Check out Lisa Marie’s new interview. She was on Overtime’s debut show today. http://rivetnewsradio.com/signature-programs/.
Overtime is hosted by Rob LaFrentz and features interviews with current and past Chicago sports stars, with it’s very first guest being Lisa Marie Varon. She talks about her WWE Days, her restaurant, her training and so much more!

Event: Glory by Honor XII
Date: October 26, 2013
Where: Frontier Fieldhouse
Location: 9807 Sayre Ave, Chicago Ridge, IL 60415

Lisa Marie will be part of a Special Meet & Greet Autograph Session prior to the show. For more details about the show, tickets, and other wrestlers appearing, please visit ROHWrestling.com!

Event: House of Hardcore #3
Where: Mid-Hudson Civic Center
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
Date: Saturday November 9, 2013
Belltime: 7:30pm
Meet & Greet: 5:00pm

The current card at this time is Carlito Colon & Thea Trinidad (Rosita) vs. Stevie Richards & Lisa Marie Varon (Victoria/Tara). There are many other matches and wrestlers appearing. You can get full details and tickets at HouseOfHardcore.net!

Pro wrestlers get into confrontation at Lincoln Park restaurant
By: Luis Gomez / About Last Night
Written: October 16, 2013

The customer is not always right, according to pro wrestler and The Squared Circle owner Lisa Marie Varon.

After wrestler and former Playboy cover girl and “Celebrity Apprentice” contestant Maria Kanellis harassed a waitress Monday at the Squared Circle for bringing her a Diet Coke rather than a regular Coke, which she considered a jab at her weight, Varon stepped in to see what the problem was.

Kanellis, an Ottawa, Ill. native, cut her scheduled appearance at the Lincoln Park restaurant short and stormed off, which prompted Varon to yell “See you at Glory By Honor, Maria. Yeah, Steen will be kicking your fiance’s (butt).”

Glory By Honor, you see, is a wrestling event being held by the Ring of Honor promotion Oct. 26 at Frontier Fieldhouse in Chicago Ridge. Kanellis’s real-life fiance, Mike Bennett, will square off against Kevin Steen. Varon, who wrestled under the name Victoria in WWE and Tara in TNA, is also scheduled to make an appearance.

“We were flattered that Maria decided to come by, but I think she was really looking to make a scene ahead of an upcoming Ring Of Honor show because she knows that we will both be there,” Varon said by email. “She can only hope that I forgive and forget, or I will slap her silly like I have done many, many times before.”

The lesson here is to order a milk shake rather than a soda at The Squared Circle. Everyone knows that.

The following are highlights from a recent interview with Lisa Marie Varon, who portrayed Knockout “Tara” in TNA Impact Wrestling and Diva “Victoria” in WWE.

How is the restaurant business going?
LMV: Awesome and chaotic. As with any new business, we’re still doing some fining tuning. But our staff is really coming together. We have received a great response from the community and are building up a solid customer base.

Tell me a little about the restaurant?
LMV: We are wrestling themed. We have a bunch of framed wrestling memorabilia, and we show as much wrestling as possible on our TVs. (WWE, TNA, Ring of Honor, Shimmer, lots of Indy stuff, you name it). We serve a great variety of brick oven pizza as well as about a dozen different stuffed burgers. We like to say that its all your guilty pleasures under one roof.

Let people know about your wrestling viewing parties at the restaurant and do you do them for other sports?
LMV: We show wrestling 7 days a week. Our WWE PPVs are insane! For Summerslam we had about five times as many people show up as we had room for. That was unfortunate. But it is an amazing environment to watch a PPV. The electricity and excitement is amazing! We also show Chicago sports and other major sporting events.

What did you learn most from your previous restaurant in Louisville?
LMV: That was more food focused. We definitely feel like we came in with a good foundation in that respect. Only now we have added an amazing experience to that. I’m so pleased with the way everything is going!

What are your thoughts regarding wrestling right now, how much do you want to do, do you want to continue full-time, part-time, interested in WWE this stage, going back to TNA at some point?
LMV: I like the direction that the Divas are heading. I also think there are a lot of talented females on the indy scene that could shine in TNA. I’m not sure that I understand what direction they are heading. They say never say never in this business. But I’m comfortable saying I will never return to TNA. I feel like I am still in peak physical condition. I still am able to have great matches. I would like to continue to wrestle, but my plate is full right now. We are looking at more locations for the restaurant. We are looking to expand our brand. I have an offer on the table outside of wrestling that I’m considering. There is also a group that has approached me about starting a wrestling organization. I am blessed to be in the position that I am in right now. I’m considering my next move, and for the time being, I won’t be taking any more Indy appearances outside of those I’ve already committed to.

