Happy National Pro Wrestling Day

Today is National Pro Wrestling Day.  I kid you not.  It really is.

While there are a few people whom I would like to wrestle in honor of National Wrestling Day, I am not sure what the protocol is for celebrating this day.  Therefore, I am on my own.  In light of this, I will just present some of the sights of my last year of covering the Chicago area independent wrestling scene.

My wrestling coverage really started with Resistance Pro Wrestling.  Brothers Jacques and Gabe Baron and the entire R Pro crew have been totally awesome to me.  We have gotten unprecedented access and complete cooperation at all R Pro events.  I love the Baron families and the whole extended R Pro family.

My partner in crime on most of the wrestling coverage has been Scott Beatty.  Whether he is the heel of a host on an internet show or interview segment or whether he is just my bud Scott, he is always good for a laugh (or an argument).  It is always interesting around Scott.  At Premier Pro Wrestling, we got to have some fun in the ring after the show.

Pro Wrestling Blitz's owner Tony Scarpone is a great guy.  He loves the coverage we give Blitz.  Really he does.  He has often shown me how much he appreciates what we do.

POWW's Psychotic Jimmy Blaze has always been cooperative to us and has allowed us to roam the floor during events.  Some of his wrestlers have given me good-natured (I think) ribbing (yeah, KC, Trevor and Stonewall, that means you).  Even the fans at POWW recognize the JohngysBeat.com crew.

As I wrote, KC often gives me good-natured ribbing.  Hmm...maybe I need to rethink this.

Even up at Supreme Wrestling Entertainment in Wisconsin, Sexy K.C. ribbed me.  K.C. and Silk E. Fine did leave me $20 for gas money to get home.  I really need to rethink this K.C. situation.

AAW's Tony Rican invited us to cover AAW.  Tony is one of the nicest guys out there.  We only hit one AAW show in 2012, but I know we plan on increasing that number in 2013.

Matt and I even ventured north of the border to attend GLCW's Blizzard Brawl.  It was a great time hanging with Matt and meeting Rikishi, Brian Christopher and Scotty Too Hotty with him was just "Too Cool" to describe.

Last and not least, we made some great friends.  R Pro's Eric St. Vaughn is not a good guy in the ring, but he is always willing to give us an interview or pose with his ESV supporters.  

On the Beat at Pro Wrestling Blitz

Last week, I returned to Joliet and Pro Wrestling Blitz for their "King of Joliet" event.  I really enjoy Blitz's product, but scheduling conflicts prevented me from getting there sooner.
This night seemed electric right from the start.  The crowd was already buzzing, when Mr. Ricolo (Blitz's ring announcer) came out and got them even more wound up.
The card itself was excellent.  There as the 8 man tournament to crown the new King.  Mr. 450 won the tourney by winning his three matches with a different finisher each time.  For the final, he defeated reigning King Zach Thompson via submission.  How unique, cool and old school is that?
One of my favorites, Grin, teamed with Machine in a three tag team bout.  Grin and Machine have a great twisted gimmick and they play it well.  I am not certain they will be able to remain heels for long with the crowd response they got.
Blitz owner Tony Scarpone announced Chazz Moretti as the new Blitz Commissioner.  Moretti defeated Billy Whack through a fan vote (53% to 47%).  This is the first time I have seen Moretti in the good guy role.  He was working his usual magic and the fans are eating up the new Moretti.
In the main event, my guy Ruff Crossing defeated Ryan Slade after chasing him and the title for several months.  As a confirmed Ruffian, I could not have been happier to see Ruff with the gold.
After the win, Ruff celebrated with friends, including wrestlers from elsewhere.  He also made a point to come over to Scott and me.  How good is Ruff?  Scott actually dropped his heel persona for a minute to cheer for the good cowboy!  We even got a quick interview with the new champ.

