Oskari Pastila (the director of both the current Crossfyre video documentary and the upcoming StarBuck movie out in 2013) leaves the camera mugging to me. Photo: Valtteri Pokela
Here is the second installment of the documentary film about my southern blues rock band Crossfyre and our gigs aboard the huge Rock Legends Cruise 2011 aboard the Liberty of the Seas last December:
You can also check out my match against one of Sweden’s premiere wrestlers, Bad Buddha, from the city of Malmö a couple of months back in the following video at the 33:00 minute mark.
One year ago on July 1, 2011 in Helsinki, I faced Sweden’s top wrestler Killer Karlsson at an FCF Wrestling event entitled DOMination 2. It was a long-awaited showdown, as Finland and Sweden have had a blood-rivalry going back many decades. As the pioneer of Finnish pro wrestling, I was not only representing myself, I was representing the country that my parents were born in, as I clashed with Karlsson in our first meeting. To say that our duel was highly-spirited would be a grandiose understatement, as the fans packed into Helsinki’s DOM club venue roared with every blow that I dealt out to the big Swede.
During our match at DOMination 2, Karlsson got himself intentionally disqualified and proceeded to beat me senseless with his metal Swedish flagpole. It sounds almost as if he was defacing his own country by using his own flag to perpetrate his actions. Karlsson left me laying in the ring, gasping for breath, as I got choked out on top of it all before the dust settled.
Now, upcoming at DOMination 4 on June 28 in Helsinki, I get my chance at retribution in a No-Holds-Barred match against Killer Karlsson. Anything goes on June 28th, and that means I can pound a mudhole into Karlsson with his own flagpole, should be bring one, and there is nothing the official can do about it. As a matter of fact, I can use any furniture that isn’t nailed down to beat Karlsson black and blue. Hell, I can even use whatever IS nailed down!
See clips above of my first match against Karlsson on my latest DVD release, available at DOMination 4 on June 28 in Helsinki
This weekend, I will be in Stockholm, Sweden, training the STHLM Wrestling roster over a two-day seminar tomorrow and Sunday. I will also be wrestling in a special VIP-members only invite-event on Saturday night against STHLM Wrestling’s Scandinavian Shiva.
I am also proud to mention that FCF Wrestling broke the mainstream media barrier in Finland today, with a huge, feature cover story on our promotion in the nation’s leading newspaper Helsingin Sanomat in the weekend NYT-Liite attachment. Check out the scan below, and be sure to pick it up if you live in Finland!
My southern blues rock band Crossfyre played the gigantic Rock Legends Cruise out on the Atlantic Ocean waters this past December 2011, alongside such notable names as ZZ Top, George Thorogood and The Destroyers, Johnny Winter, Steppenwolf, Blackfoot and many others.
Film producer Oskari Pastila was aboard with us, and he filmed a four-part video documentary series for Finnish pop culture and music media www.basso.fi on our Crossfyre expedition.
Here is a sneak peak at the documentary in trailer form:
This past Friday night at FCF Wrestling’s Jatkosota 2012 event in Helsinki I challenged “Wildman” Heimo Ukonselkä for his FCF Championship title. Had I procured the finishing pinfall, which by all accounts SHOULD have gone down following my spike piledriver to Ukonselkä, I would now be a five-time FCF Champion. The fact that I am not the new champ right now boils down to FCF General Manager Robert Holmström, my Eurosport co-commentator, who really should have known better than messing with my match, and to Robert’s “surprise”, King Kong Karhula.
Heimo and I fought a rough-and-tumble, knock-down, drag-out bout, which really deserved a clear-cut winner. Alas, Robert Holmström, with his Machiavellian imagination, spoiled the fun for everybody. Right after my well-timed piledriver, the lights of the Old Student House venue went out and everyone was left in the dark. Then, out of the corner of the room, from a side entrance, out comes the former Ibo Ten, who is now apparently calling himself King Kong Karhula, if the page that he opened on Facebook yesterday is any indication. Karhula proceeded to destroy both Heimo and I, leaving us with bruised ribs after it was all said and done.
