On the 28th of May, I returned to Russia, my 20th country in pro wrestling, to face “Big Sexy Papa” Ruslan in a No-DQ rematch from our February showdown for IWF this year in Moscow. In our first bout against one another, Ruslan not only got beaten good and proper by Yours Truly, he also suffered a concussion during our match.
This time around, Ruslan had three months to get into shape and man-up, since he wanted some retribution on me, especially after I took his girl, Nadja, for a twirl after it was all said and done and he was left laying in defeat.
A week ago, I had Ruslan battered and bloody, administering a whooping to remember, when all of a sudden, his girl Nadja got up all panicked and whimpering on the ring apron. I have to admit, that my concentration was thrown for a loop, because I had no idea what she had in mind. I got up in her grill and had a few choice words with her when she suddenly slapped me out of the blue! In my flustered response, I stumbled backward, allowing Ruslan to cradle my very sweaty body with a schoolboy pin for the surprise victory!
I simply couldn’t believe what had happened! Ruslan was down for the count, all but left for dead, and suddenly a timely assist from his girlfriend saved his hide. Well, you can bet your wrestling-loving arse, that I’m not going to let this one rest. I have challenged “Big Sexy Papa” one more time, to a Hardcore match, if he has the balls to accept!
As we wait for the verdict, here is a stellar gallery of photos from our latest encounter…
Just a week back I wrestled in Russia, which was a huge landmark opportunity for me. In doing so, I finally capped off 20 countries in pro wrestling.
Looking back on my career, I have been blessed to see the world, visit four continents as a wrestler, become a name and drawing card in several promotions and stake out a legacy in the annals of wrestledom as we know it.
Russia presented a unique opportunity for me to work in the biggest country in the world. The Independent Wrestling Federation (IWF) booked me to appear in Moscow on February 27 against a wrestler of theirs named “Big Sexy Papa” Ruslan.
Ruslan put up a good fight, but he was nowhere in the physical condition that I was, and I ended up trouncing him pretty damn good by the time the dust settled. The Russian fans took to me like a fish in water, which made for a welcome reception to the former Soviet superpower.
Judging from the public response to our match, it seems like there is a rematch brewing in the booking sheets for me to return to Russia and once again tangle another round with Ruslan, who now has a much better picture of what he is up against. Heck, I even took his girlfriend and carried her out of the venue over my shoulder, like a true caveman, adding insult to injury. So man up, Ruslan! What are you going to do differently the next time that you and I meet in Moscow?
Yet for me, conquering Russia was a great way to celebrate my 20th country in the game!
This past Saturday night in Randers, Denmark, I stepped into my first cage match in my 21 years in the pro wrestling business.
Truth be told, I have been looking forward to wrestling a cage match all my life, as when I was a teenager, I used to watch tons of these kinds of matches on television. I was enamored by the cage match above all other kinds of “gimmick” matches in pro wrestling.
I recall sitting back and seeing the NWA [National Wrestling Alliance] put on the War Games double cage matches in the summers between 1987-1989 as part of the Great American Bash July-August national tours. I remember Ric Flair falling to Ronnie Garvin in a cage match in Detroit back in the latter half of 1987, only to win it back in a cage re-match at Starrcade that very same year in Chicago. Then there was Hulk Hogan vs. “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndoff inside of a steel cage on WWF’s Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC, as I would stay up way past my curfew back in those days to watch spellbound as the muscular heroes and villains battled it out inside the steel.
Alas, in 1994, I became an active professional wrestler, a raw rookie at the time with great hunger and a drive to spread my wings in this fantastic wrestling industry. My ambition and travels would take me to places like Egypt, Japan, Poland, Estonia, Spain and many points in between, spanning 19 countries and four continents to date, before I would be able to grapple inside the structure that always caught my imagination as a strapping young lad: the steel cage.
This past Saturday night in Randers, Denmark, the dream of wrestling inside the steel cage came true, thanks to Danish Pro Wrestling [DPW]. What was originally billed and slated to be me vs. multi-time Danish wrestling champion Chaos, was changed just two weeks prior to the event as me vs. The Beast from Sweden, and Chaos vs. Mr. Anderson from TNA (ex-WWE, Ken Kennedy).
As I have extensively documented here on my website and blog, I have been actively training and coaching The Beast since February of this year, as the Swedish phenom has taken the wrestling world in the Nordics by storm. I understood that I was prepping a dangerous man with all the tools to be a mega-star in the industry, at 1.93m tall and 115kg of pure muscle. I never saw the inevitable day coming this quickly, when I would have to step into the ring to face my prized protege, but I took to the change of plans like an old pro would and should. Win, lose or draw, it was just business this past Saturday when The Beast and I stepped into that steel cage to do battle.
