Friendly Encounters: Robert Anthony Meets Jim Cornelison

This is a weekly feature about my friends who have met celebrities.

I am going with some hockey-wrestling symmetry here.  Please bear with me.
Hockey season is back and that means Jim Cornelison is back.  Nobody belts out the National Anthem like Cornelison.  When the Hawks won the Stanley Cup championship, Cornelison got a ring.
It is always wrestling season.  Few people belt their opponents like Resistance Pro Wrestling's "The Ego" Robert Anthony.  When he won the R Pro championship, Ego got a title belt.
Both men are great at what they do.  Both are popular at their regular events and as special guests at other events.
Ego is a big Blackhawks fan and Cornelison is a wrestling fan.  Their worlds crossed at a wrestling event last November.  I happened to be at the same event and met both men.
I love the photo below.  I am pretty sure neither men knew I was taking their picture, but I saw a JohngysBeat.com opportunity and I took it.  Two champs?  How could I pass on this?
As champ at R Pro, Ego has met lots of celebrities (or lots of celebs have met him).  He is a great champ and I am always excited about seeing his matches.  His next match at R Pro will be October 25 in Willowbrook, IL.  R Pro's Welcome to My Nightmare promises to be a highly entertaining evening.

Jim Cornilson and Robert Anthony in Melrose Park, IL-November 2012.

Jim Cornelison Can Really Belt a Tune

JohngysBeat.com Contributor Extraordinaire Matt Parker gets credit for this celebrity encounter.  While at a POWW event, Matt spotted Jim Cornelison on the other side of the room.  We went over to talk to him and get pictures and then he was announced and a big crowd came to meet him.  Once again, we were first and out easily.
Cornelison is the national anthem singer for the Blackhawks.  He is also an opera singer.  Clearly, the man has unbelievable talent.
A few years ago, he was quoted as saying he wanted to be the connector between classical music and hockey.  During his time with the Hawks, he has learned of several hockey fans within the classical music community and vice versa.
I am not sure Cornelison can bridge wrestling with classical music, but I would not put that passed him either.  He received one of the largest ovations of the night at the wrestling event.  Wrestling did have a character named "the Maestro" a while back.
Cornelison's version of the anthem is as stirring as I have heard.  It is powerful and defiant, which is how the anthem was intended to be.  My hat is always off for the anthem, but my hat is also off to Cornelison.,

Jim Cornelison and me in Tinley Park, IL-Summer 2012.