The bWo at Squared Circle Expo III

We are now less than two months away from Squared Circle Expo III. Running April 7-8 at Wyndham Indianapolis West, SCX III promises to surpass the first two fantastic SCX events.

My last update listed the first couple rounds of wrestling guest announcements. That list was packed with legends, including Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medal winner Kurt Angle, All Elite Wrestling's MJF, WWE legend Tatanka, podcasters and current stars Matt Cardona and Brian Myers, AEW's Jamie Hayter, WWE Hall of Famer “Big Sexy” Kevin Nash, Heath, Rhyno, current SCX champ Jake Omen, WWE Hall of Famer Lisa Marie Varon, WWE legends Tugboat/Typhoon and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, multi-time WWE and TNA/Impact Women's champ Mickie James, multi-time NWA champ Nick Aldis and ECW stars Al Snow, Sandman, Shane Douglas, “The Queen of Extreme” Francine and the bWo's Blue Meanie, Nova and Stevie Richards.

Recently added were WWF Hall of Famer Tito Santana, Christian, Evil Uno, AEW's Toni Storm, NJPW's Juice Robinson, WWE HOFer Sgt. Slaughter, AEW's Willow Nightingale, Red Velvet, Dvon Dudley, SoCal Val, Impact's Ace Austin, Impact's Crazzy Steve, PG-13 (J.C. Ice and Wolfie D), Shark Boy, Athena and Danhausen. That' makes 40 wrestling greats and the promoters aren't done yet. As I have previously written, although that list would be enough for any regular convention, SCX III never settles for regular. That list keeps growing.

There are nearly 30 great vendors announced, too, including Great Lakes Championship Wrestling, artist AJ Moore, Mess Bucket Comics, Tony Hunter Promotions and Collar and Elbow. If you are looking for wrestling memorabilia or merchandise, chances are some vendor will have it or at least tell you where to get it. I have picked up qute a few Roddy Piper pieces, some I didn;t even know existed until I saw them at SCX.

SCX also has Q&A sessions, panels, photo ops and more. Ending each day is a night of wrestling. The first two SCX events had wrestling only on Saturday, but because ethe promoters are always trying to outdo themselves, they added another night of wrestling. My friend Tony and I agreed last year's wrestling was possibly the best independent wrestling show we have evenr seen.

Aside from it simply being twice as much wrestling, it also creates a lot of possibilities. Actions from the first night could affect the second. It also opens the possibilities of some wrestlers now being able to make one of the nights, if they had a previous commitment on the other.

I am excited about the whole weekend, but one thing especially cool is the bWo's appearance. This si a rare chance to meet three of the core members of the famous ECW stable. Since it is Throwback Thursday, I am featuring interviews with Stevie Richards, Nova (Mike Bucci) and Blue Meanie (Brian Heffron) from several years ago at a comic con. I post this as an example of how much fun these guys are. I expect the same at SCX III.

Those interviews are at On the Beat With Blue Meanie, Nova and Stevie Richards.

The bWo at Squared Circle Expo III

During the holidays, the folks at the Squared Circle Expo gave wrestling fans a lot to celebrate. SCX III is now just three months away and it keeps getting better.

Running April 7-8 at the Wyndham Indianapolis West, SCX III is a two day wrestling convention featuring many wrestling stars and legends, photo ops, meet-and-greets, panels, Q&As, vendors and more, including full wrestling cards on both nights.

My last update listed the first couple rounds of wrestling guest announcements. That list was packed with legends, including Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medal winner Kurt Angle, All Elite Wrestling's MJF, WWE legend Tatanka, podcasters and current stars Matt Cardona and Brian Myers, AEW's Jamie Hayter, WWE Hall of Famer “Big Sexy” Kevin Nash, Heath, Rhyno, current SCX champ Jake Omen and WWE Hall of Famer Lisa Marie Varon. As I wrote then, although that list would be enough for any regular convention, SCX III never settles for regular. That list keeps growing.

