Young Lion Syndrome?

On October 26 in Vantaa, Finland, I make my in-ring comeback after rehabbing my C6-C7 vertebrae, against fan favorite grappler Sly Sebastian. This event, entitled Lokakuun Luuvitonen (basically and loosely translated in english: An October punch in the face!), will also be FCF Wrestling‘s comeback to the city of Vantaa, where FCF last appeared in February 2009.

Back on May 11 this year, when I won the BWA Catchweight championship from Valentine in Espoo, Finland, Sly Sebastian put out his challenge for my newly-won title immediately after the match. However, at the time, FCF General Manager Kristian Kurki had other plans for FCF’s next event on June 8, where I was to defend my new gold strap against Sweden’s Conny Mejsel. Therefore, Sly Sebastian never got his wish fulfilled, but alas, here we are in the month of October and all is right in the world again, as now, the young lion gets to prove his worth against the pioneer of our sport here in Finland on October 26 at Vantaa’s Vernissa venue.

I am not putting the BWA title on the line in this match, because like I told Sly back in May, he has to earn his shot at the belt, which means either he has to score notable victories over established names in singles matches, or then he has to beat me in a non-title match. Sly has mainly been a tag team competitor alongside punker Vili Luupää over the past year, and I really don’t see reasonable grounds to just throw out and offer him a title opportunity as of yet.  Maybe in some ways, Sly is experiencing “young lion syndrome“, which bears reading up on, if you are unfamiliar with the concept.

Nonetheless, if the young man Sly Sebastian manages to get the duke on me on October 26 in my Finnish comeback match, then I will be more than happy to oblige and give him his sought-after title contention opportunity.

Sly Sebastian is ambitious, that is for sure. He has improved his game especially over the past year in leaps and bounds, and he is rising up the ladder. But wanting to bite off a chunk that is too big to chew might prove fatal for the young lion at Lokakuun Luuvitonen on October 26 in Vantaa…

Lokakuun Luuvitonen

26.10.2013. Showtime @ 18:00, doors 17:30

Kulttuuritalo Vernissa

Tikkurilantie 36, 01300 Vantaa

The Vernissa cafeteria will be open during the event.

Tickets:

Ringside seats: 20e (Attn: limited amount available!)

Other tickets (standing room only): 12e in advance, 15e at the door.

Ticket pre-sales on till 20.10.2013

Buy your tickets here: www.fightclubfinland.fi/kauppa

British Invasion!

I just returned tonight from England, after competing at the Wrestling Rampage event at the GL1 Leisure Center in Gloucester last night, where I went up against local favorite, “English Bulldog” Matt Jarrett.  The event had a good deal of hype and press, as Jarrett and I did promotion for the show the day prior with BBC, Radio Gloucester FM and main area newspaper, The Citizen, in addition to posters well-spread all across town.

The Citizen newspaper runs a big piece on my match

I downed Jarrett in our bout, retaining my title in under 10-minutes.  My opponent suffered an injury during the course of the match, which I capitalized on, dropping him with my piledriver in quick order.

I was honored to meet and get to know UK ring legend Marty Jones, with whom I had a really great chat over the ins and outs of the wrestling business, including memories of him working in my homeland of Canada for Stampede Wrestling promoter Stu Hart.  Marty had some hilarious stories about the likes of JR Foley and “Big” John Quinn, one of which entailed Stu’s pet cow Daisy being butchered up behind his back and fed to him as a rather crude prank.  Talk about a rib!

Below is a nifty, old match from the early ’80s, with Marty Jones squaring off against the legendary Dynamite Kid.  Enjoy!

