Well, here it is, folks! I was asked to play the lead in Subway‘s newest commercial for their American Steakhouse Melt sub. I also did the voiceover speak for the commercial.
Take a look:
Archive for the ‘Odds and Ends’ Category
StarBuck’s Subway franchise commercial
Posted: January 22, 2014 in Life, Odds and EndsTags: commercial, diet, fast food, Finland, franchise, StarBuck, subs, Subway
High on the Hog!
Posted: August 27, 2013 in Life, Music, Odds and Ends, Social commentaryTags: bitch, charity, Crossfyre, hard rock, Harley-Davidson, HD, music, Overnight Sensation, rock music, southern rock, StarBuck
Today I will have a photoshoot with Harley-Davidson of Finland at their Hoghaus headquarters in Vantaa, Finland. The shoot is for a 2014 calendar release, with proceeds going to charity.
Crossfyre Born to be Free music video shoot (photo by Danny Cross)
This week I will also be filming a music video for my southern rock band Crossfyre’s Born to be Free single off of our upcoming Iron Horse album.
On Wednesday, August 28 this week, I will be playing the Liberte Club in Helsinki at 20:00 sharp with my hard rock act Overnight Sensation. If you are in the vicinity, drop by for a set of kickass originals and a couple of covers. With Overnight Sensation, we will be releasing our debut album Life’s a Bitch on September 3 online via Muve Music, VerveLife, MySpace Music, Rhapsody, MediaNet, Xbox Music, Rdio, Amazon MP3, iHeartRadio, iTunes, Spotify, Sony Music Unlimited, Wimp, Google Play, Gracenote, Shazam, simfy, Nokia, eMusic and Deezer.
Album cover for Overnight Sensation’s Life’s a Bitch debut album — look for it!
Check out the title track from the upcoming Life’s a Bitch album here:
StarBuck for voice-overs
Posted: August 2, 2013 in Life, Odds and EndsTags: commentary, Dictum, english, Finland, narration, StarBuck, voice-over
If you are in the need of powerful and expressive corportate english or general voice-over work, you can book me through Finland’s oldest company of the said ilk by clicking this LINK.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Posted: December 24, 2012 in Odds and Ends, Professional WrestlingTags: Christmas, FCF Wrestling, Fight Club Finland
Gorilla Wear sponsors StarBuck
Posted: October 12, 2012 in Odds and Ends, physical trainingTags: StarBuck + Gorilla Wear
Top bodybuilding and fitness wear manufacturer Gorilla Wear now sponsors me. Take a look at the video below and see their official website and YouTube channel.
Best job I’ve EVER had.
Posted: April 17, 2012 in Odds and EndsTags: Eurosport, Pro Wrestling, Robert Holmström, StarBuck, Vintage Collection, WWE
I have to say, every Monday night I am blessed to have the best job that could ever have dreamed of. I work as a wrestling commentator for the television channel Eurosport here in Finland, alongside Robert Holmström, for This Week in WWE and WWE’s blast-from-the-past program, Vintage Collection. I basically get paid for flapping my gums and breathing. Honestly, since it’s professional wrestling and I am a part of the business myself as an active wrestler globally, this job is not only a no-brainer for me, it is also the most laid-back, fun job I have EVER had in my near-39 years.
Our mugs say it all: FUN, FUN, FUN!!!
I was approached back in early February 2009 by the Finnish Eurosport office out of the blue to do commentary for their starting WWE broadcasts. They told me I was the only wrestler in Finland that they were aware of, since I had been in tons of Finnish medias across the board for many years by then, so I kind of landed the job by proxy. Eurosport believed in the tandem commentary duo dynamic, and asked if I knew of someone who could be a credible sidekick/co-commentator. I was able to vouche for Robert at that time, and he took up the offer with open arms. I dare say that Robert and I have since become the preeminent commentary team on Finnish TV for any – and I mean ANY – broadcast sent out on Finnish television today. Our viewer feedback alone supports that statement.
Hey, it's Robert Holmström's favorite WWE Diva, AJ!
