Y'all Up on This? Deadspin's Wrestler Run In Column

[Carl Tethers]

Too much swag

 

[K-Apps]

Jeremy:

It was the day after the live Raw in '99 in Moline, just after Owen Hart was killed in KC. My buddy and I got to the arena early because we were WWF stalkers at the time. We were the first car in the arena parking lot. Next thing we know, a big red truck with Billy Gunn and Big Show parks right next to us. We get out freaking and Gunn hops out and tells us "GET THE fukk AWAY AWAY FROM ME RIGHT NOW".

I look at my buddy in shock and Show gets out, says "shyt, I'm hung over. Let's make it quick boys," puffing on a smoke the whole time. Gunn tells us to move our car and to get a life and just bolts. Soon, tons of WWF guys are pulling up left and right. Next thing we know the security guards barricade our car in the lot. We had parked in the wrestlers' parking lot.

Somehow we snuck up some stairs behind the building. We get the top and about shyt ourselves. It's the Hardys and Christian and Prince Albert. We kinda turn away in fear when Jeff yells out "Hey Rocker guy, come here." We go to their table as they are eating. Christian says "nice Hardy Boys shirt." (I, being a d-bag at the time, had on an old Rockers T-shirt, with a ton of wrestler autographs.) Christian asks if he can do something to it, and writes "Jeff" with an arrow pointing to HBK and "Matt" with an arrow pointing to Marty. These are the nicest dudes ever! At one point the wind caught Matt's paper plate and landed right on my shirt full of autographs. He tried to wipe of the shirt with his napkin, and got most of the mess. We hung out with them for a while time until Billy Gunn walks out and sees us and says "Oh, fukk me. What do you want me to sign?" I was like, we're cool, no problem.

Later on we see Road Dog and Jeff Jarrett get out of their car and some dipshyt says to Jeff, "Sorry about your friend." Jarrett looks at him and nods and I swear he teared up right there.

Later that year WWF was making up a cancelled house show in Peoria due to Owen Hart death. Who do we run into the airport parking lot but The Hardys, Christian and Edge. Jeff sees us and says "Hey it's The Rocker guys!" I couldn't believe he remembered us. The Hardys and Christian talked to us like we were old friends. Christian then introduces us to Edge, "hey, this is Adam." We go inside the terminal, and there was Gangrel freaking out because he didn't have enough money for his ticket. The Big Boss Man had to loan him fifty bucks.

One more from that day is we were in the Holiday Inn stalking wrestlers and in walks in Ken and Ryan Shamrock. This was during the storyline when they were supposed to be brother and sister. Ken tells the hotel lady that if his wife calls, to tell her that he isn't staying there. I take a pic of my buddy and Ryan when Ken walks up and says, "you better be nice to her." She is my sister you know and had the biggest grin on his face. Ken was totally cheating on his wife with his "sister!"

 

[Busby]

We fly into La Guardia on a rainy day in June, and before heading down to street level to find a taxi, the family decides to head to the food court area to grab a bite to eat first. I'm leading the way and spot a Wendy's up ahead and decide that's going to be the quickest and safest route to speed the process up of getting out of here. I'm second in a line that's two people deep, and wondering, what in the blue hell is taking this large man in front of me so long to order? That's when I realized who he was (and that I would NOT be asking him to speed up his ordering process) The Game, Triple H. The guy was massive, I quickly and not-so-subtly pull out my sweet Nokia flip phone (it's 2006, folks) and snap a couple photos. Asking for an autograph seemed out of the question as I was 19 years old and weighed 135lbs at the time and Triple H was (is) around 6-foot-5, 260 pounds of "I dare you to try and hand me a pen and paper."

I'd been under the presumption that wrestlers stayed in character while out in the public and although I wasn't watching wrestling anymore I knew enough to know he wasn't playing a "nice guy." I decided anyways that if I took a deep breath and tapped him on the shoulder I'd make myself appear 5'7 1/2 and probably get taken more seriously, but what was I going to say? I have no idea because about that time some middle aged African-American man left his spot working bagging claim and made the intercept saying "oh my God! you're Triple H!!!... You're Triple H man!!!" (While extending a hand on two separate occasions hoping for some friendly contact.) The "cerebral assassin" who had kept his head down and his hands on the counter the whole time (as if assuming that would conceal his massive frame) decided that "baggage claim" was just too friendly to be ignored, so what'd "The Game" do? A pedigree? Spinebuster? DX chop? or give a handshake?... Trips being the gentleman he is simply turned his head back to the counter and held out his index finger, not his hand, but just the index finger. The guys face immediately turned saddened, yet he still shook the index finger of The Game and headed back to baggage claim.

Triple H then grabbed his food and headed off into the terminal. Afterwards, I was thankful for being intercepted as I was able to stand back and witness how our conversation (and my self-esteem) would've gone down.

