Friend Encounters: Paloma Starr and Tommy Else

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Today, I feature two of my friends I met through our time with Resistance Pro Wrestling. While Tommy would say he is a star, even he must admit Paloma is the celebrity in this picture.

A noted fan of the San Francisco 49ers, Paloma has added the Chicago Cubs to her fandom since moving here. Once when she had an extra ticket, she invited pal Tommy to a Cubs game. He only "condition" was he had to wear his Cubs Hawaiian shirt. He readily agreed, but he probably would have worn it either way. He added a luchador mask, which 35,000 fans happy not to actually see him.

A bit to my surprise, Tommy has actually become a big fan of the Cubs. Not just a surface-level social media fan, Tommy knows his stuff.

Meanwhile Paloma recently started appearing on Ring the Belle, the daily wrestling talk show on Sirius radio. I'd like to glom a bit of credit for her media success, because of her time as the "Chica On the Beat" at Resistance Pro. The truth is she is a natural and I was lucky to have her on my interview series. Her success is all her own and she deserves all of it. Give it a listen and if you call in, mention Johngy sent you.

Paloma and Tommy in Chicago, IL-June 2015.

Mortal Kombat's Lia Montelongo and Who Else?

How does this happen? My partner on The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast interviewed actress Lia Montelongo on a different podcast and didn't tell me? I'm not made he interviewed her elsewhere, because I do it, too. I just wish I would have known.

I found out after meeting Tommy for lunch at Alfie's in Glen Ellyn. It had been a while since we caught up in person and we planned on going to see her at an appearance at our friend Joseph White's Whitney Collectibles store in Glen Ellyn.

After lunch, we made the quick drive and caught up with Joseph while we waited for Montelongo. Upon her arrival, she greeted Tommy with a big hug. We let the crowd go first, before we made our way to the signing area. Lia was as nice as could be and we got the picture.

I will admit, she threw me off a bot when she said we should do the Mortal Kombat pose. Sheepishly, I said I didn't know what that was. I wasn't a big Mortal Kombat fan. 

Montelongo is a native Chicagoan. The 2025 Mrs. Illinois Petite, she is an author and a fitness expert. You can ready my full recap on Global Traveler at .

Tommy, Lia Montelongo and me in Glen Ellyn, IL-July 2025.

Friend Encounters: Melanie Cruise and Tommy Else

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

My friend Tommy would suggest he is a celebrity and I cannot deny three of my interviews with him have more than 40K views. Still, in the world of pro wrestling, despite his tag team championship run, he ranks well below Melanie Cruise.

Mel was RPro's first women's champ. She was extremely popular and one of my favorite wrestlers and people back then. Since then she has wrestled all over, including a stint in All Elite Wrestling, although in recent years, she has wrestled more sporadically. We miss Mel!

At Elk Grove Rotary Fest, Mel wrestled with her brother against the tag team of Regan Lydale and Hardcore Craig. Adding to the fun, Tommy was Regan's first trainer and longtime friend.

After the match, Tommy and I caught up with our old RPro mate. It was great seeing her and chatting a bit. We had some great memories from back in the RPro days. Not seeing her very often these days, I really appreciated this opportunity. Oh wait, this is about Tommy. Yeah, he got a picture with her.

Seriously though, it was great seeing them tohether. I love them both.

 Tommy and Melanie Cruise in Elk Grove Village, IL-July 2025.

The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast - Ep. 84: Joey Knetter - Brute 1976

On the latest episode of The Johngy "OR ELSE Podcast, Tommy Else and I interview Joey Knetter, a film maker, author, writer and more. He's also a long time friend from many conventions.

I first met Joey about 15 years ago at a horror convention. He was promoting a movie project. Since then, I interviewed him a few times, but never at length. He also indulged me once when I asked him to allow some youngsters to interview him. They still talk about that and I appreciated his willingness to do it.

That shouldn't be a surprise. He is a great guy. Everyone knows he is massively talented and creative, but he is also one of the most genuine and cool people I know. That is saying a lot considering all he has endured. Joe gets into a little of that story in our interview, but suffice it to say, he has dealt with a lot of physical issues for a long time and recently had some other issues not of his own doing.