So here’s to Eurosport Finland, the BEST workplace a Canadian Rebel could have outside of being in the ring myself! Not too many people can say that they look forward to going to work on Mondays, yet I can honestly say I do.
And believe me when I tell you, this blog text isn’t shameless ass-kissing, it’s the truth — as God Himself is my witness!
The top influences on my wrestling career
Posted: December 25, 2011 in Comics and Art, Music, Odds and Ends, Professional WrestlingTags: Bret Hart, Dan Kroffat, Dick Murdoch, Hiroshi Hase, Keiji Mutoh, Mitsuhara Misawa, Pro Wrestling, Ric Flair, Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami, Tully Blanchard
Often I am asked who my favorite pro wrestlers are, which ones have had the biggest impact on my career and style, and who were my idols when I was growing up. Hereforth, in this special theme blog for Christmas 2011, I offer my top picks to close off the year:
MY TOP 5 WESTERN PRO WRESTLERS OF ALL TIME
Ric Flair – without doubt, the man who made an indelible impact on me when I was a kid and a youth. When I first started my wrestling career back in 1994, as a rookie I tried to copy much of the pyschology of Flair in my own matches and mannerisms. As time wore on, of course I developed my own, trademark image and style, but Slick Ric was the ultimate combo of mic skills, charisma, ring work and larger than life character to aspire to. Very simply, for many of my generation, The Nature Boy was THE measuring stick which the business was graded by.
Dan Kroffat – I believe his real name is Phil Lafon, but Dan Kroffat was just an amazing talent in both Canada for Gino Brito’s International Wrestling out of Montreal in the 1980’s, as well as Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling, where I believe he was called Phil LaFleur. A lot of people think I “stole” my superkick from Shawn Michaels, which is not true. I “borrowed” it from Kroffat, who used to superkick opponents while they were trapped in the ring corner. Ouch! Kroffat was one of the greatest, lesser-known talents in the history of the game.
Dick Murdoch – the best puncher that the wrestling industry has seen this side of Killer Karl Kox. What an amazing talent Murdoch was, from being an ass-clown when he felt like it to wrestling amazing, technical classics like I saw him do against Barry Windham back in 1987 on Bill Watts’ UWF Wrestling show over 45-minutes on TV. Dick Murdoch was definitely one of the greatest wrestlers never to hold the World Championship, and I borrowed his “cattle brander” knee-to-the-skull top rope bulldog for my own repertoire many years ago.
Tully Blanchard – never have I seen someone do so little and make it mean as much as Tully did in the ring. Blanchard was the ultimate bad guy, like a mangy mongrel all over his opponents from bell to bell. His natural cockiness made him easy for the masses to dislike, and he just had a way of carrying himself that I have seen few pro wrestlers master. His “I Quit” cage match vs. Magnum TA from Starrcade ´85 will forever be remembered as one of the most legitimate outings there is to be seen in pro wrestling. It’s a shame his career fell off the map in 1989 after being let go/leaving the WWF, after which, by all intents and purposes, he really should have carried on in the NWA as part of The Four Horsemen.
Bret Hart – I was brought up in the wrestling business in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which happens to be the home of the infamous Hart Family. I never went out of my way to copy Bret Hart, but I did feel a certain affinity to the way that he orchestrated himself and worked in the ring. You could call it a case of kindred spirits style-wise. Bret Hart’s style was not a high-risk deal, and that said, he could be as believable as anyone without taking ridiculous chances with his health. Bret Hart was smart about his piece of business, and it’s a damn shame that his career ended the way it did in the freak accident he had wrestling against Goldberg at WCW’s Starrcade ’99.
MY TOP 5 JAPANESE PRO WRESTLERS OF ALL TIME
Keiji Mutoh – I have always liked Mutoh’s style a lot, and this past November in Tokyo, I was finally able to wrestle against him in All-Japan Pro Wrestling, which was a dream come true for me. Mutoh has incredible ring presence, amazing psychology and impeccable timing. Basically, the man has all the tools of the trade, and he has kept with the times in changing his gimmick and look to stay fresh, without compromising where he came from. Just an amazing mind for the pro wrestling trade.
