Author: We have all heard the saying: "Never meet your heroes because they are sure to disappoint you." To counter this age-old adage, we asked our readers here at Pro Wrestling Stories to share positive experiences you had when meeting wrestlers. We were overwhelmed by your responses!
When Fans Met Wrestlers – 50 of the Most Positive Experiences
There is a lot of negativity in the world at the moment. To lift your spirits and shine a light on the many good folks who have graced the squared circle over the years, we have compiled 50 of our favorite "Fans Meeting Wrestlers" stories — shared by you, our devoted readers! We hope you enjoy reading these as much as we did!
1. Stowing Honky Tonk Man’s Guitar Has Its Rewards
"I met Honky Tonk Man when he was behind us at our booth in the New York Comic Con. He was going to dinner and wanted someone to hold his guitar for the night. Since we had things locked away, we gladly did so. The next day, he bought our crew doughnuts and gave his vendor pass at the end of the show to my brother, signed to him. A truly nice gesture." – Raymond Lui
2. Killer Kowalski, The Bookworm
"I met Killer Kowalski at a bookstore in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He showed up about four hours early and I was in the store. I recognized him and said, ‘Hello.’ We talked for about an hour, mostly about books he liked and very little about wrestling. He was doing book signings for his photography book, Killer Pics: A Collection of Images from a Pro-Wrestling Legend." – Stephen O’Neil
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3. Hacksaw Jim Duggan Treating a Fan Like Family
"When I was a kid, I was having lunch at my local pizza shop with my grandparents. I then saw a white stretch limo pull into the parking lot, and out of it and into the restaurant walked ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan.
"He and his driver came in and sat across the room from us in the small restaurant. I was at the show the night before, so this was super exciting for me.
"He must’ve overheard me talking, so his driver walked over and asked me if I wanted to sit with them for lunch. Of course, I agreed.
"I sat down across from him, and he talked to me the entire time about wrestling, me playing baseball, school, all kinds of stuff. He was super nice and treated me like a nephew he hadn’t seen in a while.
"Once we were done eating, he let me get into his limo to look around for a couple of minutes. When I came out, he handed me a signed photo and asked if I wanted a picture together.
"My grandmother was always camera-ready, so she took a few pics, and we then went our separate ways.
"I got to meet Honky Tonk Man the night before and he was just as cool with me but getting to eat lunch with Hacksaw was an experience I haven’t forgotten in 25 years." – Seth McVay
4. Ricky Steamboat and Jos LeDuc Convert a Fan Inside a Tuxedo Shop
"I was in a tuxedo shop getting fitted for a tux to be an usher at my cousin’s wedding. I was also wearing one of my team wrestling shirts from my middle school wrestling team. In walks lumberjack Joe [Jos] LeDuc and Ricky Steamboat.
"Both immediately noticed my shirt, and Steamboat asked if I liked pro wrestling as well. At the time, I hated pro wrestling because everybody thought that’s what I did as well, and always got the, ‘Aren’t you too small?’ comment and other such nonsense. So, I told Steamboat that I hated it, that it’s all fake, and everyone thought that’s how I wrestled, which drove me nuts.
"Both chuckled, and LeDuc told me that most of them had been amateur wrestlers, too. And while a lot of what they did was staged, just like me, every move they did was real even if it didn’t hurt as much as it should and that they pretended that it did [to entertain]. I appreciated how hard some of the moves were.
They then took time to talk to me about their form of wrestling and what it was like to choreograph a match. After that, they encouraged me to watch it again, and I’ve been a fan ever since." – Charles Bouvette
5. Chris Jericho: From Guns N’ Roses to Star Wars
"I ran into Chris Jericho at a bar in Dallas, Texas. I was cool and respectful towards him, and he was to me.
"I asked if it would be okay to get a pic with him, and he said he was talking to his friends right then, but we’d do it in a minute. I said, ‘Right on,’ and went and sat down at the bar.
