For the first time in Finnish wrestling history, the central city of Kuopio will host FCF Wrestling at Hotel Rauhalahti on Sunday, April 3, 2011.
I personally am waiting with great anticipation for this card, as I will be head-to-head for the first time in a long time against Finnish wrestling veteran, Stark Adder. Hailing from Talaskangas in the Savo province of Finland which Kuopio also belongs to, Adder is a former Finnish Champion himself and for all intents and purposes has served as the main instructor at FCF’s wrestling school for the past few years. Adder is adept at the technical aspects of the game, and he and I have waged some incredible matches in the annals of Finnish wrestling history over the years.
May 26, 2006 - Stark Adder defeated me to become the Finnish Champion (photo http://www.metalphotos.com)
It was Adder who defeated me back on May 26, 2006 to begin his reign as Finnish Champion, which ended one year later to the day, when he lost the title to Erik Isaksen of Norway. Many fans in Finland remember the incredible set of matches that I had with Adder in 2005-2006, which also elevated Adder to becoming a main player in Finland. Those matches also gave Adder viability in the European wrestling scene, and he went on to wrestle in countries like Italy, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, UK and even Japan.
Wrestling fans in and around Kuopio, Finland can get ready for another classic once Savon Selkäsauna rolls around on April 3rd!
Spring is almost here, and thank God for that! Most people get all wound up over losing weight and getting into shape for the beach et al every year around spring time. At the latest, that is when the reality of physical aesthetics on a personal level becomes prevalent.
Using that one single example as noted above, it’s important to understand that nothing moves and nothing happens without personal volition.
Volition is sheer will, plain and simple. It is the driving force that makes things happen.
Without the will to do and perform being present, the skill to do and perform has no meaning or credence whatsoever. Just because you can do the job does not necessarily mean that you will do the job.
Nowhere is this as applicable as in relationships. Many of us – myself included in the past – have been in relationships where the other person might have had all the tools necessary to get the ”job” done, but they did nothing and you seethed with frustration. Perhaps you even cut loose of that relationship, because the other person was not taking action based upon crystal clear information given, knowing the need present, and all you were left with was a vacant hole inside of yourself.
On a certain flight from Miami to London (UK), I asked a very charming lass sitting next to me, who was a couples counsellor, what the main reasons for divorce and the mass amount of failed relationships are these days. After all, I figured this was a pristine opportunity to get the goods straight from a pro – for free!
She gave me three reasons for why seemingly everyone is somebody’s ex: 1) Sex outside of the relationship, be it extra-marital or otherwise, with someone other than one’s current and steady partner, with the argument that ”It was ONLY sex!”; 2) ”What did I see in that person to begin with?! We have nothing in common!”; 3) ”I hear what you are saying and I completely understand, but to be honest … I could give a damn!”
Number three. Third strike and you’re out! Oh yeah, that one there is one of the biggest busts in relationship history, folks. I hear what you are saying, but to be honest, I could care less about your needs and your happiness = the will to do is NOT PRESENT.
Now when the will to do and perform is not present, the bottom line is that the person who is guilty does not have enough empowering reasons to move their keister and play ball. There are no such things as excuses, only reasons why things don’t get done.
Case in point: Liver damage.
If you take a person who is a lush, heavy into the booze, and send them to a doctor who diagnoses them with a liver that is ready to rupture and say sayonara, you will either have a corpse on your hands or then you will have a personal revival – complete with redemption aka a 180 turn. In such a scenario, if the reason is weighty enough, the catalyst will quit the booze straight up out of sheer fright, in the fear of losing their life. Or then they will give up the ghost and head six feet under in short order.
Once the will to do kicks into gear, there’s nary anything that can stop the force of personal volition. You have GOT TO WANT IT, and want it ENOUGH, or nothing is going to happen. Period.
Once everyone of us realizes that point, we will start treating people like we ourselves would hope to be treated, and we will start living with integrity because we will realize the good that personal volition will bring into our lives. And once again, the spinning of wheel of Karma takes another spin.
In just over two weeks time, I will be heading back to the promised land of pro wrestling in Japan to face former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, Tommy Dreamer in the main event of SMASH.15, which is the first anniversary milestone for the company.
