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THE HOLLYWOOD GRAPEVINE ARCHIVE

Sunday, December 8, 2002

"Put on the sunscreen, and welcome to the hottest destination on the world wide web. Well, ok, maybe not, lol.

Hello to everyone, and thanks for checking into johnrodeo.com.

Well, being that things are moving at such a hectic pace, please allow me, the, master of ceremonies, to give you an inside pass to the 411 going down in 90210.

First topic, interviews and interviews.

Thanks to Tony Farinella, I recently was interviewed by Mike and Ben from thewrestlingfiasco.com. It was an enjoyable time for certain, and I would like to thank the Seaver's, oops (just kidding), I mean Mike and Ben for the chance to shed some light on my past.

And a couple weeks back, my friend Chris Yandek from both 1wrestling.com, and neweraofwrestling.com, had me on the air for his internet radio show on www.weblinkradio.com/wrestling. I hope all the listeners had as good a time as I had. For me, it is literally a chance to jump back in time, share some memories, and hopefully pass on some wisdom for those within earshot. In fact, Chris passed these words along to me, and I got an ok to use them here... "You were right about John Rodeo-he's very nice and terribly bright.  He'd be somebody to cuddle down in a chair and simply listen to.  I had not heard of him, not following the independents (and how could I? Other than READING about them, thats about it) but there are certainly a ton of people out there making an impact I have never heard of." For real, words like those make me proud of who I am.

Now, for those of you who did not get the chance to hear me on those shows, fear not. When time allows, I will be transcribing them, and placing the text in the interview section of this site.

Now onto other news, as Dusty Rhodes would say, if ya will.

Recently I sent in some head shots, in hopes of being cast as an extra in the upcoming film on The Alamo being put out by Disney. In fact, I put a copy of one of those pictures in the Multimedia section of this site, so feel free to check it on out. As far as landing a role as an extra, it could be three to four months before I hear any word on the selection process, but that is OK by me. Having a lifelong interest in Davy Crockett and The Alamo, I figured it was a chance well worth taking. So wish me the best with that.

In wrestling often times, it is tough to distinguish your friends from your foes. Other times, ones character speaks volumes, and it is those people who will always make the biz a worthwhile place. And having said that, there is one person in particular I want to tip my hat to. That person is Donnie B. Wrestling family aside, Donnie has proven himself to be a true friend, in every sense of the word. And I would be remiss if I did not publicly thank him for helping out a friend of mine, named Steve, who is himself aspiring to be a professional wrestler. So to Steve, all my best, and to Donnie, you are the best.

Congratulations go out to the following people?

To ?The Future' Frankie Kazarian, who successfully competed for the WWA in their most recent tour, in Ireland. Frankie teamed with Nathan Jones, and faced Disco Inferno and Johnny Swinger. You continue to do everyone proud bro.

To Aaron Stevens. Aaron started in the business, just as I was getting out as an active competitor. And in those few years, this kid has really turned some heads with his in ring talent. He has been scene on WWE Sunday Night Heat, first working with Steven Richards, and even getting some interview time prior to a match with Raven.

Congrats also go out to John Walters, Vince Vicallo and Arch Kincaid for getting WWE bookings as well.

And two quick items of note before I tap out on this commentary.

I would like to send all my love to my step-sister Stacy getting engaged to her boyfriend Garrett. You guys make a great couple, and had great Halloween outfits this year to boot, lol.

And finally, to the family of Bill McDonald who recently passed away, my love and prayers go out to you as well. For those who do not know, Bill was the grandfather of one of my best friends, Steve King. And more than that, he was a caring man, who I was fortunate enough to get to know rather well. When Steve and I were starting out in business he would on occasion come out to lend us support. And when I used to wear Kangol hats to the ring, he gave me a couple of those as well. So if a man is to be judged by the impressions he left behind, Bill was no doubt a great man, who will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Well, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, and continue to have an awesome Holiday Season.

Until next time, thank you for dropping by my neighborhood, and I hope that you enjoy my journey, as I take you down my street, Rodeo Drive."