Is it difficult being around good food all the time to maintain dietary discipline? Is not being on TV most weeks going to relax your diet or is it a thing that has nothing to do with being a wrestling performer?

I don’t have a super strict diet. I eat cheeseburgers 5 days a week. But i also eat lots of fruits and vegetables and lean meats. I ‘cheat’ in moderation. Plus I train like an elite athlete, so that allows me to indulge on the food side. I love to eat, and Chicago is a foodie town. I will continue to train like I have been. I never know what I’ll feel like doing next, and I want to be prepared for it.

On leaving TNA, did you have advanced warning or was it a surprise and how was it handled?
LMV: It was a surprise to me. I went to TNA because I wanted to work with some of the great female wrestlers that i hadn’t faced like Kong, ODB, and Sarita. TNA has definitely shifted their focus as far as the women’s division. It was really my love of wrestling that kept me going. I didn’t think it was the right fit for me anymore. My contract was up in a month or two. They knew I wasn’t going to re-sign. First, they had the travel guy call me and tell me I was released. Then Dixie called me later that day and said that it was a financial thing, and they knew I was ready to jump ship anyway. I think the classy thing to do would have been to give me the opportunity to quit rather than getting released. But at the end of the day, everyone got what they wanted.

Best and worst things about TNA right now?
LMV: I dont want to mention worst things, but the best is that I think women like Brooke and Taryn have really blossomed as wrestlers.

Thoughts on the Gail Kim and Taryn Terrell matches, Mickie James new TV character?
LMV: Gail is always a fantastic performer, and those matches really highlight how far Taryn has progressed. Mickie is an amazing talent, and shines in anything she does.

How was working with Jessie Godderz and Robbie E?
LMV: So much fun! Did you need to ask? We had an amazing time. Those are two young charismatic guys who both can have long successful wrestling careers.

This is what TNA had posted on ImpactWrestling.com today in regards to Tara’s release.

IMPACT Wrestling has released Tara. We thank Tara for all her contributions and wish her the best of success in the future.

In case anyone is wondering about the future for this site, I have no intention of closing. So stick around!

Tainted Dreams is differentiated by the blend of a popular, diverse cast, with award winning talent from All My Children, One Life to Live and As the World Turns and main stream stars from reality and theater, musical artists, stand-up comics and political and sports figures.

Best Amateur Hip-Hop Dancer Who’s Also a Professional Wrestler
LISA MARIE VARON : RealLisaMarie.com
Written by: Laura Molzahn

If you can execute a moonsault, hip-hop will be a snap, of course. But when Lisa Marie Varon showed up last summer in the dance class I take, I had no idea who she was. Tall, slender, broad-shouldered, with a lightning-bolt streak of red in her dark hair, she had an eagle eye for new moves and the sinewy, serpentine strength to nail them. I was envious. Then my teacher—who’d met Varon in the 90s, when she was a fitness model—told me that this new student, who’d recently moved back to Chicago, was actually a champion professional wrestler, known as “Victoria” in WWE and as “Tara” (aka “Tarantula”) in TNA (Total Nonstop Action) Wrestling. Well, OK: I didn’t feel so bad. Though Varon usually plays the heel—she once dropped a tarantula on an unconscious opponent—in real life she’s proved to be super nice (whew), whether dancing or dishing out comfort food at her new pizza-and-burger joint, the Squared Circle.

First stop was The Squared Circle to visit with Lisa Marie Varon (who wrestles as Tara for Impact Wrestling, formerly known as TNA). Earlier in her career, when she was with WWE, she was Victoria. It was under that identity that she faced Molly Holly in 2004 at WrestleMania XX. And took a barber’s shears to Molly Holly’s hair after Victoria was victorious in their bout.

No hard feelings were apparent Thursday when Molly (Nora Greenwald in real life) dined at Lisa Marie’s restaurant. While I waited to chat with the two lovely ladies, their WrestleMania match was being shown on the television screens at the establishment with a full house of patrons looking on.

The wicked witches of WWE
BY Ryan Murphy
#9 Victoria

Her Nicki Minaj-rapped entrance theme warned, “I ain’t the lady to mess with.” That wasn’t just an empty threat for the physically imposing Victoria — a rare Diva brawler who was at her best in high-risk Chicago Street Fights and Hardcore Matches.

