The creepy "super fans"

[Guest RollingSambos]

Now, I'm sure that you've all seen these "super fans" sitting in the front row at various WWF, WCW and ECW pay-per-view and TV events. Here's a few examples:

 

"Vladimir" - The most famous super fan. Dark skin, tan, short hair, glasses, slender, always wearing a neon tank top, always flashing the #1 sign.

 

"Charlie" - Used to be spotted right next to Vladimir...short, fat guy with black hair and a ponytail. Used to wear bandanas and give the camera the finger or the #1 sign.

 

"Faith No More Guy/Lenny" - Always in the front row at the old ECW shows, began showing up in the front row of WWF pay-per-views around 1995. Goatee, shades, leather vest, long hippy hair...

 

There are also two short, fat, balding brothers that have been showing up in the first few rows since like 1994. They are lesser-known than the super fans above, but they are easy to spot if you've watched enough WWE and WCW tapes.

 

My question is...how the fuck did these guys land front row seats for over a decade? Why are they now stuck at WWE New York for the pay-per-views instead of going live and in person? And what the hell do they do for a living that allows them to fly all over the country (and sometimes out of it; i.e. SummerSlam '92) like this? Who the hell are these people?

[Nevermortal 0]

Those guys were awesome.

 

Don't forget to add Hat Guy to the list too.

[Guest Jay Z. Hollywood]

Hat Guy, yeah...

 

I've met him, one of the biggest misogynistic jerks I've ever come across. Yells horrible stuff at the women wrestlers.

 

One of those guys who tries to get themselves over all the time- whoopee dude, you sat in the front row for ten years in a bingo hall, some accomplishment.

 

Anyway, some indy superfans.

 

CZW has a ton of them:

 

Little Mondo- kid who dresses like Nick Mondo, and gives the finger to everyone who's not Nick Mondo.

 

Chad Shaft- fat guy in the front row, who works for CZW in some capacity, cool guy.

 

Red Beanie Man - guy who wears a Red Beanie.

 

Redhead hot chick -self explanatory

 

There's a couple others you always see in the front row, but they don't have names. (I think one of them is called The Missing Link, I'm not sure.)

 

ROH has:

 

A bearded bald guy who dresses like Chris Daniels.

 

The Lucha section -guys who wear masks.

 

The Artist- guy who makes and has signs for all the wrestlers.

 

Green Lantern Fan- he actually has an account on TSM but never posts- wears a GL sweatshirt. I've seen him at CZW events too.

 

I guess you could count the bus trip guys (particularly the NYC ones), as Superfans, but there's nothing really distinctive about them visually.

 

My personal fave:

IWA Mid-South's Crazy Pipe Guy- a really old guy who smokes a pipe, Nate Webb's biggest fan. He dances with him at all the shows. Old guys dancing=hilarity.

Edited September 25, 2003 by ShooterJay

[Nevermortal 0]

In CZW...what about the ref section who hold up those signs about Dewey fucking pigs?

 

Little Mondo is hillarious.

 

The ROH artist is so fucking annoying. His signs suck and he's obnoxious as hell.

[Guest Jay Z. Hollywood]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the ref section, love those guys.

 

Didn't Ric Blade disguise himself as one of them to do a run-in one time?

[Nevermortal 0]

Another CZW guy:

 

Crazy Retarded Dancing guy. He recently defected to Ring of Honor.

[eiker_ir 0]

is ''Vladimir" a skinny guy that was at WM 10 and Summerslam 98 i think?

[Guest RollingSambos]

He's been at pretty much every WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, In Your House, King of the Ring, Royal Rumble, and MSG/Philadelphia show from 1991-2001 or 2002. He was always in the front row...around 2001 he started getting bumped back a few rows (i.e. WrestleMania X-7) and now for some reason he and his fellow super fans don't attend the pay-per-views at all. They were always at WWF NY/The World for the pay-per-views while it was open.

[dubq 0]

There used to be a couple who'd always be seen on WWF shows too.. they'd wear neon [yellow and pink] wind breakers and both had buzzcuts with glasses [yes, the woman did too.. either that or very short].