StarBuck returns to the ring in England

On Saturday, October 12, I will be returning to the ring in England to wrestle against “English Bulldog” Matt Jarrett at the GL1 Leisure Center in Gloucester at an event entitled Wrestling Rampage.  This show will also feature the retirement match of UK ring legend Danny Collins, who bids his fellow Englishmen adieu in terms of in-ring competition.  I met Danny earlier this year on a card in Hannover, Germany, and we got on very well, so I am sad to see him leave the business.  However, I wish him all the best with whatever he endeavors after this…

But speaking of my match against local Gloucester hero Matt Jarrett, this will mark the first time in 13-years that I will have been on English soil to compete in a professional wrestling ring.  I last wrestled in the British Isles in 2000, for a very shady promoter, who ended up shafting me out of part of my money.  The less said about that incident and person, the better.  Now, on October 12, it’s a brand new opportunity and under different circumstances.  That said, Matt Jarrett won’t get out of this match without a fight, and I sure as hell don’t plan on leaving England after Wrestling Rampage with my head bowed.

Other big names appearing on this mega-show will be Cannonball Grizzly, Drew McDonald, Keith Myatt, Marty Jones, ROH star Luke Hawx, Skull Murphy, Frankie Sloan, and many more!  Don’t miss this show if you are in the UK on October 12!  A documentary film about British pro wrestling will be shot the same night at this event, which only adds prestige to an already loaded card.

Finland invades Sweden!

It’s official now, folks: Finland has invaded Sweden!  At least in the world of professional wrestling, and that said, it’s been a long time coming.  You see, for years on end, Finland was under Swedish rule, and the Finns despise the lingering Big Brother mentality of the Swedes.  To this day, the hottest rivalry in Nordic Ice Hockey is between Finland and Sweden, and Finland vs. Russia is a close second, by a hair.

Last weekend in Malmö, Sweden, a literal gang of Finnish wrestlers crashed the SWS Wrestling card on Saturday, August 31.  At the start of the Swedish event, the Finnish grapplers – FCF champion King Kong Karhula, Stark Adder, Valentine, Ricky Vendetta, Aurora Flame, Vili Luupää and Johnny McMetal – steamrolled into the ring out of the audience and kicked the living daylights out of the Swedish pair that was squaring off.  This led to the immediate restructuring of the night’s card, as SWS officials deemed that if Finland came to Malmö to fight, then a fight they would receive!

Now, on Saturday, September 7, five of the best wrestlers out of Finland today – myself, Heimo Ukonselkä, Jessica Love, Valentine and King Kong Karhula – all descend on Gothenburg, Sweden, to take on the best that GBG Wrestling has to offer.  The war cry has been sent out, and now there is not turning back!

Personally, I don’t know what this will mean for me, as my herniated C6-C7 vertebrae is far from being healed, but I plan on showing up for sure.  I know that GBG wanted me to wrestle Conny Mejsel at this event in a rematch from FCF Wrestling’s DOMination 9 card back in Helsinki on June 8 this year.  Personally speaking, I still owe Conny Mejsel a receipt big time, for the way that he assaulted me back in June, alongside Valentine, following our match.

The bottom line is, the war is officially ON!

StarBuck neck injury!

The shit has hit the proverbial fan.  I was diagnosed today with a herniated disc between my C6-C7 vertebrae by top sports physician Tuomo Karila in Helsinki at Dextra Sports Clinic.

Preparing for my MRI scan at Helsinki’s Dextra Sports Clinic today

The injury itself happened as a freak occurrence on August 3rd, as I was training upcoming Finnish pro wrestling hopefuls at FCF Wrestling’s training center in Kellokoski, Finland.  I suffered whiplash in one of the training exercises, and I felt a sharp pain in my upper trapezius and neck after my sparring partner sent me chest-first into the ring corner buckles.  I continued the training exercise, disregarding what had just happened.  The next day, I continued coaching my class, and the pain intensified in my injured region.  I thought that adequate rest would suffice to heal whatever momentary strain had been incurred, but I could not have been more wrong.  I went on a short vacation with my wife Diana in western Finland near the city of Pori, and during last week, the pain spread to my left arm and ached so bad that it kept me awake at night.  Last Thursday, as we were driving back to Helsinki through Turku, I had to make an emergency stop at Turku’s main hospital, as the agony was unbearable.  On Friday last week, I made plans to see Dr. Karila, as I could no longer cope with my physical condition.  However, I had a match in Rovaniemi, Finland at the 2013 edition of the Simerock Festival last Saturday, where I wrestled in a tag team main event alongside “Wildman” Heimo Ukonselkä against Stark Adder and FCF champion King Kong Karhula.  My injury was further aggrevated during that outing, although I tried my best to play it safe.

