So I heard on the radio Bryan Danielson was advertised.

Checked it, yup. I almost went to see Christy Hemme in 05, but opted not to. Considering going since I've never met a worker before. But at the same time last time I attended a big gathering like this I got covid lol. Anyone other than Ed meet a lot of wrestlers? I suppose if you attended indy shows in person you probably can meet a lot of them. No one has wrestled or so much as inquired at a wrestling school in CT without c meeting them.

@ness, It's pretty cool how you remember me meeting a ton of wrestlers. I've hardly created threads on this version of PW. I have to figure out a way to send you the pic of Veda Scott & me. If you don't remember me making a thread from the old PW 6 months before the changeover. Wild stuff.

Bumped into RVD in Amsterdam after I left a coffee shop. Judging by his eyes behind his shades, he’d been to a similar place. I accidentally almost walked into Chris Masters seconds later while I was in awe at my photo with the whole f’n show. Cool guy!

Jan 4, 2022 23:13:31 GMT Ed said:

@ness , It's pretty cool how you remember me meeting a ton of wrestlers. I've hardly created threads on this version of PW. I have to figure out a way to send you the pic of Veda Scott & me. If you don't remember me making a thread from the old PW 6 months before the changeover. Wild stuff.

If there was ever a female version of "the boys" Veda was one of them. There's just certain guys you like regardless of whether they're a megastar or not.

I know we've done this topic before but I can't find the thread. So...

Ran into Nikolai Volkoff at a local park in 98 or 99. He was coaching a girls soccer team. Nice guy. Signed the back of his LJN figure box for us. He hated the Attitude Era though. Saw him a few times after that at local grocery stores but never bothered him again.

Saw Al Snow at a meet and greet at a short-lived wrestling store(!) called Planet Wrestling which was run by the promoters of local indie, MEWF. This was also in 98 or 99. I was really excited for this. Couldn't wait to tell Snow what a big fan I had been of his Leif Cassidy and ECW runs. This was during the AE boom so it actually drew a pretty big crowd. I finally get to the front of the line and markishly blurt out something like "You're one of my favorites! I was a huge Leif Cassidy fan!" He responds with a bored as can be "Leif for life." while jotting down his signature. The jerk didn't even bother to look up. "NEXT!" the handler brusquely says as I am quickly whisked away.

Fun Fact: They had a BOB f'n HOLLY meet and greet around the same time. I didn't go. Regrets, I've had a few. He must not have been Hardcore yet.
===============
Chatted with Prince Nana and Matt Striker in the parking lot before ECWA shows on multiple occasions in 01-02. Both were very cool.

Had a conversation with Frankie Kazarian before one of Steve Corino's PWF shows in 2002. Kaz was almost TOO nice. 

Talked to Christian York through the entire intermission of a late 1998 MCW show. Another nice guy.

The same cannot be said of the standoffish Stevie Richards who came off like he would rather be anywhere else in the world when I encountered him at another 1998 MCW show.

Also at a 1998 MCW show I got an overpriced Yokozuna autograph simply because I felt sorry for him. During intermission he was sitting all alone on two chairs in a corner of the venue looking sad as can be with nobody in his gimmick line. This did not sit well with me. Here's a two time WWF Champion who squashed Hulkamania and main evented back to back Wrestlemanias just a few years earlier. Show a little respect, people! So I wandered over and bought an overpriced autograph out of sympathy. Yoko knew how to work the marks, brother.
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Since I'm here....Had a few friends who were friends with CZW stars Ruckus & Derek Frazier. Never met either guy though. I also once worked with Hack Myers' sister! She was shocked I knew who he was and ended up getting me his autograph. 

I’ve posted these before so I’ll go more in depth, probably forgetting some.

As a Fan:

Steve Corino
I didn’t know he had hearing issues and In retrospect I don’t think he understand a word I said, signed my ticket for me though.

Wrestling:

Sonjay Dutt

AWF Seminar, swore (cussed) more than any other person I’ve met in life, was cordial but a generally agitated demeanour all around. Had an amazing match with Massive Q though.

Eugene

Said hi to him backstage at an AWF show, was so surreal after always seeing him portrayed as mentally disabled, meeting him and just getting normal “Hi I’m Nick”, his fiancé (at the time) was hot.

EC3

This was the first international guest we had at HVW so we were explicitly told to be cordial but not act like a mark. So i only spoke to him for a brief convo, but he was cool. One of the other wrestlers was on his dick like moths to flame when he got there and ask if he could buy EC3 lunch from KFC, when it was pretty clear he was on a strict diet.

Anyway said wrestler ended up buying EC3 and his girlfriend (who he proposed to while here) dinner in this restaurant, then paid for a photo and an autograph that he could have for for me if he asked backstage and acted like a complete mark he was told not to.

James Storm

I enjoyed Storm’s work beforehand but would never go out of my way to watch it, now I do as he’s the coolest international wrestler I’ve met so far. Wouldn’t have guessed Corona with lime would have been his beer of choice but he definitely drank the bar dry of them.

