The Return of Mr. Ricolo

At Elk Grove Rotary Fest, the opening bits of I Was Made for Lovin' You by Kiss rang out and the crowd erupted because we knew what that meant. Mr. Ricolo was back!

Ricolo is a longtime ring announcer on the independent wrestling scene. I don't know if anyone has been active longer, but nobody does it better than Ricolo.

In recent years, Ricolo has experienced health issues. After several hospital stays, a liver transplant, lots of rehab and more, Ricolo looks and sounds great.

As I have written previously, Ricolo is one of the very first folks on the inside who helped me get my first interviews in wrestling. His family has been awesome to me. Reguular wrestling fans know his family, although I will keep kayfabe (secret) about it all.

Despite ridiculous heat and humidity, Ricolo stayed strong, announcing throughout the show. The voice, energy and professionalism were completely back.

I am happy to see Ricolo doing well. I am grateful for his help and his friendship. Long live Ricolo!

Mr. Riccolo and me in Elk Grove Village, IL-July 2025.

Congratulations Mr. Ricolo

Mr, Ricolo (aka The Hair Extraordinaire) recently had a major health scare. After a battle with liver issues, Ricolo was fortunate enough to receive a liver transplant.

Ricolo has been on the wrestling scene for many years. He is one of the best and most active ring announcers in the Chicago area. If you hear "I Was Made for Loving You" by Kiss at the start of a show, you know Ricolo is headed to the ring and it will be a fun time.

Ricolo was one of the first people I met at an indy wrestling show. His wife introduced me to him. Most folks know who his wife and kids are, although it's a bit of a secret outside of the wrestling world, not a very well-kept secret though.

One of the great things about Ricolo's battle was seeing the wrestling community rally around him. Whether it was just sharing and posting on social media or getting tested for liver compatibility, folks were very active. When Ricolo left the hospital, you could almost hear the cheer across social media.

I am so glad Ricolo is on the way to recovery and will be around for a long time. God bless you, Ricolo!

Mr. Ricolo and me in Rockford, IL-Spring 2024.

The Legendary Mr. Ricolo

I first met Mr. Ricolo about 12 years ago. Immediately upon witnessing him as the ring announcer, I knew he was special and I needed to interview him. My first interview with him is at On the Beat With Mr. Ricolo.

Affectionately called "The Hair Extraordinaire," Mr. Ricolo entertains fans for several wrestling companies. From the moment his music (I Was Made for Loving You, by Kiss), Ricolo is a ball of energy and gets the crowd fired up. Every ring announcer has a special style, but Ricolo is one of the most unique and definitely one of the most popular and successful.

In addition to his ring announcing, Ricolo is a great ambassador. He works the crowd before the events and mingles with all after the show. You can tell he loves what he does and he legitimately loved the fans and wrestling.

There are a lot of wrestling companies in the Chicago area. Just know, if you see Mr. Ricolo at any of the events, it will be a fun night.

Mr. Ricolo and me in Lombard, IL-June 2023.

The Hair Extraordinaire

One of my first independent wrestling shows was a POWW event. The ring announcer had a beautiful, but unusual hair style. He entered the ring and quickly had the crowd in his hands. He was magic on the mic. Mr. Ricolo was clearly unique.

Our interview with him can be found at On the Beat With Mr. Ricolo. It will give you a small sample of the Ricolo experience.

Over the years, I have seen Ricolo at many events. He is a great ring announcer and ambassador for the sport. A good ring announcer adds to the fun, without overshadowing the wrestlers. This is exactly what Ricolo does.

It's not my place to break kayfabe, but if you know Ricolo well, you probably now all about his family. If you go to any event where Ricolo is, chances are you'll see a few family members with him. They are quite a fun family. Mom is a real sweetheart and the kids are cool.

Ricolo is a great combination of old school and modern. He is a throwback in many ways, but he is highly relatable in today's wrestling. H adapts. He keeps up. He is pure entertainment and I am proud to know him and call him a friend.

I don't see Ricolo much these days. Fortunately, when we do see each other, it's still two old friends reconnecting. Once wrestling resumes, I hope to see Ricolo again this year. When it comes to ring announcing, nobody can compare to the Hair extraordinaire.

Mr. Riccolo and me in Addison, IL-November 2019.

Friendly Encounters: Scott Beatty Meets Mr. Ricolo

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

Scott Beatty (my partner in crime on the Wrestle Beat YouTube show) would argue who is the celebrity and who is the friend in this picture.  It pains me at times to say Scott is my friend.  It would pain me to say he is also a bit of a celebrity (thanks to Johngy's Beat), except for the fact that I am a bigger celebrity.  Scott can't argue that point (especially since I control the content here).
Scott runs AU Sports Memorabilia in Morton Grove (IL).  It is the best place to find any baseball cards (other sports, too), along with programs, autographs, pictures and much more, including Scott, unfortunately.
As I mentioned, Scott is also my co-host on Wrestle Beat, a mostly weekly YouTube show where we provide pre-game and post-game shows on the various independent wrestling events in the Chicago area.  It is a work-in-progress, but we think it is getting better and better.
We must be doing something right, because indy companies like POWW, Blitz, Resistance Pro and PCW have all been behind us.  It was at a recent POWW event, where Scott met up again with our friend Mr. Ricolo, the POWW ring announcer and the Hair Extraordinaire.
Ricolo is a great announcer.  He is full of lively, energetic and full of fun.  He can really get a crowd going (unlike Scott, who gets a crowd leaving).
POWW puts on a great night of action.  Their next card is scheduled for this Saturday, August 18, in Fox Lake.  We'll be there.  Mr. Ricolo will be there.  Maybe you can get all three of us in a picture.  Check POWWEntertainment.com for all of the details.

Scott Beatty and Mr. Ricolo in Tinley Park, IL-July 2012.

On the Beat with Mr. Ricolo of POWW

A good ring announcer can have a big impact on the mood of the crowd at a wrestling event.  You need the right amount of energy, flair and enthusiasm.  Some of the better ones over the years include Howard Finkel, Lillian Garcia and Michael Buffer.  POWW Entertainment's Mr. Ricolo ranks right up there with those.
Ricolo is the voice of POWW and "the Hair Extraordinaire".  He also has a world-class mustache to go with that extraordinary hair.  Mr. Ricolo is much more than just a great head of hair though.
As the night begins, Ricolo circles the ring, engaging fans with banter and high-five's.  Then it is showtime, as he climbs into the ring and starts the introduction of the first wrestlers.  Like the other great announcers, Ricolo is entertaining without stealing the show.  Even his sponsorship mentions or his general announcements are entertaining.  (Extra props to Ricolo for introducing Johngys Beat staffers Scott Beatty and me to the crowd).

Beatty (whose hair is only ordinary, but his style is to be admired) conducted an interview with Ricolo prior to the recent POWW show.  Ricolo talked about becoming an announcer, favorite wrestlers from his youth and more.
Your next chance to meet Ricolo and experience a night of POWW Entertainment is tonight in Elk Grove.  The featured match is Ruff Crossing defending his POWW title against the recently-returned Eric Freedom.

After you watch the interview, head over to Mr. Ricolo's Facebook page to learn more about Ricolo  and to get updates.  Also, as always, head over to POWWEnttertainment.com and the POWW Facebook page to learn all about this exciting wrestling company.