Dorney Park

Even though I just got back from an incredible concert, I’m going to write about my trip to Dorney Park first! The concert will be packed into my weekend report, since it basically is weekend already!

 

Ok, here we go! Monday I went to Dorney Park with a couple of friends. The great thing was that Dorney has this offer  where you only pay 20$ after 5pm! Which is great because it’s not expensive and there are not a lot of people there, as you can clearly seen in the picture to your left!

 

This blog will be a little picture heavy I admit, but hey, I enjoy looking at pictures and I hope you do too!

 

I found a parking spot right in front of the entrance too which was awesome! Mainly because we didn’t have to walk far at all and most importantly it was easy to find the car at the end!

 

So right in we went and on our first roller coaster within 5 minutes!

 

Talon was the first coaster we rode and it was great! It’s a coaster where your legs hang and the track is over your head. Please forgive me if I don’t use the correct roller coaster lingo, I hope you still get what I’m trying to say.

 

Normally all those kind of coasters have the same layout I found. Not this one! It’s way higher than the other ones I rode, or I just don’t remember correctly. Anyhow this was a lot of fun and a great start!

 

That thing was the next we went on. I didn’t wanted to go on it because I’m not a big fan of rides like that. Anything that spins I don’t like. I got on a spinny one when I was a little kid and had a horrible experience and it haunted me ever since. Well I must admit that this one wasn’t that bad and I actually had fun! Mainly because it made me feel like I could do shooting star presses and moonsaults!  

 

The Mouse Trap was next and that one’s super scary. Why? Well because the curves on top are super tight and if you’re a heavy guy like me you wonder if this thing is built for people like me. Well it was and the ride was fun and I didn’t hit my chins which great! The last time I rode a thing like that up at Kanobles (I hope I spelled that right) they had no padding at the front of the cart and I hit my chins repeatedly…

 

The almighty Hydra was next! As you can see I’m also a dentist in my spare time.

How can you not have a good time if Snoopy is waving you? Needles to say I waved back.

 

Funny story about Thunder Hawk. So we just got in the carts, and started to roll when my phone rang. So I picked it up as we went around the first corner, told the person who was calling that I’m on a roller coaster and that I’ll call him back and on we went on the first climb for the first drop (the one you can see in the picture). All of a sudden we stop in the middle of the climb. We are speculating that something is wrong and indeed, an employee comes running up the stairs.

 

What’s wrong you ask? Well she told me that she saw me on the phone and that that’s not allowed and I had to give her my cell phone… I apologized to the whole rollercoaster party and on we went on some wooden roller coaster fun.

In case you wondered I got my phone back after the ride. Lesson for you kids, don’t pick your phone up on a rollercoaster.

 

Who thinks that Crush would have loved Steel Force??

 

Possessed is a back and forth coaster where your legs are dangling similar to the Talon coaster. Lot’s of fun and the best part was when they paused for a second before you went back down!

 

For the last ride of the day we decided to take it easy and we went on the good old Farris wheel.

 

 

The big rollercoaster in the back is Steel Force and the high one is Possessed.

 

To make the day complete and be ready for the drive home I got myself a Wawa coffee! And since they had a new blend out I had to try it. Two thumbs up for the coffee blend and two thumbs up for lot of fun at Dorney Park! We rode all roller coasters in under 3 hours! Take that long lines on weekends!

 

 

With that being said, good night, I shall keep you updated via Twitter and maybe a picture sent from my phone right here to my blog!

 

And don’t forget about the August 1st free T-Shirt Contest!!

 

Tschüss,

Claudio

Win a T-Shirt!

Yes, that’s right, you can win a Claudio Castagnoli “Very European” T-Shirt!

 

Why? Well Saturday it’s August 1st, which is Switzerland’s National Holiday.

 

So I figured I’d make that something special and get you guys involved! So here’s what you have to do:

 

Get a camera and take a picture of you celebrating in a “Very European” way on August 1st!

 

The most creative, funniest and best picture (a.k.a. the one I like the best) will win a signed T-Shirt!

 

Please send all pictures to:

 

august1@claudiocastagnoli.com  Subject: Very European

 

Deadline will be Monday August 3rd.

 

Good luck to all of you!

 

Claudio

 

 

Figure 4 Daily with ME!

Check out today’s Figure Four Daily with CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI~!

 

www.f4wonline.com

 

Figure Four Daily returns today with the VERY EUROPEAN CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI~!

 

Tons of subjects are tackle including my early career in Switzerland, whether I ever went to the waterslides, coming to the US and getting into Ring of Honor, training with various guys including Honky Tonk Man, the lucha style and working Mexico, ROH TV, Jenna vs. Sharmell, putting comedy into my matches, the shows this weekend, Larry Sweeney, coming up with character ideas, and so much more!

 

A great show so check it out! <—click here

 

If you’re not signed up you can’t listen to it… So sign up! It’s definitely worth it for daily updates, exclusive news and full access to the Audio Archives! That alone is worth the price! Listen to Bruno Sammartino and other great interviews every week!