I have to say that with 21 years in the game under me, I had the decided veteran’s advantage, which played greatly into my favor against the relative inexperience of The Beast. However, what he lacked for in experience, The Beast more than made up for in aggression and quickness. For a man that stands 1.93m tall, this guy moves like a panther. It was quite challenging to negate his agility and speed, and I had to pull a few old hat tricks to get the duke in the end. And yes, you read and understood that right: StarBuck beat The Beast inside of the steel cage when all was said and done.
This was The Beast’s first pinfall loss since debuting this past February in pro wrestling. However, even as The Beast himself knows, there is no shame in falling to time-tested, world-traveled veteran like myself. With more experience and miles down the line, it very well might be another story. Yet, this past weekend, history was made. The Beast found out that all men are mortal, and for every predator out there, there is another animal that will take them down. This is what we call the law of the jungle.
So summa summarum, all my respect goes to The Beast for putting up the fight of his career so far. This was nothing personal, just business. The Beast was put on the spot by DPW when the promotion changed plans from StarBuck vs. Chaos to StarBuck vs. The Beast. I do not have a personal agenda or beef with The Beast, and this cage match and its result does not pose any issue for me in my dealings with the man.
However, I do have an issue with Chaos. Not only did he prefer to disrespect me by choosing to change the advertised card from StarBuck vs. Chaos in the cage to Mr. Anderson vs. Chaos, but DPW also rubbed that salt of this swerve into my open wound by putting me in the cage with them as special referee after my match against The Beast. I barely had time to even drink before officials shoved a referee’s shirt in my face and told me to gear up and go back out to officiate the main event between Chaos and Anderson. Being the pro that I am, I suited up and went out to do my job.
However, I did not let sleeping dogs lie. When Chaos hit his trademark moonsault on Anderson, I counted one, two … and then nothing. I simply got up and turned around, showing everyone that if I was shafted in my scheduled and advertised match Denmark’s most beloved superstar, then I could play the game also. Chaos took exception to my actions, as I knew he would, and in turn, I superkicked him into oblivion, putting him down for Anderson to claim the winning pinfall.
So the bottom line is this: Chaos still has a date with destiny with his old nemesis StarBuck. He might have engineered the card to stroke his own ego this past weekend, but now, he has a little thorn in his side also. Sooner or later, Chaos is going to have to step into that ring with me, because his hurt pride won’t let this one go. And next time, there will be no change of plans at the last minute.
Wow … I got the news about a week back, that my upcoming, highly-anticipated cage match – the first of my long wrestling career – would be changed from me facing multi-time Danish champion Chaos, to me facing the breakout rookie star whom I have trained over the course of this year, Sweden’s hottest new property, The Beast!
The Beast stares down Harley Rage in a big match in Gothenburg, Sweden
I receive this news with mixed emotions. Firstly, I have taken a vested interest in prepping and coaching The Beast for his trek from the submission wrestling and MMA field into the world of pro wrestling. I took The Beast on as my pet project, proving that under my coaching, I could mold a superstar out of the man. I saw a world of potential in the guy when Stockholm wrestling promoter Chris Salhgren sent him to me for training at the beginning of this year. After all, he had an impressive resume already built up by the time that he was sent my way.
The Beast had gone to a time-limit draw in MMA against Sweden’s top export in that sport, Alexander Gustafsson, only to lose narrowly by judge’s decision. He had been a top star on the Swedish version of the reality competition show Gladiators, and he had nabbed the bronze medal in the 2014 Swedish national submission wrestling championships. In other words, I had one hell of an athlete to work with in my quest to mold him into a pro wrestling powerhouse.
I have to admit: I didn’t see this one coming. I’ve even formulated a friendship in addition to my mentorship with the man. I have seen first-hand how disciplined and strong this guy is. It’s downright scary. I have a lot of respect for The Beast, and I am sure that the feeling is mutual.
However, on August 22 in Randers, Denmark, I have been scheduled to meet this man inside of a 16-foot high steel cage, the first such match of my long and storied wrestling career. In truth, I have waited my entire life to wrestle inside of the cage. Ever since I was a youth, the cage matches between Ric Flair and Ronnie Garvin, Hulk Hogan and Paul Orndorff, the War Games matches of late 1980s NWA lore and such have been amongst my favorites. Before the eventual day comes that I have to hang my boots, one of my penultimate goals has been to grapple inside the cage, and now that day is here. But I never expected it to be against someone that I took on as my personal project.
