Tag: starmaker

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An Update on Starmaker Bolin

bolin1Friends and fans and followers of Kenny “Starmaker” Bolin got a scare last night when his son Chris (aka “Catbox”) posted on Kenny’s Facebook page that his father was back in the ER. I’m happy to report that Kenny was sent home to continue resting and recovering.

Kenny recently had major surgery that doctors hope will help him get back to a healthier state. This is not the first complication he’s had as a result of the surgery, and he’s been under the knife at least once more that I know of to deal with some of these issues. There was some concern he might have had an infection, but the doctors found no sign of this before they sent him home.

If all goes well, Kenny will come out of all this lighter and fitter than he has been in years. No, he won’t be in ring shape, but the Starmaker’s days in the ring and beside the ring are done anyway. The goal is to get his weight down and get back to a healthier physique so that he can fulfill the number one item on his bucket list: to outlive Jim Cornette.

Long live the King!

 

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Eat Breakfast with Bolin… and Jimmy!

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About a year and a half ago, I had the privilege of eating lunch with Kenny “Starmaker” Bolin and his life long adversary Jim Cornette at Clarksville Seafood. Stories were shared about their childhood, their life together, and their days in the ring. Many of them made their way into Kenny’s book, but some details did not. It was an incredible time listening to two of Kentucky’s biggest wrestling legends banter back and forth, and it was arguably one of the funniest conversations I have ever had in my life.

On May 21 Kenny wants you to join him and Jim for a similar experience at the Golden Corral on Taylorsville Rd in Louisville! Breakfast with Bolin is a once in a lifetime chance to have breakfast AND lunch (yes, you read that right) with the Starmaker and the original Louisville Slugger.

The conversation, complete with questions from you and other fans, will be filmed for future release as a DVD and distribution on the INC Network on Roku.

The date, time and location are now confirmed: May 21 at 10 AM at the Golden Corral on Taylorsville Rd in Louisville. Kenny is now selling tickets direct through his Facebook page. $29 is the price that gets you two meals and a seat for one of the most entertaining days of your life. What’s more, Golden Corral has decided to make this a charity fundraiser, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the sons and daughters of veterans to enable them to go to summer camp.

If you’re a wrestling fan in or near the Louisville area, this is an opportunity not to be missed. Jim has traveled the country doing Q&A’s and giving talks on his career, but Kenny does NOT do this. If you’re one of the many who only download Jim’s podcast when Kenny is on, you will not want to miss this chance.

Please visit Kenny’s Facebook page to get in touch and book your spot before it sells out!

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Breaking News: Cena to make shocking return at Mania!

It’s two days until the biggest event of the year in sports entertainment, and a well-placed source in the WWE has just confirmed, John Cena will return at Wrestlemania!

That’s right, Cenation, Superman is back, and he’s coming to make himself a hero to those dreading the inevitable rise of the Roman Empire.

Or is he?

Cena will be inserted into the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Triple H and Roman Reigns, but he will not be doing so as a babyface! The long-awaited heel turn will happen Sunday night, and after Shane McMahon expels Triple H from Monday Night Raw, Cena will be the guy paired with the man Vince McMahon still hopes to make into the next Cena!

But wait, how in the world will the WWE get the fans to cheer Reigns over Cena, especially heel Cena? Cena was the most hated man in Louisville when he was at OVW. He was exceptionally good at working the mic when he was a heel, and it’s not too far-fetched to think that a “smark” Wrestlemania and post-Mania Raw audience will fall in love with heel Cena. To make sure that the fans boo Cena like never before, the WWE has paired Cena up with an advocate, a blast from the past, an ace in the hole sure to make him the biggest heel since the Iron Sheik!

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You are not dreaming, wrestling fans. John Cena will be paired up with his former manager, the man who helped launch him to superstardom, Kenny “Starmaker” Bolin. Under Bolin’s tutelage, Cena became hands down the most hated man in Louisville when he was at OVW. Now that he has reunited with his old protege, Bolin will not only turn fans pro-Reigns and anti-Cena, he will make Cena the top heel for years to come, extending his career in a way not seen since Hulk Hogan became “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan.

Doubt me if you will, wrestling fans, but some Sunday night, April 3, in front of the largest audience ever assembled for a live wrestling event, John Cena will steal the spotlight and the title from Roman Reigns, and Bolin Services will finally begin its long overdue WWE run at the Showcase of the Immortals!

Kenny will still be at The Nerdy Planet on Saturday from 3-5 PM, selling books and signing autographs with me and Little Jimmy LeBeaux. We had originally planned on an evening event, starting around 6 PM, but just before we announced the event on Facebook, Kenny called and asked me to move it up earlier in the day. If you’re not buying it, join us Saturday and ask Kenny for yourself. He’ll be happy to neither confirm nor deny what’s about to go down at Wrestlemania 32.

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Meet Little Jimmy LeBeaux This Saturday!

If you want to meet Jim Cornette this week, you’ll have to travel to Dallas, home of Wrestlemania 32, to see him at IHWE/NWA Parade of Champions. But if you want to meet Jim’s son, Little Jimmy LeBeaux, you will need to be in Jim, Sr.’s hometown of Louisville.

It’s a cruel twist of fate that brought Little Jimmy to town on a weekend when his daddy will be absent, but it’s nothing new for the thirtysomething Cajun. Jim Cornette’s been absent Little Jimmy’s whole life, and he’s been ducking Little Jimmy ever Kenny Bolin first told Jim he was a father. That won’t stop Little Jimmy from having a good time this weekend when he makes his first public appearance Saturday afternoon at the Nerdy Planet!