Peace, John Rodeo


Monday, October 14, 2002

Hey all. Welcome to johnrodeo.com, and welcome to the Hollywood Grapevine. So without further adieu please allow ol' J Ro 90210 to fill you know some of the things that I have been up to.

Coming up, on 10/15, I will be interviewed by wrestling journalist Tony Farinella on the Wrestling Fiasco. The show will air from 9-10 Eastern time. Those that are interested in hearing this should log onto www.thewrestlingfiasco.com. Also, included in this update is an in depth interview, that Tony conducted with me, that covers many aspects of my career. I am most proud of this piece, and I feel it goes a long way into exploring my past, wrestling and otherwise.

Another round of congratulations go out to both Slyk Wagner Brown and April Hunter. Both have appeared for NWA TNA as of late, and Wagner had a his second WWE dark match a short while ago, where he squared off against Mike Awesome. Continued success to both.

I'd be remiss if I did not acknowledge the passing of Ted Petty, whom most wrestling fans new as Flyboy Rocco Rock, and/or the Cheetah Kid. I was both shocked and saddened to here of the loss. And though I did not know Ted closely, I had the chance to meet him more times than I can keep track of, as he and Johnny Grunge many shows I worked on as Public Enemy from 1997-1999. Though I did not know him as a close friend, I did know him as a professional associate. He was often quiet and reserved, but always friendly, kind and polite. But make no mistake about it, when I heard of his passing, I was saddened. I will fondly remember a man who not only dared to follow a dream, but actually achieved and lived it as well. And I'd like to personally thank Ron Zombie for taking the time to think a nice thought for me at Ted's wake. It is truly people like the above mentioned that make the business the positive place that it can be.

Also, for those that do not know, which is likely most of you, I enjoy reading about, and occasionally collecting movie prop replicas. In one particular place I visit, a woman of Marlene recently passed away due to cancer. And though that is very sad, I have some happy memories of her, as in her last couple of months we exchanged emails. I would like to say to Marlene for adding so much to that community. Also, I'd be remiss if I did not mention her brother Ray who is carrying on the legacy of props that his sister left behind. They are the definition of class.

Before I let you go, I will leave you with this. If you get the opportunity to see Paul McCartney live, don't pass up the chance. The show, from beginning to end was every bit as good as one could dream of, and then some. Certainly there can be no question why this man, both as a solo act, and as a member of the Beatles, is a legend.

Until then, thank you for dropping by my neighborhood, and I hope that you enjoy my journey, as I take you down my street, Rodeo Drive."

Peace, John Rodeo


Sunday, July 21, 2002

"Welcome all to another installment of what has come to be known as the Hollywood Grapevine.

I'd like to start my mentioning that Shootclub.com, the Internet fantasy wrestling game that I am involved with, recently reached its two year anniversary. Thus, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the promoters, commissioners, trainers, and players who made the Shootclub community what it is today. And to my partners, Webby and Crock, as you both know, we are still going strong

I would also like to thank Mark Roberts, the Shootclub player best known as the Joker, for taking the time to design a John Rodeo logo. For those that wish to see it, is is on display in the Multimedia portion of this website.

Just the other day I also had the chance to chat briefly with Jake from Tough Enough 2. I'd like to say that he seemed to quite a nice guy, with a good attitude. And I have no question as to his physical conditioning. Thus I would like to wish him the absolute best of luck. And I for one would not be surprised at all if he eventually makes his way to the WWE. If you would like to check out his website, it is www.jakeakachisel.com.

Also, I'd be remiss if I failed to mention the passing of a true American hero, Ted Williams. Perhaps the Splendid Splinter is best known for being enshrined in Cooperstown, NY, at the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, arguably his greatest contribution to the American way of life was the fact he served in the United States military. Though I am saddened at his passing, I am glad to know he had a great life, and made an impact on many people, myself included. My favorite Teddy Ball Game story came from when I was roughly five or six years old. I would wake up early on Saturday mornings, with my glove and bat by my side, to watch my all-time favorite player, Johnny Bench's host a show called the Baseball Bunch. On this particular day, Williams gave a particularly awesome clinic on the art form of hitting, and had a great visual chart to show ones strengths and weaknesses. Combine that with my living in the Boston area, and I was a fan for life. So Ted, I am sure I speak for many people when I say thank you for the memories, and I wish you and your family, friends and loved ones the very best.