 

Since Figure Four teamed up with the Wrestling Observer you will also have access to that! All for one low price of 9.99 a month! That’s just the price of 4 coffees… so just drink one less a week!

 

And of course you’ll be able to listen to my great interview! Sign up today and enjoy it!

 

Claudio

 

 

To- ROH-nto

Ladies and Gentleman, here comes the boom! Well not quiet, that song is just still stuck in my head from the Gym.

 

Who was all at the ROH shows this weekend in Toronto? I' bet you’re happy about the two awesome shows you saw! I watched the second half of the Saturday show from the crowd and it was just a great feeling.

 

Lance Storm still looks amazing and I can’t believe he hasn’t wrestled in two years! Well I know he trains at his school and that keeps him in shape, but it’s amazing to watch him in the ring and I wish he’d wrestle more.

 

Now we shall back up to Friday morning, the day I left for Toronto. Have you ever wondered what’s in my black briefcase? Well I decided to lift that secret and give you guys a glance…

 

Lots and lots of food would be the answer! Bagels, Banana, Tuna, Chicken, Rice, Crystal Light, Protein Powder, Peanut Butter, Mustard and some more stuff that I’m sure I forgot.

Do you know the good part about all the stuff? It’s carry on friendly and they won’t take it away from you. Unlike yogurt for example. I found that out the hard way. A.k.a. TSA took it away from me.

 

You can also not bring Apples into Canada, but you can bring Bananas. Why you ask? Because they grow Apples in Canada but they do not grow Bananas. Now it makes more sense!

 

Once at the building we were trying to find the gate for the flight leaving at 7.40. Well there was no such flight. So after asking around we found out that the flight got postponed to 9.40 because the crew arrived late last night and they need to meet the minimum rest requirement.

 

Never heard of a minimum rest requirement for crews but hey you always learn. Unfortunately that learning experience ment 2 more hours of PHL. I used that time to take a nap and then eat some cereal.

 

Once in Toronto and checked into the hotel it was already 1 o’clock and I decided to take a nap. What do you do after a nap? You wake up. And how do you wake up best? With a coffee! Check out this menu:

 

Europeans! I was so exited! Unfortunately the coffee couldn’t really hold up to it’s expectations but was still enjoyable.

 

Thanks to the garbage strike there were huge piles of trash behind the building and it smelled like you would expect. Luckily that smell didn’t make it into the building. That reminds me that I didn’t even take a picture of all that trash! Well there will be an upcoming promo featuring yours truly and said trash.

 

Also I think Toronto should pay the garbage men whatever they want because they clearly need them!

 

Bret Hart was there that night and I’m looking forward to having more Hitman at ROH! My night was cut short by Brent Albright and I’m was happy to teach him a lesson the next night. I’m jumping ahead again…

 

Saturday morning started great with some cereal and a workout at the hotel gym. Props to Travelodge for having a roomy gym with some dumbbells and a multifunctional machine. Since we didn’t have to travel between shows I had the whole afternoon to check out Toronto which was awesome!

 

Usually we travel between shows which doesn’t leave you time to check out the cities you travel to. So if I have the time to actually explore the places I go to I’m always exited and happy. I know I said it in the past but I’ll try to make time to do that more often in the future.

 

I know some of the guys went to the Blue Jays game that day and I though that that would be a cool thing to do! I’ve never been to an indoor baseball game and I though I’d take that chance to change that.

 

On the way to the city I tried to take a picture of the skyline of Toronto, but the CN tower kept hiding!

 

 

So I decided to trick him and take a pictures of different things.

 

 

And then when he wasn’t looking, I got him!

 

The Rogers Center is an impressive sight and when you’re in there you’re even more impressed! It’s huge! I missed the first two innings and 3 home runs. But there would be 4 more and an incredible rally from the Florida Rays to come back from a 9-1 deficit!

 

Unfortunately we had to leave at the 10th Inning when the game was tied at 9-9.

 

It was raining like crazy on the way to the building and we couldn’t drive down several roads who were closed because of severe flooding. Some people in the car insisted that it would have been possible to drive through while others (who were in control of the wheel) overruled that with a U-turn.

 

Thankfully it lightened up once we got to the building and I was able to take a walk and find some great coffee.

 

One thing I love about Canada is that it’s very European in the way that there are many small stores that you can walk to, people are walking in the streets and having a good time. You don’t have to drive to get to stuff and I love that.

 

This night was more successful for me and I continued my unbeaten streak in European rules matches. Thanks to the staff of the building for providing us with fresh water all through the night. Speaking of “All through the night”, great song by Cindy Lauper!

 

I watched the back half of the show from the crowd and it was great!  I even took a picture of Lance Storm throwing a super kick.

 

As you can see I’m not very good at taking action shots! That’s why you can’t see his opponent, Chris Hero, and it almost looks like he’s superkicking Todd Sinclair! Oh well, I hope you still enjoy the picture.

