2 guys I now have great respect for.

[Guest Eugene`]

As mentioned yesterday, I went to my first house show in 10 years tonight at the Sudbury Arena. Much like the North Bay event on Saturday (with the exact same stuff going on) We didn't draw well, maybe 1500 people in the building (arena capacity being about 4000) However, after every event, people gathered around in the main parking area waiting for the superstars to leave.

 

Earlier in the night, an acquaintance of mine (working security) tipped me off to the area some of the guys will be exiting in before they approach the main parking lot. Using this information, after the show me and my friend John waited in this exclusive area. Everyone else was busy gathered around the wrestlers cars. Only 5 of us were standing there.

 

 

Sable: Biggest bitch in the entire world. Steps outside, I say hi to her, she doesn't even give anyone a glance and storms off. Some guy said something else to her, she stops, gives the finger, and keeps going. I hope she never comes back.

 

Booker T: He steps outside, again I say hi (pretty much my greeting for all of them) and just smiles at our little group. At least we got that much.

 

RVD: Stepped out approximately a minute after Booker. This was absolutely great. As soon as he stepped through the door, he was approached by a man asking if Rob would pose for a picture with his son. Rob, obviously in a rush, agrees with a pretty enthusiastic "sure". After the picture is taken, Rob gives the little guy a high-five and hurries off. I have new respect for the man after something like that.

 

Renee Duprees: Stepped out of the door, and I got to shake his hand, then he walked off. Pretty cool. However, the thing with Renee that really impressed me was about 5 minutes later, we decided to venture into the main area where the rental cars were. We walked past the group of people and sure enough, Renee was in the middle of the crowd signing autographs. Keep in mind it was pouring rain out at this point. Just awesome. One guy asked him where Fifi was and he replied with a sarcastic "getting nuttered". I just laughed at that. It's simple little gestures like this that gain respect with wrestling fans.

 

From what i'm told, all the other main guys who used other entrances to come outside just smiled, waved at the crowd, and got into their car.

 

 

Pretty good night overall. If you need a review of what happened tonight, go over to the torch website and read the North Bay reports. The exact same things happened tonight.

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

From reports, Rene has always been very nice to the fans. Staying after shows and signing autographs.

[Guest Anglesault]

Is Rene's accent totally real?

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

For some reason, I'm now curious as to how many fans a day get an inch from Booker's face and scream "SUCKAAAAH" in the most annoying fashion possible. I'm going with at least 20.

[Guest Anglesault]

For some reason, I'm now curious as to how many fans a day get an inch from Booker's face and scream "SUCKAAAAH" in the most annoying fashion possible. I'm going with at least 20.

And the sad thing is he can't hit them.

[Enigma 0]

Booker T. used to be one of most friendliest guys ever. I saw him arrive at a Nitro in Atlanta in July 1999 and he was smiling, waving, and slapping hands with everyone. Maybe he was just still in gimmick.

[Guest CronoT]

Booker T. used to be one of most friendliest guys ever. I saw him arrive at a Nitro in Atlanta in July 1999 and he was smiling, waving, and slapping hands with everyone. Maybe he was just still in gimmick.

Or maybe he hadn't gone through the meat grinder that was WCW's failure, and Triple H' openly racist character portrayal, which seemed much too real.

 

Aside from his World Tag Team title run, and his shot at the World Title, where he got punked by Cripple H, Booker has been treated like shit.

[Guest JerichosHi-Lite]

Aside from his World Tag Team title run, and his shot at the World Title, where he got punked by Cripple H, Booker has been treated like shit.

Hear, hear. I am a Triple H fan and everything, but jeez ... that whole debacle was just madness. RVD and Booker T should've been pushed to the moon the moment they came to WWE, or WWF as it was known then. Then WWE would probably not have had to make JBL champion. It would have two bonafide main eventers on their hands

[Guest Ray Smuckles]

I saw Booker just hanging out in some Toys R Us the day of a WCW house show in Johnson City, TN a few years back. The guy was straight up awesome, just hanging back being friendly, asking kids what the best videogames were and shit.

 

[AndrewTS 0]

For some reason, I'm now curious as to how many fans a day get an inch from Booker's face and scream "SUCKAAAAH" in the most annoying fashion possible. I'm going with at least 20.