As attractive as she was — like Trish Stratus, Victoria was a fitness model in her pre-WWE days — this powerful female didn’t wince at broken nails as she bashed Trish Stratus with garbage cans and battered Lita in the first-ever Divas Steel Cage Match. A two-time Women’s Champion, Victoria rarely stooped to humiliation or degradation like many of the names on this list. Instead, she let her brutality speak for itself.

View Photos Here

Slammin’ Body: Train With Tara, Aka TNA Wrestling Star Lisa Marie Varon
by Roger Lockridge May 08, 2013

Tara has fitness to thank for her successful pro wrestling career. The former WWE and TNA champion made her initial splash in the IFBB. Try the workouts that made her a star!

Her real name is Lisa Marie Varon, but she’s known as Tara, the sexy and strong knockout for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Tara became the first woman to win the WWE and TNA Women’s Championship twice. But before she was slammin’ bodies, Tara was slamming the weight with enough force to compete in the IFBB as a professional fitness competitor.

How has this powerhouse mastered and excelled at two distinctly different muscle sports? And how has her training differed when pursuing them? We checked in with Tara for an interview—and scored her fitness and wrestling workouts in the process. Compare them for yourself below!

Fitness Roots ///
Many top female pro wrestlers have backgrounds in fitness, but few were ever IFBB pros like Tara. She learned under the tutelage of veteran training and nutrition expert John Parrillo and built an impressive resume by winning ESPN2’s Fitness America Series in 1997 and the Miss Galaxy Competition in 1998. She turned pro by placing second at the NPC Team Universe in New York City in 1999.

As an IFBB pro, Tara followed a set plan and committed lots of time to the gym. “When you are preparing for a fitness competition, your life is very structured and you have a set plan that you will follow from day one to contest day,” she says. This discipline, and the body that it helped forge, were instrumental when it came to transition to a decidedly more colorful career.

Wrestling fell into Tara’s lap when she attended a wrestling show with her friend, Torrie Wilson. The bug bit Tara hard, and she committed to a wrestling camp in 2000.

Her ascent was rapid. She worked in different independent organizations, caught the eye of the WWE, and competed in its developmental system at Ohio Valley Wrestling before joining the main roster.

She debuted as Victoria in 2002, remained under the alias for seven years, won two WWE Women’s Championships, and made several tours around the world before joining TNA in 2009. New federation, new name: she began going by “Tara.”

Ageless Wonder ///
She’s now a well-known veteran in the Knockout division, but seems ageless in the ring. “Many people look at me with shock when I tell them I’m 42,” Tara says. “That makes me feel good to know I still look and move like these other girls who are, well, a few years younger than me. I still feel great doing it, so I don’t plan on quitting anytime soon.”

These days, to stay on top, Tara must stay in exceptional shape and adapt to rigors of life on the road. Whereas her training for fitness was highly organized, change is the only real constant in wrestling. “As a pro wrestler,” Tara says, “I’m on the road a lot and have commitments that get in the way of following a set training program, so I have to make the best of the time I have to get in the gym.

Joseph Thurman, Tara’s trainer, plays a massive role in her athletic prowess. Based in Chicago, Thurman helps Tara design her programs and accompanies her in the weight room. He takes no mercy on her because the ring demands top performance and industry appeal.

“Lisa’s program is built to enable her to add lean muscle tissue, maintain strength, shed fat, keep her backside, and work on cardiovascular and muscular endurance,” Thurman says. “I add more speed and agility work toward the end of the hour to burn more fat. I also have her do more abs at the end since she is engaging them during the beginning of the workout. For the most part, we always use compensatory acceleration training—explosive positive, slow negative.”

Tara’s IFBB Pro Fitness Routine ///
45 minutes of fasted morning cardio.

Day 1: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps/Cardio (45-60 seconds rest between sets)
Machine Bench Press: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Cable Crossover: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Standing Military Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Side Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Triceps Pushdown – Rope Attachment: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Triceps Overhead Extension with Rope: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Dips – Triceps Version: 1 set to failure
Abs: 3 sets of 20-25 reps
Cardio: 45 min

Day 2: Legs/Cardio (45-60 seconds rest between sets)
Seated Leg Curl: 3 sets of 20-25 reps
Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 20-25 reps
Barbell Squat: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Dumbbell Squat: 3 sets of 25-30 reps
Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift: 3 sets of 20-25 reps
Hyperextensions (Back Extensions): 3 sets of 12 reps
Abs: 3 sets of 20-25 reps
Cardio: 45 min

