Artist AJ Moore at Squared Circle Expo

Every year, I attend Squared Circle Expo, a fantastic wrestling convention. In addition to all of the great wrestlers there, I see many cool vendors and creators, such as artist AJ Moore.

Because I only get to see AJ every year at SCX, I spend a lot of time checking out his new creations. His artwork is awesome and it isn't all wrestling-related. He delves into the world of pop culture, too.

As for the wrestling art, it's incredible. Hi subjects range from the young Skye Blue to the legendary John Cena and all in between. My only problem is I would love all of them. My whole condo would be lined with his artwork.

Another benefit is he is a really cool guy, too. He's up for a chat about wrestling or anything else. He's as engaging and fun as his art.

The next SCX is April 18-19, 2025. I already made my plans for SCX V and I would bet AJ will be there, too.

For more info on AJ, go to artistajmoore.com. Also, check squaredcirclex.com to check out this great event.

AJ Moore and me in Indianapolis, IN-March 2024.

Talking Travel with Adam McArthur

I interviewed actor Adam McArthur for my latest Talking Travel interview on Global Traveler. McArthur does standard acting, voice overs and is also the voice of video games.

His versatility and connection to some major entertainment franchises make him very popular at comic cons and other celebrity conventions. His work also leads him to a lot of travel. Known world-wide could have an impact on one's travel, but being anonymous in voice overs helps Adam a bit.

Kevin talked about his career and travel implications in our interview. He also discussed his appearances at comic cons.

Look for the interview video and recap on Global Traveler at Talking Travel with Adam McArthur. Also, go to Adam-mcarthur.com for more info on Adam. Lastly, please subscribe to the Global Traveler YouTube channel for all sorts of interesting travel content (and to help my job security LOL).

Friend Encounters: Konnan and JD

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

John Dean is another pal from years of crossing paths at wrestling events and comic cons. He has me beat with musicians and actors though. Today, I feature JD with one of the most famous wrestlers, especially south of the border.

Konnan is a wrestling legend in Mexico. He also enjoyed success in the U.S. in World Championship Wrestling and TNA/Impact Wrestling and had a short stint in the WWE. In addition to earning many titles, Konnan helped many other Mexican wrestlers find spots in the U.S. and helped them once here. 

Unfortunately, Konnan has experienced health issues in his recent years, including having a hip replacement.

John has me beaten with Konnan. I have never met the legend. Even though he has this one on me, I am still happy to see John doing what he loves.

Konnan and John in Waukesha, WI-December 2023.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #686 Blake Martinez & D.J. Wilson

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series in which I create virtual trading cards for celebrities wearing sports jerseys. Today I continue marching alphabetically through all MLB teams.

Born in Arizona, Blake Martinez starred at Stanford University. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. In 2017, he tied for the NFL lead in tackles. He is currently a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. For his Celebrity Jersey Card, Martinez wore his familiar number 46, most notably worn by former pitcher Jerry Augustine.

Born in California, DeVante Jaylen (D.J.) Wilson starred on the basketball court at the University of Michigan. After being selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft, Wilson went on to a five year career. He currently plays in the NBA G League. While at a Brewers game, Wilson was joined by Ryan Braun for a Celebrity Jersey Card.

Pinfalls: WWE Backlash 2024

My "The Johngy 'OR ELSE' Podcast" partner Tommy Else and I are back with Pinfalls: WWE Backlash 2024. The premium lie event airs at 11:30 am CST from France.

As usual, Tommy and I analyze the matches and make our predictions. Although I lead this year and Tommy has won the last two years, we somehow are tied at 93-62 lifetime.

There are five matches announced for Backlash:

Undisputed WWE Championship

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. AJ Styles

World Heavyweight Championship

Damian Priest (c) vs. Jey Uso

Triple threat match for the WWE Women's Championship

Bayley (c) vs. Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship

The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) (c) vs. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill

Randy Orton and Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga)

Check TheEveryDayFan.com for the full story and for more wrestling coverage. Enjoy the show and see how we all do.

Rayven Peeples of St. John's

The women's college basketball season is fast approaching. Once again, I will be covering DePaul and Loyola. 

One of my favorite things is seeing great players from other teams. Last year, one of those players was Rayven Peeples of St. John's.

Peeples was a redshirt senior, meaning it would be my last chance to see her. From Detroit, MI, the 6'3" forward averaged 25 games per season, scoring 6.7 points per game, with 7.8 rebounds.

After the game, as I headed out from the media room, I crossed paths with Peeples. Of course, I had to ask for a picture. She was extremely nice. We briefly chatted and I wished her luck after St. John's. I heard she is playing in the Euro League, but I cannot find any info on that.