Recently added were AEW's The Acclaimed, WWE legends Tugboat/typhoon and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, multi-time WWE and TNA/Impact Women's champ Mickie James and multi-time NWA champ Nick Aldis. Then the SCX promoters got extreme. ECW stars Al Snow, Sandman, Shane Douglas, “The Queen of Extreme” Francine and the bWo's Blue Meanie, Nova and Stevie Richards will now be at SCX III. That's a major chunk of talent from Extreme Championship Wrestling, the upstart company many people feel changed the direction of the wrestling business.

SCX promoters also announced only a few vendor spots remain. Wrestling memorabilia collectors are happy to hear that. Last year, I added a few Roddy Piper pieces I had never even seen before and I hope to find more this year. If you are looking for a wrestling piece, odds are you'll find it here or at least one of the dealers will know how to get it for you.

Another benefit of all the vendors is some of them bring in wrestlers who aren't listed on the official SCX wrestler roster. As big as the SCX lineup will be, the total number of wrestlers present will be even bigger.

I keep emphasizing SCX III will be even better than the previous two SCX events. Look no furher than the actual wrestling matches. This year, there's twice as much wrestling, as full wrestling shows will end both Friday and Saturday's schedules. SCX has put on two of the greatest independent wrestling shows I have witnessed. This year, two nights means twice as much entertainment. 

The other benefit of two nights is the possibilities of the first night actions causing reactions on the second night. That brings an endless amount of options and opportunities.

I always mention reconnecting with friends at the event. I now have friends coming from seven different states and one other country and I am sure that number will keep increasing. SCX really is THE wrestling convention of the year. 

Lastly, I must praise the SCX organizers. These folks work tirelessly to make this the smoothest-running convention possible. From continual social media updates to on-site, hands-on involvement throughout the convention, the SCX team is laser-focused on giving the fans the best time. You won't see these folks posing with the talent all weekend. Sometimes they are so busy they fail to get their own pictures with the wrestlers. It's because the fans come first for the SCX crew.

As always, I will be “On the Beat” all weekend. I locked in my hotel and ticket along time ago. There are still SCX tickets available, but I highly suggest not waiting if you want to go. This will be a sell out. I don't know the Wyndham's rooms availability either, but if there are rooms let, they will go quickly. There are other quality hotels nearby too, though. My advice is to get your ticket, get your room and come on out for a great time.

Go to SquaredCircleX.com for more info on SCX III. Check back here for my recurring coverage.

Stevie Richards, Brian Heffron, Mike Bucci and me in Rosemont, IL-summer 2011.

Friend Encounters: Blue World Order and John Dean at Wizard World 2011

Friend Encounters is a weekly series about friends meeting celebrities.

With Wizard World returning to Chicago this weekend, this is a great time to feature a Friend Encounter from one of their events. I'll be there again and I hope to see today's friend John Dean there, too!

I have known John for many years. A fellow wrestling fan, John has met many great wrestlers over the years.

In 2011, before I knew John, he met the Blue World Order (Stevie Richards, Brian Heffron and Mike Bucci) at Wizard World. I might have crossed paths with John there, because I spent a lot of time at the booth talking to them about wrestling and getting individual interviews. They were all fantastic at that event. I have since seen John at many events, including Squared Circle Expo earlier this year.

Recently, John took his love of wrestling to a new level and invited anyone to join the fun. John started a Wrestling Photo Ops & Action Shots on Facebook, a fun group where folks can share all of their wrestling pictures.

The group has grown to 250 members. It is a private group, which keeps it among fans who want to see other fun pictures, while sharing their own. There is none of the usual FB drama and the wrestlers pictured cover decades of greatness, not just recdent wrestling stars.

Go to Wrestling Photo Ops & Action Shots on Facebook to join the fun. You'll see a bunch of John's pics, as well as many of mine and others. Also, check WizardWorld.com for info and scheduling.

 Stevie Richards, John Dean, Brian Heffron and Mike Bucci in Rosemont, IL-August 2011.