Sadly, in what seems to be an all too prevalent trend, a lot of wrestling industry seems to be experiencing more than its share of tragedy. Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura was hospitalized after suffering a blood clot in his lung. I am unsure of his current condition, but here's to wishing 'The Mind' the best.

Bret Hart recently suffered a stroke. I must say, having the honor to see this compete, he is truly one of the all-time greats. I wish you the best in your recovery Bret.

David Ashford Smith, who wrestled in WCW as Chris Champion and Yoshi Kwan, recently suffered a serious stroke. And sadly, he is in critical condition. My prayers are with you.

Former WWE employee Jimmy Miranda passed away recently, after what was reportedly after a lengthy illness. All I can really say there is, thank you for giving so much of yourself to the business, and I wish your friends and family the best.

Now onto some more unfortunate news, though clearly not on the same level. As most of you likely know, not long ago Diamond Dallas Page was forced to retire. But the way I view it, he is testament that sometimes hard work and dedication can lend in helping one realize their dreams. And that's not a bad thing, that's a good thing.

In more recent news, the WWE recently announced plans to close down their affiliation with the HWA as a developmental territory. In addition, there were other casualties, as many of their developmental talent was released. One such person was Steve Bradley, who was under contract for roughly four years. I just want to say that in my personal opinion, that is in no way, shape or form, a reflection on the man. Not only is he a top rate worker in the ring, he was always a classy person outside of it.

Onto a positive item of note. Last year I had the honor of meeting John Cena. He seemed to have all the tools, to go along with a great attitude. Now, after refining his craft, I am proud to say that he has splashed into the WWE scene in a big way.

In closing, remember to keep your eyes open for Austin Powers 3, as that movie is scheduled to open nationwide (in the United States that is) on July 26th. Until then, thank you for dropping by my neighborhood, and I hope that you enjoy my journey, as I take you down my street, Rodeo Drive."

Peace, John Rodeo


Sunday, May 26, 2002

"Hi all, and welcome to, or welcome back at the case may be to, johnrodeo.com. I will try to keep this as brief as possible, but with so much to cover, all I can do is try my best.

First, to those who enjoy movies and great entertainment, I highly recommend both seeing Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Spider-man. Seeing Star Wars at the midnight showing was great. I got to see it with my good friends Mike Crockett, Pat Doyle and Steve King. And to make matters even more enjoyable, I ran into my old buddy, the near 7 foot, 500 pound plus, Bull Dozer. It had been years since I saw him in person, and seeing him again was awesome.

Next, I'd like to congratulate the following people. First Nova, on signing a developmental deal with the WWE, and making an immediate impact on OVW. Secondly to Frankie Kazarian, for competing in his first tour of Japan. Thirdly to Slyk Wagner Brown and The Inferno Kid on their WWE dark match on May 7th. And last, but not least, to April Hunter, who was invited to participate in a recent WWE camp. Best of luck to all of you.

I'd like to commend Evan Ginzberg, whom unfortunately I have never had the pleasure to meet, who teaches a class for seventh and eighth graders in East Elmhurst, Queens on the subject of Wrestling Appreciation. For more info you can visit www.walkertown.com/wtnow.

Now on to what I have been up to. I want to give a shout out to shootclub.com, a project I run with two of my very best friends, Webby and Crock. It is a great wrestling fantasy game, and as we gear up for our new custom software, it promises to only get better. In fact a few months back I was able to work live, and in character, for a live GCW show (one of the leagues in our game) in a chat room with Ace Lamanaki and Sam I Am. It was highly enjoyable. In fact a few weeks back, Ace, one of our best players and greatest contributors, made the trip up to Boston, and met up with Crock and myself. It was a pleasure to be certain.

