Some
say the "Road to WrestleMania" begins with the Royal Rumble. Others,
the night after, on RAW. For the California Bay Area, the Road to
WrestleMania started on Friday, November 14, 2014, when WWE rolled into
Santa Clara's brand-new Levi's Stadium for the WrestleMania On-Sale
Party. Danielle and I attended the event, took some pictures, met some
of the stars, and partied the night away.
Here's how things went...
DANIELLE
When
we learned that WrestleMania was coming our way, Matt just snapped his
head my way and said, "We're gonna find a way. There's got to be a way."
I had agreed with him -- at least in spirit. We live about 15 minutes
from Levi's Stadium, in the southern portion of San Jose, California.
The problem was financing and where our seats would end up. Initially,
we looked toward maxing out our credit cards...but, ultimately, we
decided that this couldn't be the way to go.
MATT
The
event was on StubHub for months, taunting us with ambiguous "floor
seats" and promises of first row grandeur. I had resisted the urge to
buy anything the site had advertised and waited for WWE to release an
official ticket package. We were hoping, by then, we'd happen upon some
funding. Then, it happened: Danielle was on the verge of closing a huge
sale -- one that would not only get us through the holidays and some of
next year, it would also give us the opportunity to go to the event. It
wasn't until October when WWE began advertising their WrestleMania
travel packages. Unfortunately, Danielle's sale was delayed due to
unforeseen complications. Initially, we were going to go big with a
ringside seat deal, which included Axxess, the Hall of Fame and tickets
to next night's RAW...but our hopes were dashed as her sale was delayed
into the first week of November.
DANIELLE
Yep,
sale was delayed and that really put a lot of stress on our everyday
lives. There were times when both of us were ready to call it a day and
give up on the prospect of it going through. Then, lo and behold,
everything clicked and the sale was finalized. Two days later, I had gotten
part of the money. Since the whole deal was out of another state, we had
to wait about two weeks to get the full amount in our accounts. I had
done work to make sure that, when the money had arrived, I had
everything siphoned toward the necessary priorities. As WrestleMania's
tickets were going on sale in about a week, it had quickly stepped up
the ladder as something we needed to afford. The Travel Packages had
gone dry. I started searching the 3rd Party ticket re-sellers as I had
told Matt that this was, most likely, not going to happen here again for
another few years at the very least. "Let's do it up big," I had told
him. He was unsure. The two of us both wanted to do this but we also had
a budget to keep.
MATT
Danielle
has a knack for nicknames. Our goofy apartment agent's name was
Chiquita. No shit. I'm not kidding here. Fucking "Chiquita". Danielle
thought she was sorta phony and slightly condescending. So, in her
typical style, she dubbed her "Banana Bitch". We had missed the WWE
Travel Package thingee and Danielle had found a third party deal which
included towncar service to Levi's, ringside seats and a VIP Party to
boot. The whole thing was pretty expensive but not wildly unheard of as
far as WrestleMania was concerned. Since there were several of those
tickets left, I told Danielle that I would hit up TicketMaster's
pre-sale first. After a full day of waiting for TicketMaster's system to
work as it should (it wouldn't allow us to simply choose the fucking section we wanted, regardless of price),
we decided to cut our losses and go for our 3rd Party Tickets. Danielle
wasn't happy with the process and had dubbed the thing "TicketBastard".
Needless to say, her and I will be at ringside for the event. Our
tickets will also have other badass undisclosed perks. We don't have the
itinerary yet nor will we have the tickets until about a week prior to
the event -- but Danielle and I are going to be at WrestleMania. The
other thing that had been sent my way was a little event at Levi's
Stadium called, "The WrestleMania On-Sale Party". Apparently, if you
hadn't gotten your tickets yet, this party would have them on tap.
Having had our tickets, we went for the benefit of meeting some of our
favorite WWE superstars. Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Hart, Daniel Bryan, Booker T,
Rosa Mendes, Tyler Reks, Charlotte Flair, and Wade Barrett were all
advertised to be there.