Mike Bucci at Wizard World 2011

Wizard World is coming to Chicago from Thursday, August 23 through Sunday, August 26. I have had a lot of fun over the years and I am sharing some of the best moments over the days leading to Wizard World Chicago 2018!

Several years ago, Mike Bucci (Nova, Super Nova, Simon Dean and more) was appearing with the Blue World Order (Stevie Richards and Blue Meanie Brian Heffron) to promote the debut of Resistance Pro Wrestling. I contacted Mike about an interview and he graciously accepted. JayHawk Evans and I got a lot more than we ever hoped from Mike. JayHawk's interviews with Mike can be found at On the Beat with Mike Bucci Part 1 and On the Beat with Mike Bucci Part 2.

Mike is one of the smartest people (not just wrestlers) I have met. It's because of his smarts that he is so successful outside of wrestling and partially why he is retired from active competition. It's also the reason everyone wants Mike to contribute to their booking team. Mike has a great mind for the business and he is well-liked by everyone. In a business which can be cut-throat, I have never heard a bad word about Mike.

After the Wizard World experience, Mike came on board with RPro for a while and I had the pleasure again of working with him. I ran into Mike once a couple years back in Louisville and I hope to see him again someday.

Wizard World typically has several interesting wrestlers as part of their lengthy celebrity roster. Obviously, WW also has plenty of other talented people from the world of pop culture. I have met so many fascinating people (famous and not so famous) people there and I always look forward to each event.

Go to WizardWorld.com and the Wizard World Facebook page for all of the news and updates. Wizard World is held in many cities across the country during the year. I am always "On the Beat" in Chicago and usually a couple other cities, too.

Jason Fleigel, Mike Bucci and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2011.

The Blue World Order at Wizard World 2011

Stevie Richards, the Blue Meanie and Nova comprised the Blue World Order in the now-defunct ECW. It was originally intended to be a one off appearance, but it was so popular it stayed around a lot longer and was even revived briefly by the WWE years later.

The gimmick was a hilarious spin on the wildly popular nWo of that time period, but it wouldn't have worked without the talented trio.

All three men are also very nice and very smart about the business. Johngy's Beat Wrestling Correspondent JayHawk Evans handled the interview duties when we had the opportunity to talk t them at Wizard World years ago. Those interviews remain some of my favorites and some of the funniest stuff we've seen in our interviews. These guys are gold.

Though mostly retired from active wrestling, these three have been involved with consultations and appearances. All are big sports fans, with Stevie and Meanie being Philly fans, while Nova is a HUGE fan of the Dallas Cowboys.

I love the picture below. I was part of the bWo, even if just for a few minutes. I think Johngy would have fit in with the Blue World Order.

Stevie Richards, Brian Heffron, Mike Bucci and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2011.

Friendly Encounters: Mike Bucci and Hardcore Heather Owens

Friendly Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

I'm starting off "Days of the Dead Week" by featuring a Days staffer, who happens to be a friend and a wrestler and another wrestler who happens to be a friend.  Confused?  It all makes sense at Days of the Dead.
Hardcore Heather is a wrestler I met through Resistance Pro.  Mike Bucci (aka Nova, Simon Dean and more) is a former wrestler I met through RPro.  Both have become friends of mine.
I knew Mike lived in the area, but I completely forgot that, until Heather texted me Saturday night to tell me Mike was there and looking for me.  I quickly got back to the hotel, because I hadn't seen Mike in a couple years.  We talked and laughed about old times, including our interview years back.
Wait, this is about Heather.  Well, I owe Heather for me reconnecting with Mike.  Heather also had a good time with the rest of the wrestlers and crew, as is the usual practice at the Days of the Dead events.  It really is like a family reunion.
Ironically, I somehow missed getting my own picture with Heather.  I know I already have a few with her, but I always like to get new ones at each event.

Heather Owens and Mike Bucci in Louisville, KY-September 2016.

