The Taskmaster Kevin Sullivan Coming to the Squared Circle Expo

The Taskmaster is coming to the Squared Circle Expo! Kevin Sullivan will be making a rare public appearance.

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sullivan made his pro wrestling debut in 1970. He wrestled for various NWA territories and also the WWWF, before finding his fist major success in Championship Wrestling From Florida 1982-1987. He had notable feuds with Dusty Rhodes and Mike Graham.

His “Prince of Darkness” character would become insanely popular (loved or hated) and would become a major part of his career. With the Fallen Angel (later known as Woman) as his valet, Sullivan was the area's top heel.

From there he moved on to World Championship Wrestling, followed by Smoky Mountain Wrestling and Eastern Championship Wrestling and a return to WCW. Along with wrestling, Sullivan was also a booker on-and-off.

His Faces of Fear and Dungeon of Doom stables were major parts of storylines involving Hulk Hogan. He had legendary solo feuds with Brian Pillman and Chris Benoit.

Sullivan has been mostly retired since 2001. Since then he has made random appearances with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, the Extreme Reunion and a few other events.

Suullivan did such a great job with his evil character, people really believe him to be a Satanist, when in fact, he is Catholic. While Sullivan did not dispel rumors of his “darkness” during his active career, he has spoken openly about all in more recent shoot interviews.

I have been a fan of Sullivan's from the first time I saw him. Sullivan's character bordered on evil so convincingly, while only rarely going overboard (the Master storyline with Curtis Iaukea). In the best fashion of wrestling, while I knew Sullivan didn't worship the devil, there was just enough of a kernel of doubt to make his character work and Sullivan always played It well.

In 2005, I finally got to meet Sullivan for the first time at a wrestling convention in Florida. Among the 50 or so wrestlers there, Sullivan was one of the wrestlers I most wanted to meet. I am grateful that the legend did not disappoint. He was fantastic, spending several minutes talking about his career. I have seen him a couple times since and he is always interesting.

Ironically, Sullivan has had a legendary career without winning any major titles. He won plenty of titles in territories. He also won the WCW Tag Ttitles with Cactus Jack (Mick Foley), but he never won a singles title in one of the top companies. That speaks volumes about him. It's much easier to gain fame and status if you've won a handful of singles titles. Sullivan has achieved legendary status without the benefit of winning major gold.

I really look forward to seeing him again at the Squared Circle Expo. I enjoy meeting all wrestlers who I have watched for so many years, but it's a testament to my opinion of Sullivan that I will see him every chance I get. I definitely put him in my Top Ten favorite wrestlers.

Sullivan appears courtesy of Heroes and Legends Professional Wrestling. Run by veteran wrestler-promoter Jayson Maples, H&L Pro Wrestling holds fantastic fan conventions/wrestling events out of Indiana.

The Squared Circle Expo will be a unique fan experience. It will be held at the Wyndham Indianapolis West May 14-15. Promoted as a "convention dedicated to the culture of professional wrestling and sports entertainment," the Squared Circle Expo takes the best elements of conventions and adds a few new ones.

The two day event will include wrestling superstars, meet and greets, photo ops, special events, seminars, memorabilia vendors, Q&A panels and more. There will even be a live wrestling show on Saturday night. Also appearing are Madusa, Vickie Guerrero, Melina, Renee Michelle, Francine, Tay Conti, Dr. Britt Baker, Shawna Reed, Nyla Rose, Booker T, the Gunn Club (Billy, Austin and Colten Gunn), Chris Masters, JTG, Kane, the Headbangers, Dustin Rhodes, Jake Roberts, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, Charles Wright, Dan Severn, Duke Droese, The Boogeyman, the Highlanders, Al Snow, Kevin Thorn, Cody Hawk, Shark Boy, Jimmy & Jazzy Yang, Elijah Burke and more. The SCE promoters promise they aren't done with guest announcements either.

I do not work for the SCE. I am merely a fan of the promoters and I expect great things from SCE. I will be there providing live coverage on social media, as well as a full recap here after the event.