The coach and the protege.
Initially, I was slated to face and old foe that I have grappled against many times in the past in Chaos. He and I have battled it out many times, and our matches have always been slobberknockers. I was firmly in the understanding that he and I would make wrestling history on August 22 in Denmark. However, just a week back, those plans went out the window, as the Danish Pro Wrestling [DPW] booking committee decided to change the card and put former TNA/WWE star Mr. Anderson (Ken Kennedy) against Chaos, with me against The Beast under them.
Now that’s all fine and dandy, I really have no problem with that. However, this does mean a change in my personal approach and coaching as it pertains to The Beast. He has now become a foe, an adversary, regardless of how indirectly that all transpired. I simply cannot afford to walk into the cage on August 22 against this man and teach him all that I know. That simply would not make any sense nor would it work in my favor.
I’ve faced big men like the executioner-like Pyöveli Petrov, who have fallen to finishers like my superkick (photo: Jarmo Katila)
From here on out, The Beast is on his own. I’ve given him the foundational tools that he needs to work with. However, come August 22 in Randers, Denmark, it will be a trial by fire for The Beast. Sure, he might have me outweighed by almost 20kg. He’s got a good 15cm height advantage on me. He’s much more powerful than me, he’s arguably more explosive and his reach exceeds mine. Yet, with all of these things against me, there are some things that he doesn’t have over ol’ StarBuck.
Firstly, The Beast does not have the experience that I have. I’ve been all around the world, a champion all over. I’ve faced them all, from big to small, both rookies and vets. I’ve learned to navigate through all kinds of waters. Secondly, I have a diverse bag of tools in my repertoire to draw from. I am not a one-trick pony. I can spot an opening anywhere, and I will not fail to expose a weakness when I see one. Thirdly, I have only taught The Beast what he needs to know, as in the role of the student he has been on a need-to-know basis. In the initial stages of his career, he needs to grasp the basics. Right now, The Beast owns a very rudimentary set of tools. I wouldn’t have done him any favors, had I force-fed him more knowledge than he could chew at any given point. That puts me in the driver’s seat, despite the imminent threat that he poses on the surface going into this huge cage match.
August 22 is going to be monumental in both of our careers. For me, it will be my first cage match, one that I have looked forward to all of my career. For The Beast, it will be the supreme test for him, as he will have to face his mentor before being ready and equipped enough to tackle my kind of professional experience.
Whatever happens on August 22, I just want The Beast to understand that it’s nothing personal. This is just business. Let the chips fall where they may.
I did an extensive interview with my birth country Canada’s top internet sports media, SLAM! Sports, for their website. Journalist Blaine Van Der Griend went to extensive lengths, cross-checking and getting the low-down from some influential people that have seen my pro wrestling career sparkle in Japan. This piece of media is really a treat, folks. The gloves come off here, so sit back, take 15-minutes and read some good inside stuff: http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2015/07/05/22488981.html
Thanks again to SLAM! Sports for this feature, and a big shout-out to all my Canadian compatriots out there! Reach for the stars, eh!!!
I once heard a tremendous quote that I have often recalled throughout my life, that says “There are no such things as excuses, only reasons why things don’t get done.”
As some of you might or then might not know, in addition to being a professional wrestler, I am also a rock vocalist in three separate bands: Overnight Sensation (hard rock), Angel of Sodom (thrash metal) and Crossfyre (southern blues rock).
I just came home a few days ago, back to Finland, after spending the last two weeks on the road, through the Baltics, down to Poland and Germany, for a set of gigs with Crossfyre. Before I left for this recent tour jaunt, I got word that I’d be having a match against Russia’s premiere wrestler, Ivan Markov, on July 23 in Helsinki. I knew that I would have to train on the road, utilizing every possible opportunity to get some body work and conditioning in.
After all, this is going to be a very important match. I loaded up one 16kg kettlebell, two 5kg plates equipped with handles and three different resistance power bands. This, plus my own bodyweight and a plethora of training knowledge, were all I had to train with for two weeks, while on tour.
My tour training equipment, sans the smallest resistance power band…
I recall doing the same kind of training five years ago, when I played across Europe with Crossfyre, which was just before my pro wrestling debut in Japan. That definitive time period was a breakthrough opportunity for me, when I was to make my first foray in the Land of the Rising Sun, in my first match there against Hajime Ohara back on July 24, 2010 in Tokyo. After that initial match, and the subsequent second match I had, later that same night, against former WWE superstar “The Japanese Buzzsaw” Tajiri, my career was made in Japan. I became a superstar there, literally overnight. That was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the finest moments of my professional athletic career.