Friendly Encounters: Jacques Baron and the bWo

Friendly Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

Jacques Baron would have fit nicely with the bWo (Blue World Order) in ECW.  Pictured with the Blue Meanie, Nova and Stevie Richards, Jacques looks great in the blue.
Actually Jacques is friends with the members of the bWo.  They shared a booth at a Wizard World convention a few years back.  This is the same convention when I first became aware of Jacques and Resistance Pro Wrestling.
I see these four and I see four great guys.  I also swee four funny men who give great interviews.  I interviewed te bWo guys individually and all were a blast.  Jacques is also always up for some fun during interviews (and more fun off camera).
Nova (aka Mike Bucci) has an incredible wrestling mind.  He is mostly out of wrestling, choosing to concentrate on his regular job.  He could jump back into wrestling at any time.  I am sure the offers are out there.  He is also one of the most genuine men I have met.  I have heard nothing but praise about Bucci.
Blue Meanie (aka Brian Heffrom) is a good dude.  When I went as Blue Johngy for Halloween, we exchanged tweets.  The guy is funny and talented.  Don't let his weight fool you.  He could go in the ring.  Good for him now that he has lost a bunch of that weight.
Richards is probably the most active wrestling-wise of the three.  Little Stevie is still in incredible shape.  My favorite memory of Richards is from the Blue Meanie interview.  The camera panned around and caught Richards enjoying his salad.  He stopped mid-bite and remained frozen until the camera was off of him.  It was pure lunacy.
Then there is Jacques.  I love the guy.  He (and his brother Gabe) have welcomed me into the RPro family (and their families).  He always has a kind word and a sharp wit.
This Friendly Encounter isn't so much about them meeting.  They have met many times.  This is about four great guys who gave me fun memories together and individually, in and out of the ring.

The Blue Meanie, Jacques Baron, Mike Bucci and Stevie Richards in Rosemont, IL-August 2011.

Bear Down Sunday: Game #13

The Chicago Bears are 6-6, in second place (in the NFC North) and coming off a tough overtime loss to the Vikings.  The Dallas Cowboys are 7-5 in first place in the NFC East.  These two teams will meet tomorrow night.
The Cowboys play the Bears?  That means one thing...Mike Bucci.
Bucci is a HUGE fan of the Cowboys.  I am a big fan of Bucci.  Tomorrow all of that fandom converges on the field.
I first met Bucci at Wizard World in 2011.  Wow how time flies.  I interviewed him about his wrestling career and I had no idea of his connection to Resistance Pro, which would make its debut a couple months later.
Bucci was a very talented wrestler and still possesses a great wrestling mind.  I have heard nothing but praise by everyone who has ever worked with him or even known him.  He is a class act all the way.
He has not appeared at R Pro in over a year and I miss him.  Oh sure, I can follow Bucci on Facebook and read his updates (many of which concern the Cowboys), but it is not the same as talking to him.
I genuinely like the guy, but football is a different story.  Sorry Bucci, but tomorrow night I will be cheering for my Bears.  I am sure I will see your posts (good or bad) throughout the game.  I will smile and think about the fun interviews we did.  I hope you make a return to R Pro.  I'd love to see you again and talk some wrestling and football.

Mike Bucci and me in Chicago, IL-May 2012.

Friendly Encounters: Tommy Else Meets the bWo

This is a regular series about friends who have met celebrities.

At Wizard World 2011, I met the Blue World Order (aka Stevie Richards, Brian Heffron and Mike Bucci). These guys are legendary for their wrestling success, especially in ECW.  I was ecstatic that I got to interview each of them separately, although I think they all appeared in each interview at some point.  Not only are these guys a lot of fun, they all had very interesting thoughts on wrestling and other topics.
Tommy Else also met the bWo and from the look of the picture, he was as happy as I was to meet them.  Tommy is a big wrestling fan and has met quite a few wrestlers.  I think Tommy would have made a good addition to the bWo, maybe as an enforcer (ala Arn Anderson?).
At the time of the event, I did not know Tommy yet.  I met him at a Resistance Pro Wrestling event.  In fact, I saw him at many R Pro events.  I also took one of his fitness classes.  Tommy runs T3 Fitness and if it was closer, I would go to more classes.  Tommy is also the brother of Mike Else (aka Professor Kliq), who I also consider a friend.
Over the year or so, Tommy and I have become friends.  He is really a great guy.  He has helped Matt (my nephew) and me many times.
I went to R Pro for some fun wrestling action and I came away with several friends, especially Tommy.  This is just another example of the impact of R Pro.  It really is like one big family and it is definitely a great time.  I am sure I will see Tommy at the next R Pro event, Stay Hungry, on January 18 in Merrionette Park (IL).
To learn more about Tommy, you can check out the T3 Personal Training site or T3 Fitness on Facebook.  You can also go to ResistancePro.com for more info on this great organization.

