When meeting wrestlers........

[TheDieselTrain]

When you have the chance to encounter a wrestler how do you talk to them?
I guess i'll define my options along the lines of.....


As a mark: Hey omg you're my favorite I loved your match with so and so

As a smark: using insider terms (Im not a fan of the angle they are putting you in or I like the push they are giving you)

as a friend: Hey how are you? How're the wife and kids? What are you doin in your free time since you're injured/suspended/not signed yet.

[torcha]

I almost always mark, with very few exceptions. Yes, I am ashamed.

However, a lot of the ECW (original recipe) guys were the most approachable and easiest to hang out with.

[dabossftw]

I usually talk to them like I would any other human.

Seriously though, I guess it depends on who you're meeting.

[neal]

As a mark. I've worked behind the scenes and I still believe it's only respectful to treat the guys like the characters they portray unless they tell you not to. Pro Wrestling is more than reading poorly written scripts by Hollywood hacks (try telling the WWE that)...it's athletics combined with performance art. It's about making you believe in the unbelievable. These guys invest a lot of themselves into making their "characters" believable to the point of some actually becoming that persona (for good or bad). Acting any other way towards the wrestlers, IMO, is not much different than walking up to Donald Duck at Disneyworld and attempting to pull off his head revealing the college girl wearing the costume. It's disrespectful and dumb and ruins the fun for the other folks who have no problem suspending disbelief. And it proves that you're a jerk. Who wants to be seen as a jerk, especially in front of guys like Terry Funk and Vader?

[Lardlad]

I still rememeber meeting Raven for the first time and, for God knows what reason, I said "Hey Scotty how's it going man?!"

He was cool about it and just said "not bad man, pictures are $10, t-shirts are $25" but to this day I really wish I hadn't said that....

[Angus Mcloud]

I work ring crew until im done training so it brings me in a diffrent level with the wrestlers. Now ive never worked ring crew for any big stars. A few indy names from Mass but thats it.

[Princess Kendall]

When I met Tyler Black, I kinda marked a little bit.

I saw him and I was like "HEY, I KNOW YOU! YOU'RE TYLER BLACK!" kinda situation. It was funny.

[agent817]

I haven't really met a well known one, but the closest that has happened to me was when I met this wrestler who wrestles for a local indie promotion and the shows air on a public access channel where I live. I saw him at a record store and I did the "You look familiar" bit and he said that he is a local celebrity and I said "You're Vortex, aren't you?". He seemed like a nice guy, I shook his hand. Talked to him for a little bit. I saw him a few times before, but that one time, I actually talked to him. I have a feeling that I might cross paths with him again.

But if I met an indy, TNA, or WWE wrestler, I would just be cool and professional. Very mellow. Sure, I would feel funny seeing a celeb of some sort, but I wouldn't go nuts about it. I would just talk to the person like I do any other person.

[Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby]

Marked big time when I met Nigel McGuinness. I didn't even like him much at the time, but I felt it was respectful to tell him (honestly) that I enjoyed his match that night and leave it at that.

[Lenny: Smooth like Keith Stone]

Other - when meeting wrestlers, I act like Michael Cole.

I met Bruno Sammartino at an ROH show once and I was like "You don't even own a TV, what a nerd! You're probably a vegan too, oh my! Vintage you!"

Just kidding... the correct answer for me is "as a mark".

[Milkman Norm]

As a mark and I'm not ashamed. Not in the sense of "I think all of this is real" but in the sense of "watching your work has made me happy" I want to met and thank them for entertaining me, not be a jackass who needs to act like a journalist. Unless of course I would be acting as a journalist, but it's just me as a fan I'll be a total mark.

[Sam Punk]

I would talk to them like I'd talk to any random person.

[heyguesswhatidid]

Oct 23, 2010 9:09:10 GMT -5 Lardlad said:

I still rememeber meeting Raven for the first time and, for God knows what reason, I said "Hey Scotty how's it going man?!"

He was cool about it and just said "not bad man, pictures are $10, t-shirts are $25" but to this day I really wish I hadn't said that....

To be fair, he used to go as "Scotty The body" and "Scotty Flamingo" so it is technically calling him by a ring name. Perhaps he thought you were just a fan of his from back then.

[smokey1980]

I'd say either as a mark, or, you know, just as a fan. friendly chat and such. As a smark, I think you'd annoy them, though every guy is gonna be different. main thing is just respect.

[Andrew is Good]

When I met a bunch of wrestlers at a bar the other night, I just went up to them, shook their hands, asked them how they were doing, asked Wade Barrett to pretend he knew me so I could get free beer at the open bar for the wrestlers, etc.

I met Heath Slater like a mark though, I told him I was a huge fan. I'm not an autograph or a picture person either, I'd feel weird asking for that. I think that's one reason I crossed the rope at the bar and MVP told me to leave. I'm not into the whole celebrity thing, but I have more respect for them then actual celebrities.

But yeah, I should get into the whole story, like, I'm standing next to Wade Barrett at the bar like I know him, haha.

[The Ichi]

Other: As a bumbling, nervous wreck.

["Twisted and Tormented" Ash]

I had a mark moment when I met Kurt Angle I felt like a total dork cause I was nervous of meeting him. Same way when I met Lash Laroux (sp) and got his autograph he even put 'Don't Boo Me' on the picture which it's awesome.

[Snake "The Jake" Roberts]

Oct 23, 2010 9:09:10 GMT -5 Lardlad said:

I still rememeber meeting Raven for the first time and, for God knows what reason, I said "Hey Scotty how's it going man?!"

He was cool about it and just said "not bad man, pictures are $10, t-shirts are $25" but to this day I really wish I hadn't said that....

haha why not? nice respnose though

[wwebrandon2007]

Went to subay after a show and met mark henry and tony atlas. Both were very nice and tony noticed my ppv shirt i was wearing and struck p a conversation with him abot the event. I guess since i love wrestling so much that I can understand what they go through when meeting fans. i treat them like human beings that i just happen to know. Now on the other hand if I were to meet Vince I would probably mark out.

[Murf]

Mark. I met a bunch of the ROH guys in 2006, and one that really stood out was M-Dogg20/Matt Cross. I had watched the guy on the internet for years, as soon as he started up until that night. And I mentioned it to him, and some of my favorite spots he did (including one where he ran off some roof, over an arcade machine, onto an opponent on a table. Some kid randomly said "I'm hungry!", wasn't Scott Steiner). He seemed pretty happy to hear about stuff like that, and it was cool as all hell to talk to the guy.