 

Or, does anyone remember the dude who was always dressed as Hogan? From WWF shows to WCW.. I never saw him at any WWE shows when Hogan re-emerged though. I had heard rumors that he was Hogan's PR guy, but I'm sure that was bullshit.

[bob_barron 0]

"The Artist" is more commonly referred to as Belt Guy. His real name is Sean. He may come across as annoying but he's actually a really cool guy and very nice.

 

"American flag bandanna guy" is always to the right of the entranceway- he sits with the bus crew.

 

Marcus is this black guy who the CSC always kiss when they come out to the ring.

 

Those are some ROH superfans

[Guest BAR]

Can't forget my favourite, lesser known superfan:

 

The No-Shirt, Dread Locks, Tassels Around The Arms, Super Emotional Guy.

 

Who hung around ECW in the mid '90s. Rey actually leaned down from the top turnbuckle and shook his hand once. He's very prominent on Path Of Destruction.

[Guest RollingSambos]

There used to be a couple who'd always be seen on WWF shows too.. they'd wear neon [yellow and pink] wind breakers and both had buzzcuts with glasses [yes, the woman did too.. either that or very short].

 

Yeah, they were in a backstage skit on RAW once, too. I forget who was in it but some wrestler was in the parking garage and asked them directions or something. So obviously they are somehow connected to somebody in WWE.

 

I think that they may be friends of HBK, because they always had signs for him and he gave them a hug after his match with Sid in San Antonio at the '97 Rumble.

 

Or, does anyone remember the dude who was always dressed as Hogan? From WWF shows to WCW.. I never saw him at any WWE shows when Hogan re-emerged though. I had heard rumors that he was Hogan's PR guy, but I'm sure that was bullshit.

 

Roddy Hogan. Supposedly has no real ties to the business, other than Detroit area indies. I heard he's a real scumbag. Some of the stories that I've heard are that he drives an ice cream truck in Detroit and still lives with his parents, smokes crack, and tries to get teenage boys to come into his van and smoke crack with him...among other things.

[Guest Doyo]

from yesterday on wrestlingobserver.com

"--Many of you will recall the wrestling fan that used the name "Roddy Hogan," a Hulk Hogan lookalike (okay, Randy Hogan lookalike) that was in the front row at Hogan matches in the Midwest throughout the 90s, particularly in his home town of Detroit. He is suffering from cancer and is in bad shape."

 

 

Another classic fan that is at least partly responsible for changing wrestling history was

sign guy in ECW. He used to sit front row in ECW and hold up signs that sometimes had

funny things written on them. This was back when you would see very few signs on any

wrestling program. ECW then introduced their own Sign Guy Dudley character. Many

insider internet fans then started bringing signs to get on WWF television. Then more

and more regular fans were bringing them and after a while it seemed like everybody

in the audience had a sign. Dave Scherer's old ECW reports often had funny details about

the ECW fans, or "mutants" as he called them.

[Guest Doyo]

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=ecw+muta...line.com&rnum=2

 

From: Eugene Stern ([email protected])

Subject: [CON] Additional Tips while in Philly

Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling

Date: 1995/06/19

 

This may be a regular post from now until the Convention. With close to or

more than 100 people coming in for Con #2, it is the responsibility of the

regulars to help explain certain things to those new to

ECW/Philly/Mutantisms.

 

The Top Ten Freaks you may encounter while inside the ECW Arena <in no

particular order>:

 

1. Stinky Stanley: He is fat and dirty with a nasty cigar stench wafting

from his clothes. But beware: dont encourage Stanley to drop his pants.

Crack does kill ya know.

 

2. Stanley's mom Bertha. Ok, Bertha is not her real name and frankly I dont

wanna know. But Bertha looks just like Stanley. Eyeglasses thickers than

steel. She usually wears 2 or 4 sweaters. And of course, she smells. How to

detect Stanley's mom? Listen for "WOOP WOOP WOOP" and then she will appear.