He was booked a nice hotel in Newcastle and a spare room at the motel right next to venue in case he needed a nap, he was just happy with motel and let others wrestle have the nice hotel. Sandra talked to him the most as everyone else had to leave to travel and he seemed disappointed as most people couldn’t stay to chill with him.

Robbie Eagles

Glad to see he is making a name for himself, met him back in 2014 and saw him again this year on a show, still seems like the same humble guy from my limited interactions with him.

Damien Slater
Really coo, gave me announcing tips and just seemed like an overall positive energy (DDP type) guy. Stretched for pretty much the whole show time until the main he was in.

I also must have met Buddy Murphy (Matt Silva) as he was on aforementioned Eugene show but I don’t remember that at all.

Few people I know have popped up in NXT or in GCW but I don’t have anything positive to say.

Met a ton of people over the years. Most were just brief encounters as they passed through local feds when I was traveling with my friend. A few I chat with more regular. Think the coolest person I met working at shows was Mr Fuji. Great guy during the signings, but man, he was in bad shape. He was hurting so bad backstage, but when time came to sign, was all smiles. Meeting Jonny Storm was really cool too since he was not advertised for the show I met him at. Talked with a lot of the girls that came through since I was really into women's wrestling at a time when it was really still a sideshow before SHIMMER took off. Also some of the girls I met as they were training so the whole fame thing did not kick in yet and no one really knew them.

Also have a ton of old pictures somewhere with me in the early 80's with people that I have no memory of. My grandfather was a WWWF jobber and friend of the Albano family, so he would hang out with the wrestlers when they were in town and I would get introduced to the people. Wish I could find the pics. Know I have picks with Lou, Andre, one of the Blackjacks, Hillbilly Jim, George Steele, Bushwackers, Headshrinkers, Slaughter and Hacksaw. Half and half it they were at shows or at someone's house.

I met Triple H at Fan Axxess before Wrestlemania 18. He was kind of a dick, but after signing autographs for mouth-breathers for 90 minutes you'd probably be annoyed too. I was like the 2nd last person that got to go up. It was neat to shake his hand at least.

Also met Crash Holly at the same thing, although he was just hanging out with some security guard and shooting the shit. He was very nice. We made eye contact and he waved me over. Shook my hand, asked where I was from, what I was looking forward to at the show, etc etc. Very nice guy.

I went to a PWA show with iron maiden and we met Christopher Daniels and Lita. That was a lot of fun. She was nice enough to pay for the extra ticket that got you a meet and greet, so shout out to maiden for being cool as fuck.

Meeting Daniels was awesome as I've always been a big fan, and he seemed genuinely happy to hear that. Very nice, answered all our questions while we geeked out a bit, got a picture, etc.

Lita was more quiet but not in a mean or bitchy way. I think she was just over it a little. I can't imagine being in a room knowing that like 90% of the people you're about to shake hands with and pose for pictures with are men who jerked off to you at some point in their life. Yes I'm including myself in this. Still she was very respectful and nice and both of them were great additions to the show. Christopher Daniels showed up as Curry Man during one match, then fought a full like 30 minute battle against Michael Richard Blais and it was an excellent match, one of the best I've seen live. Out of curiosity I looked up MRB's instagram and...yikes. He's let himself go a little. I wonder why he never made it, because back then he had a great look and was very solid in the ring.

...

This one counts a little less but I used to work with an indy wrestler named Kyle Sebastian. He was a pretty big deal in Canada for a little while. In 2011 the Cauliflower Alley Club presented him with the Future Legend Award. He was presented the award by Roddy Piper. For reference, other winners of the award are Trevor Murdoch, Takeshi Morishima, Frankie Kazarian, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, among others. When we worked together he was touring Canada and the US a lot, and he told me stories of getting booked in Japan and stuff. He would go over there for a month or two at a time and work indy shows, and got to work with Taijiri and Taka Michinoku. I asked him why he never tried to get into WWE or like TNA or something, and he said it just wasn't worth the investment to him. He said he was happy doing what he was doing and didn't want to flush thousands of dollars down the drain for a small chance at even making it onto a roster somewhere. He also said he had been scouted in the past and it never went anywhere so he felt he probably was never going to get further than he already did. He's now semi-retired and moved back home to Alberta and is married with kids. He still works the odd indy show in BC or Alberta but with COVID and stuff he hasn't really been doing much lately.

Poor Lita shaking most if not all of the hands that did the actual jerking. Meta in the worst way.

Met a few wrestlers when I was a little boy at my local sports club, mostly known for its indoor batting cages and arcade, a very strange place for wrestling signings. I guess the owner was a wrestling fan and knew the right person at the WWF to arrange it.

Greg The Hammer Valentine: I was 6 or 7, early '90s, meeting a heel was still kinda scary. The Hammer was wearing leather pants, in retrospect, I believe a little hung over, but he was a really nice guy. Signed a little 8x10, then posed for a Polaroid. I don't think I said a single word, maybe told him my name, but he was really nice. Put me in loose headlock for the pic, did a fist pump with the other fist like he was about to drop the hammer. Good guy.

Guys on line waiting for The Hammer were talking about being there for Big John Studd in the not so distant past. Apparently the nicest dude ever.