DANIELLE
Matt
had found us free tickets to this event several days before. After WWE sent us our
confirmation, we were notified of a change: the event was still free to
the public -- but WWE was now selling VIP tickets for this event as well. Being a VIP
included a much more intimate Meet and Greet with photo ops, food and
three alcoholic beverages. All this could be yours to the tune of $175 a
head. When Matt initially tossed the idea my way, I balked. We already had
our WrestleMania tickets and we had spent a little more on them than
planned. However, we ended up having a little extra money this week when
a bill came out a lot lower than we expected. Thus, we decided to
invest in the VIP experience and I am so glad we did.
The
Wrestlemania On-Sale Party produced some of my favorite wrestling
moments since I began watching it as a young girl. The VIP portion
allowed us to park in the VIP Red Lot which was moot for Matt who was
arriving on foot after taking our local VTA Lightrail to work and then
to the stadium, but wonderful for me.
Having
totally missed the ridiculously well-labeled and lit up VIP lot (Matt
will tell you my ability to get lost or miss landmarks while driving is
legendary), I got to see the impossibly long line of people waiting with
general admission tickets as I drove around to take a U-turn back to
the right lot. Despite this, I had a fast entrance through the VIP
check-in at Gate B.
At
VIP check-in, I was given an autographed photo of Hulk Hogan, a VIP
wrist band to get into the party we paid or and three drink tickets(!).
Thanks to Matt reading up about the stadium rules in advance, I knew
just what we needed to get in easy - a clear NFL-approved tote (as the
event was subject to NFL rules). While others whined as they were told
to put back their unapproved over-sized non clear totes and backpacks, I
easily got through the line and made my way to Intel Gate A -- which
made wrestling fans feel at home.
When I got in I stopped at the main stage where Daniel Bryan was getting interviewed.
He
was not facing the crowd, so I snapped only a few photos and went to
the VIP area upstairs. The two "official"-looking guys told me I was at
the right spot.
Once
there, I couldn't believe my eyes: Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart were
posing for photos and, upon hearing that they'd only be around for the
next 15 minutes, I hopped in line to get a photo with the two of them.
All the while, feeling sorry for Matt who got stuck at work due to a
network emergency and a train that was later than usual.
When my turn arrived, I was pleasantly surprised when Hogan engaged me in a quick conversation:
HOGAN: I like your shirt!
ME: Thanks!
HOGAN: He's right over there, you know...did you get a photo with him yet?
ME: Oh, I will! I wanted to get a photo with you first because you're legendary and old school.
HOGAN (smiles and nods): That's a good answer!
After
my photo was taken, Jimmy Hart, in characteristic fashion, said "Thank
you, baby! Enjoy the rest of your night!" and I was off to schmooze with
the other superstars in the room. Daniel Bryan, Booker T and Bad News
Barrett were a bit busy, giving interviews to the local press.
Of
the three, I managed to grab a quick photo with Barrett. He's very tall
-- taller than he looks on TV -- and, as I'm petite, the photo was
hysterical. Had he not been doing a series of interviews, I would have
asked him to tell Matt (who was still on his way to the event at this
point), that he had bad news for him. However, due to the time crunch I
was lucky to just get the photo.
I
waited for the other two (Booker T and Daniel Bryan) but the press
hogged most of their time and I couldn't get to them. A few VIPs
remarked that it was weird that they had the press and the VIP room
combined. Having worked as a photojournalist for a few newspapers many
years ago, I agree. I cannot remember anything like that happening to me
when I covered sporting events. I guess it's because these are athletes
who have not been to the Bay Area before, and the event is rare (and
huge), so that's most likely why.
MATT
I.
Missed. All of this. I got caught up at work on a high priority case
and couldn't escape. THEN, the printer that I wanted to use to print up
my VIP ticket wasn't taking any jobs. It was a brain fart on my part: I
should have done it sooner. I'm usually more organized. I didn't get to
the Cisco Way Lightrail station until about 5:30 and had to transfer to
the Mountain View train at the Tasman station to get to Levi's about
mid-way. All the while, Danielle was sending me the above pics and
telling me how awesome the whole even was. I DID get to see about five
minutes of Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart doing a spot on the stage next to
the Intel Gate A entrance, so it wasn't a total loss but I was bummed I
had missed a photo op with them. I went to the VIP gate and made my way
into the Club section to have some dinner and drinks with Danielle.