I have to hand it to Ukonselkä though. He is often viewed as a very one-dimensional wrestler, being the burly brawler type. My plan of attack was to actually wrestle the man down to the mat and control him there, but Heimo showed surprising counter-wrestling aptitude and managed to stem the tide. It ended up being pretty much back and forth all the way through, with neither of us getting a clear upper hand throughout the match.
With the non-finish and sabotage of our title match, Robert Holmström upheld the FCF Championship, aided in part by the fact that he provoked Heimo into blasting him with a forearm with his egocentric verbal assault following Karhula’s attack on Ukonselkä and myself. Holmström is obviously over-stepping his authority and misusing his power, and I am sure that he has something up his sleeve that nobody can anticipate.
Nonetheless, props to Heimo Ukonselkä for a war well fought, and Robert … I’ll see you at Eurosport next on May 14, and then you will have some explaining to do!
I blogged a couple weeks back about the amazing experience I had wrestling in front of the Swedish fans in Malmö, Sweden at SWS Wrestling‘s Wrestlingpalatset show. Well, here is a video piece with clips of that match, plus an interview with Yours Truly (in English)…
Also a brief reminder, that this Friday night, April 20 in Helsinki, Finland, I will be challenging “Wildman” Heimo Ukonselkä for the prestigious FCF Championship at Jatkosota 2012. There is a slight possibility that a few tickets might be available at the door on the night of the event (start time 20:00), if you have not scored your tickets in advance through http://www.wrestling.fi as of yet.
You DO NOT want to miss this one!
See you at the matches and for more wrestling news go here!
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!
Attention: I have extended the application time for my wrestling course at Amin Asikainen’s Ringside Gym in Espoo, Finland. Although the course started today (April 14), you can still apply and join up over the next two weeks. Send me an email to: starbuck (AT) fightclubfinland (DOT) com, and take hold of this unique, grappling opportunity!
Hey folks, I just arrived back home from laying down amendments and additional background vocals for my hard rock band Overnight Sensation‘s upcoming Life’s a Bitch debut album, out later this year.
Guitarist Jan Tilles and I hopped the train to Jyväskylä on Wednesday evening, where we picked up my friend Christian Palin (Random Eyes, Beyond Belief, ex-Adagio), who served as background vocalist and the go-to guy for harmonies on our upcoming album.
Christian Palin belts out the melodies and supporting harmonies for us.
I finished all of my corrections and retakes yesterday, and Christian finished his backing vox today, leaving Jan to work on the piano arrangements for our ballad Nothing to Gain, along with solos for the rest of the songs on the album. Nora Niemispelto from the all-girl band Hormonés will also be adding her acoustic guitar playing expertise tomorrow to our track Highway of Lost Souls.
Jan Tilles lays the smack down in the studio.
It was great to see my old friend Samuel Hoisko drop by today at Drumforest Studios in Viitasaari, Finland, where we were recording with engineer Nikke Niemispelto. Samuel was the songwriter and guitarist from my very first real band here in Finland, power metal group Hallowed, back in 1999.
Samuel Hoisko from Hallowed back in the day dropped by to say hello.
So basically what we are looking at is 11 originals for the album, ready to be mixed after this weekend, for the Life’s a Bitch album.
Stay tuned for further updates as they develop!
Jan Tilles shows the list of corrections and additions for the final album recordings.
starbuck.fi 
StarBuck interview on Basso Radio (audio interview)
Posted: May 29, 2012 in Life coaching, Music, Professional Wrestling, Social commentaryTags: Basso.fi, Crossfyre, Michael Majalahti, Oskari Pastila, StarBuck
I was interviewed in Finnish by Basso Radio in Finland this morning, listen to the interview here: http://soundcloud.com/bassoradio/toimistoradio-haastattelussa-3
Oskari Pastila (the director of both the current Crossfyre video documentary and the upcoming StarBuck movie out in 2013) leaves the camera mugging to me. Photo: Valtteri Pokela
Here is a link in Finnish to the printed addition to the interview: http://www.basso.fi/keskustelu/radio/maad-ylafemmat-osa-1-eero-ettala/100/#msg1856111