The main topic of the interview is Brute 1976, Joey's latest film project. A true homage to horror films of the 70s, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, it is not just blood and guts. The background story Joe tells makes it even more interesting. Other good news is there will be a Brute 1986 and Joe promised to return for an update interview when that is released.

At the end of the interview, I thanked Joe for all over the years and asked about his health. I figured it would be up to him how much he disclosed. He was very open about all of it, most of which I knew, but Tommy did not. Tommy later said hearing Joe's journey was one of his favorite parts of the interview and he gained a whole new level of respect for him/

The interview is at The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast. Also, look for Joe on social media to follow all of his projects.

Pinfalls: WWE Clash in Paris

Tomorrow, TKO and the WWE present Clash in Paris, the last PPV (or PLE) under the current system. Moving forward, WWE programming, including PPVs will move to different platforms at a much higher cost.

On Pinfalls: WWE Clash in Paris, my podcast partner Tommy Else and I do our usual analysis of the matches and make our predictions. Tommy has a three win lead on me this year and a two win lifetime lead. With about 250 predictions over five years, that is pretty close, but kudos to Tommy for his edge.

On this special Pinfalls though, we spend the first half discussing the new WWE arrangement and discussing the future of Pinfalls. This will be our last WWE PPV predictions show, as we firmly believe in #boycottWWE, Pinfalls will continue in some way.

For now, make your predictions and watch Pinfalls: WWE Clash in Paris to see ours. Enjoy the show and let us know your thoughts.

Pinfalls: WWE SummerSlam

WWE SummerSlam is today. That also means Pinfalls is back. My The Johngy "OR ELSE" podcast partner Tommy Else and I analyze the 12 matches and predict the winners.

Inow trail Tommy by two wins this year and one lifetime. I do not give out spoilers, but with 12 matches, there is a good chance for some disagreements.

Make your predictions. Then, watch our video at Pinfalls: WWE SummerSlam.

Pinfalls: WWE Evolution

WWE Evolution is back tomorrow. The all-women's event returns after a several year absence and I am happy about that.

My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I analyze the card and make our predictions. I still trail Tommy by one win this year, but in our fifth year of Pinfalls, we are tied overall.

Make your picks and then watch Pinfalls: WWE Evolution to see ours. Check back here for more coverage.

Pinfalls: WWE Night of Champions

WWE Night of Champions is tonight. My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Elese and I analyze the card and make our predictions.

Check the video at Pinfalls: WWE Night of Champions. Make your picks and see how you do against us.

Pinfalls: WWE Money in the Bank

Pinfalls returns with a deep dive into WWE Money in the Bank, which airs today. My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I made our predictions and added some other topics to the discussion.

There are only four scheduled matches:

Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso vs. John Cena & Logan Paul

Women's Intercontinental Champion

Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch

MITB Women's Ladder Match

Solo Sikoa, LA Knight, Seth Rollins, Penta, Andrade and El Grande Americano

MITB Men's Ladder Match

Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, Roxanne Perez, Guila, Naomi and Stephanie Vaquer

Lately Tommy has been building his lead in wins. This year, Tommy is 22-4, while I trail at 19-7, which is still pretty good. Tommy now leads me by two wins lifetime.

We also discussed the R Truth situation. Could it be part of a big storyline or am I just playing booker.

Lastly, we paid tribute to Valhalla, otherwise known as Sarah Logan or Crazy Mary Dobson, our old pal from Resistance Pro. WWE announced they were not renewing her contract. Sarah is enjoying her life, but it i still bittersweet seeing her WWE stint and probably her wrestling career end.

Make your picks and then watch the video at Pinfalls: WWE Money in the Bank. Enjoy the show!

Pinfalls: WWE Backlash

WWE airs Backlash today on the Peacock Network. My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I are back to make our predictions.

Tommy has once again taken the lead on me this year and lifetime. This year, Tommy is 17-4, while I am 15-6 (still really good).