 

My flight on Sunday morning was at 6.45 and this time it was not delayed. It was just a great morning that I celebrated with some Starbucks (now almost a tradition when I’m at the Toronto airport)!

 

This picture represents my travels quite accurately! Coffee, wrestling and food = a great time!

 

After I got back I enjoyed a Sunday nap, some outdoor fun and grocery shopping. Today I’m going to Dorney Park! It’s going to be my first amusement park of the season and I’m exited! Rollercoasters = so much fun! Do you think they’ll have coffee there?

 

And speaking of, Sunday shopping wouldn’t be the same without a nice treat! A caramel walnut and white chocolate biscotti combined with a Frozen Mocha! 

 

Until the next time, enjoy a wonderful Monday!

 

Claudio

He might be small...

but really jacked!

ROH Returns To Toronto: Claudio Castagnoli Interview

By Todd Vincent for www.MondayNightMayhem.com

 

On Friday July 24^th & Saturday July 25^th, Ring Of Honor returns to Toronto, Ontario, Canada for back-to-back nights featuring "Death Before Dishonor VII."

Friday features the first-ever appearance of former World Champion & Canadian Icon Bret "The Hitman" Hart (as he will sign autographs that night), and the card features ROH Champion Austin Aries in a Four-Corners Survival Match vs. Nigel McGuinness vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Tyler Black and a Tag Team Grudge Match with Lance Storm & Kevin Steen vs. Chris Hero & Davey Richards. 

Saturday's card features an autograph signing featuring the legendary former 16-time World Champion Ric Flair, and the card sees a main event with the long-awaited one-on-one match-up of Lance Storm vs. his nemesis & antagonist, Chris Hero. The other eagerly anticipated match sees Nigel McGuinness vs. Tyler Black in a "Battle For Respect." If either wins the ROH Championship the night before, this will be a title match.

Friday night's card also see Claudio Castagnoli and his associates from The Embassy (Jimmy Rave, Bison Smith, & Joey Ryan) take on their archrivals Brent Albright, The Necro Butcher, Colt Cabana, & Grizzly Redwood. Following up on that on Saturday, Castagnoli gets an opportunity to put down Brent Albright in a European Rules Match.

            Monday Night Mayhem was able to catch up with Claudio to get his thoughts on who he'd like to wrestle (but hasn't), his favorite matches, the death of Mitsuharu Misawa, Brent Albright, and the upcoming weekend in Toronto

 

TV: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to join us today, Claudio. I'd like to start off by going back to your beginning.  People that have followed your career know that you were initially trained by SigMasta Rappo. Since then, you've also had the opportunity to be trained by Dave Taylor, The Honky Tonk Man, Chris Hero, & Mike Quackenbush. Many have commented that you have adapted very well to the U.S. style of wrestling after wrestling in Europe for the early part of your career. Of all of your trainers, who influenced you the most, and what was the biggest lesson you learned from each of these guys?

 

CC: As you mentioned, I had the chance to train with many different people and in many different styles. It's hard for me to tell you who influenced me the most. I know both Dave Taylor & Jorge Rivera had a huge influence on me, and I think you can see that in my wrestling. But also Chris Hero had a big impact on my wrestling. And I could tell you the same for all of the above mentioned. I try to learn and pick up something from everybody I train with and get better every chance I get. So I guess you, the fans, would have to decide who influenced me the most by coming and watching me perform live this weekend in Toronto for ROH at "Death Before Dishonor VII!"

 

Regarding the second part of your question, it's again hard to pick just one, but I'd say one of the best lessons in the wrestling business is "Mouth closed, ears and eyes open." And to be honest, I don't remember who thought me that, but it was really early on in my career, and it was great advice

 

TV: Who is currently your favorite wrestler to watch?

CC: Hurricane Keith Haward

 

TV: For those who are unfamiliar with Hurricane Keith Haward, what can you tell us about him, and why is he one of your favorites?  Who else is someone that most fans would know who you'd say is also one of your faves?

CC: Keith Haward is a British wrestler from "The World Of Sport" era (Note: "The World Of Sport" was a UK program that ran from 1965 to 1985, and was very similar to ABCs Wide World of Sports). He's just a great wrestler, and I like watching him. Besides Hurricane Haward, I'd have to go with Ricky Steamboat. I recently got a Best Of Steamboat disc-set that I really enjoy. I also enjoy watching compilation DVD's of different matches from all over the world. I think the more variety you watch, the more you learn and pick up

 

TV: Who are some wrestlers that you would like to work with but haven't yet?

CC: There are many! There are tons of guys in Mexico, Japan, the WWE, and TNA that I haven't wrestled yet. There are also guys on the indies and ROH that I haven't wrestled yet or only wrestled once or twice that I would like to wrestle again. If I'd have to pick one, I'd say Austin Aries, because he's the ROH Champion, and I feel that belt should belong to me

 

TV: You just mentioned the WWE & TNA organizations. Who would you most look forward to wrestling over from there.

