“I promised that I’d take your title…!” – StarBuck

After wrestling last in England back in 2000, I never thought I’d become a champion there, as my experience at the time in the UK was the absolute worst of my pro wrestling career.  Back then, I wrestled for an infamous promoter nicknamed “Shaky”, and he was one of the worst con men I have ever run across in this business.  In short order, Shaky soured on me, withheld my match pay for days on end (after paying everyone else), treated me like a piece of unwanted trash and made me understand that I was not welcome in his crew any longer.  Needless to say, I cut my losses short and left the tour prematurely, refusing to be treated that way.

I lost a good deal of coin on that trip, and for many years thereafter, the foul taste of that UK jaunt still lingers in my memories.   I know the saying states that you shouldn’t let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch, but for me, that one bad apple was rotten to the core.  Nonetheless, I have met an abundant number of great people in the wrestling industry out of the UK over the past decade in my wrestling travels.  Good guys and top hands like Robbie Brookside, James Mason, Chris Curtis, Rob Cage, Rampage Brown, Keith Myatt and Dan Collins have all made a very positive impression on me, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the comraderie we have shared out on the road in this often-times bizarre business.

All that said, as I mentioned in the beginning of this write-up, I never thought I would become a champion for a UK-based promotion.  However, last night in Espoo, Finland, exactly that happened.  I became the new BWA (British Wrestling Alliance) Catchweight titleholder, defeating a very capable now ex-champion, in the nefarious Valentine.

The new BWA Catchweight Champion (photo by Susanna Honkasalo)

The new BWA Catchweight Champion (photo by Susanna Honkasalo)

It was a war, to be sure.  Valentine was able to compromise my arm after I hit the ringpost, as we brawled on the outside of the ring, and I had serious troubles utilizing my hurt wing after that incident in the match.  Even though I managed to hit my trademark spike piledriver, which spelled the end of the match for Valentine, I had considerable trouble hoisting and maintaining my foe in position as I executed the move.  Regardless, even without maximum effect, my piledriver was good enough to keep Valentine down for the count.

Valentine tears away at the injured arm

Valentine tears away at the injured arm

An intense struggle between two top rivals

An intense struggle between two top rivals

After 14:29 of a very trying match ... VENI, VIDI, VICI !!!

After 14:29 of a very trying match … VENI, VIDI, VICI !!!

After the underhanded things that Valentine did to my wife Diana (aka Miss D in wrestling circles) over the past two months, I was able to exact at least a certain, somewhat satisfactory measure of revenge on my nemesis.  I took his title, but I did not manage to send him out on a stretcher, as I would have hoped for.  That I will have to save for a later date, because now, Valentine is disputing the way our match ended, claiming that his foot was under the bottom rope when the FCF referee in charge counted the finishing pinfall, following my closing piledriver.  Whether or not that is the case, I do not know, as neither I nor the referee in our match saw it.

I should also mention, that my Eurosport co-host and former FCF General Manager, Robert Holmström, seemingly went off his rocker and lost his mind last night at the event.  I have no idea what kind of idiot bug hit Robert, but he had a spastic fit after siding with Valentine regarding his foot being under the ropes in the pinfall of our match, and then proceeded to challenge my wife – whom I left home for this event – to a “match” at the next FCF Wrestling event in Helsinki, slated for June 8, if I understood correctly.  Robert should remember that I was the person that got him his job with Eurosport back in 2009, commentating WWE wrestling on Monday nights in Finland, alongside myself.  He should also remember that he is not a wrestler, and although my wife Diana is not a wrestler either, I will damn sure teach her in short order how to knock Robert’s head off his shoulders, if he has a stick up his ass concerning my wife.  And regardless of what Holmström states, even Ray Charles could see that there was some form of collusion between Robert and Valentine several weeks back, when Valentine assaulted Diana for the second time, as seen in the video below.

It has pissed off Finns for ages that the Swedes who live here act like they are, as they call themselves, “Bättre folk” (better folks), and being that both Holmström and Valentine are Swedish-Finns, they seem to have found a common agenda of some sort.  Well, Robert, I’ll be more than happy to show Miss D how to kick your head off, and that way you just might join Valentine on that upcoming stretcher ride that’s still coming…

In one week’s time from tonight, I will have fought one of the most important matches of my professional wrestling life: I will have avenged the assaults perpetrated on my wife over the past month and a half.

For anyone who isn’t wary of the incidents that I am referring to, my wife Diana fell prey to the actions of a wrestler in Finland named Valentine.