WWE website lists four matches, but other places show five. Either way, we discussed the five.

Undisputed WWE Championship

John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton

Women’s Intercontinental Championship

Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Becky Lynch

Pat McAfee vs. Gunther

United States Championship

Jacob Fatu (c) vs. LA Knight vs. Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre (Fatal 4-Way Match)

WWE Intercontinental Championship

Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. PENTA

We did not agree on everything. We actually even disagreed on the purpose of one of the matches. Watch the video at Pinfalls: WWE Backlash and see how we did. Check back here for our future predictons.

The Taco Salad Tour Continues

After a several month hiatus, The Taco Salad Tour resumed a couple weeks ago. My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I ventured to Alfie's in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

While I do not usually seek out taco salads, it is one of Tommy's favorite dishes and I am always willing to join an adventure. The the Taco Salad Tour was born. It has taken us to about six spots already, including my nearby staple The Village Inn in Skokie. Tommy gave their taco salad a B, lagging behind his favorite spot near his home.

Another longtime favorite of his, Tommy was delightfully surprised to see a taco salad appear on the menu at Alfie's. The full results can be found at The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast - Ep. 80: "Taco Salad Tour and a Twisted Colon." The two title subjects are not connected.

In a short spoiler, we both gave a high rating to Alfie's taco salad. Tommy admitted a slight misstep in not using their sauce, but he corrected that in a later visit (without me, which raised my ire).

If you're in the Chicago area and you know of a great taco salad or if you own a restaurant with one, let us know and we will give it a try.

Tommy and me in Glen Ellyn, IL-April 2025.

Pinfalls: WWE WrestleMania 41

WWE WrestleMania 41 is later today and tomorrow. The grandaddy of them all is now a two day event, much to the disdain of my The Johngy "OR ELSE" podcast Tommy Else and I. Nevertheless, we forge forward and recorded Pinfalls.

The big matches are John Cena versus Cody Rhodes and a Triple Threat of Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns, but we cover all matches. We agreed on most, but did have some differences in winners, developments and aftermaths.

Tommy has once again pulled into a lifetime tie with me. This year, he is 7-2, while I am 6-3. 

You can watch the episode at Pinfalls: WWE WrestleMania 41. Make your picks and see how you do against us.

Chicago CosMc's Update

The questionable saga of CosMc's took a new turn. The Bolingbrook location, southwest of Chicago, closed recently, about a year after opening.

To refresh your minds, CosMc's is an offshoot of McDonald's. It has a very limited menu, with only a few items available at both locations. CosMc's seemed to focus more of beverages. For whatever reason, a CosMc's opened in Bolingbrook, with a few others in Texas and a few more planned for Texas.

My 'The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast' partner Tommy Else and I tested it. That video is at JorE Remote: CosMc's. To recap, while the food and drinks were okay, there was nothing special about any of it. The question immediately rose as to why the items weren't just added to the menu at McDonald's.

Recently, CosMc's closed the Bolingbrook location, along with three others in Texas, although McDonald's says more are on the way in Texas.

McDonald's is one of the most successful businesses ever, but there have been some failures (like McPizza). CosMc's is doomed to fail sooner or later. There's not enough there to be a real draw. They need to incorporate the successful items into the McDonald's menu and end the farce.

Tommy Else and me in Bolingbrook, IL-January 2024.

Pinfalls: WWE Elimination Camber 2025

WWE's Elimination Chamber event return this Saturday. That means my The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Ese and I return with another edition of Pinfalls.

The Elimination Chamber airs live on the Peacock Network at 6 p.m. CST on Saturday. It is being held at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada.

There are four matches and one additional segment:

The Rock is coming to WWE Elimination Chamber to see if Cody Rhodes will agree to be 'his champion'

Men's Elimination Chamber Match

Women's Elimination Chamber Match

Tiffany Stratton & Trish Stratus vs. Nia Jax & Candice LeRae

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (Unsanctioned Match)

I never reveal our picks outside of the video, but we did have dome disagreement in outcome and situations. I thought this was a fairly preidctable show, but maybe the WWE will surprise me. 

