publicly thank Bradley for his availability to us for interviews.  I'd also like to wish him a lot of luck overseas.

Jay Bradley and ChrisDell Harris in Willowbrook, IL-February 2014.

Jay Bradley and the Boomstick to TNA Impact!

The first time I saw Jay Bradley wrestle in person was at the debut show for Resistance Pro Wrestling in Chicago.  Jy defeated Icarus.  I interviewed Icarus after the match and he had nothing but praise for Jay.  Unfortunately, I did not get to interview Jay that night.
Since then, I have interviewed and talked to Jay several times, along with seeing him wrestle   He is always good for an entertaining interview and more importantly, you an always count on an interesting match from him.  Right from the beginning, I could tell he was special.
Jay is a hard worker and a good guy.  Hopefully, good guys finish first, at least this time, because Jay has been signed to a contract with TNA Impact Wrestling.
TNA just happens to have a live event in the Chicago area tomorrow night.  I echo the sentiments of all of Jay's fans in hoping that the Boomstick makes an appearance on that show on his home turf.
I have no idea if the powers that be at TNA care what the twitter universe thinks, but just in case, I urge everyone to tweet their support for Jay.  Check out Jay's twitter page to see all of the well-wishers.  Feel free to tweet to TNA Impact that you want to see #Boomstick Thursday!  This would be great for Jay, his fans and R Pro.  Let's get Boomstick on Impact!
To learn more about Jay Bradley, check out the Jay Bradley Facebook page.

Jay Bradley and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2012.

On the Beat at Resistance Pro Wrestling's "Stay Hungry"

Last Friday, I happily returned to my south side roots for Resistance Pro Wrestling's "Stay Hungry" at 115 Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park (IL).  It was also a homecoming of sorts for R Pro owners and south side natives Jacques and Gabe Baron.

It was an awesome mix of old and new.  There was a joyful sendoff for Jay Bradley (who is headed to TNA Impact Wrestling) and a sorrowful temporary good-bye to Melanie Cruise (who is suffering from a concussion).  Eric St. Vaughn made his much-anticipated in-ring debut as part of a tag team and lost.  The Ego Robert Anthony defended his Heavyweight title against visiting superstar Matt Hardy and won.  Those are just some of the highlights.  My full report on the evening of fun can be found at "Resistance Pro (and Johngy) Came Back to the South Side" on the Oak Lawn Patch site.

After the fantastic night, we landed interviews with three stars of R Pro.  First up was JohngysBeat.com's resident heel Scott Beatty talking to Chris Hall.  Hall talked about how he got into wrestling, his wrestling dream match and more.  For more info on Hall, check out Chris "The Madness" Hall on Facebook.

JohngysBeat.com Contributor Extraordinaire and Eric St. Vaughn super-fan Matt Parker landed ESV's first interview after his in-ring debut (tag-teaming with GQ).  ESV discussed his first match, his future and more.  To learn more about him, check out Eric St. Vaughn on Facebook.

I had the honor and pleasure of getting Jay Bradley's last interview before he heads out to TNA Impact.  Bradley talked about his year in R Pro, going to TNA and more.  Congratulations again to Jay.  He deserves it all.  For info and updates on him, go to the Jay Bradley Facebook page.

As always, we totally enjoyed ourselves at the R Pro event.  I would like to once again thank Jacques and Gabe Baron for their hospitality and all of the wrestlers and R Pro family for being great to JohngysBeat.com.

On the Beat with Resistance Pro Wrestling at Wizard World 2012

When Matt and I arrived at Wizard World 2012 for our pre-event meeting of official video bloggers, we put in our claim for the Resistance Pro Wrestling booth.  Who would be better at talking to the R Pro family than Matt and me, sort of the odd cousins of the family.  Because of our previous work with R Pro, the fine folks at Wizard World handed the R Pro duties to us.
We started off by talking to Jacques Baron, who along with brother Gabe, is the man behind Resistance.  Jacques is a cool guy who has welcomed us with open arms.  We have seen R Pro grow in so many great ways in less than a year.  Jacques is certainly responsible for a lot of that success.  Check out ResistancePro.com to learn more about this exciting wrestling organization.

While Eric St. Vaughn has yet to make his wrestling debut, his presence at ringside is certainly noticed.  He also has a large contingent of fans at every event especially the Johngy's Beat crew.  We look forward to watching his career develop.  To follow him and get his updates, check out the Eric St. Vaughn Facebook page.

R Pro's Women's Champ Melanie Cruise has held the belt since Day 1 of R Pro.  She is one of our favorite interview subjects.  For more info on Melanie and to follow her career, check out Melanie Cruise's Facebook page.

Nikki St. Johnstarted in R Pro as an associate of Melanie Cruise.  Now Nikki is gunning for Melanie's title.  Another of our favorites, Nikki shows her big heart with her work for the Animal House Shelter in Huntley (IL).  Go to Nikki St. John's Facebook page to keep up with all things Nikki.

"The Ego" Robert Anthony has been involved in some of R Pro's most memorable matches.  The Ego definitely has a bright future.  To learn more about him and keep updated, go to the Robert Anthony Facebook page.

Jay Bradley is one of the first breakout stars at R Pro.  Jay puts on 5 star matches with everyone he faces and is currently in the thick of the title picture.  Jay is bound for stardom.  Follow him on the Jay Bradley Facebook page.

Michael Bradley is part-comedian, part wrestler-in-training and an all around great guy.  Like all members of the R Pro family, he is all over the place at each event.  Check out Michael Bradley's Facebook page to keep up with his latest activities.

Jacques Baron and brother Gabe are the men behind Resistance Pro Wrestling.  These guys work tirelessly to put out the best product possible.  They are definitely "hands-on" and highly visible and active at each event.  They have been great to JohngysBeat.com since the beginning and we love the entire R Pro family.  Head over to ResistancePro.com to learn all about this exciting wrestling company!

Resistance Pro is having their next event, "Just a Game", tomorrow night at Excalibur in Chicago (IL).  Gene Snitsky is on the card, Johngy's Beat will be in the audience and you should be there, too!

On the Beat at Resistance Pro's Taken By Force

At Resistance Pro's "Taken By Force", JohngysBeat.com's Scott Beatty handled the interview duties solo, as Johngy was off in Canada covering the Toronto Blue Jays.  Scott was able to round up four talents who had previously not been interviewed by Johngy's Beat.
First up is the #1 contender, Lonesome Jay Bradley.  Bradley is one of the most popular wrestlers at R Pro.  He has bided his time and is primed for a title run.  After watching our introduction interview, check out Jay Bradley's Facebook page to keep current on his activities.

Josephus Brody is a relative newcomer to R Pro, but he is already making a big impact.  We look for Brody to insert himself into the title picture in the very near future.  Watch the Brody interview and then head over to Jocephus Brody's Facebook page to learn more and keep updated.

Next up is the high-flying Mr. 450.  We have been trying to land an interview with this young star for a while.  A noted high-flier, Mr. 450 can also battle the big guys.  After you watch the interview, check out Mr. 450's Facebook page to get all news on him.

Michael Bradley is not a wrestler, but he is definitely part of the R Pro family.  He also can do a pretty good kip up, as witnessed on the T3 Universe.  Bradley's real skill is humor and he is very funny.  You can look for him at R Pro and on the comedy scene.  After you watch the interview, check out Michael Bradley's Facebook page to learn more about this very talented man.

Resistance Pro's next show, called "Fair Warning", is Friday July 27 at the Teamster Auditorium in Chicago (IL).  Wrestling superstar John Morrison will also be there and will surely get involved in some way.  Go to ResistancePro.com for all of the detail and to get tickets.