Wife and I

The first incident happened on March 23 in Helsinki at FCF Wrestling‘s DOMination 8: Gods of the North event.  It was on that eve that I filled in for an injured English wrestling veteran named Robbie Brookside, whose knees were on the fritz, as the challenger for Valentine’s BWA (British Wrestling Alliance) Catchweight Championship title.  For anyone who needs to be refreshed on the altercation at the aforementioned event, read my blog about the whole mess HERE.

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Very simply put, I have more than a personal agenda riding on the line at FCF Wrestling’s Jatkosota 2013 event on May 11 in Espoo, right next to where I live: I have to defend my spouse’s honor.  There are few ways that prove more effective to incite the literal wrath of Hell than to abuse another person’s family member.  Valentine physically laying his hands on my woman – not once, but twice – warrants the kind of receipt that is rarely dealt out under professional circumstances in any business.

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The second incident in question took place at the end of last month, when my Eurosport co-host Robert Holmström held a candid, sit-down interview with both Valentine and I.  Well, the initial gameplan was exactly that: Two, separate sit-down interviews with both Valentine, to express the motives behind his actions, and with my wife and I, to retort to the altercation at DOMination 8.  Valentine got his to say his piece, but my interview did not happen.  Instead, to add insult to injury, my wife suffered yet another cowardly attack at the hands of Valentine, and I have good reason to believe that Holmström got his mitts dirty in some fashion regarding this last nail in the coffin:

On May 11, I won’t just be coming to the Leppävaara Sports Hall in Espoo to fight when I face Valentine in a rematch for his BWA Catchweight title.

I’ll be looking to maim.

Yesterday, Finnish pop rock act Disco Ensemble released their newest single and music video, entitled Eartha Kitt, which is based on the upcoming Spandex Sapiens (early 2014 release) documentary movie about my persona and wrestling career.

Spandex Sapiens was originally penned to be called Babyface, but the movie’s director Oskari Pastila changed the title in a more comicbook-oriented (albeit B-movie) direction.  I swear, I can almost smell the Toxic Avenger’s second coming here (no, really, I’m kidding)!  In truth, this production is looking to be quite stellar, as it was filmed in five countries on three continents over three-and-a-half years.  Both the National Broadcasting Company of Finland (YLE) and the Finnish Film Foundation (Suomen Elokuvasäätiö) are behind this project, and that means major firepower once it comes out.  This is no small budjet movie, folks!

Spandex Sapiens

“Spandex Sapiens is the story of Michael Majalahti aka StarBuck, a lonely son of a Canadian preacher man who becomes the striving pioneer of professional wrestling in faraway Finland, only to find himself contested both physically and ideologically by the young transsexual wrestler Jessica Love, who even follows him to Japan on his big break.”
www.spandexsapiens.com

Below are some photos from the filming process of the Spandex Sapiens documentary movie, taken by photographer Jan Ahlstedt.

My movie rival, transsexual wrestler Jessica Love, looks on at the filmed segments between takes with writer ilja Rautsi and director Oskari Pastila.

My movie rival, transsexual wrestler Jessica Love, looks on at the filmed segments between takes with writer Ilja Rautsi and director Oskari Pastila.

A fight or flight scene from Suomenlinna, off of the coast of Helsinki, in damp and extremely chilly October weather.

A fight or flight scene from Suomenlinna, off of the coast of Helsinki, in damp and extremely chilly October weather.

StarBuck and Jessica Love duke it out in the middle of nowhere.

StarBuck and Jessica Love duke it out in the middle of nowhere.

Join the new Facebook group for Spandex Sapiens, and get regular updates HERE.

You can also join my personal StarBuck Facebook fanpage HERE.

This upcoming weekend on Saturday & Sunday, April 13-14 in Kellokoski, Finland (just on the northern rim of the city of Järvenpää), FCF Wrestling will be holding pro wrestling tryouts for a potential class of 2013.  On both days, the tryouts will take place between 12-16:00.  If chosen for the actual schooling based on one’s tryout performance, the schooling period itself is set for 9 months, held on weekends (Sat.-Sun.).