This news puts a real damper on my upcoming BWA (British Wrestling Alliance) Catchweight title defense against the USA’s 190kg monster Cannonball Grizzly in Kotka, Finland on August 24 at FCF Wrestling’s Rock & Wrestling Rampage at Route 66.  Dr. Karila told me that I would be risking paralysis if I stepped into the ring to grapple with my neck in this current condition.  Of course, I got scared good and proper, and there is no way that I would be willing to put my health at unnecessary risk.  I am not willing to look at ending up like one of my old wrestling idols, Tom Billington aka The Dynamite Kid, who has already spent the last 20-years in a wheelchair following the end of his wrestling career.

The fact is that right now, I am looking at a herniated disc between my C6 and C7 vertebrae.  I have been unable to sleep for almost two weeks, due to the 24/7 pain that courses through my left arm, numbing my index and middle fingers.  My left shoulder blade and upper trapezius feels like a smoldering fire has set into it, and I really do not wish this anguish on even my worst enemy.  All I can say is, that I hope the Good Lord above has mercy on my predicament.

The MRI scan shows the damage to my neck

Dr. Karila himself is a former wrestler (albeit not a pro wrestler like myself) and he has acted as the official doctor of the Finnish Olympic wrestling team in the past, so you can guess that he knows his stuff.  When the doctor told me to just sit out for six to ten weeks, I took it pretty hard.  After all, I am an athlete, and a top athlete at that in my chosen sport.  It is not easy for me to turn away bookings and walk away from active competition.  At heart, I am a warrior, and my blood calls me to fight.  That said, right now, my battle is with my physical well-being.

The following video documentation of my injury and MRI was filmed by director Oskari Pastila, who has been filming a documentary entitled Spandex Sapiens, about my wrestling career and persona, over the past four years (the film will be out in early 2014):

I am chagrined to forfeit my title match in Kotka on August 24 with Cannonball Grizzly.  FCF Wrestling will find a suitable replacement main event for Rock & Wrestling Rampage at Route 66, and you can bet that Cannonball Grizzly will have the fight of his life on his hands once FCF officials have deemed his opponent for the event.  Down the road, once I am healthy, I look forward to getting another chance to face the American behemoth Grizzly, whether it is for the title or just for personal honor.

Cannonball Grizzly stands 188cm and weighs 190kg

Thank you for your support in this trying time.  Your prayers are appreciated.

Finnish wrestling summer!

We have a whole slew of shows across Finland this August slated with FCF Wrestling, and I am stoked about this!  The fact that FCF runs more events on an annual basis than 3/4 of our contemporaries out there in Europe puts us at the top of the food chain in the pro wrestling field on our continent.

On August 10 in Rovaniemi, Finland, FCF Wrestling presents Saturday Night Rock Fight at the 2013 installment of the Simerock Festival.  This is a special occasion, as the wrestling will be in the main slot of Saturday’s Simerock line-up, starting at 22:45 with five big matches on the menu.  Saturday Night Rock Fight will be headlined by Yours Truly tagging with “Wildman” Heimo Ukonselkä against Stark Adder and FCF champion King Kong Karhula.

