Wednesday, February 6, 2019

All Choked Up With Mad Man Pondo and Khloe

Of the hundreds of wrestlers I have met over the years, Mad Man Pondo might be the most surprising to me. As I have previously written, his reputation preceded him to Resistance Pro Wrestling. He was blood, gore and all hardcore. Of course, I knew that was his wrestling persona, but researching him didn't change that image. I knew he appeared in movies, videos, video games and other forms of entertainment and obviously had a life outside of wrestling, but still he had a mad man mystique.
He certainly lived up to that image when I met him at RPro, but I also began seeing another side of Pondo. I saw a veteran of many years of wrestling, who knew the business in and out of the ring and who wanted to help in both areas. While I didn't expect some sort of savage, I also didn't expect him to be so hands-on caring about the talent and the product.
The helper I saw was very gracious, offering bits to anyone and giving a lot more if requested. Pondo never pushed his agenda or his way. Instead, he helped everyone with their role. I honestly can't recall seeing anyone give this much and so quietly.
Wrestling can be a very competitive business. Egos and politics are everywhere, but Pondo slices through it all without ruffling feathers. He's just Pondo and The Resistance is lucky to have him.
Pondo will certainly be on hand this Saturday, when The Resistance returns with Chapter V: New Jack City. You can go to LiveDieResist.org or follow LiveDieResist on Facebook for more info.
At the last show of The Resistance, Tommy Else and I interviewed Pondo and Khloe for The "Or Else" Podcast. Our interview is on YouTube at The "Or Else" Podcast: Mad Man Pondo and Khloe. Pondo talks about his career, hardcore matches, helping out and much more. Khloe also dicusses her start, teaming with Pondo and more.
Of course, Pondo also talked about Memoirs of a Mad Man, his recently released book. I picked up my copy that night and got it signed by Pondo, who included a little Mad Man sketch. I highly recommend Memoirs of a Mad Man, available on Amazon. You can also pick up a signed copy of his book Saturday at Chapter V: New Jack City.
Khloe, Mad Man Pondo and me in Summit, IL-December 2018.

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