 

[K-Apps]

at a poster named Arrogance dapping this post

 

[Silkk]

Keep Em Coming

 

[Busby]

Around 1998, maybe 1999, WCW had Nitro had the Centrum in Worcester. So again, I had my dad take me and my brother to get autographs from these superstars before. As my dad is driving us behind the Centrum, who do I see in an NWO shirt? Why this black man was Vincent! AKA Virgil. My brother and I, excitedly explain to my dad that this guy used to be the Million Dollar Man's slave! My father rolls down his window, and yells at the top of his lungs “VINCENT!!!”to which Vincent gives a half-hearted wave. Without skipping a beat, my father continues “YOU SUCK!!!” Vincent puts his head down, adjusts his fanny pack, and walks into the Centrum.

 

[Busby]

I really have been sitting here reading these stories for the past few hours

 

[Busby]

At these things, you can tell who they expect to be the biggest draws and the further down the row you go, the less popular the "special guests" are; all while the crowds thin out. It got to the point where it was eventually just my family and a couple of drifters from the nearby nacho stand walking around. To the right of us was Virgil. I vaguely remembered the name from my youth but my dad reassured my I knew who he was. My dad was all about just saying "hello" to these people, getting a handshake and snapping a picture of them and this one was no different. "Hey, how's Ted doing!?" "Oh he's great. Would you like a signed picture?" At this point, my dad glances at the board that has all the prices on it. I'll never forget his reply and the face he made that was just so full of such disinterest. "Nah, I'm good, we're going to get some cheesesteaks instead." Oh, and then he snapped a picture right after saying that.

 

[Swiggy]

The more people try to expose HBK as an a$$hole, the more it adds to his legend

I might be becoming a fan

 

[Arcavian]

lol @ the Virgil stories

 

[BrownSound]

 

[Busby]

I'll never forget my 15th birthday. A friend of mine's dad was one of the higher-ups at the old Nashville Municipal Auditorium, and he got me tickets to go see ZZ Top and Jackyl. This was my first concert, and I was over the moon. We went into the arena through the backstage entrance, and were ushered directly to the velvet-roped VIP section. Three rows in front of us were country band Diamond Rio. A couple rows behind us sat Reba McEntire. But none of them mattered, because seated directly next to me was The Undertaker! Oh HELL yes. Already, before the music has started, this is the best birthday I've ever had.

As Jackyl went though a surprisingly blistering set, I managed to find the balls to strike up a conversation with the largest man I've ever seen. And he was a complete teddy bear. Immediately, he dropped all pretentious nonsense. Every word that came out of his mouth was sincere and gracious. His girlfriend or wife started some shyt with him, and walked away all angry, and he just looked at me, shrugged and said "Women." When it came out that it was my birthday, he blew me away. He asked me how old I was, wished me a happy birthday, then asked "Would you like to go for a ride on my motorcycle after the show?" Oh HELL yes! But wait. My father told me that he would be outside waiting for us at exactly 11PM. And my dad is not the kind of fellow you want to keep waiting. So I was furious that ZZ Top played a 3 hour set! By the time 11PM rolled around, the music was still going. I was forced to bid farewell to my boyhood hero, and take the long walk outside to 3rd Avenue, where my dad was waiting. As we got on I-65N in his Nissan Altima, I whimsically imagined myself burning through the streets of Music City on the back of The Dead Man's Harley. I told my father (as big a fan of wrestling as I was) about what had happened. He seemed absolutely dumbfounded that I didn't take The Undertaker up on his offer.

at the bolded

I can literally see Taker just going

 

[Busby]

I was at Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood about 3 years ago, and a gentleman came walking in with a leather jacket and sunglasses on at 11:30pm. He was of middle-age, and he was accompanied by a younger couple. After glancing at him a couple more times I realized it was "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. I walked over and said, "Hot Rod! I'm a big fan."

His immediate response was to shake my hand and ask, "How's your family? How many kids you got?"

I said, "I'm too young for kids. I'm not even married." This triggered a life lesson on starting a family from him, and he did not disappoint.

"Good. Here's my advice: take your fukking time. I got a 19 year-old with a Mustang. You can HAVE him. I don't need him. Do you see this guy here (gesturing to the couple at his table)? That's my daughter and her boyfriend. He'll be dead by sundown. He doesn't even know what's coming!"

I laughed at being invited inside Piper's Pit for about 30 seconds, and went about my evening. It's still my favorite celebrity encounter after six years in Los Angeles.

 

[61 Corpses]

From today's Virgilbag, Big Poppa Pump at work

Steiner is a real nikka

 

[Busby]

I had heard that in North Charleston the parking garage was always the easiest place to meet wrestlers because it was the only way into the arena. My friends and I got there early in hopes of meeting our favorite wrestlers. Three fresh stars made their way over to sign autographs. They were Johnny Nitro (later John Morrison), Joey Mercury, and Melina. They immediately walked over to the fans. Then John was like "Who wants an autograph!" To which of course everybody cheered. They walk up to the smallest girl there, she was probably about 3-4 years old, ask her what her name is and take her marker from her. Just as they go to sign the autograph... John takes the marker and throws it across the parking lot and yells "Go fetch!" It was the greatest thing I've seen in my life.

Two years later, I parked next to him (inadvertently) at the parking garage. I saw him getting out and I was like "Hey John, can I get a quick autograph?" He looks at me stunned and goes "Sure, I'll give you a verbal autograph. From John Morrison to you." I laugh about it and then asked for a REAL autograph to which he said "Go get Jeff Hardy's autograph."