 

 

3. Slo-mo-guy. One of our favorites.  Slo-mo is just that, Slow. With

glasses and a crooked mustache, you can never miss this freakoid. How to

detect Slo-Mo-Guy? Watch for the "Slow Moving Vehicle" sign on his BUTT.

 

4. Deliverance Boy. If you have ever been to a wrestling event in

Pennsylvania, Baltimore, New Jersey or New York, then you might have seen

this bucket of joy. Usual woredorbe: traditional Florida Marlins hat barely

worn on his head, the thick as steel eyeglasses, and of course, the

customary camera around the neck. Deliverance Boy has become a ladies man

lately. First, he had the girls lined up for kisses/dates at the Holiday

Inn 3 months ago. And ever since then, DB has been seen kissing and hugging

women all over town. Why is that scary? You dont want this freak of nature

reproducing.

 

5. Sign Guy. Another favorite. He drives a early 80's Chevy Citation loaded

with cases of Arizona Ice Tea and Kelloggs Corn Flakes. Sign Guy loves the

attention. So always say hello to him whenever you see him. He loves it.

Really he does.

 

6. Lurch & Manson. These guys are a tag-team, no doubt about it. Lurch has

become a freak lately. First, his gutsy attempt to embarrass the Bums by

leading counter chants against us. Then last night at the Arena, we were

chanting something derogatory at him and he loved it <I guess> and screamed

YEAH with his arms raised high. DUH! Now, Manson. Bald headed, Sabu lovin,

beer drinking slob who will scare anyone with one look. I dont care who you

are, even 212. God forbid Sabu returns to ECW, Manson will be a pig in

shit.

 

7. Geeks from Hartford or somewhere in Conneticut. There are two or maybe

three of them. One wears a Harford Whalers jacket, Seattle Seahawks hat and

a really chessey mustache. Geek #2 wears a Redskins hat and a rip-off Mikey

Whipwreck shirt. Geek #3 is the original Lurch. Tall and balding, whenever

a match is going on, he never watches. His head is always turned on an

angle. Which way is he looking? Geek #3 is Big Vin's whipping boy. If you

ever are confused as too who these guys are, ask Arizona John an original

Bum.

 

8. Uni-freak. This guy is balding and has one patch of hair on the front of

his head. Last month, I think, he was eating a sandwich when Septic Tank

asked him for a bite. When Unifreak turned his face toward Septic, a piece

of bread was hanging from the side of his mouth and totally cracked

everyone up.

 

9. John Lithgow/Hawaiian Guy/Hat Guy. Yes its three names in one, three

names in one. He is one person with three names. And his hats stinks.

Whether its a cow hat, or a straw hat or a cowboy hat, some how someone

always gets it and rips the shit out of it. Shit, he has another name:

Ticket Taker.  Four names in one. What a guy. He deserves it.

 

10. Dreads. Possibly the scariest dude in the state of Pennsylvania and

possibly the World as we know it. Some facts: He is a hare-krishna. He

paints mud on his nose and forehead. He smokes ganja <weed, folks>. He lets

his toy Godzilla smoke ganja. When Raven comes out from the dressing room,

watch Dreads get down to "Keep em Separated". But never ever get into a

crowd with this freak. He will push your ass all over and if you try

hitting him back, he will cast a religious spell on ya and turn you into a

turd. Ive seen it before and its 100% true.

 

Thats it for the Top Ten Freaks. Watch this column for more interesting and

informative crap about ECW/Philly/Mutantisms.

 

I know I missed Rey Misterio<Brown Nose>, Horse Teeth Girl, Bowling Ball

Guy, The Dancing Freak, Gabe Kapolsky and others, but space was limited.

 

^Gabe Kapolsky - isn't he the Ring Of Honor booker??