The Nerdy Planet is Louisville’s newest and coolest destination for all things comic books and pop culture. Kenny Bolin and I will be there from 3-5 PM Saturday signing copies of Bluegrass Brawlers, Eat Sleep Wrestle, and I Probably Screwed You Too: The Mostly True Stories of Kenny Starmaker Bolin. As a special treat, we have invited Little Jimmy LeBeaux to be our guest, and yes, Little Jimmy will be available for pictures and autographs too!

Is it a shoot? Is it a work? This Saturday, you can meet Little Jimmy LeBeaux and decide for yourself if he is the true heir to the Cornette fortune. Bring your cameras, your autograph books, and your book money down to the Nerdy Planet Saturday from 3-5 PM,and let’s show Little Jimmy a little Louisville hospitality.

Please give Little Jimmy a follow on Twitter as well!

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This week at OVW: Man of Tomorrow vs. The Chosen One

When was the last time you went to OVW? This week, the promotion that groomed the top WWE stars of the last decade has a must-see main event.

Mitchell Huff is a former OVW student turned trainer featured in the book, Eat Sleep Wrestle. After taking a few years off, he returned a few years ago and took the Midwestern indy scene by storm. He’s become a star at OVW and leads his own training group every Monday at The Arena in Jeffersonville.

His opponent is Daniel Eads, the Man of Tomorrow. Eads not only has the look of a superstar (not to mention Superman), he recently caught the eye of former OVW manager Kenny “Starmaker” Bolin. Kenny is not an easy man to impress, but the Starmaker saw a potential superstar in the young wrestler.

OVW still bills itself as the place to see the Superstars of Tomorrow today, and that’s certainly the case with these two. Whether you’re a regular at Davis Arena or haven’t been there since the WWE banners came down, Mitchell Huff and Daniel Eads is a match up worth seeing.

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OVW is located at 4400 Shepherdsville Road in Louisville. Bell time for the weekly TV taping on Wednesday night is 7:30 PM.

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Book signing – April 2 at the Nerdy Planet

Want a fun warm up the day before the biggest wrestling show of the year? You can meet me and Kenny “Starmaker” Bolin Wrestlemania weekend at the Nerdy Planet in Louisville!

Kenny and I will be selling and signing copies of Bluegrass Brawlers, I Probably Screwed You Too, and much more. Plus you can hear some stories from Louisville’s wrestling past, including Kenny’s amazing run as the manager to the future stars at OVW.

Click here to join the event on Facebook.

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Could Roman Reigns have been a Bolin guy?

bolin1A decade ago a Louisville, Kentucky institution was churning out WWE Superstars left and right. The institution went by the name Bolin Services, and in the course of a decade, BS sent more than sixty men and women to the WWE main roster, including the most recent face of the company, John Cena.

Given the struggles Roman Reigns is having becoming the new face of the company, I got in touch with Kenny Bolin and son Chris to ask if Bolin Services might have been able to do anything for him.

“He would not have been the main guy,” says Chris Bolin. “He would never have been in Cena, Rico, or Carlito’s spot. He would have been one of the background guys like Sean O’Haire. Except O’Haire could cut a decent promo.”

Truth be told, no one was pushed as the main guy or the face of the company because in Bolin Services, Kenny Bolin was the face. Everyone had a role, and everyone worked together. “Sometimes I had the spotlight,” says Kenny. “Sometimes it was Cena. Sometimes it was Rico or someone else. There was no ego because everyone understood their role.”

Even the great John Cena had no trouble filling a supporting role when asked. “He was a team player. He was always on, but he never upstaged anyone. He understood when one of us looks good, we all look good.”

Bolin’s system was forged out of necessity caused by the WWE developmental machine. There was no way of telling when someone would get called up to the main roster, and you never knew who was next to go. Kenny remained front and center as the guys around him, one by one, left for the big time. “Guys would leave, new guys would come in. It didn’t matter who they gave me, they all got called up. That’s why they called me the Starmaker.”

Truth be told, neither Kenny nor Chris see Reigns as a fit for Bolin Services. Had Roman Reigns been sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling, Chris Bolin believes that he would have been one of the Disciples of Synn, a rival faction led by Jim Cornette’s now wife Stacy. “He would have fit in better there, like Batista when he was Leviathan. Bolin Services liked guys who could banter with my Dad. Rico, Cena, these guys could hold their own. Reigns just isn’t a BS guy. He doesn’t have the personality for it.”

That’s not necessarily bad news for Roman Reigns. Batista went on to become a four time World Heavyweight Champion and a two time WWE Champion.

But Batista was never the face of the company.

For more on Kenny Bolin, Bolin Services, and the WWE developmental era at OVW, read Bluegrass Brawlers: The Story of Professional Wrestling in Louisville and I Probably Screwed You Too: The Mostly True Stories of Kenny “Starker” Bolin. 

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Black Friday for Wrestling Fans Part 2 – Santa Bolin

11416754_1440107446310822_276061912_oKenny Bolin has a story to tell. He also has T-shirts and headphones to sell. And with Black Friday on the way, Kenny has a three exclusive offers for readers of Eat Sleep Wrestle!

Beginning Friday at 6 am until Sunday at midnight, when you order a set of Beets by Bolin headphones or a Beets Pill with a Bolin T-shirt, you can get a signed copy of his book for only $9.99, a savings of $15!

Or, if you buy two of the new Beets Pills at $79.95, you get a third one free, while supplies last.

Or, buy three sets of wireless Buds by Bolin for $30 each. That’s $9.95 off the regular price.

Please Note: this offer is only available Friday 6 am until Sunday at midnight. And you must mention Eat Sleep Wrestle or eatsleepwrestle.com when you order.

Contact Kenny through his Facebook page to take advantage of this exclusive Black Friday offer. Top quality headphones and speakers, cool T-shirts, and the best darn wrestling book released in 2015, plus you get to by direct from the legend himself. What more could you want?