Fight Club Finland (FCF Wrestling) has a 10-year history of producing some of the top male and female wrestlers in Europe today.  Our talent arguably has a higher export rate per capita than any other wrestling promotion in Europe over the past decade.  FCF has produced export names like Heimo “The Wildman” Ukonselkä (SMASH star in Japan, current PWF Champion in Germany), Valentine (SMASH star in Japan, BWA Catchweight champion, England), Jessica Love (SMASH and WNC star, Japan), Stark Adder (IWS star, Italy and NWF star, Norway), King Kong Karhula (current FCF Champion, PWF and EPW star in Germany), Ricky Vendetta (PWF star, Germany), Kristian Kurki (SMASH star, Japan), Kisu (Wrestling Stars, France), Aurora Flame (Nordic Women’s Champion), Kage Manguro (SMASH star, Japan), Vladimir Petrov (PWF star, Germany), El Excentrico (SWS star in Sweden, BWA star in England), Pasi Suominen (PWF star, Germany) and Sly Sebastian (BWA star, England).

As a former 3-time European Champion and former SMASH Japan, I personally hold the position of head coach in FCF Wrestling’s school, ensuring that every new recruit gets the very best wrestling education, from someone who has a proven track record in our business, as attested to through Wikipedia.

If you are interested in participating, send an open email application with 2 good, recent photos of yourself to: gm@fightclubfinland.com.  Registrations information should include age / weight / height, and also tell about yourself, your possible sporting background and why you want to join professional wrestling.

“The Wrestling Press” online magazine has an extensive article written by myself about the realities of FCF’s tryouts, which is recommended reading:  http://thewrestlingpress.com/?p=5282

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This past week, I finished the last remaining vocal tracks at Seawolf Studios in Helsinki for the upcoming Crossfyre album, “Iron Horse”.

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Captain ‘Buck lays down the verbal barrage for “Iron Horse”

I laid down vocals for four remaining numbers, including Rolling Stones cover Jumping Jack Flash.  I know that song has been covered to near-death, but we arguably pulled it off in spades, as studio engineer Hannu Leiden was quick to point out.  Hannu has heard everything under the sun, being the vocalist for Havana Black himself, and having gigged far and wide with a variety of acts, in addition recording a literal list of who’s who artistically.

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Hannu Leiden recording the last vocals for “Iron Horse” at Seawolf Studios

So as it stands, “Iron Horse” will have 10 originals and two covers, the other being Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower, which is one of my personal favorites when we play live.

Crew

Crossfyre bassist and backing singer Dan Rönnbacka waits his turn as StarBuck approves the tunes

“Iron Horse” will be mixed shortly by Hannu Leiden at Seawolf Studios, and the album will be released later this year.  Personally, I am hoping for a summer 2013 release, as Crossfyre will play a German mini-tour in July, in addition to the Southern Rock & BBQ Fest in Hyvinkää, Finland, which will be headlined by Skinny Molly & Monsters Southern Rock (featuring members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Foot and Molly Hatchet).

I will be returning to Germany this upcoming weekend to fight for the European Wrestling Promotion (EWP) in Hannover on Saturday, April 6 at Hangar No. 5 against new EWP Intercontinental champion, Dutchman Leon Van Gasteren.

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Leon Van Gasteren in action

Gasteren was trained back in 1996 by German ring legend, Franz Schuhmann.  I’ve never run into Gasteren in my prior wrestling travels to Germany, so for me this outing on April 6 in Hannover will be quite interesting.  I spoke with TopCatch European wrestling champion, Michael Kovac, about Gasteren, and he spoke of the Dutchman with high praise.

Leon

Leon Van Gasteren

Here is a brief look at Leon Von Gasteren from a tag team match, alongside English ring legend Robbie Brookside, whom I met in Finland over a week ago…

Wochenblatt, a newspaper out of the Hannover region of Germany, did a piece on my upcoming match, which can be accessed in German HERE.

I will be returning to Japan this coming weekend to wrestle with my SYNAPSE team (WNC champion AKIRA, WNC women’s champion Syuri, StarBuck) vs.  Holland’s Emil Sitoci, Ivan Markov of Russia and Russian female competitor Bonnie Ekaterina at the Wrestling New Classic event on March 31 at Shinjuku Face arena in Tokyo.

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Emil Sitoci, Ivan Markov, Bonnie Ekaterina

There will be an afternoon and an evening show at Shinjuku Face on the same day.  The six-person tag is in the afternoon, and in the evening I will have a singles encounter against either Akira Shinose or Koji Doi, both of whom are just out of their rookie year in the wrestling business.  Both Shinose and Doi will have a match against each other in the afternoon to see which one of them will get the “honor” of facing Yours Truly on the evening card.

Photo by Susumu Tobari 02

AKIRA, StarBuck, Syuri

It feels great to be returning to Japan after a half a year away!  Sou desu ne!!!