Day 3: Back/Biceps/Cardio (45-60 seconds rest between sets)
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Seated Cable Rows: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Reverse Flyes: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Standing Biceps Cable Curl (w/ Cambered Bar): 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Abs: 3 sets of 20-25 reps
Cardio: 45 min

Tara’s TNA Wrestling Routine ///

Tara’s Wrestling Routine: Full Body Day (5-10 minute cardio warm-up)
Giant Set: 30 sec rest after each set
Seated Cable Rows: 3 sets of 15-20, 12-15, and 10-12 reps (hold and squeeze scapulas, go to failure)
Pushups (w/ dumbbells): 1 warm-up sets of 15-20 reps; 2 sets to failure (pause at the bottom)
Dumbbell Squat to a Press (w/ Neutral-grip): 3 sets of 15, 12, and 10-12 reps (go to failure)
Dumbbell Rear Lunge: 3 sets of 15, 12, and 10 reps (each leg)
Reverse Flyes: 3 sets of 15-20, 12-15, and 10-12 reps (squeeze scapulas)
Giant Set: 30 sec rest after each set
Dumbbell Walking Lunges w/ Bicep Curl at the Top: 3 sets of 10 reps (each leg)
Plank to Triceps Push-up: 3 sets to failure
Pullup with Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Giant Set: 30 sec rest after each set
Sled Push: 3 sets of 40 yards
Freehand Jump Squat: 3 sets of 12-20 reps
Jackknife Sit-Up w/ Medicine Ball: 3 sets of 20 reps
Side Bridge: 3 sets of 1 min (each side)

Check out Tara in the ring on Impact Wrestling every Thursday at 8 p.m. (EST) on Spike TV. You can also follow her on Twitter @TARALiSAMARiE.

A killer tag team: Burgers and pizza
Pro wrestler and her husband open pizzeria in Lincoln Park
By Kevin Pang, Chicago Tribune reporter
April 4, 2013

Of all the tropes about professional wrestling, the most tiring is the one about it being fake. Here’s what’s really fake: celebrities who attach their names to restaurants, then show up twice a year to wave and pose for pictures.

How do those two statements sync up? Several weeks ago, professional wrestler Lisa Marie Varon and her husband Lee opened The Squared Circle, a pizzeria in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Your knee-jerk reaction might be, “Oh, athletes cashing in with the lowest-denominator bar food.”

There are several reasons to think this isn’t just an in-name-only cash grab for the Varons. For one, they live a few blocks away from Fullerton and Ashland, where their restaurant is. Lee Varon helped open a California Pizza Kitchen in Louisville, Ky., claims to have spun “hundreds of thousands of pizzas” in his career and mans this kitchen. And when I asked Lisa Marie Varon how she describes her job to strangers, she answered: “I own a restaurant and I’m a professional wrestler.” The order is important.

The most persuasive argument is that on a recent Saturday night, two days before a scheduled sit-down interview, I anonymously dined at the restaurant with friends. Unlike Tara, the antagonistic on-screen character she plays for TNA’s “Impact Wrestling” — in wrestling parlance, she’s considered a “heel” — real-life Lisa Marie happily snapped photos with fans, offered hugs, then sat down with customers and asked for feedback on food. She shared war stories from the wrestling road — she spent 10 years in the WWE as Victoria, where twice she held the women’s championship belt. When she left the restaurant that night, it was because she had to walk her dogs. She seemed more engaged than, say, Michael Jordan at Michael Jordan’s Steak House.

But let’s not bury the lead: The pizza and burgers at The Squared Circle are quite good, miles beyond my expectations for a pro wrestling-themed restaurant. The regular crust isn’t too dough- or yeast-heavy, doesn’t swell around the perimeter and is closer in bite to a crisp, lightly garlicked breadstick. (There’s also cracker crust and deep dish.) The underside is uniformly golden with dimples along the surface, good if you prefer hearing your pizza while biting.

The deep-dish pizza uses duck fat, which gives the bottom crust a sturdy crunch. When the square pie is baked in the 675-degree stone oven, the sides of the deep-dish pie puff up, resembling — the Varons say this was a happy coincidence — the turnbuckles in the corner of a wrestling ring. The interior of this swollen side-crust remains cotton-ball soft. I’m not a big fan of deep dish in general, only because most versions contain a half-inch layer each of sausage and cheese. By contrast, the toppings on The Squared Circle’s Hangover Helper are portioned so you’re not ingesting a meat bomb — pepperoni, toothsome diced bacon, tomato sauce and two fried eggs, their runny yolks leaching down the pizza slope.

