The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast - Ep. 84: Joey Knetter - Brute 1976

On the latest episode of The Johngy "OR ELSE Podcast, Tommy Else and I interview Joey Knetter, a film maker, author, writer and more. He's also a long time friend from many conventions.

I first met Joey about 15 years ago at a horror convention. He was promoting a movie project. Since then, I interviewed him a few times, but never at length. He also indulged me once when I asked him to allow some youngsters to interview him. They still talk about that and I appreciated his willingness to do it.

That shouldn't be a surprise. He is a great guy. Everyone knows he is massively talented and creative, but he is also one of the most genuine and cool people I know. That is saying a lot considering all he has endured. Joe gets into a little of that story in our interview, but suffice it to say, he has dealt with a lot of physical issues for a long time and recently had some other issues not of his own doing.

The main topic of the interview is Brute 1976, Joey's latest film project. A true homage to horror films of the 70s, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, it is not just blood and guts. The background story Joe tells makes it even more interesting. Other good news is there will be a Brute 1986 and Joe promised to return for an update interview when that is released.

At the end of the interview, I thanked Joe for all over the years and asked about his health. I figured it would be up to him how much he disclosed. He was very open about all of it, most of which I knew, but Tommy did not. Tommy later said hearing Joe's journey was one of his favorite parts of the interview and he gained a whole new level of respect for him/

The interview is at The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast. Also, look for Joe on social media to follow all of his projects.

Pinfalls: WWE Clash in Paris

Tomorrow, TKO and the WWE present Clash in Paris, the last PPV (or PLE) under the current system. Moving forward, WWE programming, including PPVs will move to different platforms at a much higher cost.

On Pinfalls: WWE Clash in Paris, my podcast partner Tommy Else and I do our usual analysis of the matches and make our predictions. Tommy has a three win lead on me this year and a two win lifetime lead. With about 250 predictions over five years, that is pretty close, but kudos to Tommy for his edge.

On this special Pinfalls though, we spend the first half discussing the new WWE arrangement and discussing the future of Pinfalls. This will be our last WWE PPV predictions show, as we firmly believe in #boycottWWE, Pinfalls will continue in some way.

For now, make your predictions and watch Pinfalls: WWE Clash in Paris to see ours. Enjoy the show and let us know your thoughts.

The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast - Ep. 82 : "Mickie Knuckles"

The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast finally returned and we did it in a big way. We interviewed wrestler Mickie Knuckles, who just released her book. The full interview is at The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast: Mickie Knuckles.

Although still in her prime, Mickie is a legend in wrestling, particularly hardcore wrestling or death matches. Make no mistake though, she isn't limited to just those styles. Those just happen to be her favorites and her expertise.

Tommy and I met Mickie about a decade ago at Resistance Pro Wrestling. Mickie became an RPro Women's champ and main evented several times. Everyone loved her.

As I told her in the interview, previous to interviewing her the first time, I was a bit nervous, based on her hardcore reputation. Once I talked to her, I was immediately relaxed because she was so nice. I don't want to ruin her image, but she really is a sweetheart. Then again, anyone who knows her, knows that.

Mickie's book is available on Amazon and is already #1 in a couple categories. She is open and brutally honest about her life and career. It isn't always an easy read, because of what Mickie has endured, but it is a fantastic read. You don't have to be a wrestling fan to appreciate Mickie's book. It's a story of survival, determination and success.

Interviewing Mickie here was heart-warming. It had been a long time, but it felt like old times at RPro. The best part is Mickie looked and sounded great and said she felt great.

Watch our interview and then buy her book. You will love her and the book like Tommy and I do.

Pinfalls: WWE SummerSlam

WWE SummerSlam is today. That also means Pinfalls is back. My The Johngy "OR ELSE" podcast partner Tommy Else and I analyze the 12 matches and predict the winners.

Inow trail Tommy by two wins this year and one lifetime. I do not give out spoilers, but with 12 matches, there is a good chance for some disagreements.