About five or ten minutes later he came over to me, we took a picture and talked about Guns N’ Roses and Star Wars for a little while. It was pretty awesome and surreal! His friends he was with, by the way, were Vinnie Paul (late PANTERA drummer) and Ace Frehley (co-founder and original KISS lead guitarist)." –James L. Murrah
6. The Undertaker – A Fan of the Hard Stuff
"The Undertaker buying shots of Jack Daniels. He drinks his shot like it’s in a thimble! I knew I was in big trouble!" – Kyle Bell
7. Meeting Ricky Morton and Bobby Eaton – "Like Schoolgirls!"
"A buddy and I were drinking beer at a local show and Ricky Morton came by, sat down with a cup of coffee, and talked forever. Nice guy, we were like schoolgirls! Met Bobby Eaton at the same show and what they say is right: he’s a great guy!" – Mark Caton
8. The Not So Villainous "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
"I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper back in 2015 at an independent show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I spent the extra money for the meet-and-greet and watched as Piper tried to give the long line of fans a personal experience.
"When it was my turn, he greeted me warmly, shook my hand and asked a little about myself. I told him I was of Irish descent, which he appreciated, and that I tuned into his podcast.
"While we were getting our picture taken, he was talking about fighting André the Giant. I was so star-struck, I forgot my autographed picture which he kindly gave back to me.
"While a villain in the ring, he was a gentleman in life." – Miles McLoughlin
9. Kurt Angle Helping The Cause
"In 2004 or so, I was working weekends in a gym in New Jersey. The WWE guys would come in when they were in town.
"On this occasion, we were selling shirts with the gym logo (or trying to), and no one was buying them. Kurt Angle was in town that weekend and bought about 10-15 shirts to help the cause." – @er0922
10. Dean Ho Out For a Stroll
"When I was 12, I bumped into Dean Ho just walking down the street — not at a wrestling event — and he couldn’t have been any nicer as this kid totally marked out at randomly meeting one of his heroes." – Evan Ginzburg
11. Larry "The Ax" Hennig, the Businessman
"I met Larry ‘The Ax’ Henning back when I was working at a small gas station. I was just about to round a corner of the station for something and almost ran into Mr. Henning.
"He was a very big man with a few bandages on his forehead. Besides wrestling, Mr. Henning was also a real estate agent. He was looking for the man I worked for who also rented old farms and raised animals on them.
"He was a very well-spoken and polite man, not at all like his wrestling image." – Dwayne Johnson
12. The Easygoing Bruiser Brody
"My dad was the clerk where Bruiser Brody had a P.O. Box here in San Antonio, Texas. Dad said Brody was totally laid back. They’d talk a little football then Brody would be on his way." – Eric Meister
13. When You Need a New Countertop, Call Skandor Akbar
"I met Skandor Akbar when I used to work at a laminate factory. He had a countertop business after he retired from wrestling and came by our job.
"Everyone thought I was lying when I said he was a former wrestler, so we asked if he wrestled back in the day, and he revealed [the truth].
"He was very engaging and friendly and talked to us a little while about the old days. It was definitely an honor to meet him." – Kevin A Johnson
14. Sgt. Slaughter, A Real-life Superhero (and Scaring The Nature Boy!)
"I met Sgt. Slaughter at an amusement park. They were having "Superhero Day," and it was when he was part of G.I. Joe.
"He was really nice and at the time was the biggest human being I had ever seen in person. I think I was about 8.
"My husband also met Ric Flair in the restroom at a comic con. My husband yelled ‘Woo!’ and kinda startled Flair as he was using the facilities. Apparently, he laughed about having the pee scared out of him." – Candace Cable Barlow
Reader John Ferguson replied to Candace Cable Barlow on the same Facebook thread, sharing, "I met Sgt. Slaughter at a sports convention circa 1985. William ‘The Refrigerator’ Perry and ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard were there, but their crowds were nothing compared to the throng of fans swarming the Sarge!"
15. Following Ric Flair Out of the Bathroom
"Ric Flair! I met him at Wal-Mart in Madison Heights, Virginia, in 2009.