[Guest Doyo]

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=ecw+drea....aol.com&rnum=1

 

From: Sam 1999 ([email protected])

Subject: [ECW] Dreads--The Story

Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling

Date: 1995/04/13

 

I have been noticing a lot of talk going on about Dreads the Loopjob going

on in the ECW threads lately, so I thought it would be a good time to post

a little about this amazing character. Dreads, for the unititated is a guy

in his twenties who sits in the front row at every ECW card (even spot

shows). He usually wears tie-dyes or a purple vest without a shirt and has

dreadlocks with colored yarn in them. The best part is this stuff he puts

on his face going from between the eyes all the way down the nose. Last

Saturday, my curiosity got the better of me, and I asked him what the

story with the stuff was. He explained to me that it was the "mud of the

Ganges river" and that he was a Hare Krishna! Dreads explained that he got

into Krishna while he was a crack addict homeless person on the Haight

Ashbury in San Francisco. His goal now is to become a professional

wrestler so he can espouse the virtues of being a vegitarian to the

"kids." He said that he is going to enroll in the ECW training school

soon. I guess we will soon have a new name to add to the 911 chokeslam

victims list. IMHO, Dreads the Loopjob is the new king of the mutants at

the Arena, taking the title away from Manson.

 

Sam

[BifEverchad 0]

All in all, nobody answered RollingSambos' original question about the creepy "super fans", How do these guys land these seats?

 

Also, what kind of lives do these guys have to travel and go to WWF/E events? Do they have jobs? If so, what kind?

 

Jeez...

[Damaramu 0]

I remember Vladimir. Didn't he always wear some goofy colored hat or tank top and have glasses. He was always going crazy in the front row? I used to wonder how that guy was always able to be there....

[Guest thrall585]

I've spotted Vladimir from every Wrestlemania from Wrestlemania VI - Wrestlemania XV. The earliest I've seen him on a WWF tape was in 1988. And the last show I saw him at was Royal Rumble 2001. Someone said they know he was at Wrestlemania XVII. How do you know that if he wasn't in one of the front rows? Were you there in attendance and saw him?

[Guest RollingSambos]

Yeah...

 

Thanks for all of the ROH and CZW info, but I'm asking about the old-school WWF super fans.

[Guest RollingSambos]

Actually, I remember the super fan named Charlie talking to one of the Japanese photographers at KOTR 2000 (I was ringside), and they were talking about meeting up after the show...so maybe they are hooked up through wrestling magazines?

[bob_barron 0]

I've spotted Vladimir from every Wrestlemania from Wrestlemania VI - Wrestlemania XV. The earliest I've seen him on a WWF tape was in 1988. And the last show I saw him at was Royal Rumble 2001. Someone said they know he was at Wrestlemania XVII. How do you know that if he wasn't in one of the front rows? Were you there in attendance and saw him?

Vladmir went to X-7.

 

He's on camera when Taker enters

[Guest thrall585]

Vladmir went to X-7.

 

He's on camera when Taker enters

 

Has he appeared on camera on any PPVs after X-7?

[bob_barron 0]

He was at the World for Survivor Series 2002 I believe

[Ced 0]

It is plausible that they simply saved the cash they needed for the big events, especially back in the day when front row seats weren't as ungodly expensive as they are today. As for actually getting front row seats, that either takes commitment towards reserving those seats or having good connections, maybe even both.

[Guest RollingSambos]

There's gotta be more to it than that. You're not counting airfare and hotel (these guys were spotted all over the country and apparently were residents of NYC), and no one that I know that works gets that many days off per month.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Hell, they might as well have robbed a bank and spent all the money on front row seats, travel expenses, etc.

[Guest JumpinJackFlash]

What about that guy who looked like Rob Zombie a bit? He would always have long black hair and sunglasses. I've seen him at RR 2000, WM 14, and some ECW events. He's the guy at WM 14, near the front row, with the sign that says, "The Icon Rob Van Dam."

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

That would be "Faith No More Guy."

[Guest thrall585]

Vladimir has been on camera for Wrestlemania VI-XV and XVII, was he on camera for Wrestlemania XVI (2000)?

[converge241 0]

if you get in on a company when they start (or start hitting an area) its not hard to be one of these guys ..ring of honor would hook me up with the exact same fron row seats the first few times they started hitting Massachusetts , i just asked if i could get same section and they gave me the same exact two seats..i was like "uh-oh i need a gimmick" but then i ran out of disposable income before i could get an official name/gimmick