I recently received an offer to work for WHW in Wisconsin, and though I decided to decline due to my not actively being involved in the industry at this time, I would like to thank the promoter Steve for offering me a chance to work. I also was also interviewed recently by Matt Matthews, of WEBY Shootclub radio on fancast.com. The transcript of our interview can be found in my interviews link. And on the topic of Fancast, I had to honor of cutting a commercial bumper for BrewGuy, who airs his own internet radio on fancast called In This Very Ring Radio.

Recently, with the help of Michael and Diane Capa, the world of Pro Wrestling opened its doors for its very own Hall of Fame in Schenectady, NY. In fact, I even got an email letting me know that I could send some old memorabilia if I so wanted to. I am strongly considering doing so. For those looking for more information, please visit pwhf.org.

I'd also like to send a get well to a friend of mine Bobby Connolly. He recently suffered what appears to have been a possible aneurysm, and is slowly recovering. Bobby, I thank you for coming out to see me perform some years back, and I want you to know that you are in my prayers. Get well.

Finally, and sadly, I'd like to give a quick acknowledgement to those whom have recently passed on.

Abe Ford, a man who was a behind the scenes force in the IWF, the promotion Killer Kowalski ran, and where I got my start.

Davey Boy Smith, a legendary competitor, whom I met in of all places, in an elevator in New York City.

Lisa Lopes, a great entertainer, best known as part of the musical group TLC.

Wahoo McDaniel, a great wrestler, whom some called the greatest talent never to hold a World championship.

Lou Thesz, a man's man, and true hall of famer, whom I met at the Cauliflower Alley Club back in 1995.

Randy Anderson, a man who refereed for WCW.

Alex Rizzo, best known as Big Dick Dudley, who competed in ECW.

Erich Kulas, an independent wrestler known as Mass Transit to some.

Shoichi Arai, the promoter of the promotion that was known as FMW in Japan, and was a precursor in many ways to the style that was popularized in the United States by ECW.

Well, that about sums it all up for now. Until then, thank you for dropping by my neighborhood, and I hope that you enjoy my journey, as I take you down my street, Rodeo Drive."

Peace, and May the Force be with you, Always,

John Rodeo


Sunday, March 10, 2002

"Hello all. In case you couldn't tell, lately I have had a most busy personal schedule. Unfortunately that means that I have not been able to dedicate nearly as much time to my website as I would ideally like to.

Having said that, I have taken some time out to add some photographs to my Multimedia section. So be sure to check those out.

I hope you enjoy those, and there certainly will be more to come.

Also, I have been working hard on trying to line up some interviews and guest columns to my site. So keep an eye open for that and more, as I will be giving this site a full update soon as I can.

Until then, thank you for dropping by my neighborhood, and I hope that you enjoy my journey, as I take you down my street, Rodeo Drive."

Peace, and God Bless, JOHN


Sunday, January 6, 2002

I can hardly believe that the year 2002 is actually upon us. It seems like just a moment ago that the previous New Year rang in.

Looking back, 2001 was a most eventful year. Not only was I was fortunate enough to realize quite a few personal goals, I was also able to learn a lot in the entire process.

Last year finally saw me get my website, the one you are reading, off of the ground. I feel it is a solid, no-frills site. And once I am able to devote a little more time to this project, time I feel it deserves, I know that it will only continue to improve.

2001 also saw the fantasy wrestling game I work for, Shootclub.com, come a long way from when it officially opened for business, in mid-2000. I think that the game has established itself as a premier role playing game. And with this being the year that we go pay to play, the success could not have come at a better time.

Now that I have capsuled some of the events of the last year, I hope that everyone had a safe and happy NewYear. In addition, I hope that 2002 will be filled with many great memories, and learning experiences.

Having said that, I will take this time to run down a couple of my goals.