Now, five years later, I am on the edge of another critically important moment in my wrestling epoch. On July 23, I will be defending the honor of the country I represent, Finland, against the imposing threat of big Russia in the first-ever wrestling war between our countries. I absolutely must be in shape for this coming battle, and my entire training approach changed considerably when I heard the news that Ivan Markov had called me out and challenged me to a match on Finnish soil. Especially, considering the history between our countries, and the fact that Finland used to be under Russian rule in years past by the Czar, this is a huge, milestone moment upcoming in athletic history in the Nordics. Plus, Ivan Markov is bigger, younger and stronger than me, so I have to up my ante to face this coming challenge.
Take a look at the bodyweight and hybrid training montage that I compiled from the tour we were on. I hope it inspires you also! It just goes to show, that when there isn’t an actual gym nearby, there is still no excuse to get in an effective training routine, regardless of the circumstances.
“The Rebel” StarBuck vs. “Locomotive” Ivan Markov is upcoming on Thursday, July 23 at SNACKY SLAM in the Pukinmäki suburb or Helsinki, as a free media event, open to the public, at 13:00 in the afternoon, located at Snacky fast food restaurant, Malminkaari 2a, 00720 Helsinki. The event is open to all ages, free of charge.
Hey folks! Just got back from playing the gigantic Harley Days 2015 motorcycle event in Hamburg, Germany this past Saturday, June 27.
With my southern rock band Crossfyre, we shared the bill with the UK’s legendary UFO and entertained the bikers on hand, who had ascended on Hamburg from all over the world. I didn’t get an exact number, but I heard over 100 000 bikers on bikes frequented the event over the weekend between June 26-28 and around 500 000 people attended over the weekend. That’s pretty damn impressive!
With Crossfyre, we rocked the main stage between 16:30 – 18:00 on Saturday, before a throng of thousands. It was one of the top performances ever in the history of my time with the band in my five years as vocalist, and to showcase the grandeur and showmanship of our gig, photographer extraordinaire Frank Schwichtenberg sent me these pictures to remember our performance by. Enjoy!
With another year gone in the history books, I’d like to glance back and assess the past 12 months both personally and professionally.
The last two years have really been life-altering times of change for me. In 2013 I got married, starting a new chapter of my life. Professionally speaking, 2014 signalled the end of the WNC (Wrestling New Classic) organization that I grappled for, marking the close of an era there also. The financial crunch in Europe began to sting and affect businesses across the board, spreading to Asia, including professional wrestling. Less shows were in the offering and the money just wasn’t there. I find myself amongst the hard-nosed veterans of the grappling game who find themselves working a limited number of dates due the poorly paying scene in general, not counting a few decent promotions on the grappling map who are still putting out top dollar for top talent still. 2014 was no cake-walk for independent pro wrestling, folks.
Yet, 2014 was musically one of the better years that I recall as of late. With my southern rock act Crossfyre we blazed across Europe and all around Finland over 2014, having one helluva time! We toured Poland, Estonia and Germany at the start of the summer and hit a slew of summer festivals and biker gigs to boot domestically. I got to see Lithuania and Latvia in transition between countries on tour and overall it was great experience. Crossfyre really evolved even further over 2014 as a working man’s hard working band, and for that, I am proud.
2014 started off with a bang, as fast food giant Subway had me play the lead and do the voice-over for their American Steak House Melt sub sandwich. I got to play my redneck self, complete with my Michael Hayes-like finger mannerisms, familiar to wrestling fans far and wide, who’ve seen ”The Rebel” StarBuck in action.
2014 also marked my 20th anniversary since debuting as an active combatant in the world of pro wrestling. On January 7 this past year, my old wrestling coach Lance Storm sent me a public message on Facebook, congratulating me on my career milestone. It was Lance who was my first opponent, whom I had a very decent 7-minute match with back in Calgary, Canada in my debut bout. Since that time, I’ve gone on to see the world, kick ass and take names far and wide. Thank again, Lance, for setting me off on that fantastic journey!
Speaking of pro wrestling, FCF started off 2014 with a bang on January 11 in Helsinki, as my four-man team of Mikko Maestro, Sly Sebastian, Kristian Kurki and Yours Truly downed the team of Valentine, Conny Mejsel, Steinbolt and Robert Holmström in a hellacious Survivor Series-style elimination match. This tag bout stands out as one of my personal favorites from 2014, as everyone clicked on all cylinders and the action was hot and heavy-handed.
