On the Beat with Resistance Pro Wrestling at "Alive"

Last moth, Resistance Pro Wrestling held "Alive" at St. Laurence High School on the far south side of Chicago.  It had been about 30 years since I stepped foot in St. Laurence and then I was cheering for their rival Mt. Carmel (my alma mater).
"Alive" was a benefit for the St. Laurence wrestling team.  Wrestling Coach Joe Phelan worked hard with the Baron Brothers to make this event special.  The action of the evening did not disappoint.  Once again, R Pro blew the roof off of the place and even got some in-ring help from Coach Joe.
During the course of the night, JohngysBeat.com had the pleasure of interviewing several members of the R Pro roster and Coach Joe, too.  This is an interesting mix of interview subjects.  It includes three relative newcomers (Team I.O.U., Jake O'Neill and Chazz Moretti), two managers (C Red and Warden Myers), the Head of Security (Michael Bradley), the Merchandise Maven (Nicole Bellcaster), two R Pro wrestlers (Jocephus Brody and Eric St. Vaughn) and Coach Joe.
Each brought something new to the interview.  Whether newcomer or R Pro veteran, each is making a difference in R Pro.
This is just one of the beautiful things at R Pro.  There are 10 very different people featured in these interviews.  Some of them will go at it in the ring, but all are great folks outside of the ring.  All have a voice and all contribute to making R Pro the best thing out there.
I thank everyone involved with R Pro.  It has been a great ride and I look forward to staying with R Pro for the long haul.  I encourage everyone to check them out at ResistancePro.com and to check them out in person.  Their next show is Friday (tomorrow) at the Barn in Willowbrook.

Friendly Encounters: Joe Phelan Meets XPac and the Two Star Heroes

This is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

Here is another odd Friendly Encounter.  I actually met the celebrity before I met my friend.  In this case, the celebrity is Sean Waltman, also known as XPac.  The Two Star Heroes should also get celebrity consideration, but more on that later.
I met Sean Waltman at a Resistance Pro Wrestling event several months ago and the resulting interview can be found at On the Beat with Sean Waltman.  Waltman put on a great match that night and was a great guy from all accounts.  Hey, he did our interview, which makes him okay by me.
At the last R Pro event, I met Coach Joe Phelan.  Coach Joe and R Pro put the event together as a benefit for his Badgers wrestling team.
While I figured that Coach Joe would meet all of the stars of R Pro and Waltman, too, I somehow never guessed he would be in an actual match and get the pin!  To the delight of the crowd, Coach Joe made his pro wrestling debut, alongside Waltman and the Two Star Heroes and the foursome won!  Coach Joe is now 1-0 in his pro career.
The Two Star Heroes (Matt Knicks and Chris Castro) are also pro wrestlers, although they have not yet achieved the success that Waltman has.  Of course, the Two Star Heroes are much younger and just at the start of their careers.  I really enjoy their work and I enjoy them as people.  They are just good guys.
The picture below shows the end result of the match.  It was a great moment.  Coach Joe deserves to have his hand held high and not just because he won a match or met some wrestlers.  Coach Joe is a great guy and a fantastic coach.
This Friendly Encounter is about a lot of things.  Most importantly, it is about helping others.  Everytime I look at this picture, I remember the night and simply feel good about life.

Chris Castro, Joe Phelan, XPac and Matt Knicks in Burbank, IL-September 2013.