Originally I hoped for this site to be solely consist of pro wrestling. But as I have stated previously, my new plan is to expand the topic matter. Starting with this update, I have expanded that vision to all of the various realms of the entertainment world. For an example of that, you can check out my interview with adult film legend Midori, in the interview section of this site.

As far as a couple of quick plugs, I'd like to thank Violet Flame for once again giving me a plug on her site, www.violet-flame.com. In the past Violet was kind enough to post a photograph of her, myself, and a llama. This time the picture is of her, my former tag team The Ark Angels, and professional wrestling Hall of Famer, Walter 'Killer' Kowalski. Both of those "Pictures of the Week" are archived at http://www.picubed.com/~violetflame/archive.html.

Finally, I'd like to thank Chris Glavin who sent me an email stating that he added me to his Pro Wrestling Contact Group on Yahoo. For those interested in taking a trip to his site, that URL is www.wrestlingguys.com.

Once again, thank you for dropping by my neighborhood, and I hope that you enjoy my journey, as I take you down my street, Rodeo Drive."

Peace, and God Bless, JOHN


Sunday, October 21, 2001

"Welcome all to another one of my commentaries.

I must honestly say, that for the short time that I have had www.johnrodeo.com up and running, I feel that it has been a success.

Firstly, it has been a pleasure to correspond with people whom I have not talked with in some time. I have also had some responses from people who were fans of mine in the past, or new fans simply wanting to say hello. In addition, I've also received some great questions about wrestling in general and me in specific. Now, I will give everyone a brief rundown on what I have been up to.

I'd like to thank Violet Flame for giving me a plug last week on her site, www.violet-flame.com. Violet is a talented female wrestler who has been in the industry since 1994. Previous to moving to the West Coast, and working over seas, she used to wrestle throughout the East Coast. During that time I had the chance to manage her on many occasions. They were some good memories. She even posted a picture of us, which proves that I defintely have a certain animal magnetism. If you'd like to check that out, her "Pictures of the Week" are archived at http://www.picubed.com/~violetflame/archive.html. Thanks again Violet, and best of luck to you in all you do.

I am happy to say, that is large part due to my buddy Crock, that I just got in the first batch of official John Rodeo T-shirts made. Each one is complete with no less than three logos. There is a full sized, and a miniature www.johnrodeo.com logo (the one seen at the top of my site) on each, in addition to my new Multimedia 90210 (my company) logo. In the future, if the interest is there, I might sell these for roughly $15.00 a shirt. So if that is the case please let me know.

In other news, I've been working on booking and writing the latest wrestling PPV for www.shootclub.com. Though obviously it takes a bit of time, work and effort, most things worth achieving do. In the process of developing the show, I am able to put to use my wrestling knowledge and creative energy. It is a task that, when completed, I can look back and truly be proud of. I would like to thank the Webmaster and Crock for giving me the forum, and allowing me the chance to put my skills to good use.

A final matter is the content of this site itself. In the future, I will be continuing to use this site as a vehicle to discuss and share my thoughts and experiences of the wrestling industry. However, that will not be my sole focus. I also plan to expand the topic matter to various realms of the entertainment industry. I am currently negotiating to interview a non-wrestling personality, and if all goes as planned I promise it will be a most interesting and informative interview.

As always please send me any questions or comments, and I might, time and space permitting, use them on my site. And for anyone I've yet to respond to, I have not forgotten, I just need to find a little time to do so. Thanks for the understanding.

Once again, thank you for dropping by my neighborhood, and I hope that you enjoy my journey, as I take you down my street, Rodeo Drive."

Peace, and God Bless, JOHN


Sunday, September 23, 2001

"I often wonder what Henry David Thoreau would think of today's society. After all, since he wrote "Walden Woods" the world has only continued to get more and more hectic.

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 was such a day that I wish I could go back in time, and simply control my own destiny, much the way Thoreau tried to so many years ago. On that day, terrorists saw fit to take innocent lives to try and drive a point home. In fact, the life of Mr. Trentini, a Health teacher when I attended high school some years back, and his wife had their lives taken. As a result, I would like to offer my sincerest sympathy to the victims, families, and friends of this week's tragic events. The good news is my friends from New York City, among them Jay, Mariel, Kei, Mr. Victor, and Harold, were not injured. And fortunately, the United States is a resilient country.

