Other Things That Matter To Me
WrestlePro is an independent professional wrestling promotion out of New Jersey, founded by Pat Buck. My daughter, Kira, and I have been attending their shows literally since their very first event. It’s a fantastic showcase of top-tier local talent alongside some of the best indie wrestlers from across the country—and so many stars currently in WWE, AEW, and TNA built their momentum in WrestlePro, including MJF, Kris Statlander, Anthony Bowens, Fallah Bahh, Mario Bokara, and Kevin Matthews.
Sharing these shows with Kira over the years has been an absolute blast. She was just eight years old when we went to our first show, and she’s turning twenty next month. I still laugh every time she explains her childhood wrestling memories to people:
"Yeah, I almost got killed at the Starland Ballroom when a wrestler threw a trash can at another wrestler and I was standing a little too close!"
She loved that chaotic energy so much that she actually wanted to have her Sweet 16 at the venue to commemorate the moment but the timing didn’t work out. Over the years at these events, she’s gotten to meet everyone from Tommy Dreamer to Cody Rhodes to the late, great Terry Funk.
WrestlePro even gave me a wild side gig for a stretch as a podcast writer, working for Pat Buck, Gino Gotz, and Ryback at various times. It’s just funny where life takes you when you follow a passion!
Cody Rhodes
I love professional wrestling. I originally considered splitting this into separate categories for AEW and WWE, but given the depth of those rosters, it felt a bit much for a quick overview—I’ll likely write longer, dedicated columns about wrestling down the road.
Instead, I wanted to focus on my absolute favorite wrestler: Cody Rhodes.
I was fortunate enough to meet Cody twice at WrestlePro events during the window between his initial WWE departure and the creation of AEW. What impressed me most about Cody is how incredibly genuine he is; he treats every single fan he meets like an old friend. He’s funny, charming, and a natural storyteller. The first time we met him after a show, my sister took a photo with him, and he immediately apologized to her for sweating all over her during the photo op. It was such a disarming, hilarious moment that my sister and I still laugh about it every single time we watch him wrestle on TV.
Fast forward a few years, and my brother-in-law Chris and I were lucky enough to be in the crowd live on the historic night Cody finally finished the story. Watching him reach the absolute top of the wrestling world in person, knowing how gracious he’s always been along the way, made it an unbelievable experience to share.
Ryan George
A few years ago, my sister introduced me to Pitch Meeting, a web series created by Canadian comedian Ryan George. The videos are a hilarious breakdown of film logic, pointing out the absurd plot holes, bizarre character choices, and strange production decisions that somehow made it all the way to the big screen. The premise is simple: a conversation between "Screenwriter Guy" and "Producer Guy", both played by George himself, as they pitch and greenlight movie scripts.
Beyond Pitch Meeting, Ryan George runs two other fantastic channels. On his self-titled channel, he posts short-form sketch comedy exploring bizarre hypothetical scenarios like "The First Guy To Ever Commit A Crime" or "Job Interviews in 2026" (where, once again, he plays every single character). His third channel, Ryan George Extra Plus, features longer-form content where he dives into weird news stories or tours absurdly over-the-top, expensive homes.
No matter which channel you tune into, his sense of humor is top-tier. It’s brilliantly clever and delightfully silly all at once. Without fail, whenever he drops a new video, I’m watching it immediately.
Disney Jeopardy
I’m not even sure how she originally discovered it, but one day my daughter Abby asked, "Hey Dad, do you want to do Disney Jeopardy with me?" Abby isn’t even a huge Disney fan, but it quickly turned into a fun weekly ritual for the two of us.
The show is hosted by Bryan Perri on Inside the Magic’s YouTube channel. Before long, the rest of the family—including my sister—joined in on the fun, turning it into a full-fledged Saturday night tradition.
We’ve even officially backed the show, and you can spot our name listed in the credits every week as sponsors under "The Maillaro/ Delloiacono Family." Most of the family keeps pushing to combine the two names into one mashup, but since I’m the one paying the bill, I refuse.