CC: Oh there are many! From the WWE: Rey Mysterio, Regal, Finlay, Sydal (Evan Bourne), Kozlov, HHH, Cena, Morrison, Punk, TJ Wilson, Jericho, Batista just to name a few. Over in TNA: Angle, Joe, Sting, AJ, Steiner, The Motor City Machine Guns, Daniels, Nash, Doug Williams, Homicide to, again, name just a few.

 

TV: In ROH, you've transitioned many times between face and heel. Which do you prefer and why?

CC: I don't think I've changed. The fans perception of me did. If you follow my career you can see a pattern...and that's my preference.

 

TV: If you were talking to a person who was completely unfamiliar with wrestling, how would you explain that pattern?

CC: The pattern of me being me, and American people being jealous of my good looks, talent and in-ring ability? I'd say I'm "Very European," and some people can't stand that.

 

TV: What are your Top Three favorite matches you've had during your time in ROH, and specifically, what is your favorite ROH PPV match that you participated in?

CC: I'd say my match vs. Morishima in Boston, my first time ever vs. Nigel from The Hammerstein Ballroom, and the "Cage Of Death" in Philadelphia would be my top picks. And it's a toss-up for my favorite PPV match. I liked the first ever PPV match I had teaming with Matt Sydal against The Briscoe Brothers or my singles match against Matt Sydal.

 

TV: Who is your all-time favorite opponent?

CC: Can I name more than one? Well of course I can...I'm answering the questions! Mike Quackenbush, Chris Hero, Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness, Eddie Kingston, and I like beating up Brent Albright, so I guess he would go in this category as well.

 

TV: Mike Lipinski of Buffalo, NY called in and wanted to know: What is the biggest difference in booking between Adam Pearce & Gabe Sapolsky? 

CC: Hi Mike Lipinski. Are you related to Dr. Keith? Anyway, the big difference I would say is their point of view on wrestling.

 

TV: As someone who is in the locker room, how would you describe Pearce’s view vs. Sapolsky's view, and what change has Pearce made that has had the greatest impact of ROH?

CC: Since I'm someone who's in the locker room, I follow rule number one of the locker room: "What goes on in the locker room stays in the locker room."

 

TV: The one thing that stands out about Ring Of Honor is the number of legends that come to the organization to contribute. We've seen Jim Cornette, Bill Watts, Bobby Heenan, Mick Foley, Ricky Steamboat, & Bruno Sammartino just to name a few. You have two more appearing in Toronto this coming weekend in Bret Hart & Ric Flair, and we'll see Lance Storm on both nights also. What have you learned from any of these individuals and how much of a morale boost is it for the ROH locker room?

CC: It's always great to have Legends around. The last time Lance Storm was around he gave everybody lots of advice, watched all the matches, and talked to the locker room before the shows. I think everybody learned a whole lot from him. And I'm sure everybody will learn even more this time around.

 

In ROH, everybody wants to deliver top-notch matches and a top-notch product as it is. If there's somebody at the show to impress, I think all the guys try to perform even better, so I think it's a big boost for all the wrestlers in the locker room

 

TV: Another legend who came through ROH in 2007 was Mitsuharu Misawa. Misawa's wrestled there as recently as 2007, when he faced KENTA at "Glory By Honor VI: Night II." Were you a fan of Misawa? How did his death affect the locker room? What, if anything, did you take away from his matches in ROH and his overall ring style?

CC: I think every person who has seen him perform was a fan of his. All the guys were really shocked by his death, and it was a weird feeling that day in New York. It also gave a wake up call to a lot of guys I think, because he died of a spinal injury, which came from all the abuse he took on his neck and back over the years. With the high-impact and high-risk style ROH does, I hope people will be smarter about risky moves and spots. Misawa was one of the smartest and best wrestlers of all-time. His matches always had an incredible built and so did his feuds. The matches might have slowly built throughout, but at the end, everybody was on their feet. That's something I always admired and looked up to.

 

TV: Todd Packard e-mailed us to say: "There has been a lot of great Japanese talent come through ROH, but you haven't had a lot of interaction with them in the squared circle. Would you like to face some talent from the Far East, and if so, who would you most look forward to facing? I did see a match you had with Marufuji, and I thought you and him were awesome together. I was also wondering how many times you have faced him so far."

CC: I wrestled Marufuji when he came over here for ROH, and I wrestled him twice in NYC back in 2007 I believe that was it, and I liked wrestling him a lot. KENTA is one of the guys that I didn't wrestle yet that I definitely want to match up against. I'm always up for a challenge, and I'd love to wrestle more talent from the "Far East," as you call it.

 

TV: You've had several chances at winning the ROH World Championship against men like Takeshi Morishima & Nigel McGuinness. Lately you've stayed away from the title picture. Would you like to get back into the picture soon or are you more focused on assisting The Embassy?

CC: I think that question answers itself. Of course I want to get back into that picture as soon as possible! Everybody wants to be the ROH Champion, and so do I. I just have to get rid of Brent Albright first, who's nagging on my leg like an annoying dog.