Two nights ago, I had dinner with SMASH president Mr. Sakai in Tokyo, where he told how SMASH has become the fastest growing company in Japanese wrestling. This is obvious, from the media and fan response, in addition to myself being voted by the fans nationwide as the fifth most popular foreign wrestler in the country over 2010 amongst all promotions. Considering the fact that workers like Prince Devitt and Giant Bernard, who have been in Japan for several years, beat me in the poll for top gaijin, I can only be honored by the fact that the Japanese fans took note of me within a half a year after my debut for a new company, voting me into the top five.
SMASH.15 will be held at Korakuen Hall, one of the oldest venues for pro wrestling in the country. This Spring 2011 season, SMASH will also be expanding across Japan, holding cards in places like Nagoya and Osaka as regular stops on the touring route.
Last night at SMASH.14 at Shinjuku FACE arena in Tokyo, I downed former AWA World Champion Takao Omori in an ultra-physical match in 16:33.
After Omori tried to do me away with a backdrop piledriver, I blocked his attempts several times in order to finally capitalize on his wounded left ankle and knee, allowing me to drill Omori into the canvas with my own spike piledriver for the fatal pinfall.
StarBuck's piledriver finishes off the Japanese big man, Takao Omori
Omori chopped my chest raw and put up one hell of a fight, for which I can only applaud him. He gave it his all, but in the end, the lord and master of FCF Wrestling stood tall once again to rapturous applause in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Next month at SMASH.15, I will face former ECW World Champion Tommy Dreamer on the top of the card, but can Dreamer survive StarBuck’s piledriver?
Today I leave for the hallowed wrestling land of Japan to face one of my toughest challenges to date in SMASH, Takao Omori.
Omori started his pro wrestling career under Giant Baba in All-Japan Pro Wrestling back in 1992. He is a multi-time champion in Japan with AJPW and NOAH, and in addition he has held the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, defeating my old rival Steve Corino for the honors back in 2005. Omori even participated in the WWFRoyal Rumble of 1996, showcasing him as an international name and talent.
I first saw Omori when I was still a rookie wrestler myself, watching an AJPW tag team match from 1995. He was pitted in a tag team match with Jun Akiyama against one of my all time favorites, Dan Kroffat and his partner Doug Furnas. Omori was still pretty green back then, but hey, so was I.
Now, on February 25, 2011 at Shinjuku FACE arena in Tokyo at SMASH.14, I will collide with Omori, and I must say that I really don’t know what to expect. I have no idea if our styles will mesh or clash, but that said I am certain that it will be a heated match. Simply judging from the response that Omori and I got from the fans at SMASH.13 in January as we faced off, the people are anticipating this showdown big time.
I should also mention that I am taking FCF Wrestling’s hottest rookie sensation in company history, Kristian Kurki, with me to SMASH.14, where he will tag up with my protege Hajime Ohara against Kushida and newcomer Yuji Kito. This will be Kurki’s trial by fire, literally, as he has only three matches under his belt to date. I personally believe in Kurki and his prowess, and I expect the young man to perform to the utmost of his abilities in Tokyo this coming Friday night.
Back in 2007, Finnish wrestling fans across the country voted my Street Fight match against a then-rookie Heimo Ukonselkä as the match of the year in Finland. For years, fans have been clamoring and reminiscing about this encounter, and during the past few years Ukonselkä has become a force to be reckoned with in the world of pro wrestling. He has already won the PWF German Championship twice in addition to briefly holding the Finnish Wrestling Title for two and a half months in 2010, and has beaten some of the best that Japan has had to offer in the fast-rising SMASH promotion.
Fans in Finland have taken to Ukonselkä like a fish to water over the past year. His popularity has grown by leaps and bounds, and he is becoming a more honed and complete talent in the ring. Perhaps his Kalevala (Finnish folklore mythology)-like presence mixed with his Turisas (Finnish folklore battle metal band)-like appearance make him the dynamic personality that he has become. Regardless, Finnish fans can’t get enough of Ukonselkä these days, and he works hard at his piece of personal business to make it work.
An assortment of photos from my Sept. 2007 Street Fight against Ukonselkä
Fans in the central part of Finland will now be able to see a true clash of the titans in the modern era, when Ukonselkä and I face off once again for a chance to vye for the Finnish Wrestling Championship, now held by Michael Kovac of Austria. FCF Wrestling is in heated negotiations to get Kovac booked in Finland in the coming months, and the competition is heating up to see who gets the Title shot. I will personally be gunning for an opportunity to score my fifth FCF Championship to date, whereas Ukonselkä is looking for his second.