I
haven't even mentioned the food and alcohol yet. The three drink
tickets we were given entitled us to wine and beer and the selection was
nice. For my last glass, the bartender finished the bottle for me so it
was poured almost to the rim. Matt jokingly asked if I had flashed him
for that. I hadn't but you never know what will happen at WWE events, I
guess. The food was buffet-style and featured some amazing little pulled
pork sandwiches and even cheese including Purple Moon which apparently
Safeway no longer carries much to my dismay.
Matt
finally arrived as I was enjoying my food sitting at the club area
overlooking the seats of the stadium. It's easy to see there will be
many great seats for Wrestlemania XXXI.
MATT
The
VIP passes paid off here. We got to sit and eat in the Club section,
overlooking the lower deck and field. In case you're curious, the
surface you're seeing is a white tarp, not snow or ice. It's not that cold
in California. In any case, the sandwiches were good. Salad was a bit
crappy but the antipasto platter ruled with aged salami, pepperoni,
pastrami, and various cheeses.
We ate and enjoyed some video entertainment in the form of the party below us and matches from last year's 'Mania.
And, of course, we made sure to be in line for Daniel Bryan's autograph (he was signing from 6:30-8:30).
DANIELLE
The
autograph line area was a zoo. The people running this event really
could have done better as I took several tries to find the right line
(and since he was signing only for the first 150 entrants and VIP ticket
holders, all of whom had gray paper bracelets on, it should have been
easier to find the right line.
In
any case, as we got closer to the line, the WWE official asked what we
wanted him to sign (one item only). I asked if Bryan would sign my
Respect the Beard shirt. She cringed and said that he might but that she
didn't know. When we got there, Bryan was very warm. He shook our hands
and said it was nice to meet us both. He asked if there was something
we wanted signed. I hesitantly asked if he'd sign my shirt and, without
so much as a hint of hesitation, he cheerfully, and at once, agreed to
sign my shirt, doing it so fast Matt missed the photo moment. I guess
that's just as well: another WWE official was barking at people and
telling them not to take photos. Well, they aren't as fast with
their warnings as they think, Matt and I both snagged photos of him
signing stuff.
MATT:
And Booker! We got him, too!
DANIELLE
Of
course! They were all nice. Matt and I told Bryan to get well and that
WWE needed him. Bryan gave us a wide grin and said, "I'm trying!" Maybe
I'm all kinds of naive here, but I still think he may be AT WrestleMania
in some capacity. Maybe not wrestling, per se, but as a guest referee,
announcer, etc.
Afterwards,
Matt took a photo of me doing the Yes, Yes, Yes chant and of the
signature. I'm planning on framing the shirt along with the photos Matt
took of me and the shirt and Daniel Bryan signing the paper. And I put
together a collage because I'm that sorta chick.
All
in all, it was an amazing magical night. I was reminded of this when I
started to complain about the way the autographs were given out. Matt
had pointed out that we were lucky and, compared to others, our
experience was probably better than most: he had seen a mother talking
to security at the VIP entrance who she felt that she had not gotten a
lot out of the experience and that her kid was upset because he wanted
to meet Hogan and Daniel Bryan and they had already left. It put things
in perspective.
MATT
Speaking of fans, we did have some great interaction with some of the goofier ones and got some great pics.
I
can't wait for WrestleMania. I'm very excited. It had been a hectic
week and a hectic month with the sale just sitting there like a giant
gorilla you couldn't get to move, so it was also nice to sit in the Club
section of the new place (I haven't been inside the stadium since it
was opened up this Summer) with Danielle, on a Friday night, and enjoy
tons of great food and wine and just relax.
We leave you with this shot...
And, of course...
Er...that's it.
I like Tiffany.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing you've got to give to TNA is they knew when to drop AJ Styles. His career has really gone to shit without that huge TNA machine behind him...
ReplyDeleteThe sooner Barrett gets back the better. He's a real shot in the arm personality war to the roster.
ReplyDeleteChrist the ref Hebner got a push.
ReplyDeleteI don't even know, my ability to watch them has cycled on and off over the years. Didn't they let Kennedy have a career? Fuck them and fuck Kennedy.