There’s also the Kentucky Bourbon, a barbecue pizza that isn’t too cloyingly barbecue — chicken or pulled pork, mashed potatoes and a light brush stroke of a house-blended bourbon sauce.

All the burgers here pay homage to the Minnesotan “Juicy Lucy,” where the patty is stuffed with cheese before it’s cooked. I only tried one, a special that night with jalapenos, bacon and Cholula hot sauce aioli. Sadly it didn’t have that desired cheese ooze, but it was a solid effort otherwise. The patty — in between steakhouse thick and griddle-top thin — was cooked through but retained its moistness. The pickled jalapeno and hot sauce aioli is just a marvelous pairing. (Also on the menu: “Fat Elvis,” a peanut butter-stuffed burger with bananas and bacon.)

Save for the autographed tights hung on the walls and the pay-per-view bouts on the big screen, the wrestling aspect is rather subdued. Thankfully there’s no “Sausage Smackdown” or “Hulkamania Hawaiian” or any other tackily named menu items. There is, however, a menacing photo of Lisa Marie Varon by the entrance, posing angrily next to a bruised-up male opponent. She warns that your fate will be similar if you don’t tip the servers.

kpang@tribune.com
Twitter @pang

The Squared Circle
2418 N. Ashland Ave.; 773-904-8170
thesquaredcircle.biz
Hours: 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday;
11 a.m.-midnight Thursday-Saturday

Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC

Impact Wrestling Superstars Tara and Mr. Pec-Tacular Take on Scripted Drama
Wrestlers Are Soap Stars in “Tainted Dreams”
New York City, March 26, 2013

“IMPACT WRESTLING” superstars Lisa Marie Varon, known as Tara, and five-time CBS “Big Brother” superstar, Jessie Godderz, known as Mr. PEC-Tacular, have signed on to join the cast of NYC Brand Production’s ”Tainted Dreams.” This new, scripted “soap within a soap” is set to blow the lid off the behind-the-scenes comedy and drama of producing a daily soap opera. “Tainted Dreams” is a rare, realistic look at the interaction of actors, cast, and crew involved in producing a daily, scripted drama.

Emmy-winning director and “Tainted Dreams” creator, Sonia Blangiardo finds the casting choice of Jessie and Lisa Marie natural and symbiotic. “Wrestling has evolved into an ‘action soap opera,’ combining athletic prowess with the on-going, serialized drama taking place in and out of the wrestling ring,” said Blangiardo. “There is a tremendous crossover audience between traditional soap operas and wrestling which creates a perfect fit for Jessie and Lisa Marie in our cast.”

In the world of pro wrestling, Mr. PEC-Tacular (Jessie) and Tara’s (Lisa Marie) onscreen chemistry has earned them monikers such as “The Hollywood Power Couple” and “The First Couple of IMPACT WRESTLING” where they already rival the popularity of some of the most well-known pairings in wrestling history. Both Godderz and Varon are world-class athletes in their own right. Godderz is the youngest 2-Sport Pro Athlete in History. Lisa Marie was an All-American in Cheerleading and has held numerous fitness and wrestling titles including winner of the Fitness America Series, Miss Galaxy and the TNA Wrestling Knockouts Championship.

“Tainted Dreams” boasts a unique combination of high profile soap stars, reality stars, sports figures, singers and theater actors. To date, casting announcements for “Tainted Dreams” include Dina Manzo (“Dina’s Party and “Real Housewives of New Jersey”) Alicia Minshew (“All My Children”), Kelley Menighan Hensley (“As The World Turns”), Walt Willey (“All My Children”), Marnie Schulenburg (“As The World Turns”), Michael Lowry (“All My Children”) and Anthony Wilkinson (“My Big Gay Italian Wedding”).

Distribution details for “Tainted Dreams” are not yet finalized.

Pro Wrestler Tara Opens Pizza & Burger Joint Updated 3 hrs ago
By Paul Biasco, DNAinfo.com, March 15, 2013 7:45am
@Paul_Biasco pbiasco@dnainfo.com

LINCOLN PARK — When Lisa Marie Varon isn’t laying the smack down inside the ring as a professional wrestler, she will be running the front of the house at her new pizza and burger joint on Ashland Avenue.

Varon’s The Squared Circle opened Thursday night at 2418 N. Ashland Ave. The name is a wrestling reference that dates to the Greco-Roman days.
The restaurant will serve New York-style thin pizzas such as the Hangover Helper topped with pepperoni, bacon and an egg, but the specialty will be the Squared Circle deep dish with a duck fat caramelized crust.

