Recently, Philadelphia Cream Cheese began an ad campaign focusing around “my first cheesecake,” in which individuals are seen, well, making their first cheesecakes using the popular brand of cream cheese. In the second video released in late June, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, which is actually a misnomer given the brand has always been produced in New York, enlisted Mike Taverna (AKA Bringer of Pain, Mike Verna), “pro-wrestler but an amateur baker” for its ad.
Mike Verna, who is well known in the New York indie wrestling scene, used his set of skills to make a cheesecake as his dad watched on. They say, “don’t try this at home,” when it comes to watching wrestling moves, but in this case, don’t try Verna’s baking at home either as breaking the will of the graham crackers with chair shots probably won’t lead to you having a more enjoyable dessert. It will however lead to a mess in your kitchen.
Mike’s a pro wrestler but an amateur baker. Watch him easily make his first cheesecake, then try it and see for yourself. https://t.co/2ZG0ECxQhO pic.twitter.com/ZqTLokApMK
— Philadelphia Cream Cheese (@phillycreamchs) June 29, 2020
The best thing about my commerical is that my legit dad is in it lmao.
— Mike Taverna (Verna) (@ManOfSteelMV) June 29, 2020
A pro wrestler of seven years, the 28-year-old Mike Verna got his start in 2013, wrestling for Warriors of Wrestling and Fighting Spirit Wrestling in his native New York City. Over the following years, Verna began working for major NY promotions, New York Wrestling Connection and Five Borough Wrestling before growing his exposure and beginning to break into the Northeast indie scene as well staring in 2016. Over the next two years, Verna debuted for Massachusetts’ Chaotic Wrestling and Beyond Wrestling, Pennsylvania’s CHIKARA and Combat Zone Wrestling, Ohio’s Rockstar Pro, Rhode Island’s Xtreme Wrestling Alliance, New Jersey’s Bigger Better Wrestling Federation and more.
As Mike Verna began to grow his exposure outside of New York, he enjoyed a breakout year in 2017, wrestling 83 matches, a career high. Verna continued to expand his national profile in 2018, when he began wrestling regularly for Northeast Wrestling, which is currently one of his home promotions alongside NYWC, CW and Beyond. He also wrestled for EVOLVE and WWE that year, making his NXT debut as enhancement talent in November.
In his career, Mike Verna has won 12 titles, including the FSW Heavyweight Championship, which is seen in the cream cheese ad.
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