You can bet your last penny that when Ukonselkä and myself step into that ring at JYVÄSKYLÄN JYSÄRI II on Saturday, February 19 in the city of Jyväskylä itself, everything will be laid on the line as only one man can walk out of that ring the victor and go on to challenge Kovac for the FCF Championship.
This match will be a war for the ages. Ukonselkä is young and hungry, and I am the time-tested warhorse that has led the charge time in and time out.
Don’t miss this one. You will regret it deeply if you do.
Last night in Tampere, Finland, I put a young and hungry Luchadore-style grappler named El Excentrico to the test in a one-on-one match. I feel compelled to write about the bout, as I was rather impressed by Excentrico’s effort.
Oftentimes, as is par for the course in professional wrestling, an experienced grappler will test the mettle of a young upstart to see what he is made of. A veteran will push the boundaries of a young talent to see if they have what it takes, if they can hang in there even. And yes, at times, a veteran can get ornery with a youngster, making them pay some extra dues in the process, but that is just the way the business is.
I have to say that El Excentrico, who has an admirable attitude and great respect for the business, hung in there every step of the way. I was there in the beginning when Excentrico started out, coaching him over 2008, and he didn’t show the kind of promise back then that he now holds. I honestly can say that I hope Excentrico stays injury-free, as his knees have given him all kinds of bad luck, and have withheld his career from really taking off.
Tampereen Turmio, the FCF Wrestling event at which I faced Excentrico yesterday, was a proving ground for Excentrico. I took him to school a bit, and he survived, even if he fell to the master after a piledriver. And believe me when I say that losing to a top wrestler and still hanging in there is no case for shame.
I predict a bright future for this kid, if he can stay healthy and keep his head together. That said, you will have the opportunity to see us both wrestle – this time against different opponents however – this coming Saturday, February 19 at Aalto-Sali in Jyväskylä in central Finland.
Last night my band Overnight Sensation played a red-hot show at Ravintola Pelikenttä in Hyvinkää, alongside local bands Steel Liver Society and Caralho Voador, the latter of which is a Faith No More tribute act.
The locals didn’t know us from Joe, so we definitely had to win them over, and so we did as we stepped on stage at 11pm following Voador’s act. This was a no-frills bar with no window-dressing, but once Overnight began to kick out the jams, no one was left cold. And I’m not exaggerating here.
I have to admit something. I’m not very in-tune with what’s happening in the world. The first time I heard that a guy named Obama was running for US President, I asked ”Obama who?”, wondering if some Arab was running for office. Sounds funny, doesn’t it?
Fact is, I have totally shut myself out of the mainstream media and happenings in pop culture across the board – and there is a reason to that. I find that it adds nothing to my life, offers nothing of personal value, nor does it stimulate me at all in a positive manner.
Look at the Swine Flu H1N1 ”epidemic” – and consider that no one even talks about it anymore! Wasn’t that like current just yesterday? The medicinal drug industry sold you a sales pitch and you bought it, just like the old PT Barnum addage ”never give a sucker an even break”. Now families who took the antedote to the Swine Flu face a strong probability of narcolepsia showing up. I hear cash registers singing along to the next ”cure” all the while.
By the way, have y’all ever considered that the drug industry is one of the main financial monoliths in the world, one which world governments borrow money from, increasing their national debts? Anyone remember the SARS epidemic? Whatever happened, huh? Same coming of the same old cavalry, dressed up in a different cloak of charade.
All across the board on so many fronts, we’ve been duped. We’ve been suckered in, and we’ve played the role of the brainless fool.
But who is behind this mess? I mean right at the top, on the peak of the mountain? Who is desensitizing the masses in a clear ploy to run their own agenda through? Who is responsible for foiling all of us hapless sheep? Do we even want to know, or is the power of fear so great that we would rather play along and let sleeping dogs lie?
From food addatives labelled E-something to vaccinations that break down your own biological immune system to genetically manipulated food production to the ”meat of the matter” that the media focuses on – we are living in a state of coma. And those on top of the mountain cashing in are MAKING SURE we stay in a state of coma.