"I stood in line for three hours and right before it got to be my turn, he had to leave, so I was able to follow him to the back of the store and had the opportunity to meet him coming out the bathroom on the way out to his limo. Super nice guy!" – Joshua Mays
16. The Barbarian Keeping it Kayfabe
"When I was nine (during the New Generation Era), I met The Barbarian at a local wrestling indie show. I asked him, ‘Are you Sione from the New Headshrinkers?’
"He was so nice and polite and didn’t break kayfabe to tell me he was The Barbarian. Back then, his arms were bigger than my torso, so I didn’t argue with the man! – Dave Brasso
17. Go Ahead and Tell Jesse Ventura That Wrestling is Fake
"My dad and I were sitting at a McDonald’s in Belleville, Ontario, Canada in the mid-’80s when Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura came through. I said to my dad, ‘That’s a pro wrestler. Go tell him that wrestling is fake.’
"My dad was s***ting himself. So, I went over and asked, ‘How are you doing, Jesse?’ He replied, ‘Keep’n cool!’" – Mark Henderson
18. Captain Lou Albano Blows Off James Bond
"I met Captain Lou Albano at a signing.
"Albano told me a story about how he and a friend were out drinking one night when he got up to go to the bathroom. On his way there, some random guy came up to him and said, ‘Captain Lou, I’m a big fan of yours!’
"Well, Lou just blew him off and kept walking to the men’s room.
"When he got back, his buddy told him, ‘Do you know who that was that you just blew off? That was Sean Connery!’" – Jim Klaisle
19. Lou Fabiano, a Stand Up Guy
"I filled in as a referee for a promoter in south Mississippi once. This was my second year in the business, and the first after Continental shut down. I met Burrhead Jones, and Lou Fabiano in Montgomery, Alabama., with Lou driving us down there.
"Unfortunately, I worked every match, but the promoter didn’t pay me a dime. ‘I’ll make up for it next time,’ he promised.
"Lou then offered his couch for me to sleep on as I still had another hour drive home. I almost declined but I was fighting off sleep. Not only did I stay over, but he also cooked breakfast and offered me to stay for it.
"I knew Burrhead but had never met Lou before nor seen him since. But I am forever appreciative of his kindness." – Michael Buchanan
20. When in Louisiana, Dr. Death Steve Williams Buys
"A friend and I drank a few beers with Dr. Death Steve Williams at Cowboys Club and Restaurant in Bossier City, Louisiana. Really nice guy! He got our drinks on the house!" – David Chandler
21. Carlito Can Be Nice, Too!
"I met Carlito at a meet-and-greet and I was a little dressed up as I was going to my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary afterward. He asked why I was dressed up, and when I told him, he signed one of the papers that he had wishing them a happy anniversary." – Kathy Sanford
22. AJ Styles and His Hair
"I met AJ Styles a few years ago at an in-store signing for Cricket Wireless. I made sure I was in line early so that I would get through the line in time.
"When I got up to meet him, I asked him about his hair care routine, as I have hair the same length as his.
"After talking with him for about 30 seconds, security started trying to usher me out of the store while AJ was shouting at security to let me stay a few more minutes because he was enjoying the conversation!" – Skylar Lewis
23. Eddie Guerrero Caught Red-Handed
"I worked at a Best Buy in Pensacola, Florida. One week, Smackdown was in Pensacola, while Raw was in Mobile, Alabama (I went to both).
"Anyway, at the end of my shift, I was walking down the DVD player aisle, and there was ‘Latino Heat’ Eddie Guerrero looking at the portable DVD players.
"I was a little nervous, but I walked toward him and said, ‘You’re not going to steal that, are you?’
"He chuckled and shook my hand. I proceeded to ring him up, and even though I didn’t ask, he invited me out to his rental car and grabbed an 8X10 and signed it for me." – Marty Bullock
24. Frozen When Meeting Stone Cold Steve Austin
"When I was younger, I met Stone Cold Steve Austin and his ex-wife Debra at a house show at Madison Square Garden.
"I was his hugest fan, so when I met them, I got star-struck. My sister had to speak for me since I couldn’t say anything.
