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Post by Alexander The So-so on Jul 29, 2013 11:23:27 GMT -5
Nothing bad per se, but Honky Tonk Man just radiated a bad aura when I met him at an ROH show. Standoffish and unpleasant, and just came off as unapproachable.
I haven't met many wrestlers in person, but I've had a couple good ones when I was in Japan and went to some shows at Korakuen Hall.
-David Hart Smith. Super-nice, down-to-earth, approachable guy. He had just wrestled a tag team match, and went from snarly aggressive scary heel to gentle, polite, nice guy in practically the blink of an eye as soon as he came out to the arena entrance to meet-and-greet. Got an autographed shirt, complimented him on his match, and had a nice chat about our hometowns. Great guy.
-The Young Bucks. They were wrestling for Dragon Gate at the time, and earlier at the beginning of the show, they were part of this really weird promo where the faction WARRIORS-5 (who they were partnered with) literally stripped down to their underwear as the crowd cheered enthusiastically. As they were standing and posing in the ring wearing only loin cloth-like Japanese underwear, Nick and Matt were just nodding and smiling while clearly (like me) totally not comprehending what in the hell was going on. Later, I met them outside and got a shirt and autograph from them, and we had a laugh about the "WTF Japan" moment that we gaijin all had just had, and they admitted that they totally weren't expecting it to happen as they were going out to the ring. They were also really chill, and also helped promote Dragon Gate as a whole, asking me how I first got into them, how long I'd been coming to there shows, etc. I liked them.
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Post by Mr. Medium Shot on Jul 29, 2013 11:34:14 GMT -5
I haven't met any wrestlers in the last few years, but I saw some around the early-mid 2000s and had almost entirely good experiences.
So Cal Val - I met her long before she was well-known, at an indy show in Florida in 2002. I took a picture with her and had it signed, and she even kissed me (on the cheek) afterwards -- for this horny teenager, it was like living a dream. Later, throughout 2004 and 2005, I talked to her semi-regularly. Val was always nothing but nice, friendly and an overall first-class person.
Bobby Heenan - My brother got his autograph at that same show in 2002. He handed him a printout of our ticket receipt to sign. After turning it over and realizing he should sign the blank side of the paper, Bobby quipped, "For a minute there, I thought I was signing for a car salesman." Yes, my brother got his very own one-liner from the Brain.
X-Pac - Still that same show from 2002 -- this time, I got the autograph. He seemed to be more business than pleasure, but he wasn't bad.
AJ Styles - I got his autograph at a show in 2005, while he was TNA World Champion. He was quiet, but seemed happy to be there and I talked to him for about 30 seconds.
Raven - My brother, a friend and I got a group picture with him after a show in Tampa in April, 2005. We didn't have the worst experience, unlike some others here. But, then again, he didn't much stuff to sell. My friend later said he thought Raven was "kind of an asshole," but I thought he was OK.
Jamie Noble - Our small group was among the first fans in the building at an indy show in mid-2005, when Jamie walked right up to us. He shook everyone's hand and gave us a genuine hello. Later, at intermission, I got an autographed action figure from him. I talked to him for a minute about WWE and WCW. He was a top-notch guy, true to his reputation. I've never heard anything negative about him.
Billy Kidman - Another autograph signing at a 2005 indy show. I was the first to greet him, so I asked him what it was like in the WWE locker room. He joked a bit about that... and got released a few weeks later. Overall, he was pretty good with us, and he didn't seem to have an inflated ego from having been married to Torrie Wilson.
Bam Bam Bigelow - There's at least one story about a disappointing experience with him here, but mine wasn't quite as painful. I saw him at a little show at a bar in April, 2006. I walked by him and said something like, "Mr. Bigelow, how are you?" He quietly said, "Good, thanks," and continued heading towards the ring. While he at least knew where he was and wasn't a dick to anyone that I could see, I could tell he wasn't all there. Bam Bam died just a couple of months later. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as shocking after having seen him at that indy show.
I also had the chance to meet some lesser-known names over the years, such as the Naturals, and a boatload of Florida indy workers. Only a select few of them were less than good people, and I don't have any horror stories. For that, I'm quite thankful.
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Post by thetower52 on Jul 29, 2013 18:39:31 GMT -5
Only bad experience was meeting jimmy snuka at the first Indy show I went to when I was 13 Everyone on the roster was at a table before the show and signing autographs for free But snuka wanted like ten bucks and then 15 for a picture of him 25 with him Roddy piper was on the show and he didn't charge for autographs.
Some of the good ones
Roddy piper He was late for a meeting at a smackdown show in 2004 But he stayed out side signing autographs and telling stories for at least a half hour.