Hiroshi Hase – an amazing talent, and as complete of an all-around worker as there is to be had in the pro wrestling game. As a booker, Hase was incredibly giving, which is more than can be said for most match bookers who double as wrestlers. Hase had credibility, in everything that he did, and had so many show-stealing matches that anyone could easily lose count. Hase could make anyone look good, and that in itself is a feat in our business.
Mitsuhara Misawa – the late, great Misawa certainly took too many risks and ended up paying for them with his health before his untimely death a couple of years back, but it was hard to beat Misawa at his prime. The man mastered his craft and stayed on top as a main player for over 15 years, which is an amazing accomplishment any way you look at it. Misawa also spearheaded All-Japan Wrestling in the 1990’s, post-Tsuruta, driving the company to great success before moving on with his own NOAH promotion, which seemingly was the #1 company in Japan for a spell before eternity called Misawa to the other side.
Riki Choshu – The last two picks in this short list are a bit of a toss-up. I was going to pick NOAH’s KENTA, but he has not yet proven himself on the longevity level. Anyone with under 10 years of experience really cannot be considered yet. I was going to pick Antonio Inoki amongst the last two, but considering he was the promoter of New Japan, I felt perhaps he had a bit too much leverage in terms of a tilted playing field. When I was a kid, I first saw Riki Choshu in a match on a VHS tape against legendary shooter Fujiwara. The thing that struck me straight away about Choshu was the fact that he came off as a rebel, kind of a Japanese rock and roller, with his long hair and aggressive energy. The more I saw of Choshu’s matches, the more I liked his work. At his best, Choshu was hard to beat, and could really make the people believe in what he did.
Tatsumi Fujinami – I really struggled between Fujinami and Jumbo Tsuruta for the last pick. Before moving up to the heavyweights, Fujinami was a damn fine junior heavyweight, and I still recall one of his stellar matches against the Dynamite Kid in Japan, which was one hell of a hard-hitting altercation. Fujinami had that special something, an explosive dynamic about him, which made watching his matches truly enjoyable. The fact that he still moves at a surprisingly good pace at his age today is a testament in and of itself, and I am amazed that his knees are still holding up sans kneepads after all these years!
BEST OF THE REST
There have been numerous other personas and key factors that have played a part in StarBuck becoming what I am today in the pro wrestling world and beyond. Irish wrestler Dave “Fit” Finlay, whom I lost the SMASH Championship to back on November 24, 2011 is one of mat technicians that I highly respect. British ring generals Mark Rocco, Dynamite Kid and Johnny Saint all rate highly in my book also. North American top wrestling stars of the past like Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, Ricky Steamboat and The Road Warriors all offered valuable learning material. Comic book heroes from my youth like Conan The Barbarian and The Incredible Hulk, in addition to Godzilla, all left an indelible imprint on the formation of my psyche. The action movies of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone did their part in impacting me in my youth, in addition to perhaps my favorite flick of all time, Mel Gibson’s Mad Max II: The Road Warrior. Several top wrestlers of the past decade from Chris Benoit to Shawn Michaels to Triple H have all made a notable imprint, especially in terms of being able to draw from their ring psychology, pacing and idiosyncracies.
So all in all, there have been a whole slew of personas and greats that have really “lent” a hand in the formation of StarBuck as a professional wrestler. Perhaps I’ll post a blog about which musical influences played the biggest impact on my rock frontman career over the past 12 years, but maybe you’ll have to wait for that one to start off 2012.
starbuck.fi 
Somebody’s Hero
Posted: January 26, 2014 in Life, Music, Odds and Ends, Professional Wrestling, Social commentaryTags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bam Bam Bigelow, Conan, Godzilla, Hulk Hogan, idol, King Kong Bundy, Lou Ferrigno, Pro Wrestling, Ric Flair, rock vocalist, StarBuck hero
When I was young, just like any boy, I had my heroes. These were male role models that I looked up to, icons of strength and heroism. Actually, I think that those two attributes and characteristics resound in any young boy’s psyche, regardless of the convoluted and gender-confused age that we live in modern days.