Make your predictions. Then, watch our video at Pinfalls: WWE SummerSlam.

Pinfalls: WWE Evolution

WWE Evolution is back tomorrow. The all-women's event returns after a several year absence and I am happy about that.

My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I analyze the card and make our predictions. I still trail Tommy by one win this year, but in our fifth year of Pinfalls, we are tied overall.

Make your picks and then watch Pinfalls: WWE Evolution to see ours. Check back here for more coverage.

Pinfalls: WWE Night of Champions

WWE Night of Champions is tonight. My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Elese and I analyze the card and make our predictions.

Check the video at Pinfalls: WWE Night of Champions. Make your picks and see how you do against us.

Pinfalls: WWE Money in the Bank

Pinfalls returns with a deep dive into WWE Money in the Bank, which airs today. My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I made our predictions and added some other topics to the discussion.

There are only four scheduled matches:

Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso vs. John Cena & Logan Paul

Women's Intercontinental Champion

Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch

MITB Women's Ladder Match

Solo Sikoa, LA Knight, Seth Rollins, Penta, Andrade and El Grande Americano

MITB Men's Ladder Match

Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, Roxanne Perez, Guila, Naomi and Stephanie Vaquer

Lately Tommy has been building his lead in wins. This year, Tommy is 22-4, while I trail at 19-7, which is still pretty good. Tommy now leads me by two wins lifetime.

We also discussed the R Truth situation. Could it be part of a big storyline or am I just playing booker.

Lastly, we paid tribute to Valhalla, otherwise known as Sarah Logan or Crazy Mary Dobson, our old pal from Resistance Pro. WWE announced they were not renewing her contract. Sarah is enjoying her life, but it i still bittersweet seeing her WWE stint and probably her wrestling career end.

Make your picks and then watch the video at Pinfalls: WWE Money in the Bank. Enjoy the show!

Pinfalls: WWE Backlash

WWE airs Backlash today on the Peacock Network. My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I are back to make our predictions.

Tommy has once again taken the lead on me this year and lifetime. This year, Tommy is 17-4, while I am 15-6 (still really good).

WWE website lists four matches, but other places show five. Either way, we discussed the five.

Undisputed WWE Championship

John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton

Women’s Intercontinental Championship

Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Becky Lynch

Pat McAfee vs. Gunther

United States Championship

Jacob Fatu (c) vs. LA Knight vs. Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre (Fatal 4-Way Match)

WWE Intercontinental Championship

Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. PENTA

We did not agree on everything. We actually even disagreed on the purpose of one of the matches. Watch the video at Pinfalls: WWE Backlash and see how we did. Check back here for our future predictons.

The Taco Salad Tour Continues

After a several month hiatus, The Taco Salad Tour resumed a couple weeks ago. My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I ventured to Alfie's in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

While I do not usually seek out taco salads, it is one of Tommy's favorite dishes and I am always willing to join an adventure. The the Taco Salad Tour was born. It has taken us to about six spots already, including my nearby staple The Village Inn in Skokie. Tommy gave their taco salad a B, lagging behind his favorite spot near his home.

Another longtime favorite of his, Tommy was delightfully surprised to see a taco salad appear on the menu at Alfie's. The full results can be found at The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast - Ep. 80: "Taco Salad Tour and a Twisted Colon." The two title subjects are not connected.

In a short spoiler, we both gave a high rating to Alfie's taco salad. Tommy admitted a slight misstep in not using their sauce, but he corrected that in a later visit (without me, which raised my ire).

If you're in the Chicago area and you know of a great taco salad or if you own a restaurant with one, let us know and we will give it a try.

Tommy and me in Glen Ellyn, IL-April 2025.

Pinfalls: WWE WrestleMania 41

WWE WrestleMania 41 is later today and tomorrow. The grandaddy of them all is now a two day event, much to the disdain of my The Johngy "OR ELSE" podcast Tommy Else and I. Nevertheless, we forge forward and recorded Pinfalls.

