The Never Mets:Nancy Benoit

Nancy Toffoloni was known by several names in wrestling (Fallen Angel, Robin Greene, Woman, Nancy Sullivan and Nancy Benoit). While the name changed, her character was fairly consistent throughout her career.
Nancy's character of 'Woman' was unique for women in the world of pro wrestling. Woman was in charge. Woman did not acquiesce to authority or to men either. Woman was excellent on the mic, but she didn't speak volumes.
Nancy was not a plastic bimbo. She didn't appear to have undergone any surgical age-defying procedures (or at least not much if any). Nancy relied more on a look (or a movement or a few words), instead of her looks to cement her place in wrestling.
I was a fan of hers when I first started watching wrestling. Back in my autograph-collecting days, I tried for years to get a signature from her. At one point, Georgie Makropoulos (from WrestlingFigs.com) sent me a signed Woman photo, when I enlisted her help in my quest.
Years later, I was unsuccessful in my attempts to meet Nancy. JayHawk Evans and I went to two of the Brian Pillman Memorial Shows. At one of the shows, Nancy was sick and at the other, her son Daniel was sick. Therefore she missed both shows.
Nancy met her death in the tragic and well-publicized murder-suicide at the hands of husband wrestler Chris Benoit. Nancy had pretty much left the wrestling scene and was seemingly enjoying family life. It was a shocking and sickening story.

Beth Horn is A Today's Chicago Woman

I was doing some interviews at the Wizard World in Chicago when I came across Venom (aka Beth Horn) from American Gladiators. I stopped by and briefly interviewed Horn.

Along with her gig on American Gladiators, Horn is a personal trainer, an author and an actress. Horn recently had finished filming her part in Fancypants, a movie currently in post-production. Roddy Piper is also in that movie.
I also learned that Horn was a local girl. Horn was born in Chicago and graduated from Resurrection High School on the northwest side. We talked a bit about her favorite Chicago spots.

We even joked about her appearing on the cover of Today's Chicago Woman in the future. Hopefully one day my crew will be distributing TCW's emblazoned with Horn's face! The only thing better would be if I was the writer for the accompanying article. Are you listening TCW?

Beth Horn and me in Rosemont, IL-Summer 2008.