Go to RedStormSports.com for more info on St. John's. Check back here for my recurring women's college basketball coverage.

Rayven Peeples and me in Chicago, IL-January 2023.

Tom Richmond at New York Comic Con 2021

It's not too early to discuss New York Comic Con. Running October 17-20 in NYC, it is one of the biggest comic cons in the world.

Creator Tom Richmond is one of the first folks from Artist Alley I ever interviewed and befriended. Whether he likes it or not, I always visit Tom's booth at any comic con. I'm fairly sure he's okay with my presence. If you've seen Tom, you would know he certainly could toss me away from his booth. LOL

Tom is a great guy. Most-known for his work on Mad Magazine, Tom is a master caricaturist. He even has occasional clinics where he teaches the art of caricaturing.

I've thought about taking his course, but I don't have much inherent talent and I would rather see that spot go to a fledgling young artist.

I always look forward to catching up with Tim. I especially like it now that masks are no longer mandatory at cons..

Go to TomRichmond.com for the latest on Tom and his art. Check NewYorkComicCon.com for updates and scheduling on NYCC.

Tom Richmond and me in New York, NY-October 2021.

Introducing Chris Holtmann DePaul MBSK Coach

While at a DePaul softball game, I was introduced to new DePaul men's basketball coach Chris Holtmann. You never know who you might meet.

After his playing career at Brescia College and Taylor University, Holtmann started his coaching career as a grad assistant at Taylor. He joined Webb as an assistant in 2003 and became head coach there in 2010. After a stint at Butler, he coached Ohio State 2017-2024. Last month, he took over the DePaul MBSK program.

All signs indicate Holtmann was a good choice, but any even casual fan knows he has a lot of work ahead of him. DePaul has been pretty bad for most of the last 50 years. There is no reason for their mediocrity. Chicago is a world class city. DePaul should be one of the best NCAA teams. They aren't even the best in Chicago. 

The only downside of playing for the Blue Demons is Wintrust Arena. It's a great facility, but it's a bit difficult for students to attend games. It's a few miles south, going directly through downtown, much less desirable than a short walk on campus.

Stadium issues excluded, Holtmann needs to build a winner at DePaul. As an alum, I would love something to cheer at my alma mater.

Welcome to Chicago, Coach Holtmann. Good luck!

Chris Holtmann and me in Chicago, IL-April 2024.

Absurdities: WNBA Jerseys

 Absurdities is a recurring series in which I feature things I find absurd.

Recently, social media was buzzing after the WNBA draft. Posts were made and shared about Kamilla Cardosa and Angel Reese selling more jerseys than the entire Dallas Cowboys team did last year. That's an amazing statistic for a women's sports league too often criticized, underrated and under-covered. It was also stated about highly-touted Caitlin Clark.

Unfortunately, it is not true. Never let a good story get in the way of facts, though.

According to Fanatics, producer and seller of jerseys, the report was "not true/inaccurate." It took me about 10 seconds on a Google search to find that.

Before I get backlash for being anti-WNBA or anti-women's sports, I am completely the opposite. I have probably been to more women's sports events than men's in my life. I do so as a writer, but I do so voluntarily.

Since I am pro-women's sports, why would I attack this claim? Blatant inaccuracies like these hinder women's sports more than help. Casual observers will applaud this "achievement," yet I doubt many will actually pay more attention to the WNBA. True fans will immediately know the claim is wrong. Then it puts other claims into question. Attendance numbers? TV ratings? 

What is real. Maybe none of it matters anymore. Much like when wrong words (irregardless) are repeated enough, they become accepted as part of the language, even included in dictionaries, this claim has become fact. It might now be fact, but it isn't accurate.

Friend Encounters: Regan Lydale and Mike Pankow

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Today features a veteran and a youngin'. That would be Mike Pankow and Regan Lydale, respectively.

Mike is a veteran journalist and the creator of Windy City Slam, a wrestling news site and podcast. Mike has done so much work in wrestling, he is a celebrity in his own right. Everyone knows when Mike is on the scene, it is a big event.

Regan is the youngster, with barely a year on her professional resume, but several years of actual wrestling training. I have known Regan for a long time and have watched her progress, which has been amazing. First trained by my pal Tommy Else, then with the Freelance Academy, Regan has worked hard on her overall skill set and it shows. She is already very popular with the crowd, while ever-improving in the ring. She still has a way to go, only because she is so young, but she is way ahead of most her age.

I encourage everyone to checkout Regan on social media and wrestling events. Also, go to WindyCitySlam.com to see Mike's great coverage.

Mike Pankow and Regan Lydale in Joliet, IL-March 2024.