Make your picks and watch Pinfalls: WWE Elimination Chamber to see how yours compare to ours. Feel free to leave your picks in the comments.

Pinfalls: WWE Royal Rumble 2025

Let's get ready to rumble! My The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I are definitely ready to rumble and so is the WWE.

The WWE Royal Rumble is Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana starting at 5 p.m. CST on Netflix. This will be the 38th annual Royal Rumble. In 1988, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan won the first Royal Rumble. Last year Cody Rhodes won the Men's Rumble by eliminating CM Punk. Asuka won the first Women's Royal Rumble in 2018, while Bayley won last year by eliminating Liv Morgan. No woman has ever won twice, but several could accomplish that feat this year.

There are four matches on the card:

Men's Royal Rumble

Women's Royal Rumble

Undisputed WWE Championship (Ladder Match)

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens

WWE Tag Team Championship (2 of 3 falls)

DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampo (c) vs. Motor City Machine Gun (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)

Being the first event of the year, Tommy and I start fresh in our battle. I won in 2021 and last year, while Tommy took 2022-23, but I hold a slim one win lead lifetime.

Make your predictions, watch the video here and see how you do against us. Check theeverydayfan.com wrestling coverage.

The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast - Ep. 79: "Chris Bournea Returns"

Film maker Chris Bournea returned to the Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast to discuss his latest project, Tommy Else and I asked Chris all about Things Are Tough All Over, his recently screened movie.

Previously, Chris joined us to discuss Lady Wrestler, his documentary about African American women wrestling pioneers of the 1950's and '60s. Having thoroughly enjoyed that doc, and believing in the work Chris does, we wanted to share his latest project with our listeners and viewers.

Things Are Tough All Over is the story of a family in Chicago in 2008. The family faces and deals with various hurdles, including the recession.

Chris gave us a great look into the movie and we look forward to seeing it and having him return for another round of questions.

Find our interview at The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast - Ep. 79: "Chris Bournea Returns." Also, look for Chris on social media dn my updates here.

Shiny Hardware: Marathon Medal and Tommy Else with RPro Tag Team Title

Today is a double feature edition of Shiny Hardware. I feature two trophies, both of which were well-earned.

Tommy Else went from attending an open audition for the debuting Resistance Pro Wrestling to being a tag team champ (with Brady Pierce) as Body Magic. Tommy had a bit of a rough road, as sort of an "outsider" in the lockerroom, because of how he got his start. He quickly earned respect for his hard-working nature. He also happened to become one of the most popular wrestlers at RPro (if not THE most popular wrestler).

I predicted a midcard title for Tommy in 2014 or 2015. My prediction was close, as he became a tag team champ. I still maintain, if things didn't go awry at RPro, he would have eventually won the Heavyweight title and that would have been well-deserved.

My trophy is a finisher's medal from the 2014 Chicago Marathon. Having finished 23 prior Marathons, I hadn't run one in several years. When my niece Sam declared she was running in the 2014 Marathon, I had to join her. Although I didn't run with her, because she was much faster than me, it was a thrill sharing the experience with her. It remains one of my favorite Matahons.

Whatever happened to these two guys after RPro ended? We remain friends and co-host The Johngy OR Else Podcast. Tommy went on to win the Southside Occupational Academy title, a belt he has held for 2+ years. I came back and ran another Marathon in 2018, my 25th and last (probably).

I know Tommy is very proud of his titles and well he should be. I am also proud of my Marathon medals. We are two unlikely guys to win these trophies, yet there we are.

 Tommy Else and me in Summit, IL-November 2014.

Pinfalls: WWE Survivor Series 2024

WWE Survivor Series airs at 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on the Peacock Network. As always, my The Johngy "OR ELSE" Podcast partner Tommy Else and I analyze the card and make our predictions.

