2ND REPORT FROM BTW WRESTLEFEST
- 05/23/2010 (12:04:39 am)
- Bob Mulrenin
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My brother and I went to Big Time's Wrestlefest today, and it was fantastic. Kirk White really knows what he's doing with his annual signings, and it showed today. First off, you couldn't beat the prices! Pretty much $10 across the board for anyone on the list; Bret Hart was going to be $20, but he couldn't make it due to a scheduling conflict with his hockey team up North, as well as a possible WWE commitment. Not a big deal to us, as we see Bret at this show every year, but unfortunate for the young kids who came to see a personality currently on WWE TV. To compensate for this, Kirk White was offering refunds on the "superticket", and put the Iron Sheik in Bret's place.
We weren't rushed through at all, as it looked like every fan got their money's worth with getting signatures and taking photo's and chatting the wrestlers up. Kirk's staff really kept things organized and flowing well; there were long lines, but the wait was minimal. We only met a few of the superstars today, and aside from Jake "The Snake" Roberts, everyone was really nice and seemed genuinely happy to be there mingling with their fans. Notes below.....
Jake "The Snake" Roberts - was mixing it up with a few select fans, but by the time we got to him, he might have been drained. I told him twice that it was really nice to meet him, and thanked him twice for taking a photo and signing my figure; he didn't even look at me or acknowledge that I said anything. At least he smiled in his pic. Oh well, his Classic Deluxe autographed figure looks great on the wall.
Bob "Hardcore" Holly - I wasn't expecting much here from what I had seen on TV, but what a guy! He was very nice, smiling at all of his fans, and took the time to sign the figure, thank me for coming, pose for a photo, and thank me again. Great experience with a longtime (former) WWE employee.
Nikolai Volkoff - he was a vendor guest, not part of the superticket, but was only charging $10 for his autograph ($15 if you wanted to take a picture with him). Really nice to finally meet him, and he seemed to be enjoying himself around all of his fans. Bill Apter was in attendance, and got Nikolai to sing the Russian national anthem! As expected, the crowd booed, then started chanting "USA, USA"; it's moments like this that make me proud to be a wrestling fan! It was like being at an 80's WWE show all over again. A classic moment that my brother and I are still laughing at.
Generation ME / The Young Bucks - last, but certainly not least. To put it mildly, these guys are AWESOME. Talk about a couple of guys who love the business AND their fans, they were chatting it up with everyone, even people who hadn't paid for their autograph. They were the two guys who appeared to be having the best time today, as they even went around the convention room looking at all of the vendor tables after their signing block of time had expired. They didn't hurry out, either, as they basically left when everyone was done talking to them. They let us take numerous photo's with them (at the autograph table, not while they were exiting), especially when my brother started talking ROH with them. If you ever get a chance to meet these guys, take it. You won't be disappointed.
Tommy Dreamer, London & Kendrick, Jimmy Wang Yang, Road Dogg, Awesome Kong, Daffney (vendor guest), Iron Sheik, Lillian Garcia (vendor guest), Virgil (vendor guest) - we didn't get to meet them, but from what I saw from just standing around in line or walking around the vendor tables, they all seemed to really be into this event and just having a great time with their fans and their peers.
All in all, a great day to be a wrestling fan. A big thank you to Kirk White and his staff, who kept things in order and very organized, and stepped up in a big way when Bret cancelled at the last minute. Already can't wait until next year! Enjoy the pics below
Scott & Jef Toon
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