 

TV: What do you think it will take to finally get rid of Albright, and will Toronto be the place for this happen?

CC: It will take my "Very European" wrestling skills to finally shut him up. But I have to give Albright a lot of credibility. He's a very tough competitor that never gives up. I firmly plan to finish him up in Toronto in the eight-man elimination match on Friday and then pick apart what's left of him on Saturday, which will be easy pickings after I'm done with him on Friday.

 

TV: On Friday July 24^th, you've got an Eight-Man Elimination Tag Team Match teaming with The Embassy against Brent Albright, Colt Cabana, Grizzly Redwood & The Necro Butcher, and then the following night, you've got a European Rules Match against Brent Albright. What are your thoughts going into each of these matches this upcoming weekend in Toronto?

CC: It will be a great weekend for The Embassy and myself. I'm very optimistic going into the eight-man elimination tag. I have great partners on my side. Take Bison Smith for example. Have seen the size of that man? He could take on all of them by himself! To say I'm optimistic for Saturday would be an understatement. I'm undefeated in European Rules matches, and on Sunday, I'm planning on staying that way.

 

TV: What are your thoughts on working with Prince Nana, and how far do you see your association with The Embassy going?

CC: Prince Nana is a very smart and intelligent man, so he's a natural fit to be a friend of mine. I see my association as being very successful so far, and the rest is classified.

 

TV: What was the hottest ROH town you've ever worked in, and what will Toronto need to do to top that on the 24^th and 25^th?

CC: I'd say the hottest crowd was at the "Cage Of Death" in Philadelphia. Toronto was super hot the last time we were in that building, so if they are a little bit better than they were last time when I was there ("Northern Navigation"), they're on a good way.

 

TV: Do you have a final message for the fans who will be attending the Toronto shows?

CC: I have one for the ones who are not attending the show: You are missing out and should plan a trip to Toronto and come to the shows! Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Lance Storm, and the ROH crew all in one?! That's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! For all those who are going to be there, expect a tremendous wrestling weekend in a beautiful town! And check out www.ClaudioCastagnoli.com & www.ROHWrestling.com.

 

TV: Thank you for your time, Claudio. The members of The Mayhem Nation appreciate it.

CC: Thank you. I had a good time doing this.

Taking a break...

written for NRG-X Labs

Not only with my blog updates here, I've been slacking a little bit as of late, also with some other stuff.

But
that doesn't just have disadvantages. No, it also has advantages. It
makes you appreciate things more. Like your supplements.

Why did I bring up the supplements? Well because I just haven't been taking them as of late.

Not
that I was planning on it, it just didn't happen. I forgot to take my
multivitamin one day, then the next day and it just kind of rolled on.

Same happened to the other supplements I was taking. Except Overdose that is... gotta have my Overdose!

I didn't slack on my workouts by any means, changing up my routine and going on a new diet I was super exited and pushed myself.

Then this morning I was like, “You know what? I should start taking my supplements again” and I did.

Boy I did, I was so pumped that I ran from my car to the gym and had a great workout!

Now again it's not that I had bad workouts before, it's just that I felt extraordinary on this one today.

And that's what supplements do, they supply something a little extra. They add to your diet and work out.

Lots of people ask me what I'm taking pre-workout, post-workout etc. And I tell them.

Some guy I talked to at a gym in North Carolina knew of Overdose when I hyped it to him and told me he'd try it! I hope he did because he won't be disappointed!

But
a lot of guys that I see at the gym don't even take their workout
serious. Lots of talking, spending time doing nothing and then doing
little exercise.

If you're not training hard, the supplements won't do the work for you!

Just
because you're taking a certain supplement doesn't mean you'll get
ripped! It's a lot more dedication than that. You got to clean up your
diet, workout hard and be dedicated.

Supplements help you the last bit of the way, but you will have to do the work getting there.

Monday Night Movies

Maybe this title is a little misleading, I confess, but i picked it anyway and it’s fitting, just give me a minute to explain.

Last, or better this weekend I watched a lot of movies. And I’m recapping them for you guys tonight. Today is Monday, ergo the title Monday Night Movies!

You’re not convinced? Well just let it go because I’m not going to change the title. Also there’s not much wrestling going on to talk about form my side, so movies it is.

 

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 3-D

This was the first ever movie I saw in 3-D at the movies! Yeah I know it’s 2009 and everybody has probably already seen a 3-D movie but I haven’t. And if you’re like me (3 days ago) and haven’t seen one, you should go see this one!




I liked the movie a lot and I even got over my glasses complex. See I wear glasses in normal life. For sports and in the summer I wear contacts so that I can wear sunglasses or play sports without the glasses being in the way.

Image by kenjonbro via Flickr

Now since I wear glasses all the time I am obsessed with them being clean. Even more than normal when I’m at the movies. So I constantly check them against the light and the screen to see if they’re dirty or not. I did the same thing with the 3-D glasses who were a lot harder to clean due to the fact that they were fairly cheaply made.