While the original poster apparently didn't meet him, I'm wondering how many fans a day get an inch from Cena's face and scream "YOU CAN'T SEE ME" in the most annoying fashion possible while doing the hand-wave thing.

 

Given the chance, I'd love to see Anglesault do it.

 

Sable: Biggest bitch in the entire world. Steps outside, I say hi to her, she doesn't even give anyone a glance and storms off. Some guy said something else to her, she stops, gives the finger, and keeps going. I hope she never comes back.

 

I'm absolutely shocked.

[caboose 0]

My 'infamous internal sarcasm measurement machine' (IISMM) just exploded.

[haVoc 0]

Sable: Biggest bitch in the entire world. Steps outside, I say hi to her, she doesn't even give anyone a glance and storms off. Some guy said something else to her, she stops, gives the finger, and keeps going. I hope she never comes back.

Menopause will do that.

[Guest Eugene`]

He still has an accent, but it's not as bad as in character.

[evilhomer 0]

Booker T. used to be one of most friendliest guys ever. I saw him arrive at a Nitro in Atlanta in July 1999 and he was smiling, waving, and slapping hands with everyone. Maybe he was just still in gimmick.

I think it's just the business and running into a few too many assholes by staying around and being nice. I've seen that happen with a lot of musicians, from the disappointed groans to the flat out screaming that comes when they've stuck around for an hour and have to go. They also run into a number of "special" people who are far more important than the other 500 people that are waiting. They "deserve" special treatment of multiple pictures/signatures/conversation and are very vocal in letting this fact be known. After a few years of this they just say fuck it and don't even bother with the hour.

 

 

And of course some of them are just flat out bitches like Sable.

[BHK 0]

For some reason, I'm now curious as to how many fans a day get an inch from Booker's face and scream "SUCKAAAAH" in the most annoying fashion possible. I'm going with at least 20.

And the sad thing is he can't hit them.

^

[Guest Arnold_OldSchool]

I met Roddy Piper via means like this, he thanked us for coming, and did a quick picture with a little kid.

 

Norman Smiley and Greg Valentine were quite nice as well.

[Guest Your Olympic Hero]

I'm not surprised about Dupree. He is probably still living up his first taste of stardom. He's not quite used to being so well recognized yet and he's still taking advantage of it.

[CanadianChick 0]

Booker still seemed nice about it though. At least he didn't completely ignore the crowd.

 

That's cool of what Rene and RVD did. I never really knew that about Rene, but RVD seems like a pretty nice guy.

[Guest Choken One]

this thread will likely turn into a "who is the coolest wrestler meeting ever".

 

I've told the story of meeting Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith backstage before and that is still my top wrestler meeting of my life...

 

what about you guys?

[Guest Your Olympic Hero]

Coolest for me was this autograph line I was in at an indy show right after ECW shut down. It was Little Guido (Nunzio), Kidd Kash, Balls Mahoney, CW Anderson, and Simon Diamond. It was $5 per autograph, except Balls who was charging $10. They were joking on Balls because he was charging as much for an autograph as RVD was. It seemed like they were all having a good time. I got Guido & Kash's autograph before I headed over to RVD.

[2GOLD 0]

Meeting Tommy Dreamer at an ECW show. The guy was polite even though he looked like someone had killed his puppy. Didn't help it was like 100 degrees in that damn place at the time. Still he took a few minutes to chat with me and then thanked me for coming, kinda made me an ECW fan for life. Francine was too busy talking on a cell phone to be bothered and it sounded like she was ordering a damn pizza.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

Owen after a house show stayed and signed autographs until everyone had one. Just an awesome guy.

 

I met Bret once too and he was nice but distant.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

My little brother went to a Subway sandwhich shop and met Buff Bagwell, Disco Inferno, and Norman Smiley. They were doing some sort of autograph signing before doing some indy show. Buff Bagwell is evidently very nice to fans as he was doing his trademark poses with kids and stuff, my mom thought Disco was "gorgeous" and very funny to talk to, and from what they said nobody was around Norman. My mom felt bad for him and asked for his autograph out of pity.

 

If I had been there I would have gotten the man to do the Big Wiggle in the middle of the sandwhich shop.

 

I met Doug Dillinger while standing in line for nachos at a Nitro. That's the extent of my meetings.

[Enigma 0]

Greg Valentine doesn't really seem like someone who'd be a nice guy. I think the 2004 Hall of Fame stuff is the first time I've ever seen him smile.