"He asked, ‘What up son? What can I do for you?’
"My sister asked him for his autograph, and I held the picture so he could sign it. I wished I would have said something!
"Overall, he was really nice and he tried to talk to me, but I couldn’t say a word because I was shocked to meet them both!" – Johnny Lozano-Pena
25. Not the Midnight Rockers, but Col. DeBeers Will Do Just Fine
"I was probably six or seven at the time, and I met Colonel DeBeers when the AWA used to go to the small towns in northwest Wisconsin. He was a very nice person. I saw him get out of his car and I asked him for an autograph.
"At the time, I was disappointed because I was looking for the Midnight Rockers, but DeBeers stopped, gave me his autograph, and talked to my mom and me for a while. He gave us his time, which he didn’t need to. It was actually an awesome experience.
"I felt bad booing him later that night though when he faced Jim Brunzell!" – Timothy Rand
26. Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, a Little Crazy, But Still Friendly
"I must have been nine or ten years old at a WWF house show.
"The Hart Foundation were walking down the aisle and I ended up touching the tag belts. The Anvil turned and got in my face and did his famous laugh and beard tug. I was shaken up by it while my uncle laughed at the whole ordeal.
"After the show, we waited in the back parking lot for the wrestlers to come out. Finally, after waiting for a while, we decided to leave. Just then, I got a tap on the shoulder, and it was the Anvil! He signed his elbow pads and gave them to me. He hoped I had enjoyed the show and high-fived me." – Antonio De Lucas
27. Meeting Legends André The Giant, Bob Backlund, and Arnold Skaaland
"After a house show, I met André The Giant, Bob Backlund, and Arnold Skaaland with my mom and best friend in the parking lot adjacent to The Springfield Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusettes. Wrestlers usually parked in the arena garage, so we were surprised to see them there.
"I got to shake hands with all three and Backlund rubbed my head (which I normally hated, but in this instance, I didn’t mind) and asked how I was doing in school. André’s hand was so massive and Backlund’s hand was the hardest and roughest hand I’d ever shaken, even to this day.
"I loved championship belts before they became a thing and Backlund showed me the big green gold WWF title and then held it up high above his head as more fans approached. The wrestlers obviously wanted to leave. André then raised his fist in the air and gurgled something.
"I walked away telling my mom and bestie, ‘NO WAY Andre is 7’5!’" – Brian Barry
28. Mick Foley Enjoys a Good Whopper
"Before an ECW show in Queens, New York, there was a Burger King right next door to Lost Battalion Hall where the show was taking place. We stopped in for a bite and who’s in line right behind us? Mick Foley!
"I spoke with him for about five minutes. Great guy, very funny and very humble.
"It was pretty cool then seeing him wrestling in person two hours later." – Jim Sweeney
29. Outback Jack – The Nicest Wrestler From "The Land Down Under"
"I’ve met a few wrestlers but if anyone remembers Outback Jack, he was the absolute nicest dude of them all. I’ve met others that were cool but for some reason he just sticks in my mind the most." – Nate Reeder
30. John Cena and Victoria Always Game
"I’ve met John Cena a couple of times.
"The first time was right before WrestleMania XX. He was doing a signing and it went way past the two-hour window he had to sign autographs. WWE people with him were trying to get him to finish up and go, but he waited until the last person in line was there. I even heard him telling one of them to leave if he didn’t want to stay.
"The second time, he was doing a signing with Victoria (who was super sweet). She agreed to take a picture sitting on my lap. I happened to have keys in my pocket but assured her, ‘It’s just my keys,’ to which she and Cena then had a good laugh!" – Bayloo Joe
31. Al Snow – Do As I Say, Not As I Do
"I have so many positive wrestler experiences but one that was stands out was one night in Johnson City, Tennessee, after a Smoky Mountain show.
"Al Snow hung out with me and a few other fans for a couple of hours at Taco Bell. He told us a bunch of funny stories.