In another huge tag team outing, I teamed with FCF’s King Kong Karhula against the duo of Sweden’s Conny Mejsel and Harley Rage in Gothenburg on February 1, which turned out to be perhaps the hottest tag team match that I have ever wrestled. I am speaking solely about fan reaction to the bout here, but I am in no way undermining the quality of the wrestling in that match. Everyone brought their A-game to the show, and I am glad that my Spandex Sapiens movie producer Oskari Pastila was able to come and film the bout, because this crowd and atmosphere was most definitely worth capturing on film.
The Gothenburg fans went bananas when their hero Conny Mesjel got the upper hand on me.
Speaking of Spandex Sapiens, premature expectations had the 100-minute documentary movie about my persona and wrestling career coming out in 2014. Yet, director Pastila decided to wait out the possible financial commitments of various third parties before tending to the actual release, and thus, the movie debut was delayed until 2015. Now, the release has been set for autumn 2015 and all signs are go at this point. I personally can’t wait! In addition, 2015 will mark the return of Mad Max to the silver screen, as Fury Road comes out in the summer. When I was a kid, Mad Max: The Road Warrior was my favorite movie.
2014 also saw Yours Truly doing a guest DJ spot on Finland’s top rock radio station, Radio Rock. This was a personal milestone for me, much like getting featured in an exclusive article in Hustler magazine several years ago (true story!) about my wrestling career (Hustler publisher and boss Larry Flynt has always been an icon to me as an anti-establishment kind of guy who swims against the stream at large). I got the opportunity to play whatever I wanted, chosing obscure songs by lesser-known bands like Living Sacrifice, Bolt Thrower and even my own bands, Overnight Sensation and Crossfyre. Talk about a great PR opportunity!
February 27, 2014 was a huge day for me in my wrestling career. I defeated ”The Japanese Buzzsaw” Tajiri for the WNC championship in Tokyo, capturing my second title in Japan to date (I became the first champion in SMASH history back in October 2011, also defeating Tajiri then in a tournament final). Tajiri is arguably my greatest nemesis of all time, over the entire span of my wrestling career. He and I have waged numerous wars, both in Japan and Finland, and I am honored to have had such a great fighting chemistry with him.
One week after winning the WNC title, I hit an all-time career low, as I lost both the WNC championship and the BWA (British Wrestling Alliance) Catchweight belt in the same night at FCF Wrestling’s biggest annual showcase event, Talvisota VIII, on March 8. With my wife Diana as my wrestling valet, I also put her career on the line against Valentine in what I can now assess was a bad case of overconfidence on my part. Valentine pulled out a tainted win, complete with brass knuckles, as I lost the BWA title to him. Immediately thereafter, Belgian powerhouse Bernard Vandamme demanded that I wrestle him and defend the WNC title. Never one to back down from a fight, I valiantly did my best, losing in grand fashion in two minutes. It was possibly the lowest point of my career, and it haunted me for the rest of the year in all of my Finnish matches. I can see now, that it was psychologically a demon and monkey on my back, losing my wife as my valet, along with two championships, in one night. In 2015, I plan to rid myself of that jinx for good.
I was able to grapple again in Belgium in March 2014, this time laying waste to a promising young rookie named Tyson Heel out of Andorra, along with a return to Germany to wrestle for EPW. Things were going great for me outside of Finland, as the wins kept coming, but my jinx returned when FCF’s Jatkosota 2014 rolled around on April 12 in Helsinki once again. In a six-man tag team match, my team of Sly Sebastian, Kristian Kurki and myself lost to Heimo Ukonselkä, Stark Adder and Ricky Vendetta when Ukonselkä assisted Vendetta in gaining a pinfall over this disgruntled Rebel. Ricky Vendetta would go on to brag and boast about gaining the biggest pin of his career, shooting his mouth off all throughout 2014 at my expense. Vendetta became a real thorn in my hide at this point.
I became embroiled in a bitter rivalry with young Ricky Vendetta this year (photo: Marko Simonen).
2014 marked my 19th country in pro wrestling, as I went to Holland to wrestle for a fabuolus company called Dutch Pro Wrestling on June 1 against Bernard Vandamme. I was out looking to avenge myself and beat Vandamme into the ground, but as fate would have it, Vandamme found a way to thwart my end goal, eeking out another victory over Yours Truly. That WNC title loss really stung bad after that repeat defeat, I can assure you!
On June 8, I had the pleasure of playing the 2014 Harley-Davidson Super Rally in Tallinn, Estonia with Crossfyre. We had the main stage, we got to meet Mr. Bill Davidson of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, and we got to treat throngs of bikers from all across Europe to our special southern rocking brand of rock’n’roll from the north. Top of the line hotel, top treatment, top spot on the event line-up = no complaints!