ReplyDeleteI fucking love it when you're on fire.
ReplyDeleteMy wife will happily watch Ultimate Fighter and the occasional UFC fight itself with me, but when WWE's on she just laughs at it and looks at me with this uncomprehending "How on earth do you like this shit?" expression.
ReplyDeleteThat's multi-time World champ Mr Anderson to you, bub.
ReplyDeleteI watched the 1/15/96 episode of Nitro and Hogan was a borderline heel. He comes out to clear the ring with Savage after Sting gets attacked post-match (face), then acts like a complete asshole to Savage, ripping him for losing to Luger for a fourth time and saying he should be the No. 1 contender (heel).
ReplyDeleteLooking back on it, Hogan was always sort of a dick and poking his nose where it didn't belong, but the heelish overtones against Savage were very apparent.
I was watching the WWE network on my ps4 and to my horror I realized that people could see what I was doing on the ps network and I got a ton of shit about being gay from several of my buddies who have noticed what the ps network says I'm doing.
ReplyDeleteI've been caught by my GF doing a random show thread here and sold it as "Oh it's this group of people from college, we all get together once a week and watch something totally random, last week was Twilight Zone, this week they picked some wrestling show or something from 1999."
ReplyDeleteNow in retrospect I realize neither the real or fake story make me look like any less of a loser.
AJ Styles was HBK 1996 without the drug or attitude problems. What do they do? They make him Christian and then Angle's lackey, and humiliate him by dressing him up in a turkey suit.
ReplyDeletelolCenawins
ReplyDeleteAlso, I loved Sting as a kid, but watching him get snookered by Luger just annoyed me. I don't know why they made him such a dumb pussy.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I feel so much better about not having any PS Network friends...
ReplyDeleteThe lies we tell. You should just quickly change the channel to something less embarrassing like pornography.
ReplyDeleteHey they put him in that big company changing angle with that ironing board that was supposed to have had his kid...or something...or was cheating on him....or something? I don't remember what that angle was even supposed to be about.
ReplyDeleteThey're going to call the show Ring Monsters.
ReplyDeleteI like how everyone involved spins that Claire Lynch angle to be the actresses fault for quitting a week too early. I'd say that was the only good thing about the angle.
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget when they tried making him Ric Flair 2.0. Seriously, what was up with that? "Hey, we can't create new stars, but maybe if they play past stars, people will treat them like stars."
ReplyDeleteIf you need an ineffective resistance leader AJ's your guy.
ReplyDeleteThat is not actually the worst idea ever. Doing a show from Four Corners, New Mexico or having an Ultimate X on one of the noses on Mount Rushmore has a real appeal.
ReplyDeleteThe ONLY thing good about that was Daniels and Styles got to put on, as they normally do, great matches. That was the only saving grace of that putrid angle.
ReplyDeleteYou mean Taryn Tarrell? She looks like a superstar compared to Mr. "Bob Holly wants to maim, mutilate, and torture me" Anderson.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd pay for a ticket to said torture before I spend another dollar on TNA.
That was one of the time periods where I was trying desperately to enjoy their product and they did everything they could to chase me away.
ReplyDeleteShe had the acting skills of a young Terry Shaivo.
I enjoyed the product then until they started showing Sons of Anarchy meets pro-wrestling episodes.
ReplyDeleteNah, Bad Influence's humor was the only thing keeping that angle at merely Gooker-level. Without them, that would have been an "Arquette/Russo wins the title"-level of fuckery.
ReplyDeleteSo I just realized I don't remember why the Main Event Mafia went away the first time. Did anybody actually beat them or did Angle just turn face for no reason?
ReplyDeleteTNA wishes it was as good as Sons of Anarchy.
ReplyDeleteI said best teams, plural. So if one team went 13-3 and another team in the same division went 12-4, you would rather have the 12-4 team miss the playoffs and a 7-9 team get in because "they should have won their division?"
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely possible for the two best teams in the league in a given year to be in the same division. I don't feel bad for some 8-8 or 9-7 team missing out because they probably blew a bunch of opportunities along the way, but I don't think a team with a losing record deserves to get in.
