Friend Encounters: Greg Valentine and Herb Simmons

Friend Encounters is a weekly series about friends meeting celebrities.

Herb Simmons is the man behind Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling. One of the great events is the Fan Fest. This year, it is May 8-9 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Last year, Tony and I made the trek south to cover Fn Fest. Our main goal of Kevin Von Erich had to cancel due to horrible weather in St. Louis. We actually almost drive into a tornado one day. Anyway, despite his cancellation, we had a great time meeting so many other legends like David Schultz, B Brian Blair, Ricky Morton and many others.

This year, the guest lineup is just starting to get released. So far, Johnny Rodz, Spike Huber, Mick Foley and a few others have been announced.

Herb works tirelessly to make this a great event. Usually on the first night, some of the wrestlers are at their booths, but there is also a special session. Last year, it was a Q&A with the legendary ill Apter. This year, Foley is doing something special.

I don't see a lot of pictures of Herb with wrestlers. He is probably too busy making sure everything runs smoothly...and it does. I did manage to find a pic of him with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. That makes two legends and Hall of Famers in one picture.

We are planning on being "On the Beat" again at Fan Fest. It's a fun roadtrip and there are great wrestlers to meet. It is also always good seeing Herb.

Go to SICW.org for more info on Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling and the Fan Fest/. Check here for my recurring coverage.

Greg Valentine and Herb Simmons in St. Louis, MO-May 2025.

Friend Encounters: Dory Funk Jr. and Herb Simmons

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

I have featured a few Friend Encounters from Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling's FanFest. None of that happens without promoter Herb Simmons.

A longtime promoter, Simmons started SICS with the goal of keeping St. Louis wrestling memories alive. He certainly has achieved his goal and continues doing so.

At SICW 2025, Simmons had more than 25 wrestling legends, a Bill Apter Q&A and a full wrestling card. The FanFest drew a huge crowd. Part of the fun was recalling wrestling memories with other fans. It was a fantastic two days.

Simmons is on site making sure all goes smoothly, which isn't an easy task. Wuth that many guests and fans, stuff is bound to go wrong. Additionally, a tornado ripped through the St. Louis area on the day of the convention, causing flight delays and cancellations. Still, most wrestlers made it.

I am featuring a pic of Simmons with Hall of Famer Dory Funk, Jr. Part of the legendary Funk family, Dory, Jr. is a former NWA champ and one of the greatest, oldest living wrestlers.

Go to sicw.org for more info on their events. Check here for my recurring coverage.

Dory Funk Jr. and Herb Simmons in St. Louis, MO-May 2025.

Herb Simmons and SICW

 I first heard of Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling Fan Fest two years ago, when it debuted. Unfortunately, scheduling didn't allow me to attend. That changed this year for its third Fan Fest.

Herb Simmons is the owner of SICW and the organizer of the Fan Fest. Herb has been a fixture on the area professional wrestling scene for 50 years.

The SICW Fan Fest started Friday night with a Q&A hosted by legendary wrestling journalist Bill Apter. Saturday started with a meet-and-greet with about 30 wrestling legends. Despite the large number attending, there was plenty of time to see everyone. The day ended with a full wrestling card. It was a great event, organized and promoted professionally. 

I had not previously met Herb, but I definitely knew of him. If you are a wrestling fan at all, especially in this area, you must know of Hrb. It was great meeting him. He greeted everyone and thanked all for coming. He also thanked Tony and me for our support. A little appreciation and nicety goes a long way.

As usual, I will sprinkle in coverage of the event over the next few months. I look forward to SICW FanFest 4. Until then. go to sicw.org for more info on all events.

Herb Simmons and me in St. Louis, MO-May 2025.