Bill Davidson mugs between me and Crossfyre’s session bassist Sami Salminen.
The summer of 2014 signalled the end of the WNC organization that I wrestled for in Japan. Tajiri, Akira Nogami, Yusuke Kodama, Rionne Fujiwara and a couple of other wrestlers moved on to Keiji Muto’s Wrestle-1 organization, while everyone else from WNC went their own, separate ways. I was saddened to say goodbye to my old Synapse teammates Syuri Kondou and Akira, with whom I enjoyed a tremendous chemistry. We travelled a lot of miles up and down the roads in Japan, kicking asses and taking names for almost two years together. It was a memorable time, and Synapse will always live on in my memories as a unit that I was truly happy to be a part of.
The summer gigs that we played with Crossfyre live strongly in my memories, as I mentioned at the start of this blog. The summer of 2014 was awesome and we really rocked all summer long, as the lyrics to a certain song go. The shows we had in Poland especially warm my heart, as we had Polish audiences dancing on tables and losing their inhibitions (in a good way!) every single night. Poland was one helluva time! I also warmly recall going for a kebab after our gig on the Reperbahn in Hamburg, Germany with a black 74-year-old jazz and blues musician, whose name now escapes me. Talk about experience and the wisdom that only comes with years!
Photographer Igor Uciński captures one of the best shots of me on stage in Poland.
The summer of 2014 also saw FCF Wrestling join forces with fast food restaurant Snacky in Finland for an event called Snacky Slam at the end of July. This show was held outdoors, and we had more media exposure through Snacky for FCF than I recall en masse in recent years. Finland’s top entertainment magazine, 7 Päivää, jumped in as the media sponsor for the event, proving to be the ideal, perfect match in terms of hype. I am proud as punch of the promo work that FCF and myself got to do through 7 Päivää, and the vast, new audiences reached thereby. It was at Snacky Slam that Ricky Vendetta was able to gain yet another tainted win at my expense in a six-man war, featuring myself along with Sly Sebastian and Mikko Maestro against Vendetta, Stark Adder and Pyöveli Petrov in a super-hot match that had the Snacky outdoor audience rocking. Adder was the pivotal man to assist Vendetta this time, leading to the pinfall win for Vendetta over good ol’ StarBuck. Ricky Vendetta was really beginning to piss me off at this point.
In August, I had the pleasure of coaching a week-long training camp for young wrestlers in Denmark. I was able to take my wife along for this trip, and we had our official summer vacation in the process. Danish Pro Wrestling organized the camp, and I had kids from four different countries attend. I saw some real potential amongst the 21 participants that busted their asses that week, and I am sure the world of pro wrestling will be hearing from some of them in the future.
The summer of 2014 also allowed me to mend the fence with Boogie Mustonen, the seven-time Finnish heavyweight bodybuilding champion. Boogie had trash-talked Finnish pro wrestling and my personal legacy many years ago on a certain Finnish bodybuilding online forum, and I had taken personal offense to his derogatory comments. You see, Boogie had once wrestled in the neighborhood of about 20 matches, after getting his training in Australia around the mid-’90s. Since speaking out less than favorably about Finnish pro wrestling, Boogie had amended his opinions and views. Back then, Boogie had never really understood the pro wrestling business, and his career was cut prematurely short after failing to convince in his match against Tony Halme (Ludvig Borga in WWF) in Joensuu, Finland back in July 1997. I had been the referee for that specific match, and it had been Boogie’s tryout bout to get into Otto Wanz’s CWA promotion (Austria) back then. To make a long story short, the match was flop. Boogie went on to concentrate on his bodybuilding career and Halme went on to become a boxer before getting into politics and then eventually killing himself in early 2010.
It’s like the past never happened, Boogie is a great guy!
I had a blast doing another TV commercial shoot during the summer, this time for Vesileppis Sport & Spa Hotel. Hotel manager Kimmo had been the promoter for FCF’s Karjalan Turpakäräjät show in Nurmes, eastern Finland back in October 2012. Kimmo thought StarBuck would be a great fit as a main actor alongside Vesileppis Hotel’s ladybug mascot, to provide a comical contrast.
During the summer, I also got to do a TV commercial shoot for Finland’s biggest dairy manufacturer, Valio Ltd., with NHL ice hockey legend and Stanley Cup winner, Teemu Selänne. The double exposure of both Subway and Valio definitely lay down some serious exposure for me in preparation for my Spandex Sapiens movie next year, as my mug will be familiar to the entire nation pretty much. As the Bible says, the Lord works in mysterious ways!