"My favorite was his ‘Top 10 Things Al Snow Will Not Do.’ All of which I believe he went on to do while working for Vince!" – Tammy Bains
32. Cody Rhodes, Grounded Second-Generation Star
"In 2017, I flew from Salt Lake City, Utah, to San Francisco, California, to see Cody Rhodes vs. Pentagon at an All-Pro Wrestling Show (APW) show.
"On the way, I’d lost my wallet on the Daly City bus. When it came time for the meet-and-greet, the venue assistant insisted we pay. We told him our story, but he just shrugged us off.
"Cody overheard the story, got up- still wiping the blood from his forehead, and pushed the guy out of the way. He then shook my hand and told me how happy he was that we had traveled just to see him.
"He signed my Intercontinental Championship belt, took a picture, and talked to us for a bit. He’s an incredibly humble dude. When we meet again, I plan on paying him back." – Derrick Gainsforth
33. An Ox Baker Autographed Photo, Good Enough For The Toilet
"I met Ox Baker once at a convention, and he was a hoot! Cracking all kinds of jokes as he met with all.
"He told me of the autographed photo I got that I could now ‘Frame it and hang it up in your bathroom.’
"We posed for a pic, and I did the heart punch stance. He seemed quite pleased with my form! Such a sweet man.
"He later got ahold of Richard Kiel’s (Jaws in the James Bond films) motorized scooter and drove around the hallway." – David Fullam
34. Meeting My Hero’s Destroyer, Ken Patera
"I met Ken Patera outside an arena after he had just destroyed my hero Chief Jay Strongbow. We shook hands — his hands were huge and very strong — and we talked about his brother who was a coach for the Seattle Seahawks at that time. Just a really nice guy." – Randy Centorani
35. Tito Santana – Humble Roots
"I got to meet Tito Santana and let him know that he was my grandfather’s favorite wrestler. I came to find out that he’s from the same Texas valley my mother and father are from and migrated north to work the fields, just like my parents." – Cruz J Rob
36. Strongman Tony Atlas
"My favorite wrestler memory was my first time at a live event at the Boston Garden. I was ten.
"My buddies and I waited outside the locker room for our favorites to come on. Tony Atlas was in the co-main event against [Jesse] Ventura. When he came out, my buddy shouted, ‘What are you going to do to Jesse?’
"He grabbed him by the scruff with one hand and me with the other, then hoisted us both above his head and started screaming, ‘I’m gonna kill him!’
"I nearly wet my pants!" – John Ferguson
37. Yokozuna – Big Man, Bigger Heart
"My greatest memory of a wrestler started with a bad experience. A negative encounter at an event, and mind you, I’m an Aussie kid on holiday in America for the first time, and this was supposed to be a good guy wrestler. Well, it left me in tears. What I hadn’t realized was someone else had seen and heard the exchange.
"While I stood there wiping my tears, a huge hand landed on my shoulder and spun me around. There stood the late, great Yokozuna (Rodney Anoa’i).
"I’ll never forget how he just said, ‘Hey kid, I’m finished up here. Let’s go get some free shit!’
"Now mind you, at the time, I was a kid who’d just been treated like crap by a good guy, and here was at the time the biggest bad guy of them all taking me to get free stuff! My mind was blown!
"He asked me about where I was from and kept me at arm’s length the whole time, and he got me stacks of free stuff!
"Note: I’m still not sure if it was supposed to be free, but no one argued!
"We then ate lunch, and he was surprised at how much I ate. I said ‘Ditto’ and he cracked up.
"Man, he gave me so much of his time just to make sure I didn’t go away let down about wrestling and wrestlers.
"He comped me, my friend and his dad’s tickets for that night’s show. He left me with one of the event supervisors and after saying goodbye, he turned to the supervisor and said, ‘You make sure you look after my lil Aussie nephew and take care him, okay?’
"What Yoko did that day will stay with me forever." – Dale Hogan
38. An Observant Mr. Anderson
"I was watching TNA wrestlers drive into the arena in Columbus, Ohio, when Ken Anderson pulled up and told my buddy that he looked like Opey from Sons of Anarchy!" – Ethan Boyer
39. "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson Recognized in a Bar
"I met Bryan Danielson in Liverpool in the early 2000s at a Walkabout bar. The entire place was staring at a shirtless René Duprée doing the French Tickler while Gangrel stood next to him doing his Brood entrance with a bottle of something (probably Smirnoff Ice).