“You can’t reinvent pizza in Chicago, but we are trying to do our own take on it,” said Lee Varon, Lisa’s husband, who will be in the kitchen most nights.

Lisa Maria Varon, who goes by Tara in the ring and lives in Lincoln Park, wasn’t far from their new restaurant Thursday night during the opening, as she was performing at TNA IMPACT Wrestling which was broadcast live on Spike TV from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.

Varon wrestled in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Victoria for most of the 2000s. She debuted with Total Nonstop Action as Tara in 2009.

The restaurant, which is adorned with wrestling memorabilia donated by fellow TNA stars, features a menu of her guilty pleasures: pizza and burgers.

Similar to their duck fat-take on deep dish pizza, the Varons decided to take their burgers to another level by stuffing each with cheese.

“We are kind of late to the gourmet burger race, so we are stuffing all of our burgers,” Lee Varon said.

The burgers are also topped with the cheeses, such as Merkts cheddar and gouda.

The Varons know that while wrestling fans will come in to watch pay-per-view events on the restaurant’s numerous flat screens and to see Tara, if the food is not top-notch they don’t stand a chance.
“They are going to come in to see the Jeff Hardy poster once, but only good food will bring them back,” Lee Varon said.

Lisa Marie Varon will be at the restaurant almost every day they are open, as she is only on the road for two weekends each month.

Although she won’t be making the pies every night, her first job was at a pizza place, and she has the experience, her husband said.

“She can throw some dough,” Lee Varon said.

Menu items such as the Hangover Helper pizza go for $12.50 for a small and $25 for a large. The Squared Circle duck fat deep dish pizzas cost $14 for a small and $22 for a large, plus $2 for each additional ingredient.

The burgers include the $11 Big Vic, stuffed and topped with Merkts cheddar, and the $13 Windy City, stuffed with Gouda and topped with sauteed mushrooms, onion rings, avocado, Gouda and aioli.

Pro Wrestler Serves Duck Fat Dough, Stuffed Burgers at Ashland Eatery Debut
By Carrie Frillman

Diners at Lincoln Park’s new The Squared Circle can expect to devour burgers stuffed with peanut butter, deep dish pizza dough made with duck fat and tons of other decadent menu items inspired by pro wrestler Lisa Marie Varon’s guilty pleasures.

Peanut butter-stuffed burger patties, wood-fired clam and bacon pizzas and wrestling memorabilia have joined forces to create a new Lincoln Park restaurant inspired by what owner and pro wrestler Lisa Marie Varon considers to be her vices.

“All of this stuff at the restaurant represents my guilty pleasures,” Varon said Wednesday at a soft opening for The Squared Circle. “People always ask me why pizza, burgers and wrestling. Those are my three favorite things.”

Located at 2418 N. Ashland Ave., the restaurant is parked on a busy corridor in Lincoln Park. Its official grand opening is Thursday. The wood-lined walls are adorned with autographed wrestling memorabilia and there’s enough seating for about 60 people.

Although wrestling fans can rest assured that the sport will be showcased at Varon’s restaurant, she insists other sports will not be neglected. Basketball, football, baseball and hockey will also be shown on a regular basis.

“This is a great move for her,” her cousin, Ryan Madigan, 28, said at Tuesday’s soft opening. “The food is unbelievable and there are millions of sports bars in Chicago but there’s nothing like this.”

Varon said the process for opening Squared Circle—it was first announced in October—went smoothly but it definitely came down to the wire.

“We just got our liquor license this morning,” she joked. “Yesterday, none of these chairs had their backings on.”

The restaurant is the third in Varon’s family, she said, but unlike others owned by her father, this one is all her own.

Her husband, Lee, is her partner in the venture and the brains behind several recipes, including the “fat Elvis” burger which was recently featured on WGN News. The beef patty for the creation is stuffed with peanut butter and banana caramelized ricotta cheese.

“All of our burgers are stuffed,” Varon said. “They’re delicious. They’re all gourmet and all have a different, unique taste to them.”

She’s also serving up crispy fries and several different types of pizza—an extra crispy thin crust, a traditional New York-style and a deep dish with dough made using duck fat.

“It’s decadent,” she said, smiling.

For now, the restaurant will focus on its dine-in customers and will offer carryout. Delivery may come later but Varon says she wants to take “baby steps.”