This was a fantastic night of wrestling.  The matches were exciting and well-paced.  The card flowed well.  I am a big fan of old school wrestling and this was a great example of old school meets new school.  The production quality at Blitz is always top notch.  DJ Bob did an outstanding job with the music and video packages.
I applaud Scarpone and his entire Blitz roster for doing a great job.  Congratulations to Ruff for his title win.  Congrats to the new King, Mr. 450.  This was simply a very entertaining way to end 2012 and I look forward to coming back to Blitz much sooner next time!
For more info on Blitz, head to PWBlitz.com or check out the Pro Wrestling Blitz Facebook page.

Ruff Crossing, Scott Beatty and me in Joliet, IL-December 2012.

On the Beat with Rinaldo Piven of Pro Wrestling Blitz

In the modern era of pro wrestling, the manager position had pretty much disappeared.  There are a few managers in the major feds, but nothing like the old days of Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, Jim Cornette and the rest.
In Pro Wrestling Blitz, one man is trying to change that.  His name is Rinaldo Piven and he is a manager, not just any manager though.  He is THE manager at Pro Wrestling Blitz (and probably anywhere else).  He is the self-proclaimed agent to the stars.  Among others, he is the manager of PW Blitz heavyweight champ Ryan Slade.
Piven is very entertaining.  His work is reminiscent of the old school managers listed above.  It is the subtle nuances that make Piven great at what he does.  He isn't a caricature.
After he "begrudgingly" signed a few autographs, he gave Johngy's Beat a few minutes of his time to talk about his career.  Piven discusses his interest in wrestling, how he got started, his managerial role models and more in the interview.  This is a rare look (and hopefully not the last one) at Piven outside of the ring.
After you watch the video below, you can check out the Rinaldo Piven Facebook page to learn more about him and see updates.  Finally, be sure to check out PWBlitz.com and the Pro Wrestling Blitz Facebook page to get all of the info on this wrestling organization.

On the Beat with Ruff Crossing of Pro Wrestling Blitz

On Monday, we featured Scott Beatty (the Bobby Heenan of Johngy's Beat) meeting Ruff Crossing and giving his initial thoughts on him and Pro Wrestling Blitz.  Today, we will feature the interview Scott conducted with Ruff Crossing for Johngy's Beat.
Billed from Sweet Grass (MT), Ruff Crossing debuted in 2004 and his finisher is the pumphandle pile driver. He is currently one of the good guys at Pro Wrestling Blitz and the crowd is massively behind him.
In the interview, Ruff Crossing discusses why he got into wrestling, the business of wrestling, who he would like to face and more.  We learned a lot about this young star and we hope to continue to learn more and see more of him and Pro Wrestling Blitz.
After you watch the video below, you can check out the Ruff Crossing Facebook page to learn more about him and see updates.  Finally, be sure to check out PWBlitz.com and the Pro Wrestling Blitz Facebook page to get all of the info on this wrestling organization.

On the Beat with Tony Scarpone of Pro Wrestling Blitz

We met Tony Scarpone at a wrestling show and he invited us to attend a Pro Wrestling Blitz event.  As I have written over the last couple days, we attended our first show there last Saturday...and we walked away very impressed.
I will be honest and say I didn't know much about Scarpone or Pro Wrestling Blitz, but I was eager to learn more and experience it all in person.  Scarpone and the entire Pro Wrestling Blitz organization treated us well.  Despite running the show and being involved in two matches, Scarpone still found time to talk to Johngy's Beat to get this relationship started.  Scarpone talked to Scott Beatty (the Bobby Heenan of Johngy's Beat) about owning and running Blitz and what Blitz has to offer fans.  Lastly, Scarpone mentioned that Pro Wrestling Blitz will be at Throttle Fest, the midwest's largest 3 day bike rally, on June 1-3.
We look forward to learning more about Pro Wrestling Blitz as we attend more events in the future.  As we learn, we will present it here and you will learn with us and enjoy the personalities of Pro Wrestling Blitz.
After you watch the video below, you can check out the Tony Scarpone Facebook page to learn more about him and see updates.  Finally, be sure to check out PWBlitz.com and the Pro Wrestling Blitz Facebook page to get all of the info on this wrestling organization.