But you wouldn’t have guessed from the price. The movie was like 4$ more expensive if you wanted to see it in 3-D. But it was well worth it. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a great movie for the whole family!

My favorite is Diego, as you might have guessed, mainly because he’s a feline. Plus he’s awesome! “My paws are burning baby, I gotta tip toe!” I Love it! Check it out:

It’s about 18 seconds in and it will make you love the movie and Diego! Needless to day every time I run somewhere or am faster than somebody I quote that quote!

 

Also I just watched that scene like 17 times!
The animation is amazing and I’m always stunned how far animation has come. The story of the little prehistoric squirrel chasing the nut gets a little tiring but they found great ways to keep it entertaining.

I give this movie four crosses! 

Australia

The next movie I watched was Australia with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. Now after he hosted the Oscars Hugh is just super man. I mean he can do it all. He can sing, he can dance, he is jacked (his name is Jackman, so he kind of has to) he makes movie and is a nice guy (as far as I’m able to tell). Did I mention that all the women love him? Which should make all men hate him, but in my opinion you just can’t.


I’ve actually been to Australia so I was exited. I absolutely loved my time there and it was one of my highlights of my career. After seeing this movie I wish I could go back, spend more time there and see more of this great country.

Cover of Australia [Blu-ray]

 

The movie itself was very long, but entertaining so you never really realize how long the movie actually is. Jackman plays a man’s man so it makes it even harder to dislike him (for the handful of people who actually dislike him) and Nicole Kidman is great as well. Saying that I’m not a big fan of hers. Nothing personal, I just think there’s something weird about her.

The panorama shots are just breathtaking and it’s just beautiful  cinematography.

Three and a half crosses from me.

Bolt

The last movie I watched was Bolt by Walt Disney. For me I really enjoy Disney movies. And this one was no different.

Well it almost was. When it started it was… ok, spoiler warning! If you haven’t seen Bolt yet, maybe don’t read this. I’m not going to spoil any major parts but just a little of the beginning.

With that being said: I almost gave up on the movie after the first 3 minutes when it was “Cool little kid that is a super agent with cool gadget is teamed up with a superhero dog and they take out everybody”. I hate that concept. Remember “Spy Kids”? At least I think that’s what it was called, and I hated it from seeing the trailer.

If it’s Inspector Gadget it’s cool, other than that to 90% I dislike that concept. Maybe it’s because I’m not a 12 year old kid who wishes I was the protagonist in the movie (big word for me!).

Well the movie took a turn for the better and I really enjoyed it. A big reason might have been Mittens who was again a feline (yes i like cats).

One thing bothered me though. I couldn’t figure out who Macho Man was! I just looked it up on imdb.com and it says he played Thug… I don’t remember who Thug was and I don’t remember hearing Macho Man’s

Cover of Bolt

voice. I figured I’d hear it because it’s pretty recognizable… Maybe you can help me.

This movie is a great Sunday morning movie while eating cereal. And that’s exactly what I did. Three and a half crosses.

And that’s it from me today! I hope you had fun reading! I shall talk to you guys soon again!

Claudio

Little riddle...

who can tell me where that's from?

Claudio’s Twittourage Q & A (July)

The first ever Claudio’s Twittourage Q & A is over and from my standpoint it was a great success! It also proves that I actually read all the @ccastagnoli messages I get, I just usually don’t answer them. That’s what the Q & A is for now.

Since I got so many questions within such a short amount of time I guess I’ll hold a Q & A at least every month! Does that sound like a good idea or what?

So without any further a due:

MayRodriguez asked: how can u handle doing 100 swings ? In your finisher!?!?

Claudio’s Answer: Well I must say I was quiet dizzy afterwards! If you watch the DVD (CHIKARA’s King of Trios Night 1) you will notice that I can barely stand after I executed the Big Swing for that long. I wanted to quit multiple times during it but the fans kept me going.

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CodenameSailorE asked: What was the moment that made you want to become a wrestler? Was it an inspiring match or just a gut feeling?

Claudio’s Answer: I think when I was like 14 years old and I saw the WWF (Yes it was WWF back then) for the first time! I was a big fan of the Steiner Brothers and Papa Shango.

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izzy2287 asked: Now that you're in a slimmer shape, do you think you'll be doing some more high flying?

Claudio’s Answer: I never did too much high flying actually. But every now and again I bust out something, like the 180 cross body against Eddie Kingston at the last CHIKARA show in Philadelphia. If you spread it out, it means more! Also, slimmer shape? I’m still about 220!

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DramaGuyCJM asked: Which CHIKARA venue, past or present, has been your favorite one to wrestle in?

Claudio’s Answer: Good question! I actually wrestled the St. Johns once, which was the first CHIKARA Venue if I remember correctly… so that’s special in a way. I also liked the building in Pittston. And of course the arena is awesome to wrestle in! And since that was the place where I teamed up with Team Uppercut and wrestled Johnny Saint, plus won the second Tag World Grand Prix, I’d say The Arena!