Jeff hardy: he was cool looked really tired though I had him sigh a pair of kikware pants he thought that was pretty cool.
Cm punk He was a lot nicer then expected complemented him on the match he had the night before he thanked me for going.
Before a smackdown show edge walked past a bunch if us waiting for wrestlers and he didn't sign or anything tell I yelled hey Grizzle Adams. He came over laughed and started signing for us.
The best was a smackdown show as well I think a different one But Matt striker came out and was signing stuff and I talked to him about my wrestling career for a good ten minutes and during the NXT tapings during commercials we would talk. Same show AJ lee hi fived me and warned me her hands where freezing. Most the wrestler on the show came up to me on the way to the ring Like went out of there way to it was f***ing awesome Big show came up to me shook my hand
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Post by 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger on Jul 30, 2013 7:59:11 GMT -5
I've learned that usually the more talented guys are nice and approachable but the mediocre talents are dickwads.
Example: Shingo Takagi was an awesome guy that signed whatever for free and actually remembered me and my friends 2 years later at another show.
Jimmy Jacobs sat around looking like he'd rather be anywhere else and scowled at everything. and he was a face at the time so it wasn't his emo character being played up.
I also don't like Cabana. That was a bad one.
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Post by highfivessteve on Jul 30, 2013 10:13:53 GMT -5
BEST -I went backstage and met Jericho at a Fozzy show in '05 and later got to sing with him. -I met Benoit in 2001 and had him sign a pic of Wild Pegasus. He said "Oh, from the archives" and was super cool. -Dreamer in ECW in 00 -Taker at Mania X8 Axxess. Was so intimidated I said [in simpsons squeaky voiced teen] "uhhh, good luck Sunday." -Was a small indie wrestler few years ago and Ultimo, Cross, Josh Prohibition, Machine Guns, Sonjay were very cool.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 15:13:59 GMT -5
The nicest ones I've met are Piper, Foley, Jim Cornette, Ivan Koloff, Sgt. Slaughter, and... the Honky Tonk Man. I know, I was surprised after hearing so many bad experiences, too.
Honky Tonk Man, I mentioned to him that I had seen him wrestle Jake Roberts at the West Virginia state fair about 15 years ago, and that when he said that "Jake was in the back shaking like Robert Byrd," it was the loudest I've ever heard a wrestling crowd boo anything. He thought that was funny and said that he always tried to come up with the thing that would offend the crowd the most, and then he proceeded to try to explain to the crowd of about 10 Pennsylvanians behind me who Robert Byrd was. I had him sign a guitar that Jimmy Hart had already signed, and he tried playing it and joked about how Jimmy should have known better than to have signed it upside down.
Hulk Hogan was friendly enough, but he seemed very run down and tired, which made my inner child very sad.
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Post by nickcave on Jul 30, 2013 15:58:28 GMT -5
I also don't like Cabana. That was a bad one. Can you elaborate on that, I've only heard good things about him. It would be a shame if he actually was dick in real life
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Post by 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger on Jul 30, 2013 17:32:03 GMT -5
I also don't like Cabana. That was a bad one. Can you elaborate on that, I've only heard good things about him. It would be a shame if he actually was dick in real life He was just came off like a scammer. Putting on the illusion of a nice guy just so he can hock his overpriced wares. Now sure, that's THE thing with independent guys but Cabana came off to me as king of the fake. That and he refused to sign for a group of kids because "I only sign things with my face on them and that's 10 dollars."
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SOR
Unicron
Posts: 2,611
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Post by SOR on Jul 30, 2013 19:49:56 GMT -5
Can you elaborate on that, I've only heard good things about him. It would be a shame if he actually was dick in real life He was just came off like a scammer. Putting on the illusion of a nice guy just so he can hock his overpriced wares. Now sure, that's THE thing with independent guys but Cabana came off to me as king of the fake. That and he refused to sign for a group of kids because "I only sign things with my face on them and that's 10 dollars." Yeah Cabana has always struck me as very money hungry ever since I watched his Shoot Interview with CM Punk. In that he spoke about stealing Art Supplies from a School he was working at and turning it into something (Pictures of himself I think) and selling them at the shows. He also admitted to stealing CD's from the school and burning popular wrestling music on them and selling them for 3 bucks at shows. The sad thing is he makes good money on the indies and is always booked so he'd be making a great living without having to upset kids or come off as a money hungry carny.
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Post by nickcave on Jul 31, 2013 2:01:31 GMT -5
Wow he stole from a school? That's pretty messed up all things considered.
