Wrestling and Roller Derby with Rion Skillz

I guess you can call Rion Skillz a two-sport athlete. A longtime friend from the wrestling scene, I was surprised to see Rion involved in roller derby.

I have known Rion for more than a decade, but he has been on the independent wrestling scene longer than that. He is one of Chicago's favorites for many good reasons.

When I went to my first Chicago Knockouts Roller Derby bouts, I was surprised to see Rion there. It really shouldn't have been a surprise though. I have often compared roller derby to wrestling. Both have colorful characters, fast action, incredible athletes and fast-paced matches. Both also unfairly get criticized for being fake.

While some of what you see is storyline-based, the action is still real. The bumps they take and moves they make prove their athletic ability. While neither may be true sports, both are athletic events.

For more info on Rion, and his sporting endeavors, go to RocketProWrestling.com and ChicagoKnockouts.com. If you want a real treat, go see him and the rest of the athletes at either or both!

Rion Skillz and me in Homewood, IL-November 2024.

On the Beat at Rocket Pro Wrestling

Yesterday I had a couple interviews with talented folks from Rocket Pro Wrestling​. I got interesting info and insight. I didn't get all of the answers to the major questions at RPW, but I got new perspectives.

​I started with Gunner Brave. As part of the World Famous Fabulous Idols, Gunner is right in the middle of all sorts of action.

As usual, I got a little background first. Trained by Seth Rollins among others, Gunner gave his thoughts on the WWE superstar. He also talked about his first match, his finisher, his first title win and more from the early stages of his career.

From there we moved to his feelings on crowd reactions, whether he works as a fan favorite or a heel. I saw another side of the man who currently wrestles “on the dark side” with the Idols.

Of course, we had to delve into the latest happenings with the group. At the last RPW show and the aftermath, there seemed to be a bit of dissension in the group, although leader Joey Roth dismisses such notions. Gunner admits there was a minor situation, but states all is fine within the Idols. I am not so sure about that, but “Darkness Falls” on October 1 might provide more answers to that.

Gunner is a young wrestler on the rise with an incredibly bright future. Whether or not his future lies with the Idols is to be seen. Either way, he looks to continue to improve and become one of the bright young independent stars.

It was interesting learning more about Gunner. Although he is in the Idols, who are causing all kinds of issues at RPW, he has a genuine appreciation for RPW and the fans. Gunner stresses respect, both giving and receiving. I already respected Gunner for his accomplishments at such an early point in his career, but I gained a whole new level of respect after this interview.

The next chapter in his story will come on October 1 at “Darkness Falls.” He issued an open challenge and it was accepted. Gunner ends the interview discussing this matchup.

Those interviews are at On the Beat With Gunner Brave and On the Beat With Rion Skillz and Steve Ahrendt. Also, check TheEveryDayFan.com for more wrestling coverage. Also, check RocketProWrestling.com for more info and news.