Stevie Richards, Tommy Else, Brian Heffrom and Mike Bucci in Rosemont, IL-August 2011.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #116 Mickie James and Mike Bucci (aka Bear Down Sunday #4 Bears vs. Cowboys)

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a regular series which attempts to combine my passion for bubblegum cards and my interest in celebrities.  Bear Down Monday appears for every Bears game and features some connection to the Bears or their opponent.  Today, I combine the two features.

Today, the Bears play the Dallas Cowboys.  Both teams are 2-1 and tied for first place in their respective division.
I have always been a Bears fan, but much to the dismay of my childhood best friend, I was also a fan of the Cowboys.  I loved Danny White, Golden Richards, Charlie Waters and on and on.  Sometime around the time I reached adulthood, I left the Cowboys behind.  I never hated them.  I just became ambivalent towards them.
While debating what to write for today's game, I came across a couple of celebrities wearing Cowboys jerseys.  Actually, they happen to be two of my favorite wrestling personalities.  I might have to rethink my stance on the Cowboys.

Mickie James is one of the most talented female wrestlers today.  She has also embarked on a musical career.  I met Mickie at the Motor City Comic Con and she was as sweet as could be.  Mickie is wearing Tony Romo's #9 for her Celebrity Jersey Card.  Many women might say that Romo is dreamy, but I think Mickie wears it much better!

Mickie James and me in Novi, MI-May 2011.

I first met Mike Bucci at Wizard World.  I had always been a fan, but after interviewing him, I was so impressed.  Since then, I have met him many times at Resistance Pro Wrestling events and Mike continues to be a great guy.  He is also a huge Dallas Cowboys fan.

JayHawk Evans, Mike Bucci and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2011.

On the Beat with Mike Bucci and Shelly Martinez of Resistance Pro Wrestling

At Resistance Pro Wrestling's "A Small Deadly Space", we had a chance to catch up a bit with old friend Mike Bucci.  You can read all about how we first met Bucci by clicking here.  Bucci gave us his time and some real insight during that first interview.  He also provided a lot of laughs.

Bucci represents all that is good with wrestling.  He is just a great guy who treats everyone with respect.

I was surprised to see him at the January R Pro event, when he was announced as the voice of R Pro.  What a great choice.  Bucci has a great mind for wrestling which will certainly come across during his commentary, but just his presence and leadership in R Pro is a huge addition.

At every show, I see him advising so many of the wrestlers.  He is straightforward and honest, without being a jerk.  I have a lot of respect for Bucci and I am proud to call him a friend.  (I am just not sure about his love of the Dallas Cowboys though).

We started talking to Bucci about R Pro and he was giving us his usual insight, when Shelly Martinez came onto the scene.  It became similar to a backstage skit...well, maybe because it was backstage and it was a lot of fun.

Martinez is one of the talented wrestlers brought in to add something to the R Pro roster.  Martinez worked for ECW, WWE, TNA and other smaller organizations.  She has acted, been in music videos, modeled and much more.  She is one busy lady.

Earlier in the night, Martinez was part of a 6 person women's match.  She was on her game, too, wrestling a very solid match.  Plus, she is as cute as ever.

The interaction between Bucci and Martinez is classic and I am right in the middle of it (like Gene Okerlund),  You have to watch the video until the end.