The big matches are John Cena versus Cody Rhodes and a Triple Threat of Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns, but we cover all matches. We agreed on most, but did have some differences in winners, developments and aftermaths.

Tommy has once again pulled into a lifetime tie with me. This year, he is 7-2, while I am 6-3. 

You can watch the episode at Pinfalls: WWE WrestleMania 41. Make your picks and see how you do against us.

Pinfalls: WWE Elimination Camber 2025

WWE's Elimination Chamber event return this Saturday. That means my The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Ese and I return with another edition of Pinfalls.

The Elimination Chamber airs live on the Peacock Network at 6 p.m. CST on Saturday. It is being held at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada.

There are four matches and one additional segment:

The Rock is coming to WWE Elimination Chamber to see if Cody Rhodes will agree to be 'his champion'

Men's Elimination Chamber Match

Women's Elimination Chamber Match

Tiffany Stratton & Trish Stratus vs. Nia Jax & Candice LeRae

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (Unsanctioned Match)

I never reveal our picks outside of the video, but we did have dome disagreement in outcome and situations. I thought this was a fairly preidctable show, but maybe the WWE will surprise me. 

Make your picks and watch Pinfalls: WWE Elimination Chamber to see how yours compare to ours. Feel free to leave your picks in the comments.

Pinfalls: WWE Royal Rumble 2025

Let's get ready to rumble! My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I are definitely ready to rumble and so is the WWE.

The WWE Royal Rumble is Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana starting at 5 p.m. CST on Netflix. This will be the 38th annual Royal Rumble. In 1988, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan won the first Royal Rumble. Last year Cody Rhodes won the Men's Rumble by eliminating CM Punk. Asuka won the first Women's Royal Rumble in 2018, while Bayley won last year by eliminating Liv Morgan. No woman has ever won twice, but several could accomplish that feat this year.

There are four matches on the card:

Men's Royal Rumble

Women's Royal Rumble

Undisputed WWE Championship (Ladder Match)

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens

WWE Tag Team Championship (2 of 3 falls)

DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampo (c) vs. Motor City Machine Gun (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)

Being the first event of the year, Tommy and I start fresh in our battle. I won in 2021 and last year, while Tommy took 2022-23, but I hold a slim one win lead lifetime.

Make your predictions, watch the video here and see how you do against us. Check theeverydayfan.com wrestling coverage.

The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast - Ep. 79: "Chris Bournea Returns"

Film maker Chris Bournea returned to the Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast to discuss his latest project, Tommy Else and I asked Chris all about Things Are Tough All Over, his recently screened movie.

Previously, Chris joined us to discuss Lady Wrestler, his documentary about African American women wrestling pioneers of the 1950's and '60s. Having thoroughly enjoyed that doc, and believing in the work Chris does, we wanted to share his latest project with our listeners and viewers.

Things Are Tough All Over is the story of a family in Chicago in 2008. The family faces and deals with various hurdles, including the recession.

Chris gave us a great look into the movie and we look forward to seeing it and having him return for another round of questions.

Find our interview at The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast - Ep. 79: "Chris Bournea Returns." Also, look for Chris on social media dn my updates here.

Pinfalls: WWE Survivor Series 2024

WWE Survivor Series airs at 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on the Peacock Network. As always, my The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I analyze the card and make our predictions.

There are five matches scheduled:

WarGames Match

Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, The Usos & CM Punk vs. Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa & "Big" Bronson Reed (WarGames Match)

World Heavyweight Champion

Gunther (c) vs. Damian Priest

WarGames Match

Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Bayley, Naomi & IYO SKY vs. Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez, Tiffany Stratton & Candice LeRae

United States Champion

LA Knight (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Champion - Triple Threat

Bron Breakker (c) vs. Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser

For the yar, Tommy is a stellar 43-21. I, however, lead him by five wins at 48-16. This also gibes me a two win lifetime lead.