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hancocker asked: What's it like being bigger than most of your competition, yet also being more athletic than them as well?

Claudio’s Answer: It’s awesome!

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Drakeo asked: Who has been so far your toughest opponent in your career and who would be your dream opponent?

Claudio’s Answer: I had many tough opponents… Chris Hero, Mike Quackenbush, Bryan Danielson, Brent Albright, Eddie Kingston and the list goes on and on. I’m actually always looking for tough competition, I think that keeps me on my toes. Regarding my dream opponent, I get that question a lot and I can’t really answer it. I just would like to wrestle the best possible competition!

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rdank1029 asked: What is your favorite match of all-time and of your career?

Claudio’s Answer: Another question I can’t answer… There are so many matches I really enjoy. Like the Misawa vs. Kobashi matches, There’s a Jim Breaks vs. John Cortez match that I just love, Steiner Brothers vs. the Quebecers just too many to choose from. And since I keep watching wrestling I keep finding more.
Same goes for my favorite match. There are many that mean something to me. Me and Morishima from Boston, the Tag World Finals I was in, when team Uppercut fought team of a 1000 holds, when I wrestled Misawa in a tag match for NOAH in Japan… Maybe I’ll list some more another time!

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JohnKirbyHall asked: How much do you and the ROH guys follow WWE? Is that the dream, so to speak? How common are feelers from them or to see scouts?

Claudio’s Answer: I can’t speak for the other guys, but I try to follow wrestling in general, so WWE and TNA. I think as a wrestler you should be updated on what’s going on in the business.

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Robj23 asked: Since you and I are both "Very European", I've got this question: Which Euro wrestler would you recommend to the USA audience?

Claudio’s Answer: Hey dear fellow European! There are many! You can see Doug Williams on TNA, PAC is a regular for Dragon Gate there are a lot of talented guys in groups like wXw and GSW in Germany, 1PW in England etc. Steve Douglas, Martin Stone, Absolute Andy, Bad Bones and there are so many more!

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MayRodriguez asked: hey doble C how are u?

Claudio’s Answer: I’m doing good, thank you for asking!

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CMRulZ asked: If you had the chance, would you wrestle for WWE, even in the ECW Roster?

Claudio’s Answer: If the circumstances would be right, sure why not? I actually enjoy watching ECW (when I can, I miss it most of the time because I’m at CHIKARA practice) because they get lots of time for their matches.

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muthmaster asked: when do you come back to germany to have 5* matches?

Claudio’s Answer: Ich hoffe bald! Frag bei den Promotions nach wo du mich sehen möchtest!

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GavinJosh asked: favorite match and most painful move you’ve been hit with?

Claudio’s Answer: See the question above, I can’t really pick a favorite match.
Regarding the most painful move I’m not sure. There were plenty, but nothing comes to mind right now (maybe because I took to many of them?)

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Fuzzzhardeman asked: what's it like actually having a Swiss bank accoutrements like they always talk about in the movies?`

Claudio’s Answer: It’s great! After all it’s a Swiss bank account. How cool is that?

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wrestlefan2000 asked: Who are some wrestlers from the past that have inspired you?

Claudio’s Answer: There are so many. Many of them are not that “past” like Dave Taylor or Jorge Rivera. I also loved Owen Hart, Papa Shango the Steiner Brothers and so so many more from the Federation era (if you wanna call it that) and later WCW, ECW as well. There are still many wrestlers out there that inspire me.

Thanks to everybody who asked questions! Keep following me on Twitter and I will keep you updated about the next Q & A!

Of course I will also keep you updated on everything else that’s going on in the “Very European” world of mine!

Tschüss
Claudio

At the dollar store...

Paris hilton's cd. But I think that's still a little steep for it.

Top Chef

Who else watches “Top Chef” on Bravo? Well I do and it’s always a highlight Wednesdays. The only problem with the current episodes is that it’s not the original “Top Chef”, it’s “Top Chef Masters”. What’s the Difference?

The difference is that on “Top Chef” young aspiring chefs battle for the title of “Top Chef”. On “Top Chef Masters” already famous Chefs battle for 100’000 dollars for their charity of choice. Now that’s not a bad thing.

 

It’s just more fun to watch the young chefs. On Masters I always think “Well those guys should be able to do all that stuff with ease” so if they actually fail that’s not a good thing.

Also they don’t have the usual Host Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio. Somehow they’re part of “Top Chef” for me and I don’t like to get used to new hosts. Especially since I don’t like that Padma replacement girl.
Hey I understand that she’s not the replacement because this is a different show. But still. “Top Chef” needs Tom and Padma.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

 

It’s still fun to watch them cook and the dishes they come up with. The downside is that it always makes me hungry. And that part only takes about half an hour. The last half an hour is spent presenting the dishes and talking, talking and of course the judging at the end.

So during that time (and during commercials) I switch to Dinner:Impossible on the Food Network. With the great chef Robert Irvine. What a great show that is. Plus they’re usually at cool events. Like yesterday they were at the NBA All Star Game.