2014 was a bit of a transitional year for my hard rock band Overnight Sensation, as we have been focusing on writing new material by and in large. We only had a handful of domestic gigs this past year, and granted, we could have done more. Nonetheless, we are planning on releasing a mini-LP of sorts featuring our new songs with our current drummer Jesper in 2015.
On the 13th of September, I finally had the chance to gain a measure of retribution on Ricky Vendetta here in Finland, as we met in a singles match in Helsinki. Yet, Ricky didn’t want to face me square-up. Earlier in the evening at FCF Wrestling’s Syyskuun Selkäsauna, I introduced the new debuting Class of 2014 to the fans present at Hotel Presidentti. Seven new trainees had passed their 2014 schooling to enter the world of professional wrestling, and during this presentation ceremony, Ricky Vendetta chose to attack me with a monkey wrench in his hand. In the ensuing melee, he bruised my ribs, leaving me at less than 100% for our singles match later that night. Regardless of my best efforts, Vendetta thwarted yet another bullet and managed to gain another tainted win over me. I had promised to make Vendetta tap out for his insolence, not content with just pinning him. I promised to make him scream for his life and submit. That is still going to have to wait for another day, and luckily, my opportunity lies in achieving that goal at FCF’s Talvisota IX event in Helsinki on February 9, 2015, when I will face Vendetta in a submission-only match!
I had the pleasure of returning to Japan again on October 10 for my good friend and former Synapse tag team partner Akira Nogami’s 30th anniversary show in Tokyo. Whereas I celebrated 20 years in pro wrestling this year, Akira’s landmark was a decade better. In the main event of Akira’s 30th anniversary card, I wrestled against my old friend Nogami and also against Pancrase founder Masakatsu Funaki in a triple threat match. I got to find out first-hand about Funaki’s legendary kicks, which I felt on numerous occasions during that match. In the end, even I was astounded at the fact that when all was said and done, I had pinned Akira at his own anniversary show! Japan has always been a very special place for me, and my favorite country to wrestle in, and this event once again reminded me just why that is.
Akira’s 30th anniversary show line-up
On November 1, traveled to Stockholm to fight Ken Malmsteen in a Last Man Standing match. I took it upon myself to teach Malmsteen a stern lesson about respect for the way that he disregarded and cheapshotted former Swedish Olympic hero, Frank Andersson. Frank had wrestled in WCW and New Japan way back in the day circa. 1993-1995 or thereabouts. He had made his comeback to pro wrestling this past year in Sweden, challenging Malmsteen to a match for the Swedish wrestling championship after Malmsteen first cheapshotted him when Frank was a special referee in a prior bout. Frank went on to make good and capture the title, but after the match he was diagnosed with a concussion after a loaded uppercut from Malmsteen in their match. On November 1, I beat Malmsteen from pillar to post and was well on my way to busting him open good and proper. Malmsteen got hold of the STHLM Wrestling title belt and blasted me in the face with it during our no-DQ outing, which sliced my head open, instead. After yet another shot with the title belt to my wounded head, I was unable to get to my feet by the referee’s 10-count, and the match was awarded to Malmsteen. At least I did manage to soften up Mr. Malmsteen for Frank Andersson the next time they meet…
I was thinking I had Ken Malmsteen beat (photo: Johannes Tegner).
On November 7, I travelled to France for the first time in five and a half years, which was a welcome return to fight for Wrestling Stars. I had become accustomed to wrestling mixed tag matches with Synapse in Japan over the past couple of years, and this time I teamed with the feisty Miss Agathe against French fan favorite Jimmy Gavroche and Sara Elektra from Finland. I don’t think Sara had ever been rag-tagged so badly in her life as in that match, and it was a valuable lesson for her about the relentless world of pro wrestling. I have always had the same philosophy with training and wrestling, regardless of whether it’s been a man or woman. Pro wrestling is an incredibly hard and remorseless grind physically, and if there ever was a thing called Sexual Equality, the world of pro wrestling is such a place. Hell, I recall facing multi-time Japanese women’s wrestling champion Kana on several occasions a couple of years back, and her kicks were on par with those thrown by Masakatsu Funaki!