"Danielson stood next to me, and other than myself, nobody seemed to recognize him. So, I asked, ‘Are you the American Dragon?’ and he nodded.
"We chatted for a few minutes about the tour he was on, who he’d faced that night, and then offered to get him a drink as a thanks for what he does. He accepted a bottle of water, and said he was going to leave the other two to it and left. I think he seemed genuinely surprised I knew who he was.
"He was so chill and easy going. A really, decent guy." – Andy Donaldson
40. Diamond Dallas Page Showing Some Love
"I met DDP a few years ago at an indie show meet-and-greet. He’s hands down the most down to earth big name wrestler I have ever met.
"I told him a story about a playground fight I got in with some nWo kids during his run against them in the ’90s. His response was, ‘Bro, let me hug you!’
"Then, he got his WCW World Championship belt out of his bag and laid it across my shoulder for the photo. I’ll never forget that.
"For a few minutes, I was ten years old again!" – Randy Whiteaker
41. Special Delivery Jones Delivers With a Fan
"I met SD Jones as a teenager. He gave me tips for bodybuilding and complimented my physique. We also talked about a boxer vs wrestler mixed match and SD gave the wrestler the advantage.
"This was long before MMA and shortly after Muhammad Ali took on Antonio Inoki in 1976.
"He was a very nice guy, we talked at the old Washington Ave Armory in Albany, New York back in the ’70s." – Robert Lucarelli
42. The Approachable Eric Bischoff
"I met Eric Bischoff after WWE Unforgiven 2005.
"What was cool is that John Cena had given him an FU during his match with Kurt Angle. My friend and I were waiting to meet our ride and we saw Bischoff walking out with his bags. However, as soon as he saw us, he started selling the after-effects of Cena’s FU and grabbed his neck and back which I thought was cool.
" He happened to walk by us and I said, ‘Good show tonight, Mr. Bischoff!’ and stuck my hand out.
"He replied, ‘Thank you’ while shaking my hand and going on to the next town for the following night’s RAW.
"It still boggles my mind that I got to interact with the man who gave the mighty Vince McMahon a run for his money in the ’90s." – Joshua Jay Jacob
43. Where There’s a Good Time, There’s The Bushwackers
"I was flying from Tampa to Kansas City, Missouri (where I lived at the time) when I encountered two familiar faces at one of the Tampa Airport bars. It was none other than Butch Miller and Luke Williams, then known as The Bushwhackers.
"Since pre-flight liquid courage is a prerequisite for any plane I board, I asked if I could join them. We had an amicable chat and ostensibly went our separate ways.
"But, in an excellent twist of fate, they were not only on the same flight but they were seated directly behind me.
"The chat (and the liquid courage) continued throughout the flight.
"At one point, Luke Williams exclaimed, ‘Mate, you know more about wrestling than any fan we’ve ever met!’
"I rarely enjoy air travel but sitting in front of The Bushwhackers made it fun. They even offered to pose for a picture with my two sons (the third was still in the future) at the terminal. Two great guys, and it was a pleasure meeting them!" – Benny Scala
44. A Positive Meeting with Buzz Sawyer? Yes!
"Everyone has bad stories about Buzz Sawyer, however every time he came to Canton, Ohio, he’d seek me out and say, ‘There’s my little buddy!’
"He was always great with me and the reason I started watching wrestling in 1982." – Scott Haack
45. Orange Cassidy Doesn’t Want Your Money
"I met Orange Cassidy at 2 Cups Stuffed in Chicago’s Grand Sports Arena.
"Since we drove from out of state, I was trying to save money the whole trip, so I didn’t buy any merch all weekend. But I just couldn’t leave without a photo because I didn’t know if I’d ever get another chance. So, I went up and asked how much for a photo. He told me not to worry about it and did the photo for free.