There are five matches scheduled:

WarGames Match

Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, The Usos & CM Punk vs. Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa & "Big" Bronson Reed (WarGames Match)

World Heavyweight Champion

Gunther (c) vs. Damian Priest

WarGames Match

Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Bayley, Naomi & IYO SKY vs. Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez, Tiffany Stratton & Candice LeRae

United States Champion

LA Knight (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Champion - Triple Threat

Bron Breakker (c) vs. Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser

For the yar, Tommy is a stellar 43-21. I, however, lead him by five wins at 48-16. This also gibes me a two win lifetime lead.

Make your picks, watch our video and see how we all do.

Pinfalls: WWE Crown Jewel 2024

WWE Crown Jewel 2024 airs today at noon (CST). Emanating from the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, it is the sixth Crown Jewel event.

Debuting in 2018, Crown Jewel has been held every year except 2020 (due to the pandemic). Part of a 10-year partnership in support of Saudi Vision 2030, the event's name refers to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

Once again, my The Johngy “OR ELSE” Podcast partner Tommy Else and I analyze the card and make our predictions. Tommy still trails me by four wins this year. I also have a slim one win lifetime win over him.

In the past, I have been critical of Crown Jewel. I don't mind it being a cash grab, but I hate matches potentially added and decided because of the audience. The WWE should be above that. This year, the Crown Jewel championships have been added. 

That brings a lot of questions. Will the championships be defended? If so, will they only be defended yearly at the Crown Jewel event? I lean towards liking it only defended annually at Crown Jewel. My only reservation is having a “champ” of every event. WWE already has King of the Ring and Royal Rumble. This makes a third event title. Still, it is better than creating a new title to be defending with too  numerous other titles. 

Aside from that title giving meaning to two of the matches, the other ones don't seem as random as usual. This feels lie a regular WWE Premium Live Event.

It is a loaded card with seven matches:

Six-Man Tag Team Match

Roman Reigns & The Usos vs. The Bloodline

Men's Crown Jewel Championship

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes vs. World Heavyweight Champion Gunther

Women's Crown Jewel Championship

WWE Women's Champion Nia Jax vs. Women's World Champion Liv Morgan

Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. "Big" Bronson Reed

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

United States Championship

LA Knight (c) vs. Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes (Triple Threat Match) 

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair (c) vs. Kairi Sane & IYO SKY vs. Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson vs. Chelsea Green & Piper Niven (Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match)

Make your predictions and then watch our video at Pinfalls: WWE Crown Jewel 2024 to see how we compare. Enjoy the show..

Pinfalls: WWE Bad Blood 2024

My The Johngy “OR ELSE” Podcast partner Tommy Else and I are back with Pinfalls: WWE Bad Blood 2024. As usual, we delve into the matches and storylines, ultimately predicting the winners and potential aftermath situations.

Bad Blood will air live on the Peacock Network today at 5 p.m. CST. It is being held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Bad Street U.S.A. Will celebrate the return of WWE producer Michael P.S. Hayes.

Debuting as Badd Blood in October 1997, as part of the In Your House pay-per-view series. It returned six years later, renamed Bad Blood, as its own PPV for a two-year run before disappearing again. This year, it returns after a two decade absence.

As has been the case with many of the Premium Live Events under the Paul Levesque reign, there are five matches on the card (at least of our Tuesday recording). Those matches are:

Damian Priest vs. Finn Bálor

Women’s World Championship

Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley

(with "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio suspended above the ring in a shark cage)

Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu

WWE Women’s Championship

Nia Jax vs. Bayley

Hell in a Cell

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

While Tommy and I agree these are solid matches, we also feel this is more of a filler event to carry the WWE to the next big event, Survivor Series. (While Crown Jewel is next, Survivor Series is one of the four big WWE PLEs.)

Going into Bad Blood, I lead Tommy by four wins this year and have retaken the lifetime lead by one year. Bad Blood gives us five chances to change the stats, but I never spoil our picks here. You have to watch the video to learn what we predict.

Make your picks and then watch our video to see how yours compares with ours. Then enjoy Bad Blood on Saturday and return to theeverydayfan.com for recaps and more wrestling coverage.