On November 15, I celebrated my 20th year in pro wrestling with The Roast of StarBuck at Hotel Presidentti in Helsinki. Although January 7 was officially my anniversary career landmark, FCF Wrestling wanted to toast and roast my contributions to the grappling game at year’s end. Many names from my past dropped by to grill me, including media personality Wilma Schlizewski, Renne Korppila of Radio NRJ, my uncle Lasse, former amateur champion Jouni Mörsky and FCF’s Valentine and Robert Holmström. The best verbal jabs were dealt by Holmström, Valentine and Korppila, who had no mercy on my poor person. Regardless, I was a good sport and hung in there for the duration, until once again, Ricky Vendetta tried to ruin even this occasion as my wife Diana gave me a closing blindfolded lap dance. Vendetta tried to assault me with the trophy FCF handed to me as a commemorative token, which I was able to avoid and then procede to lay a beating on Vendetta, sending him scurrying out of the ring to await his final judgement at Talvisota IX this upcoming February 7, 2015 in Helsinki.
To cap off my eventful 2014, I was asked by Europe’s biggest MMA organization M-1 to ring announce their M-1 Challenge 54 / ACB 12 event in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 17. I did the ring announcing for the M-1 Semi-Finals in 2010 in Helsinki, and M-1 president Vadim Finkelchtein recalled that I did a great job for his organization then. One of the things that I have always prided myself on is having a strong voice and dynamic delivery. This has proven to be an asset for me over 2014, as I have had a slew of voice-over jobs through Finland’s oldest voice-over agency, Dictum.fi. I was once again able to parlay my talents and offer my voice to ring announcing for the M-1 Global live stream of their event from St. Petersburg. I was told the organization was more than happy with my work this time also, and hopefully we’ll be able to work together in 2015.
Yours Truly in a snazzy suit ring announcing M-1 in St. Petersburg.
Thanks to all my fans for the support over 2014. 2015 should be even bigger and better, as the Spandex Sapiens documentary movie about me hits the silver screen this autumn. Stay tuned to http://www.starbuck.fi for developments and all the latest!
I will be making my first trip to Russia to be part of the fight game next week, only this time it’s not pro wrestling, it’ll be MMA. And no, I won’t be fighting myself. I will be the guest ring announcer for the M1 Challenge 54 event in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, December 17.
The last time I did ring announcing, it was back in the early part of 2010, as the M1 Semi-Finals came to Helsinki. Four and a half years later, M1 and Yours Truly tag up again, and I am excited to be a part of this huge event in Russia!
What a bloodbath this past weekend in Stockholm, Sweden! STHLM Wrestling’s resident bad boy Ken Malmsteen and I had a vicious Last Man Standing match on Saturday night, in front of about 350 rabid fans at an event dubbed There Will Be Blood III.
Looking to crack Malmsteen in the head but good! (photo: Noomie Hector)
Malmsteen is the clear favorite of STHLM Wrestling’s vice-president Anita, who conned a wrestler named TNT out of the STHLM Wrestling championship in a major swerve prior to my Last Man Standing match. Malmsteen interfered in a title bout between TNT and his adversary Hardcore Hampus, the details of which were lost on me, but in the end, Malmsteen ended up with the title as new champ without even being involved as a competitor in the match. It was obvious to me that Anita had stacked the deck and that I should be prepared for anything as my match with Malmsteen went on as the main event of the card.
Malmsteen chokes me on the ropes (photo: Noomie Hector)
As this was a Last Man Standing match, there were no disqualifications, and that meant that everything was permissible. An old fox like me ain’t gonna be outdone easily, and I more than hammered the cowardly Malmsteen for the majority of the fight. It was a donnybrook all over downtown Stockholm, and the referee just let us go like wild dogs, serving only to administer a 10-count, should one of us not be able to rise to our feet in time.
It was a bloody affair at Göta Källare in Stockholm (photo: Noomie Hector)
I managed to nail Malmsteen with my trademark spike piledriver after I was hit with the title belt, cracking open the epidermis on my forehead. The blood flowed like wine into my eyes and I was loopy, not registering the fact that there were no pinfalls in this match. I was told that Anita threw a cold cup of water into Malmsteen’s face to help revive him, allowing him to blast me in the face a second time with his newly-acquired title belt. I didn’t make it to my feet in time for the 10-count and at that point it was too little too late and Malmsteen was able to gain another tainted victory.
Miss Agathe of Wrestling Stars, France
This coming weekend, I wrestle in France for the first time in five and a half years for the country’s biggest promotion, Wrestling Stars. From what I am told, my match will be a mixed tag, where I team with the sultry Miss Agathe against French ladies’ favorite, Jimmy Gavroche, and his rookie newcomer partner, Sara. This should prove to be an interesting bout, as the last mixed tag that I competed in was in the summer of 2012 in Japan alongside my Synapse teammate Syuri, where were kicked ass and took down names.
Jimmy Gavroche is a main player in French pro wrestling today.
So get ready Dreux, France, because “The Rebel” StarBuck is back to make an impact on Friday, November 7!
starbuck.fi 