Something To Wrestle
This was the very first podcast I ever listened to. Bruce Prichard is a absolute master storyteller, and I actually discovered the show after seeing him live at a WrestlePro event. My mom was spending a lot of time in the hospital back then, so I spent countless hours sitting by her bedside with headphones in, listening to episodes of Something to Wrestle.
At a live taping of the podcast later on, I had the chance to meet Bruce and told him, "My mom hated you as Brother Love."
He flashed a huge smile and yelled back, "A lot of moms hated me! Tell your mom... I LLLLLLOVE YOU!" in that signature, ridiculous, drawn-out preacher voice of his. It was a hilarious moment that I'll never forget.
Since Bruce returned to a full-time executive role at WWE, he hasn't been able to host the show as regularly. While JBL has done a fine job stepping in as a replacement, Bruce Prichard will always be the heart of the show and my absolute favorite host.
Jersey City
Even though I haven’t lived there in twenty-five years and the city itself has changed immensely, Jersey City will always be home to me
There’s nothing specifically wrong with Sayreville, we’ve made a wonderful life here, and I have built so many great friendships over the years, but it has never quite felt like home in the same way. Jersey City is where my roots are, and no matter how much time passes or how much the scenery changes, that place will always hold a piece of who I am.
Wildwood
Wildwood, NJ is where I spent a huge chunk of my summers growing up. The Boardwalk back then was pure magic, an endless stretch of arcades, mini-golf courses, and go-kart tracks. My family was completely obsessed with claw machines, and without fail, every single year we would make the drive home with a massive haul of cheap, neon stuffed animals we’d managed to scoop up throughout the week.
My wife and I are actually taking our kids down to Wildwood for a weekend trip at the end of this summer. While the town and the boardwalk have certainly evolved quite a bit since I was a kid, it still holds onto that timeless, fun energy, and I’m looking forward to sharing a piece of my childhood with them.
How Did This Get Made
How Did This Get Made? is a hilarious podcast entirely dedicated to dissecting, celebrating, and marveling at terrible movies. Hosted by comedians Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas, it’s one of the rare shows that genuinely manages to make me laugh out loud multiple times every single episode.
I’ve always had a love of bad movies, and the hosts offer a brutally honest, yet deeply affectionate, look at some of the absolute worst films ever made. Their banter, absurd theories, and genuine shock at what made it past movie studio executives make it an absolute must-listen. Team Sanity for life!
Stuff to Blow Your Mind
Stuff To Blow Your Mind is a fantastic science and pop-culture podcast that takes a huge variety of fascinating topics and explores them through real-world science, odd historical accounts, and folklore.
A great recent example was an episode on the crucifix crab: they spent time discussing the biological reality of the species, the Miracle of St. Francis, and various other mythological stories throughout history involving crabs carrying objects, all while weighing the actual scientific likelihood of those legends happening.
The show keeps a great weekly schedule:
- Two Core Episodes: Deep dives into scientific, evolutionary, or historical quandaries.
- Wednesday Mini-Episode: A quick, bite-sized look at a specific curiosity.
- Friday "Weirdhouse Cinema": A dedicated discussion centered on a weird, obscure, or cult movie.
Muppets
I was at the absolute perfect age to grow up a Muppets fan. I loved The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, Muppets Take Manhattan, and, of course, The Muppet Show. We also got A Muppet Family Christmas, which remains my favorite Christmas movie of all time.
I still love the Muppets to this day, in fact, a huge part of my personal sense of humor can be traced directly back to Jim Henson's world. The Swedish Chef is my absolute favorite, and he taught me everything I know about cooking (with my heartfelt apologies to anyone who has ever had to eat the results of those lessons...).
It's been great seeing them thrive in recent years. The Muppet Mayhem series on Disney+ was fantastic, and I really enjoyed The Muppet Show reboot we got earlier this year. I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed that we keep getting more of them for a long time to come.