Chemical food addatives are simply not made for the body, proven by the immense amount of burgeoning allergies and sicknesses, especially across the free world. Consider the sheer amount of drugs being sold to ”help” the symptoms, and it translates into huge business. Speaking of addatives and manipulated food products, nowadays it takes three times as long for carcasses to rot in the cemetary, which really says something and makes you wonder what all that crap is doing to your body while you still live!
The human immune system was designed to create a counter for oncoming viruses and infections, and it cannot function as designed if constantly fed foreign code that mixes up the signals and shuts off certain internal functions.
Want a definitive example? Consider the steroid testosterone, which the body produces as the dominant male sex hormone, which is also found in women at 1/10 of the rate in men. Synthetic testosterone tells one’s body to shut down natural testosterone production because an outside source is feeding the machine.
On another front, take into consideration kids whose parents are overtly sanitary-conscious. Many of these kids are sicker than proverbial dogs because their immune system never gets built up. When I was a kid, heck, I’d eat rocks! Consider that only in the last century have we come up with chemical cleaning aides and how long has the flushable toilet been around anyway?
Biologically manipulated food is another matter altogether, where nutritional deficiency is the key word of the day. In past times, nomads would cultivate a certain spot of land until the soil would no longer produce as it should. They knew it was time to move on to a new patch of farming area and let the land heal itself. Our soil has been depleted of nutrients a long, long time ago, and we still keep churning out ”food” with the help of chemical addatives, pesticides and fertilizers. Everything in the eco-system serves a purpose folks, even those damn worms and bugs.
And then we have the manipulated message sent by the mass media at large, which is orienteered to make you NOT think. It’s quite literally a case of you zoning out and tuning in – almost akin to meditation and clearing the mind – soaking in the message of the boob tube as you immerse yourself in the created distraction. The people behind the curtain know this and they do not want you to think on your own, folks. They know that if they manage to keep you distracted with all forms of clatter and clutter, no matter the form in which you consume it – through the eyes, ears, nose or mouth – you will play along in the grand scheme just fine. Above all, it’s important to keep you ENTERTAINED, folks. No substance, no true grit. And as we speak of entertaiment I bring back to mind the words of PT Barnum aforementioned, and no one wants to be a sucker – do they?
Point blank, I have lived for 14.5 years in Europe, where the media and information stream carries a considerably different slant, angle and tone as compared to the North American media stream. All you need to see my point is watching or reading news broadcasts from various countries and you will get a different slant from each outlet. Especially in the area of world politics where personal vested interests – and the financial backing of those behind the curtain – play into how the stories are portrayed to the public, you will be fed a different version of the ”truth” and ”facts” depending on your demographic and cultural area. That, folks, is called manipulation.
All of this brings to mind the old Greek ideology of the Chain of Being. If you take one link out of the great chain, chaos ensues and it falls apart. This equally brings to mind the words of Christ, ”You will know the tree by the fruit that it bears”, and that said, our society is sick sick sick – and the downward spiral seems be accelerating.
I quote the words of Brad Pitt in the pivotal movie Fight Club, which carried a prolific message overall, ”We spend our lives working jobs that we hate to but sh*t that we don’t need”.
Pitt played the enlightened half of the split personality of the fed up rat race slave Edward Norton in that film, and boy did they ever hit the nail on its proverbial head. Pitt lived in a beated down old, abandoned house in the middle of an industrial area, where the basement flooded and the roof dripped. Norton lived in a posh apartment with all the luxuries of life, before he blew it sky high in his internal emptiness. Check that flick out, folks – and it’s not just entertainment, it’s a definitive eye-opener with a surprising amount of substance.
It’s time to call for a personal revolution. Turn off the TV. Turn off the radio. Turn off the Internet. Don’t pick up the newspaper. It’s time to cleanse the mind, body and soul. Get out of the house, out of the office, and get active and make a difference out there. Moreso, start being proactive, start contributing to your fellow man and you will get more out of this life – guarandamnteed.
When you get out of saturating, pouring rain you will start to see things from a totally new perspective. Above all, you will start seeing things for what they truly are – without the window-dressing and deceitful hype.
You have got to recognize the enemy – the one that keeps you from a quality life that has meaning and substance. And with one life to live there is no time to waste.
starbuck.fi 