"It was a small gesture, but he’s my favorite wrestler so it felt like the world." – @hilliamhwacy
46. Hey Jericho, Put These Shades On!
"It was ’97 or ’98. I was in Charlotte, North Carolina, traveling for work, and went to Monday Nitro.
"I was on the road trying to sell sunglasses for a company we started called Slick Eyewear (it failed terribly). I scored a prime ticket from a scalper in a wheelchair for the front row and was in the background for the entire broadcast and sitting next to a dude dressed as the Macho Man.
"You could see me most of the broadcast holding a neon sign that said ‘PT.’ That was my nickname, and I knew all my friends were watching.
"I wanted to get our glasses on a pro wrestler so bad! So, I waited by the performer exit for an hour or two after the show until Jericho came out. I hopped the fence and tried to give him a pair of shades. He totally maintained kayfabe and with a smirk on his face said something like, ‘I’d never wear your loser shades.’
"Suddenly, a security guard rushed and slammed me against the wall and asked me if I ‘wanted to dance.’
"With the security guard’s hands on my shoulders pressed against the wall, I slipped Jericho a pair of shades and he got the dude off me and for some reason vouched for me. I’m guessing he just threw the shades out shortly after, but it was a neat experience. He looked out for me without breaking kayfabe!" –Brad Feinsmith
47. Rodney Mack, the Conversationalist
"I went and did a show in Magee, Mississippi, and their world heavyweight champion was former WWE superstar Rodney Mac. I didn’t realize we were staying just a couple of doors down from each other at the same hotel.
"Apparently, he saw me go to my car and back to my room. The next thing I know, I’m getting a knock at the door, and it was Rodney Mack with two beers in his hand.
"He said, ‘How are you doing, brother?’
"We drank beer and we talked about the business for over two hours and then we went to dinner. He’s a very nice man who I learned a lot from." – maddmexx1966
48. Attending The Undertaker’s First Wedding in ’89
"I grew up a wrestling fan and watched pretty often.
"When I was young, my mom used to cater weddings. Long story short, she did The Undertaker’s wedding which was at his house. So, after annoying the life out of her, she finally allowed me to go.
"I got to meet him, which was the coolest thing I had ever done! It also helped me seem cool amongst my classmates, which was great because I needed all the help I could get in that area!
"Aside from one of my friends having a legit wrestling ring in his backyard growing up, it is my only wrestling story, but it was a pretty sweet day. He was way nicer at this wedding than when he had the unholy wedding with Stephanie McMahon on Raw, that’s for sure!" – Luke Williams
49. Thank You, Bill Eadie!
"In 2010, I decided to train at Mountaintop Wrestling Association (MWA) out of Montgomery Co., Kentucky.
"At the time, I knew no one there. As a matter of fact, I had just attended my first show as a fan the weekend prior.
"So anyway, I walked in my first day, and their heavyweight champion at the time, Donnie Green, was in the ring as the trainer. He had me step into the ring and directed me to take bumps. I started out taking mat bumps, followed by springboard bumps, and ended my day with leg sweep bumps from Green and his former tag partner.
"Green wanted me to continue, but I had been bumping on my first day for a little over an hour and couldn’t go any further. It was extremely hot in that can of a building at the peak of summer.
"Well, after training was over, the boss walked in. I knew he was the boss because even the champ called him ‘Sir.’
"It turns out, it was none other than Bill Eadie (Masked Superstar and Demolition Ax). He walked up to me and said, ‘It looks like Jeff Hardy’s in the house!’
"I felt flattered.
"Even more so, for the following weeks, Mr. Eadie or ‘Loc Dawg,’ as we called him, would ask me at the end of the night if I would like a ride home from him considering I lived in the area.
"Trying to impress the boss I would always say, ‘No thank you, I’ll walk it.’ You know, got to stay fit.