Now, though it may seem unimportant by comparison, I would still like to bring you the wrestling part of this commentary. It is my hope that by reading this, you can escape from some of the tragedies of the real word, much like I did when I wrote it.

The weekend of August 10th saw me head to Killer Kowalski's Institute of Professional Wrestling for the first time in almost three years. It was great to see the Killer again, and it was nice to see that, other than some of the faces and names, the place had not changed much. I also had the chance to hang out with some old friends. Frankie Kazarian from UPW in California was out for visit, and we were able to hook up with an old tag team of mine, The Ark Angels, Damon D'Arcangelo, and Phoenix (now "Strangler" Steve) King. We relived some old memories, and even stopped in on Jason Rumble, Vinnie Capelli, and Trooper Gilmore. In addition, I got to see a man who was instrumental in making me realize my full potential, Patrick Doyle. Thanks guys, it was a great time.

In other news, I was interviewed by wrestling journalist Chris Yandek. The main topic of conversation was the time that I spent managing Triple H while he was in the independents. You can find it under 'Interviews' on the site. The interview got mentioned on www.1wrestling.com , and even helped to garner the internet wrestling game that I work on, www.shootclub.com , some extra hits. For other pro wrestling interviews by Chris, visit www.neweraofwrestling.com.

Thanks to those of you who have visited my site. The comments and questions I have gotten from this site have so far been positive. Please keep the feedback coming, and in the future I may use them for the Q & A section of my site.

Once again, thank you for dropping by my neighborhood, and I hope that you enjoy my journey, as I take you down my street, Rodeo Drive."

Peace, and God Bless America, JOHN


Welcome Message

"Greetings, and welcome to my official web site, www.JOHNRODEO.com.

For those of you who know of me, I am sure you will enjoy this forum. And for those of you not familiar with me, please allow me to introduce myself to you. The best way to do this I feel in to clue you in to my past, present, and future. My name is John Rodeo, and I was involved with independent professional wrestling, primarily in the role of a heel manager, from 1992-1999. Not only have I been blessed to have lived out one of my dreams, I was also given the chance to work with some of the most talented people that the industry has ever produced. Perhaps you may have even heard of some of them. I was trained by wrestling Hall of Famer Walter 'Killer' Kowalski, and have worked with the likes of Triple H, Saturn, Raven and Albert, among many others. Though I may have not been given an opportunity to pursue wrestling full-time, the reality is that I got to do everything that I ever wanted, albeit on a smaller scale. I feel that I was able to prove to others, and most importantly myself, that a small man that stands 5'6", and weighs no more than 130 lbs. could hang in a big man's world. Not bad for a guy who feared public speaking some years ago.

In 1999 I decided to walk away from the world of wrestling. But I do not regret the time that I spent pursuing that dream. In that journey I found out a lot about my inner-self, and can say without a doubt it helped to shape me into who I am today. Will I ever return to the business? Even I cannot answer that, but what I can say is that I took then, and continue to take with me today, many diverse experiences with me that will surely last me through this lifetime.

Even now I have been able to apply my knowledge in a fantasy wrestling game, www.SHOOTCLUB.com. There I am able to dedicate my time, love, and creative ability in offering a game that is truly enjoyable for true wrestling fans, and novices alike. My other project of course is this one, www.JOHNRODEO.com. I feel, and that web site will offer a most unique, candid, and honest view into my world, the world of an independent wrestling manager. I consider this site an opportunity to view pro wrestling on many levels. Included will be some of my own experiences both from in front of, and behind, the camera lens. In addition I plan to offer interviews and guest columns.

Once again, thank you for dropping by my neighborhood, and I hope that you enjoy my journey, as I take you down my street, Rodeo Drive. "

Peace, JOHN

 

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