The Challenge was to make food for I think it was 2000 people and a dish for each NBA team! How cool is that? I don’t exactly remember the dishes but the Denver Nuggets got something with Chicken Nuggets and so on and so on!

If “Top Chef” Didn’t make me hungry this one sure did! Good thing I was chewing on some gum. That kept my mind from eating.

 

At last until this morning when I made myself some great cereal! Well I didn’t really make it I just poured them into my water/protein mix (would also work great with milk).

Speaking of food, I feel like making some eggs!

I hope you enjoyed this read and I shall keep it up writing fun stuff!

If you have a favorite TV show that you would like to hear my opinion of, let me know!

Tschüss,

Claudio

UFC100 and RAW

Good morning everybody!

Did you notice something? Yes I changed the layout again and this time everything works and I love it! Which means I’ll focus on the content and leave the layout for a little bit! Did you notice the little Swiss cheese RSS icon? Yeah, I made that.

So I said I’d talk a little bit about the UFC PPV since I watched it last Saturday. But then I read that everybody is talking about it and is giving their opinion. Then I thought to myself “I just write about RAW” because that’s what I watched yesterday. But actually I kind of missed the last part of it because I got distracted.

But then I sat down and you know what? I’m going to tell you what I thought of the UFC 100 PPV anyway!

I watched most of the UFC 100 countdown on Spike that day too. Which one you may ask? The 100 best matches countdown or the UFC 100 hype show. Well I watched both. So I was on UFC mode all day so to speak.

Still I have no clue since I would have given the win in the first match to Belcher as much as I liked Akiyama. But hey I was entertained through the whole match so that counts. Maybe that also had something to do with the popcorn that I ate. Orville Redenbacher is the man. Well at least he knows something about popcorn.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Second fight was Bisping against Henderson. Since I’m so European I was rooting for Bisping. I heard he was pretty fun to watch on the Ultimate Fighter TV series and his interviews and such on the hype special were awesome too. And with a nickname like “The Count” you just have to be cool. After all I’m the proud owner of a count T-shirt (Sesame Street count, ah ah ah)

Unfortunately Dan Henderson knocked him out in round two and that was it. It was a good knock out as well since he was unconscious for a long time. Which is probably not that healthy. I know lot’s of pro-wrestlers were really worried about concussions and getting knocked out after the Chris Benoit ordeal and to see somebody getting knocked out that bad worries me.

I understand that it’s entertaining on one hand, but the long time effects can’t be good and the risk that is taken to entertain people is getting pushed even further.

GSP vs. Alves was next and it was my favorite fight of the night. It was just awesome with lots of takedowns, at least from one man, and just a great match to watch. Somehow I enjoyed watching this one more because nobody got knocked out. It’s kind of weird because I don’t mind seeing people getting tapped out but knocked out, that’s different.

Like I mentioned above it’s fun to watch but I always cringe because like I mentioned it just can’t be healthy.

This match was all kinds of awesome though and I think GSP should start doing the RVD hand motions! Who else is with me on that?

Next up was the main event and I did not enjoy it. It was an ok fight I guess but I just thought Brock is boring. I understand that he dominated the whole fight and I don’t know who will be able to beat him.

What I enjoy about watching MMA is the skills. Some guys have tremendous stand up skills, some guys have great grappling skills. Watch Bispings footwork for example. It’s awesome! That’s what I like to see. GSP is great all around and it’s fun to watch.

Brock just seemed like the big bully that wins because he’s stronger and bigger than his opponent. Now I know that’s part of being a successful fighter (being stronger and bigger) and I don’t want to criticize his wrestling ability or something like that, I know he’s a great athlete and trains like crazy. I’m just not a big fan of his.

So Mir got trapped between the cage and Brock’s fist which is not a good place to be and the fight was over. I bet nobody in the arena could really see what was going on so it was kind of eh.

Brock’s pre match promo was for the lack of a better term “Very American”.

Yesterday I watched RAW and I was very entertained by it. I mean Chris Jericho wrestled SMH Style in his tie and suit pants for a little so I just had to love it!

Seth Green was fun and his interactions with some of the guys were just great.

Speaking of great, the face Jericho made when Henry hugged him and told him he was not there to be his partner was awesome!

Jericho has been great as of late and I enjoy seeing him every week. I also enjoy Evan Bourne on RAW even though I wish they would give him some matches he would be able to show a little more of his great wrestling ability and move arsenal.

I also enjoyed Primo and the Miz and MVP and Swager. I was a little distracted (reading Maximum Fitness) during the main event but the people were into it and what I saw was fun so I had a good time watching the show.

Just to explain, I didn’t start reading during the main because it was boring or anything. I just read during the commercials and started to read a good article so it just carried over through the main event.

Oh wow that was a lot of writing! I hope you guys enjoyed the read and maybe I’ll write more about the shows I watch!

Tschüss,

Claudio