Friendly Encounters:Scott Beatty Meets Ruff Crossing

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

Today, I am presenting Scott Beatty.  I have previously featured Scott, but mostly in connection to AU Sports, the sports memorabilia store he operates.  Over the last few months, Scott has joined Johngy's Beat to cover some great wrestling action in the Chicago area.
Our most recent adventure took us to Pro Wrestling Blitz in Joliet (IL).  It was our first time there and we were very impressed.  I will be presenting more coverage of that over the next few days, but today, I am giving the floor to Scott, who will give his recap of the night and meeting one of the wrestlers.

Since joining forces with John for...plug coming...JohngysBeat.com..(Happy now, Johngy?), we have met and interviewed dozens of wrestlers.  I have been a wrestling fan since I was six or seven years old and saw Dick "The Bruiser" and Superstar Billy Graham.
This past Saturday, we visited Pro Wrestling Blitz and hooked up with one of their top draws after the show.  He goes by Ruff Crossing, but he is a cowboy of the white hat variety and the crowd popped huge for him.  He was excited to meet us and be introduced to the Johngy's Beat universe.  He was engaging and couldn't have been more pleasant.  (If he turns heel, I will edit this.)  No bull, he is an excellent in-ring performer and I hope we see a lot more of him.  Be sure to check out our interview with Ruff Crossing running here on Wednesday.

Scott's Wrestler Rating:Eight Thumbs Up

You'll be hearing more from Scott in the future as the Johngy's Beat team continues to expand.  In the meantime, please check out pwBlitz.com and the Pro Wrestling Blitz Facebook page for more info on this wrestling organization.  Also, you can learn more about and get updates on Ruff Crossing on his Facebook page.

Scott Beatty and Ruff Crossing in Joliet, IL-May 2012.

On the Beat with DDP at Pro Wrestling Blitz

ProJohngy's Beat took in our first Pro Wrestling Blitz show in Joliet (IL) and we were quite impressed.  We will be running coverage here over the next few days, including pictures, interviews and recaps.  Leading off though is our old friend Diamond Dallas Page, who was a special guest brought in by Blitz.
The lively crowd popped huge for DDP and why not?  The man is a legend   He overcame the odds to become a wrestler.  Then he overcame the odds to become a two time (two time) World Heavyweight champ.  Since mostly retiring from in-ring action, DDP has once again defied the odds and now he is helping others do the same.
DDP is the co-founder of YRG (Yoga for Regular Guys).  It combines yoga, calisthenics, core training and resistance training.  The results are evident in DDP himself.  He has come back from a severe back injury to have the flexibility and strength of someone half his age.
It only begins with DDP though.  His mission is to help others attain the same results.  Unquestionably his greatest testimonial is Arthur Boorman, a disabled veteran of the Gulf War.
Unable to walk, overweight and out of hope, Boorman stumbled upon DDP's YRG.  With a lot of work, determination and communication with DDP, Arthur overcame the odds and his story is one of inspiration and hope.
Arthur's story and the accompanying video can all be found here on DDP's YouTube page.  You can also click on the picture below to get to Arthur's story.

Arthur's story is amazing, but it shouldn't be all that surprising considering DDP is behind it.  DDP doesn't need a self-high five.  Johngy's Beat will always be there to give you an enthusiastic high five!  Apparently the feeling is mutual, too.  In the video below, DDP gives a shout out to Johngy's Beat.
After you watch these videos, be sure to check out DiamondDallasPage.com and DDP's Facebook page to learn more about him and to get updates.  He even gave us a mini-scoop, so check back here often, because we will have the exclusive!
Finally, be sure to check out PWBlitz.com and the Pro Wrestling Blitz Facebook page to get all of the info on this wrestling organization.