The 41-year-old competitor, who goes by the ringname “Tara” in TNA Wrestling and formerly, “Victoria” in the WWE. She won the TNA Women’s Knockouts Championship at last year’s biggest TNA pay-per-view event, Bound For Glory.

Varon previously owned a pizza restaurant in Kentucky, she said, and brought several family recipes along with her to Chicago. She also tapped into local businesses to help with branding—Bucktown’s One Hour Tees created the signage, which features a pro wrestling motif and the backdrop of a Chicago flag.

Though she remains active in pro wrestling, Varon says Chicagoans will definitely see her at Squared Circle.

“This is not a pet project for me,” she told the Chicago Tribune when she announced the restaurant. “This is my job. I will continue to travel a couple days a week for wrestling, but I will be in the restaurant several days a week.”

TNA Knockout Tara ready to take on Chicago
March 13, 2013 | Elliott Serrano, for Redeye

I first met TNA Knockout Lisa Marie Varon (AKA “Tara”) at Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con a few years ago. She was seated in the autograph area that was set up for all the pro wrestlers who attended the annual pop-culture convention in Rosemont, IL. When I approached her, I fessed up to being a “total mark” for her, having been a fan since her days in the WWE as the Diva named “Victoria.” She humored the awkward geek that I was, and we did an interview for Youtube, where she talked about her experiences in WWE/TNA, moving away from Chicago and being my date to the prom (see video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDBWZ0MJKKM). Soon after, Varon became a fixture in the world of Geek To Me when she stepped up and helped run the “Geek Fit Challenge.” (If you’re wondering who won the GFC, I’ll give you a hint: it wasn’t me.)

Since then, Varon has returned to Chicago with her husband and dogs after they moved to the South in the 90’s. Along with working a full schedule with TNA, she is opening a pizza place named The Squared Circle (2418 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL). And for the first time in years, she will be wrestling in front of her hometown fans when TNA Impact is broadcast from the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates on Thursday, March 14th.

I was able to catch her while she was on the road, traveling to one of her many appearances. We spoke by phone about the move back to Chicago; the challenges of going from WWE to TNA; and what advice she had for female athletes wanting to follow in her footsteps:

Geek To Me: You’re living back in Chicago again, what made you decide to come back?
Lisa Marie Varon: I lived here in the 90’s and lived here for 5 years, but I had to move to Kentucky for wrestling. (I was) working in a territory there, so I learned to wrestle there. We opened a pizza place there, and opened a custom car shop. Once that closed down, I saw my husband looking at Chicago real estate and said “Oh my god are we going to move back?” and he said “Do you want to?” I said “absolutely!” The next weekend, (we) got a rental car, drove to Chicago, met with a real estate agent about looking for homes, for permanent residency.

I cannot tell you how much I love Chicago. When I drive into the city and see the skyline, my heart quivers and I get super, super excited. It’s my home. I love the people there, people are super nice there. I love the city life, and it’s clean. The summers are terrific. I’m a Cubs fan, a Bulls fan, a Bears fan. There’s nothing like Chicago.

Geek To Me: What kind of challenge has it been for you making the transition from WWE to TNA?
Lisa Marie Varon: Oh gosh, no difficulties at all. I had a lot of freedom going to TNA. They told me to do what I do best. And I wasn’t used to that, having so much freedom. Its heaven, I’ll be honest with you. Don’t get me wrong, I loved WWE too, I learned all my craft and psychology – how to be fierce in the ring – from Fit Finley. I don’t have any hard feelings. (But) I wasn’t used to getting that much time on TV, having Dixie Carter – our boss – who is very “pro-woman”, she gave us a lot of time on TV.

And that’s what I say about the WWE girls, people are like “you need to help the WWE Divas”, I get tweets like that all the time. I’m like “it’s not their fault, it’s their time on TV!” They don’t get to showcase their talent; there are very talented girls there. And there aren’t very many places where girls can go, so, I love both (WWE and TNA).

Geek To Me: What can we expect at the TNA event in Chicago?
Lisa Marie Varon: I don’t know what to expect, but expect whoever I’m facing to get a beat down of their life! I am not going to hold back, especially in my home town. Performing in front of your home town, there’s no feeling like that, the fans are crazy. I’ve been doing a lot of media, especially with my restaurant (The Squared Circle) opening. I’m super stoked about it. I don’t know who I’m facing, but expect a beat down.