Make your picks, watch our video and see how we all do.

Pinfalls: WWE Crown Jewel 2024

WWE Crown Jewel 2024 airs today at noon (CST). Emanating from the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, it is the sixth Crown Jewel event.

Debuting in 2018, Crown Jewel has been held every year except 2020 (due to the pandemic). Part of a 10-year partnership in support of Saudi Vision 2030, the event's name refers to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

Once again, my The Johngy “OR ELSE” Podcast partner Tommy Else and I analyze the card and make our predictions. Tommy still trails me by four wins this year. I also have a slim one win lifetime win over him.

In the past, I have been critical of Crown Jewel. I don't mind it being a cash grab, but I hate matches potentially added and decided because of the audience. The WWE should be above that. This year, the Crown Jewel championships have been added. 

That brings a lot of questions. Will the championships be defended? If so, will they only be defended yearly at the Crown Jewel event? I lean towards liking it only defended annually at Crown Jewel. My only reservation is having a “champ” of every event. WWE already has King of the Ring and Royal Rumble. This makes a third event title. Still, it is better than creating a new title to be defending with too  numerous other titles. 

Aside from that title giving meaning to two of the matches, the other ones don't seem as random as usual. This feels lie a regular WWE Premium Live Event.

It is a loaded card with seven matches:

Six-Man Tag Team Match

Roman Reigns & The Usos vs. The Bloodline

Men's Crown Jewel Championship

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes vs. World Heavyweight Champion Gunther

Women's Crown Jewel Championship

WWE Women's Champion Nia Jax vs. Women's World Champion Liv Morgan

Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. "Big" Bronson Reed

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

United States Championship

LA Knight (c) vs. Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes (Triple Threat Match) 

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair (c) vs. Kairi Sane & IYO SKY vs. Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson vs. Chelsea Green & Piper Niven (Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match)

Make your predictions and then watch our video at Pinfalls: WWE Crown Jewel 2024 to see how we compare. Enjoy the show..

Pinfalls: WWE Bad Blood 2024

My The Johngy “OR ELSE” Podcast partner Tommy Else and I are back with Pinfalls: WWE Bad Blood 2024. As usual, we delve into the matches and storylines, ultimately predicting the winners and potential aftermath situations.

Bad Blood will air live on the Peacock Network today at 5 p.m. CST. It is being held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Bad Street U.S.A. Will celebrate the return of WWE producer Michael P.S. Hayes.

Debuting as Badd Blood in October 1997, as part of the In Your House pay-per-view series. It returned six years later, renamed Bad Blood, as its own PPV for a two-year run before disappearing again. This year, it returns after a two decade absence.

As has been the case with many of the Premium Live Events under the Paul Levesque reign, there are five matches on the card (at least of our Tuesday recording). Those matches are:

Damian Priest vs. Finn Bálor

Women’s World Championship

Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley

(with "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio suspended above the ring in a shark cage)

Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu

WWE Women’s Championship

Nia Jax vs. Bayley

Hell in a Cell

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

While Tommy and I agree these are solid matches, we also feel this is more of a filler event to carry the WWE to the next big event, Survivor Series. (While Crown Jewel is next, Survivor Series is one of the four big WWE PLEs.)

Going into Bad Blood, I lead Tommy by four wins this year and have retaken the lifetime lead by one year. Bad Blood gives us five chances to change the stats, but I never spoil our picks here. You have to watch the video to learn what we predict.

Make your picks and then watch our video to see how yours compares with ours. Then enjoy Bad Blood on Saturday and return to theeverydayfan.com for recaps and more wrestling coverage.

Pinfalls: WWE Bash in Berlin

WWE presents Bash in Berlin streaming live on today, at noon CST on Peacock. Airing from Uber Arena, it will feature wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brands.

On Pinfalls: WWE Bash in Berlin, my The Johngy “OR ELSE” Podcast partner Tommy Else and I delve into the match card. We analyze the matches, predict the outcomes and discuss possible aftermaths. For the year, I'm up three wins on Tommy, but lifetime, we are tied.