Between August 16-18, FCF Wrestling will present Ragnarök 2013 at this year’s Häme Medeival Fair in Hämeenlinna, Finland.  This theme weekend, featuring reenactments and relics of the Medeival era in Nordic culture, is an annual attraction in the city of Hämeenlinna.  2013 marks the third year that FCF Wrestling has been a part of the festivities and program.  All throughout the three days, Friday to Sunday, wrestling matches will be held in a central tent on the fair grounds, three times a day.  The gimmick is that all the wrestlers must dress up in Medeival costumes and garb for their matches, adding to the flair and flavor of the whole kit and caboodle.  For more infos, go to the Medeival Fair website.

On August 24, FCF Wrestling comes to Kotka, Finland for an event entitled Rock & Wrestling Rampage at Route 66.  The catch here is, that the show is restricted to anyone under the age of 18, with alcohol and strippers on hand also.  This big event will feature five kickass wrestling matches, headlined by 185kg/188cm Cannonball Grizzly from the USA challenging me for my BWA (British Wrestling Alliance) Catchweight championship title.  This is going to be undoubtedly my toughest challenge to date, as Grizzly is a 25-year veteran of the ring wars, and the current reigning EWP (European Wrestling Promotion) heavyweight champion in Germany.  Grizzly has wrestled in 40 countries worldwide over his extensive career, and on August 24 he adds Finland to that list.  I just have to hope that I find a way by hook or by crook to retain my BWA championship at Rock & Wrestling Rampage, because I have never wrestled against anyone the size of Cannonball Grizzly before, and my active in-ring career dates all the way back to 1994!  In addition, my hard rock band Overnight Sensation will be playing live in Kotka at the same event, offering up originals and known cover songs by acclaimed artists such as The Cult, Van Halen, Ted Nugent, Motörhead and Thin Lizzy.

For more infos, go to www.wrestling.fi 

My top 5 Puroresu career fights

I have really been blessed in my wrestling career over the past few years, after making it big in Japan, becoming a name and draw there in 2010.  I have had a load of fantastic matches during my time in the “Land of the Rising Sun”, bringing back the old school approach in my wrestling style to the Japanese fans, perhaps bringing to mind the golden days of acclaimed names in our business such as Harley Race, Ted DiBiase and Dick Murdoch between the 1970s – 1980s.

In January 2011, I was voted by the readership of Weekly Pro Wrestling magazine as having the Match of the Year for 2010 in the SMASH organization against “The Japanese Buzzsaw” TAJIRI (from Nov. 22, 2010), and the runner-up ballot went to my match vs. AKIRA (from Sept. 24, 2010).  In 2012, the readership of Weekly Pro Wrestling magazine voted me as MVP of the Year in SMASH, plus I won the accolade for Match of the Year for 2011 in SMASH once again, this time against Dave “Fit” Finlay (from Nov. 24, 2011).

Here I offer up promos and videos of my personal favorite matches from Japan, which I have contested over the past three years.  Enjoy!

StarBuck vs. AKIRA:

StarBuck vs. TAJIRI:

StarBuck vs. Genechiro Tenryu

StarBuck, TAJIRI, AKIRA vs. Keiji Mutoh, Shuji Kondo, BUSHI

StarBuck, AKIRA, Syuri (Team Synapse) vs. TAJIRI, Hajime Ohara, Kana

StarBuck audio interview about wrestling career

I was recently interviewed by Steve Lynskey of www.1wrestling.com, a site run by former Pro Wrestling Illustrated editor-in-chief, Bill Apter.  The following interview covers a lot of topics inside of 16-minutes, so lend your ear and enjoy the low-down, as only Yours Truly can deliver!

StarBuck versus the “Lovable Bastard” on June 8

What can you say about a man who has the gumption and guts to throw a pie into the face of his country’s king on national television?  As you would expect, this perpetrator was put on the ground by the king’s bodyguards in the bat of an eyelash and apprehended.  He was sent to the monkey house and after his release, he got beaten on several occasions by the neo-Nazi’s and skinheads in his area, for the “crime” he carried out.

Who is this man, you ask?   He is none other than Sweden’s very own Conny Mesjel, also nicknamed the “Lovable Bastard”.  I will be locking horns with him in under one week at FCF Wrestling’s DOMination 9: New Blood Rising event in Helsinki.