"I eventually walked away due to personal home reasons, but I always regretted not sticking it out and I kick myself to this day for not accepting a chance to take a ride, at least once, with a WWE Legend such as Bill Eadie. After writing this I can feel the weight and I got to say, it’s heavy." – Elgin L. Lawill
50. 40+ Years Later, My Hero, El Halcon, Becomes My Friend
"I have very fond memories of the glory days of Houston Wrestling and promoter Paul Boesch in the Sam Houston Coliseum, which is now The Hobby Center. I’m talking about Houston Wrestling during the late ’70s and early ’80s.
"I was living in Richmond, Texas, at the time, and many a Friday night were spent with my father and me driving the 45 miles to watch the action live. I had all the autographs, photographs, programs, and posters.
"Mr. Boesch brought in wrestling talent from all over the world. My favorites were the masked wrestlers (luchadors) from Mexico. They had an air of mystery to them. There was Dos Caras, El Solitario, El Gran Markus, and the legendary Mil Máscaras. But my all-time favorite was El Halcon. If El Halcon was on the wrestling card, Dad and I were making the drive!
"Memory #1. El Halcon and his partner Jose Lothario were the US American Tag Team Champions. My sister and I made wooden plaques for each of them to give to them.
"We brought them to the Coliseum on a night they were defending their title. Mr. Boesch wanted us to present the plaques to them in the middle of the ring, but my sister and I were too shy! Then he suggested we could hand them the plaques in the dressing room, but again, we were too shy.
"An assistant ended up taking the plaques to them in the dressing room, and we returned to our seats.
"WHAT A MISSED OPPORTUNITY!
"Memory #2. In a previous match, there was a ‘Mask vs. Mask’ battle with El Halcon vs. El Gran Markus. Markus lost to Halcon, but Markus refused to unmask.
"In the rematch, Halcon announced he felt the people of Houston had been cheated, so HE would be unmasking himself prior to the first bell.
"I was torn. I didn’t know if I wanted to see my hero’s true identity. Halcon quickly removed his mask, threw it into the crowd, and then charged towards Markus to start the match.
"The man who caught the mask wasn’t far from me. I offered him my binoculars, my Kodak 1-10 pocket camera, and my last $5 for the mask, but he wasn’t interested. Silly 11-year-old me!
"Fast forward to 2002. I finally got my Halcon mask when I commissioned a mask maker to produce one to my measurements.
"Now fast forward again to 2021. I found an interview with Halcon from a year ago, and it happened to mention his email address, so I decided to write him. Reaching out to one’s idols can be tricky. There are too many stories of fans meeting celebrities with unpleasant outcomes. (Editor’s note: Never meet your heroes, remember?)
"I wondered if he would even read my letter, much less respond. BUT HE DID! The next morning!
"In my letter to him, I shared the plaque story. In part, Halcon replied, ‘Thank you for your letter. It is very nice that people like you remember us.’
"Man, I was on Cloud 9 all day!
"But then… THEN I got home from work and discovered I had another email from him.
"At first, I thought he probably sent the same email a second time, but I was wrong.
"In Halcon’s email, he said, ‘I have a surprise. It’s a memory of a little boy in Texas. See if you know him.’
"I scrolled down to see a photograph. It was a photograph of the wooden plaque I made for him 40+ years ago! He still had it! I had forgotten that I drew a picture of him, AND I totally forgot that on the back of the plaque, I included my contact info and a school photo of myself. That email brought a small tear to my eye. I was eleven years old all over again.
"The next day, I received a call from an unknown number in Mexico. I froze. I didn’t answer it. I was afraid it was El Halcon, and my Spanish is not very good. He doesn’t speak English. I waited to see if they left a voice message, but they did not.
"A minute later, the same number rang again. This time I took the call. IT WAS HIM! MY lucha hero was calling ME!
"I immediately apologized to him for my bad Spanish and told him I had used google translator to correspond with him. It was a short call, Halcon did most of the talking, but I understood most of it.
"Several days later, I received my merch. But what I didn’t expect was a follow-up email from him. Again, Halcon thanked me for the plaque and for remembering him all these years. He also attached a video and several recent photographs.
We thank all our readers who sent in their cherished stories! You can read all of the fan submissions (including ones not included above) in our post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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