Geek To Me: What advice do you give to young female athletes who want to get into the business?
Lisa Marie Varon: I always suggest (getting) a college education. I’m very pro college education. You never know how long this business is gonna last. You can tear your knee; you’ll be out of business. You could break your neck, you’re done. What are you going to do? You always have to have a backup plan. And I think that people need to learn to be level-headed business people.

I extremely believe in living your dreams. Look at me, I get to wrestle for a living, and this is heaven for me. I think that you can tell I have the passion. I love what I do. Thirteen years in this business and I’m in the best shape of my life!

There are some girls who get into this business and don’t really take care of their bodies. Your body is your temple. You know from me training with Joey Thurman I take it serious. I’m 42 and I feel like I’m 20. That’s how you have to look at it. You have to go in it thinking that you’re a fighter and need to be in the best shape of your life.

You have to be able to mesh well with the travel schedule, being away from your family, and putting this business in front of your family. This is not a 9 to 5 job, this is your life. I love what I do and I think my fans know that. Expect it to not be a 9 to 5 or three day a week business, it’s 24/7.

Every second of the day I need to think – I’m getting my nails done “I have to look good for my fans.” I’m working on my body. These fans are expecting entertainment, extreme hardcore, even for female athletes. You’ve gotta be ready to throw down.

Follow Lisa Marie Varon on Twitter!

Watch “Tara” throw down with the TNA Knockouts Thursday nights on Spike TV!

Chicago wrestlers are all about TNA
March 12, 2013|By Elliott Serrano | For RedEye

TNA wrestling is picking a fight with WWE, and Chicago is in the middle of it.

If Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling is going to be a true rival to the WWE empire, building its fan base in the Windy City certainly will help. TNA’s “Impact Wrestling Live” will be broadcast live on Spike TV on Thursday from the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates. The last time the organization held a show in the area was in 2008 for a pay-per-view event.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been back up in the Midwest, unfortunately,” said wrestler Chris Daniels, 42. “It wasn’t up to me; if it was, I would have been there a lot longer. I’ve got ties in Chicago. I was trained there. I’ve got a lot of family and friends. … And I don’t get a chance to visit them as much as I should because of the schedule.”

TNA typically televises “Impact” from Orlando, Fla. The Nashville, Tenn.-based organization has a roster of talent that includes names such as Daniels, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode, along with superstars like Hulk Hogan and Kurt Angle.

The presence of these ring veterans has helped raise TNA’s profile and has had a positive effect on the athletes in the locker room.

“You see someone like Kurt Angle, who has had immeasurable success in professional wrestling as a whole, going out there and doing his best to try and make people aware of the product—you can’t help but give 110 percent in that same respect,” Daniels said.

Lisa Marie Varon, aka “Tara,” made the switch from WWE to TNA in 2009 and relocated to Chicago in the process.

“I lived here [in Chicago] in the ’90s and lived here for five years, but I had to move to Kentucky for wrestling,” said Varon, who lives in Lincoln Park. “[My husband and I] opened a pizza place there and a custom car shop. Once that closed down, I saw my husband looking at Chicago real estate and said, ‘Oh my God, are we going to move back?’ and he said ‘Do you want to?’ I said, ‘Absolutely!’ ”

Varon dismisses the notion that there were any challenges in switching wrestling organizations.

“I had a lot of freedom going to TNA,” she said. “They told me to do what I do best. And I wasn’t used to that, having so much freedom. … Don’t get me wrong, I loved WWE too, I learned all my craft and psychology—how to be fierce in the ring—from [WWE trainer] Fit Finlay. I don’t have any hard feelings. [But] I wasn’t used to getting that much time on TV. Having Dixie Carter—our boss—who is very pro-woman [helped]. She gave us a lot of time on TV.”

Daniels said TNA faces an uphill battle trying to compete with WWE.

“The truth of the matter is sometimes it’s hard to be different from the WWE when you’re trying to gain those same viewers,” he said. “Sometimes there’s a tendency to sort of follow in the footsteps of the WWE. And so it’s sort of a fine line where you want to be recognizable as professional wrestling but you also want to set yourself apart from what some people consider the standard of professional wrestling, which is the WWE.”

In the long run, putting TNA in the same league as WWE falls on the talent in the ring, Daniels said.

“I think the challenge for us as individuals is [to] try to stand out,” he said. “Try to get people talking. Try to get that word of mouth out about our product. Not just ourselves but the entire roster as a whole. Trying to get people talking about the differences in our talent. The differences in terms of the stories we’re telling in the ring. Trying to get some buzz about the things that we’re doing.”

Elliott Serrano is RedEye special contributor.