Conny Mesjel first appeared in Finland back in March of this year, and he managed to get over with the fans immediately.  The man has a strange, albeit beligerent charisma, that people just latch on to.  His take-no-prisoners wrestling style and MMA background make him a hard bone to pick in the ring, too.

What was originally penned to be Yours Truly, as the brand new BWA Catchweight champion, against Sly Sebastian on June 8 in Helsinki has now been changed by FCF Wrestling General Manager, Kristian Kurki.  Now, Sly will face the man from whom I took the BWA title, Valentine, at DOMination 9: New Blood Rising.

I have to believe that it will be a rough-and-tumble match next Saturday in downtown Helsinki, when Captain ‘Buck tangles with Herr Mesjel.  This is once again the age-old Sweden-Finland rivalry … with a twist!

Tour diary from the Land of the Rising Sun

The other night I just landed back home after my latest tour of the “Land of the Rising Sun” this past week, wrestling in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.  The Wrestling New Classic (WNC) cards that I fought on with my team Synapse (StarBuck, AKIRA, Syuri) also featured some interesting new acquaintances: 62-year old legend Gran Hamada, Zero-1/ECW star Masato Tanaka, MMA star Koichiro Kimura, former NJPW Jr. Heavyweight Champion El Samurai and current WNC Champion Osamu Nishimura.

At 62-years of age, Gran Hamada is a legend in his own time (especially in Mexico)!

On May 24 in Tokyo, I teamed with AKIRA and Syuri to defeat the trio of WNC Champion Nishimura, TAJIRI and WNC Women’s Champion Lin Byron.  AKIRA pinned TAJIRI after a Musabi Press off the top rope, right after I hit the spike-piledriver on “The Japanese Buzzsaw”.  I have to say that Osamu Nishimura is a heck of a wrestler, and I thoroughly enjoyed wrestling against him, as our styles meshed very well.  Nishimura expressed interest in joining our Synapse contingent after the match, after some miscommunication in the six-man match, after TAJIRI mistakenly thrust-kicked Nishimura late in the bout.  We didn’t commit to his wish as of yet, but Nishimura did say that he is bringing my old arch-nemesis Michael Kovac of Austria to Japan next month.  Kovac beat me for the TopCatch European Championship back in September 2011, and there’s still a good deal of heat between our parties, so I am not too excited about the developments that Nishimura is looking to push with his personal agenda now…

A show of respect between WNC Champ Nishimura and myself after our match.

We hit the road for Osaka on May 25, where AKIRA and I lost a heated match-up against The Big Guns (Zeus and The Bodyguard), who are almost like Japan’s version of The Road Warriors.  The Bodyguard pinned AKIRA after the opposition hit a double-chokeslam on my tag team partner and I was unable to break up the pin.

On the WNC tour bus, AKIRA awaits arrival in Osaka, where we have our next match.

Former WNC Women’s Champion Syuri washes some midnight laundry in Osaka.

May 26 saw us land in Nagoya, where I teamed with Syuri in a mixed tag encounter, against rookie Masaya Takahashi and Makoto.  I pinned Takahashi with my spike-piledriver in about nine-minutes to bring our team to victory once again.

Having a good time at Rikidozan’s former chef’s restaurant in Tokyo.

I also had the pleasure of dining at the famous Hong Kong restaurant, headed up by the former chef of Rikidozan, Japan’s pro wrestling pioneer from the 1950s.  The photos on the establishment’s wall tell of the famous Antonio Inoki vs. Mohammed Ali match from 1976.  The real catch in that tale was the astronomous amount that New Japan Pro Wrestling, under whose banner the match was held, had to pay to Ali, to the tune of 10 billion Yen.  That equates to about 10 million USD.   New Japan paid off their debt a couple of years back, after over 35-years of carrying that financial monkey on their backs.  Talk about someone leveraging themselves into a huge personal win situation!