My first heroes were The Incredible Hulk (both the Lou Ferrigno TV version and the Marvel comics version), Godzilla and Conan The Barbarian (both the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie version and the Marvel comics version). Very soon thereafter, however, I discovered pro wrestling’s Hulk Hogan. Let me tell you, as a kid, nothing was more real and more potent as a tangible idol than Hulk Hogan. I recall watching mesmerized in front of our old, snowy television set in Thunder Bay, Ontario, watching Hulk Hogan battle the likes of Nikolai Volkoff and King Kong Bundy on late night Saturday Night’s Main Event broadcasts on the NBC station. I was sold for life, marking the beginnings of my foray into the wonderous world of professional wrestling, a journey along which I found many more icons and tangible heroes. Whether it was a Canadian wrestling star like Dan Kroffat or Steve Strong out of Montreal’s International Wrestling scene, or American stars like Ric Flair, The Road Warriors or Bam Bam Bigelow, I had discovered real life heroes that resonated with me at my very core.
I recall drawing detailed, color portraits of guys like Bigelow and Flair, and at specific wrestling events, I would boldly walk up to the promoter or agents prior to the event and tell them that I would like to present my artwork in person to the star. NWA promoter Gary Juster allowed me behind the curtain in Boston, Mass. to meet Bigelow, whereas arena security in Calgary at the Saddledome allowed me the chance to meet Flair. As a kid, those were milestone moments, where I got to even fleetingly meet my heroes for real. I have no idea if those stars ever retained or treasured the artwork that I drew of them, but as you all can see from the Artwork link here at my website, I am a very proficient graphic artist with an extensive resume nowadays. I was pretty damn good back then, too, even if I say so myself.
Tom Zenk (left) and Dan Kroffat (right) mug for the TV cameras with Milt Avruskin interviewing
As I became a professional wrestler myself, actively starting my in-ring career in 1994, I purposed myself to become more than just a plagarized copy of my heroes: no, indeed, I would become an original. Once I found my groove in terms of my wrestling style and persona, the doors opened up for me. I became one of the most popular wrestlers in all of Italy over 2005, so much so that the promoter even noted it in front of the entire locker room. I became one of the most loved foreign bad guys to ever frequent Norway from 2003 onwards. Girls would bring “StarBuck is a starf*ck!” signs to the shows, which, of course, I plead innocence to! I would become one of the most popular foreign stars in all of the country of Japan in 2011, a buzz that lives on even to this day. In Finland, I have become an icon of the country’s pop culture fabric, due to my contribution above all in professional wrestling, and secondly as a rock vocalist, fronting my various bands over the years.
Streamers thrown into the ring are a sign of popularity in Japan
I recall strapping young lads, like a teenage Mikko Maestro, who now wrestles for FCF in Finland, run into me while jogging seaside, telling he’s a big fan. I recall wrestling in Tallinn, Estonia in 2007 and making such an impact on one young fan, that he turned away from partying, drugs and alcohol, choosing to follow my example. I recall signing loads of autographs for sick children at a special charity wrestling match at the American Car Show in Helsinki in 2009, with broad smiles on those children’s faces. I recall my numerous trips to Japan, where fans have eagerly treated me to the finest restaurant meals, presented me with spectacular gifts and cheered me on in the ring unlike any other audience prior or since. In short, I reached my goal and fulfilled my aspiration of becoming not just an original, but a hero to others myself. For this, I am extremely proud … in a good way.
When my wife last visited her homeland of Romania and gave one of my signed photos to an 11-year-old kid there, I was told that he looks forward to the day that he can take a picture with me and mug together for the camera. All he has is YouTube and the Internet to follow my wrestling exploits, but for him, that is suffice. To know that I have made an indelible impact on a complete stranger like that, who doesn’t even have the opportunity to see live wrestling events, speaks volumes.
Looking back on my career and lifetime contribution, I know that I have done something right, knowing somewhere out there, I am somebody’s hero.