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SOR
Unicron
Posts: 2,611
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Post by SOR on Jul 31, 2013 6:08:00 GMT -5
Wow he stole from a school? That's pretty messed up all things considered. Well he worked in the Art Department or something so I think some of the stuff was available if he needed it but he took way more than he needed. That shoot is filled with unprofessional stuff from the pair of them though. Punk admitting to lying on his resume and getting a well respected job whilst claiming he feels it's okay because wrestling taught him it's okay to "work" people. Punk and Cabana bragging about defrauding a casino together and also ruining a local promoters Comic Convention show because they felt they were stars. Definitely an interesting watch.
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Post by fuzzywarble, squat cobbler on Jul 31, 2013 9:55:49 GMT -5
Cabana and Punk seem like the 2 worst people ever in wrestling. Stealing from a school? Lying on your resume? Geez...where does it end with them?
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Post by Monster Under Your Bed on Jul 31, 2013 10:03:26 GMT -5
I've really only had good experiences, but that could be because the only wrestlers I've met have been Chikara workers. Ultramantis was amazing. Vin Gerard was a jerk, I guess, kayfabe maybe?
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Post by Branimal on Jul 31, 2013 10:03:28 GMT -5
When I was younger, I met Owen and Bulldog at a signing in a Blockbuster video. It was during the Hart Foundation storyline and Owen had the IC title with him.
About ten years ago, I met Kevin Nash before a RAW in Halifax. He was walking through a mall and stopped to take a picture with my friends and I. He was really approachable and even suggested taking a second picture just in case the first one didn't turn out. He was wearing an Outsiders shirt. Wish I had a copy of the photo to post up.
I met Bret Hart last year at an indie show. He was really soft spoken and answered a few questions I had asked him, signed an 8x10 and a copy of his first WWE DVD.
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ratetankmark
Samurai Cop
Equalist Lex Luthor
RIP Rik Mayall, you blimmen genius - Ria Vandervis on Rik Mayall
Posts: 2,426
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Post by ratetankmark on Jul 31, 2013 10:13:32 GMT -5
Wow he stole from a school? That's pretty messed up all things considered. I've never heard any of that, I've always heard like Cabana was a real swell guy, he always seemed like a top guy, but if he stole from a school, I'd have lost a lot of respect for him.
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The Sam
El Dandy
The Brainiest Sam of all
Posts: 8,423
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Post by The Sam on Jul 31, 2013 11:09:43 GMT -5
I've yet to have a bad experience meeting a wrestler. Though I did almost meet Raven, which friends told me was not worth while. Anyway, here's my experiences meeting various wrestlers; Rob Van Dam - First wrestler I ever met. It was shortly after he left WWE. I was impressed by how he took the time to talk with each person in line individually. I didn't say much to him but I did get a photo and a handshake and thanked him. Adam Pearce - A lot nicer than I would of imagined. Every time I see him he's very friendly and the last time I met him he seemed to remember me. Also the first time I met him he was still the NWA World Champion and he had the belt with him at his merch table. I know the title doesn't mean anything these days but being less than 6 inches from the NWA World Title was a little bit of a mark out moment for me. Colt Cabana - Very nice man. To counterpoint the story from earlier, everytime I've seen him he doesn't charge for photos. I'm not sure about autographs though, but most of his merch was pre-autographed anyway. Maybe that's just an Australian thing though. Also, here's a FREE photo of Colt and I shortly after Colt won the PCW State Championship last November. Nick "U-Gene" Dinsmore - He asked me about my Shimmer shirt I was wearing. He said he had some shirts to sell. I had a look. Talked with him for a minute. Saw he had a Tracy Smothers shirt. Bought it. Shook his hand and walked away. He was nice, but I do find it humorous in a cosmic sort of way that I bought a Tracy Smothers shirt from Eugene. Paul London - Possibly the nicest wrestler I've met. Seems to genuinely enjoy coming to Australia. First time I met him we talked about the Bronson caves in Griffith park. 2nd time I accidentally offended him. During intermission this one fan was talking to him for quite a while so I thought "once this fan leaves i'll go say hi to London, shake his hand, buy a photo, have a quick chat and let him get ready for the 2nd half of the show". So the other guy leaves and I meet Paul, he seems to remember me and started talking about the weather and the show so far. I pointed to a photo and ask him for him to sign that one,he seemed shocked and said "oh, getting right to business? I thought we could talk some more." I said "We can still talk". So he signed it, we talked for a couple more minutes about PWG and Kendrick, I shook his hand and left. I'll apologize next time I see him.