Road Warrior Hawk: This was in the big back room of the sports club, the only signing back there, Hawk was the biggest draw. We were all standing in line waiting for him to show up, he walks in, full paint job, just 100% Road Warrior Hawk, and the entire room goes quiet, like a record scratch moment in a movie. Hawk stops in his tracks, turns to the crowd and in his most Hawk voice goes: "Well?" Crowd pops huge, just goes out of their fucking minds. This was probably only a year after The Hammer signing, so I'm 7 or 8, but that might as well be a lifetime at that age. I was more out of my shell by then, Hawk was very warm, signed his 8x10, also posed for a Polaroid, all more natural for him than the lifetime heel Hammer. Don't remember anything said, but just awesome vibes from Hawk. R.I.P. to the legend. 

The Genius: Couldn't have been more than a year after Hawk, probably less. Again, time creeps at that age. My dad was like: "The Genius is at sports club. You wanna go?" And it was one of those that I had to think about. Not a lot of Genius enthusiasts out there (minus Baker ), but was a fuck it, let's do it, type decision. Ended up being the best experience. Genius didn't draw a huge crowd. I feel like the signing was over in like a half hour. So Genius just hung around afterwards, talking to everyone that came individually. While we were there, I decided to take some swings in the batting cage, and Genius showed interest. He got in the cage afterwards, took some hacks while wearing his robe. We were talking baseball, wrestling, he seemed to spend the most time talking to me and my dad, he told me I was a good kid and that when I grew up I could marry his daughter who was around the same age. One of the warmest dudes I've ever met in my life. 

Closest I've been is seeing Buddy Murphy in an EB Games in Melbourne. He's short. And probably not the 180cm he's billed at.

I met Takanka twice one at the parking lot when he arrive for the house show and second time when he went into the tunnel to get in the arena 

I met Tiny Lister at the comic con 

I met both Triple H & Chyna at McDonalds for autograph signings 

I met both Rey Mysterio Jr(with no mask.) & Konan at Burger Kings for the signings this was early 2000s when WCW was dying 

I met Booker T and Able Andrew Jackson at the Roast of Booker T in 2016. The two were standing around before the show started. I strolled over and told Booker That Able was one of the main reasons I tune in to ROW. They both said thank you. Then I told Book "If I were you I'd give him a raise" Booker busted out laughing and said "You need to sit down" and Able was like let him talk. I thanked them for their time found my seat.

Met Sammy Guevara at the Improv comedy club in Houston. Late 2020 or early 2021 Houston had just reopened and I was eager to get out of the house. I noticed the reserved table in front of me had Sammy Guevara on it. He arrived sometime after the lights went out. I was trying to think of something cool to say. Brad Williams the comedian came out to Judas. It was also his exit music. So as I walked past Sammy I said "this is the kind of song that makes you want to sing along". He said "RIGHT." Fallowed with "how are you doing?" That when I marked out and said "good, good, really good" as fast as I could and I left.

I went to the Impact taping in Dallas this past Sunday. I noticed Tommy Dreamer was off to the side. So I casually strolled over to him and said "it would be greatly appreciated if yall came to Houston." He said "I have not wrestled in Houston in a long time." I said "Well it would be greatly appreciated if Impact came to Houston." He said "oh". I said "thank you" and left.

HHH says only midcarders go to Burger King.

I met Chris Jericho back when he and Benoit were WWE tag team Champions. I also swear up and down, that I met Christian at a 7-11 when the WWE did a show here back in the early 2000s. Outside of them, there's Kenny Omega, back before he ever made it big and was still wrestling locally.

I met Jericho at a signing. Was really cool. Talked quickly about the Thrillseekers vs Heavenly Bodies match. Told him it was one of the greatest underdog victories I ever seen.

I have met a virtual laundry list of wrestlers. Most were from appearances and signings for Stampede Wrestling when I was growing up or my local Fed here or the Mania's I attended. I have a few fun stories and surprise meetings I'm sure I've already regaled you with.

My favorite always is Christian or the time I found myself talking and having a drink with Hernandez from LAX/TNA and had no idea who he was.     Worst part is Lacey, Homicide and Shelley Martinez were there and I still was clueless.  In my defense, I was pretty drunk. 

7-11 is the mini wrestling convention spot lol.

Jan 12, 2022 22:02:11 GMT iron maiden said:

I have met a virtual laundry list of wrestlers. Most were from appearances and signings for Stampede Wrestling when I was growing up or my local Fed here or the Mania's I attended. I have a few fun stories and surprise meetings I'm sure I've already regaled you with.

My favorite always is Christian or the time I found myself talking and having a drink with Hernandez from LAX/TNA and had no idea who he was.     Worst part is Lacey, Homicide and Shelley Martinez were there and I still was clueless.  In my defense, I was pretty drunk. 

I spent half a show talking with Tammy Sytch having no clue who she was.  She was super nice but I assume it was because I was one of the few people at a wrestling show who literally had no clue who Sunny was.  Just assumed she was someone's wife, which was not entirely wrong.

I actually met her at the same RoH show in 2008 where I met Nigel McGuiness and saw Kevin Owens/Steen for the first time.