After you watch the interview, you can get updates and learn more about Mike Bucci on his Facebook Page.  Also, go to ShellyMartinez.org and the Shelly Martinez Funpage on Facebook and follow Martinez on twitter to learn more about Martinez and to get updates.  Finaly, check out www.ResistancePro.com to get all the info on R Pro!

On the Beat with Mike Bucci (Again!!)

We had already planned on covering Resistance Pro Wrestling's Rise event, when I was pleasantly surprised at the announcement that Mike Bucci would be there.  Mike is a favorite of Johngy's Beat from the great time we had with him at Wizard World.
Mike (also known as Nova, Super Nova and Simon Dean, among other monikers) had a successful career in ring.  He was part of the wildly popular bWo (Blue World Order) and he was a main reason for the success of ECW.  His talent in the ring was amazing and his innovative moves were often imitated, resulting in him inventing new moves.  He was just that good!
Mike is the "Voice of Resistance Pro".  His commentary will be appreciated by fans, but his contributions to RPW will go beyond that.  He has a brilliant mind for the business and he is extremely respectful to all.  Actually, this is a perfect partnership for Mike and RPW...and best of all the fans!
We caught up with Mike after Rise.  Mike is so cool.  It was like talking to an old friend.  We discussed his new role in RPW, his future and the Dallas Cowboys (his favorite team).  It was a real pleasure seeing Mike again.
You can go to Mike's Facebook page to learn more about him and get updates.  You should also check out ResistancePro.com to get all of the info on the talented wrestlers and the organization itself.
This concludes the series of interviews we did at Rise, Resistance Wrestling's second event, but it won't be the last of our coverage of this exciting new organization.  Johngy's Beat loves Resistance and we plan on featuring the talent of RPW along with updates.  We would like to thank Gabriel Baron (owner) for granting us access and making this a lot of fun.  We also want to thank the talent, especially Melanie Cruise, Serenity, Sassy Stephie, Cheerleader Melissa and Mike Bucci for taking time to talk to us.

On the Beat with Mike Bucci-Part 2

Yesterday, I ran the first part of our interview with Mike Bucci at Wizard World.  Bucci started talking about the state of professional wrestling and he continues along that line today, along with discussing his career.
About midway through the video, there is some funny interaction between Bucci and his booth-mates, Stevie Richards and the Blue Meanie, two more members of the bWo.  This stuff cracks me up.  These guys are hilarious.
Bucci is semi-retired and in the Mortgage Industry.  I was really impressed with Bucci.  He had some interesting observations and insight. He seems to be in a good place overall.  He wrestles occasionally and still loves talking to fans and promoters about wrestling.  It was great to see him at this stage of his life and career doing so well.
After you watch the video, you can check out Mike Bucci's Facebook page to learn a bit more about him and to get in the loop on his future projects and appearances.

On the Beat with Mike Bucci-Part 1

Mike Bucci started to wrestle professionally in the early 90's.  He wrestled in the WWE and ECW, along with many other smaller organizations.  While in ECW, Bucci was part of the wildly popular bWo (the Blue World Order).
Bucci was known for his many unique and creative moves.  He was called "the most imitated man in wrestling" and also the "InNOVAtor of offense" (the NOVA reference is a nod to one of his in-ring names).  It seems as if every time he created a new move, it was copied by some other wrestler, but Bucci would simply create another one.  He was always pushing forward.  His creativity and his athleticism made him the man to watch.
Bucci (like a lot of wrestlers) used several ring names (as you will hear in the video).  At one time or another he was Nova, Super Nova, Hollywood Nova, Simon Dean and of course, Mike Bucci.
I contacted Bucci when it was announced he would be at Wizard World.  Bucci very quickly and positively responded.  I was excited about meeting and talking to him, because he doesn't do many of these shows, especially out this way.
Today I am running the first part (of two parts) of JayHawk Evans interviewing Bucci.  Bucci talks about conventions and his wrestling career.  His thoughts on the current wrestling scene are insightful and interesting.