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The Ichi
Patti Mayonnaise
AGGRESSIVE Executive Janitor of the Third Floor Manager's Bathroom
Posts: 37,295
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Post by The Ichi on Jul 31, 2013 13:40:50 GMT -5
Probably my favorite story is after WMXX when I somehow came across the spot where all the wrestlers were leaving MSG and getting onto their big bus. There was a glass wall separating us, so I started banging on the glass to get the wrestlers attention and then flip them off or act like a total ass to get a reaction from them. This was probably the highlight of WMXX for me. Batista laughed, pointed at me and gave me the universal hand signal for "you have a small penis". Lita looked surprised and flipped me off back. Mick Foley looked legitimately insulted and hurt. I know this sounds incredibly immature and stupid, but it was a truly hilarious experience. I don't care what age you were when this happened, that's just incredibly douchey.
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StuntGranny®
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Not Actually a Granny
Posts: 16,099
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Post by StuntGranny® on Jul 31, 2013 14:09:38 GMT -5
Best:
- Undertaker: Met him at a car show, of all places. Naturally, I was pretty intimidated when it was turn to go up and meet him. He couldn't have been nicer. He signed my photo, made small talk, and thanked me when I told him I'd always been a huge fan. He even agreed to stay longer to make sure everyone got an autograph. Class act all the way around.
- Jerry Lawler: As annoying as his commentary is at times, I'll always have a soft spot for him due to how nice he was when I met him a few years back at a local indy show. He stayed after talking, taking pictures, and signing autographs. Much like the Undertaker, he seemed extremely down to earth. A while after that I went to Raw and he took the time to talk with some of us who were waiting outside for the doors to open.
- Dasher Hatfield: Nicest guy. I didn't have a huge amount of time with him or anything, but he extremely nice to me and everyone else.
- Mickie James: It was at a TNA house show and you could pay $5 or so and get a picture with her. At the time I decided that was a deal, so I just planned to get the picture, thank her, and go on about my business due to not wanting to seem creepy (like most of the guys in line). She ended up talking to me about ten minutes about Colt Cabana (I was wearing one of his shirts).
Worst:
- Jeff Jarrett: When I met him, he was a total asshole. There were no guidelines given regarding what he would/wouldn't sign, so I just brought a picture of him due to the fact I thought it would look decent framed. When I walked up to the table, he looked at it, pushed it into the floor, and signed a paper with the evening's card on it. I was pretty pissed. I waded up the paper he signed right there in front of him and threw it in the trash. I regret it now, but oh well.
- Lita: She had just had knee surgery, so I'm hoping her horrible attitude was due to that. She just kept her head down and wouldn't say a word to anyone. The whole thing was extremely awkward.
- Teddy Long: While Jerry Lawler was extremely nice to the fans at that particular Raw I went to, Teddy Long was not. He wouldn't even acknowledge the fans. Some kid standing near me asked him for an autograph, Teddy just glared at him and said, "Nope. Not a chance."
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Post by Super Nintenjoe KBD on Jul 31, 2013 14:52:40 GMT -5
Probably my favorite story is after WMXX when I somehow came across the spot where all the wrestlers were leaving MSG and getting onto their big bus. There was a glass wall separating us, so I started banging on the glass to get the wrestlers attention and then flip them off or act like a total ass to get a reaction from them. This was probably the highlight of WMXX for me. Batista laughed, pointed at me and gave me the universal hand signal for "you have a small penis". Lita looked surprised and flipped me off back. Mick Foley looked legitimately insulted and hurt. I know this sounds incredibly immature and stupid, but it was a truly hilarious experience. I don't care what age you were when this happened, that's just incredibly douchey. Yeah, truly hilarious...
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Post by Manute Bol on Jul 31, 2013 15:36:33 GMT -5
Probably my favorite story is after WMXX when I somehow came across the spot where all the wrestlers were leaving MSG and getting onto their big bus. There was a glass wall separating us, so I started banging on the glass to get the wrestlers attention and then flip them off or act like a total ass to get a reaction from them. This was probably the highlight of WMXX for me. Batista laughed, pointed at me and gave me the universal hand signal for "you have a small penis". Lita looked surprised and flipped me off back. Mick Foley looked legitimately insulted and hurt. I know this sounds incredibly immature and stupid, but it was a truly hilarious experience. I don't care what age you were when this happened, that's just incredibly douchey. Watch your step getting off that high horse. Most of the wrestlers thought it was hilarious and were cracking up because it was obviously all in good fun. In fact about half way through a bunch of other fans had gathered around and were laughing along as well. Good thing you didn't show up and kill the mood.
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