 

The only ECW show I ever went to was in December 1999. When we got there, we noticed this big crowd of people at the back of the arena. When we got a better look, RVD and Balls Mahoney were out there just sitting on the steps hanging out and talking wrestling with fans. I thought that was super cool.

 

On the other side, I one time saw Raven, Perry Saturn, and Disco Inferno at a Steak & Shake in Atlanta after July 1998 Nitro. I simply walked by them (I never even stopped walking) and said "Hey guys" and they just gave me "Please go away" looks. That was funny, because the next night at a WCW Saturday Night TV taping I went to, my friend and I saw them outside the arena and asked them for autographs. Their response? "Fuck off."

 

One time I saw Glacier in the local Mall signing autographs. This was only about one month after Vince McMahon bought WCW. I sat down and talked to the guy for over an hour. He was one of the nicest guys I've ever met, which shocked me because I thought he would be incredibly bitter for some reason. He even invited me to the TCW (Dusty Rhodes' Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling) show later that night that I unfortunately could not attend. He even let me in on something funny: Kaz Hayashi still has all the external Glacier gear.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

I'm not surprised Glacier is nice. He is a sensai for his own martial arts school now, and that takes alot of patience.

 

Perry Saturn grew up just a couple streets down from where I live now. My father grew up on the same street. Bad neighborhood full of bad attitudes. Doesn't surprise me he's not all that pleasant.

[Enigma 0]

I'm not surprised Glacier is nice. He is a sensai for his own martial arts school now, and that takes alot of patience.

 

Perry Saturn grew up just a couple streets down from where I live now. My father grew up on the same street. Bad neighborhood full of bad attitudes. Doesn't surprise me he's not all that pleasant.

I think bitterness is also a big factor in Saturn's attitude. If he was this unpleasant in 1998, I can only imagine how he is in 2004.

[cawthon777 0]

Greg Valentine doesn't really seem like someone who'd be a nice guy. I think the 2004 Hall of Fame stuff is the first time I've ever seen him smile.

From what I've read about Greg, he is quiet and keeps to himself but I don't think he means to put anyone down with his demeanor. I met him in January and he seemed distant (he also seemed somewhat intoxicated) but others who bumped into him that weekend said he was a great guy. Same goes for Arn Anderson, who just happened to be royally pissed off about something before I shook his hand. I just happened to meet him at the wrong time that day.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

For some reason, I'm now curious as to how many fans a day get an inch from Booker's face and scream "SUCKAAAAH" in the most annoying fashion possible. I'm going with at least 20.

And the sad thing is he can't hit them.

I wouldn't want to. It'd be amusing to me to see people who liked my schtick that much.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

Greg Valentine doesn't really seem like someone who'd be a nice guy. I think the 2004 Hall of Fame stuff is the first time I've ever seen him smile.

From what I've read about Greg, he is quiet and keeps to himself but I don't think he means to put anyone down with his demeanor. I met him in January and he seemed distant (he also seemed somewhat intoxicated) but others who bumped into him that weekend said he was a great guy. Same goes for Arn Anderson, who just happened to be royally pissed off about something before I shook his hand. I just happened to meet him at the wrong time that day.

I met him in march, and he was genuinely nice. He was wrestling at a benefit show my buddy was part of, and he made a point to shake my hand in spite of the fact that his music was playing and they were about to call his name. After the show he sat for autographs and was nice to anyone and everyone who came by. I think it is in his nature to be quiet, as he didn't speak loudly at all. He also comes across a bit weird as his eyes look constantly squinty. Otherwise, he's one of the nicest wrestlers I've met. (Way nicer than Zbysko.)

[Aero 0]

I've only met WWF guys like Mick Foley and Bret Hart at autograph signings in 1997, and nothing special happened.

 

When the video game ECW Hardcore Revolution was coming out in 2000, I think, ECW had Nova and Danny Doring at Babbages for an autograph signing. It wasn't very crowded, but there were about 8 people gathered at the table just talking to them. I saw the Playstation in the corner of the store and started playing the game, and then Nova gets up and decides to face me in a match. I picked RVD, and he picks Big Sal in order to see the "fat ass move around the ring" (as he said). We played for about 5-10 minutes in just one match, and even Nova was saying how horrible the game was. We spent a few minutes just trying to figure out how to pick up weapons.