There are five matches on the card:

Undisputed WWE Championship

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens

World Heavyweight Championship

Gunther (c) vs. Randy Orton

Mixed Tag Team Match

Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley vs. "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan

Strap Match

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship

The Unholy Union (c) vs. Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill

Make your picks and watch Pinfalls: WWE Bash in Berlin to see how they compare with ours. Enjoy WWE Bash in Berlin and check back theeverydayfan.com for recaps and more wrestling content.

Pinfalls: WWE Money in the Bank 2024

WWE Money in the Bank airs later today from Scotia Bank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As with every WWE Premium Live Event (PLE, formerly known as Pay-Per-Views or PPVs), my The Johngy "OR ELSE" podcast partner Tommy Else and I are back with Pinfalls. this time, Tommy surprised me with a special guest analyst. Joining us was Scotty "Wonder Boy" Steiner.

Scott, who happens to share his name with Big Poppa Pump, is an old mutual friend from our days together at Resistance Pro Wrestling. A longtime, knowledgeable wrestling fan, as well as a great guy, Scotty was a welcome special guest.

As with most PLEs in the Paul Levesque era, MitB features only five matches:

Intercontinental Championship

Sami Zayn (c) vs. Bron Breakker

Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Jey Uso, Carmelo Hayes, Drew McIntyre, Andrade, Chad Gable, LA Knight

Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Iyo Sky, Chelsea Green, Taya Valkyrie, Tiffany Stratton, Zoey Stark, Naomi

World Heavyweight Championship

Damian Priest (c) vs. Seth "Freakin" Rollins

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline

With a good showing at the last PLE, Tommy has tied me (28-12) for the year. He now holds a three win advantage lifetime though.

Make your predictions and then watch Pinfalls: WWE Money in the Bank 2024 to see how yours compare to ours. Be sure to check theeverydayfan.com for MitB recap and other great wrestling coverage..

Pinfalls: WWE Clash at the Castle 2024

WWE Clash at the Castle airs later today at 11 a.m. CST from OVO Hydro Glasgow, Scotland. The recurring United Kingdom premium live event debuted in September 2022 in Cardiff, Wales.

That means Pinfalls returns, with my The Johngy “OR ELSE” podcast partner Tommy Else and I analyzing the card and predicting the outcomes. I am ahead of Tommy by one win on the year, although he holds a two win advantage lifetime.

There are five matches scheduled, all championship bouts:

World Heavyweight Championship

Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre

WWE Women's Championship

Bayley vs. Piper Niven

Intercontinental Championship

Sami Zayn vs. Chad Gable

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship

Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill vs. Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn vs. Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark

Undisputed WWE Championship-"I Quit" Match

Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles

Make your picks, watch Pinfalls and then enjoy Clash at the Castle. Then, check theeverydayfan.com for more wrestling coverage.

Pinfalls: WWE King and Queen of the Ring 2024

Pinfalls is back. This time, my The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Timmy Else and I delve into WWE King and Queen of the Ring.

The PPV airs Saturday, May 25 at noon CST from Saudi Arabia. There are five scheduled matches, although at he time of recording, the final participants in the King and Queen matches had yet to be determined. (That happened last night on SmackDown.) Still, Tommy and I forged ahead and made all of our picks.

The matches are:

Undisputed WWE Champion

Cody Rhodes vs. United States Champion Logan Paul

Women’s World Champion

Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan

The 2024 King and Queen of the Ring Tournament

Lyra Valkyria vs. Bianca Belair or Nia Jax (TBD)

Gunther vs. Tama Tonga or Randy Orton (TBD)

Intercontinental Champion (Triple Threat Match)

Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed

Make your picks and watch Pinfalls to see what we picked. Then, enjoy the PPV to see how we all do.

The video can be found at Pinfalls: WWE King and Queen of the Ring. Also, see more coverage on theeverydayfan.com.