I'm sure she's improved greatly, but she wasn't good at all in WWE and for them to take her on despite the likely wealth of female talent in Shimmer or elsewhere says a lot about TNA.
ReplyDeleteThey just dropped the angle.
ReplyDeleteSucculent.
ReplyDeleteTNA wishes it was as good as Jersey Shore. Oh wait, they did try to do that as well.
ReplyDeleteGoddammit TNA.
ReplyDeleteHer vs Gail Kim became easily two of the best women's matches in North America in years. And I know the Divas don't exactly set the bar high to start, but those two could have main evented an Impact and not looked out of place.
ReplyDeleteHogan was always a jerk. What kind of babyface using BACK SCRATCHES!
ReplyDeleteMichaels looks like a complete idiot in this match. He rushes to Lothario's aid instead of getting the pin. THE PIN TAKES LESS THAN THREE SECONDS, YA DOPE!
ReplyDeleteI think it was due to Sting and Angle beefing all the time.
ReplyDeleteWhich is kind of a shame, since the MEM was really well booked and could've done some legit stuff with TNA......if they hadn't had them go over all the young guys consistently.
I think basically Booker left and Steiner left, so Angle went out and said "Hey, actually, kids are cool!" and that was that. But there was no comeuppance.
ReplyDeleteThat's such an infamous TNA angle. They create this old vs. new storyline. Mafia buries the Frontline (the young guys) and they start feuding with each other. Nothing was accomplished from that angle at all.
ReplyDeleteWell at least they killed some time until everyone dies.
ReplyDeleteWell, gee, that was nice of Angle to give them props after burying them all year.
ReplyDeleteLOL
ReplyDeleteJobber said it earlier but I'm just thinking about it, TNA is so willing to suck any WWE employee's dick that they actually hired Earldave Hebner after he got caught stealing merchandise.
Surely you don't have to stoop to giving any referee a job, I mean can't basically any trained guy do the referee job?
Fair enough. I bow to your greater viewing of the girl and cede the point.
ReplyDeleteI don't dislike Mr. Anderson Kennedy as much as everyone else does. Then again, I don't really watch TNA outside of the occasional PPV.
ReplyDeleteEven as a 9 year old I knew he was just an asshole. Monsoon ranting and raving about Flair cheating, meanwhile Hogan just hits everyone with chairs and eyepokes and all kinds of things and nobody cares. I had no time for hypocrisy when I was an idealistic 9 year old.
ReplyDeleteNot only that but they tried selling Hebner merchandise!
ReplyDeleteIRONIC!!!!!!
Favorite SS96 moment: The chick in the front drops her head in shock when Shawn is counted down and there's VLADIMIR jumping right over her shoulders to cheer Sid's title win.
ReplyDeleteMost of us hated him before he even stepped into the Impact Zone. He's just done nothing since then to reduce said hatred by even a smidge.
ReplyDeleteRemember when Kurt Angle won every single title and 45 minutes of an hour of Impact was built around him? Also, remember how he won it? Karen Angle and him were having problems, Karen decided to start dating Joe, but then it was all a giant swerve that everyone saw coming. Yes, a match for every title in the company was centered around a Jerry Springer storyline.
ReplyDeleteYeah I don't know which twin it was either but that is so pathetic. It was one thing for wcw to hire old wwf jobbers and stuff to fill wcwsn but TNA even took refs...lol what?
ReplyDeleteAlso, and I have nothing against Taz or Mike Tenay as far as announcing ability and they are way better than the wwe's abortion but having Tenay who was associated with wcw and Taz who is a smackdown or ecw guy makes TNA look second rate. They should have found good original guys to call the show.
... and beat Montreal into the ground with said merch in a manner that had Vince McMahon cringing at the dead horse beating.
ReplyDeleteSpoiler: JarrettwinsLOL.
ReplyDeleteYeah wasn't hebner shilling "Damn Right I Did It" shirts or something like that? Who the fuck would buy ref merch, much less merch commemorating something that ref did in another company?
ReplyDeleteTalk about a guy that had nothing pushed to the moon.
ReplyDeleteEven Reigns at least has a great look and a pretty killer moveset.
Kennedy repeated things. And that was all he had going for him. Which, to be fair, I thought repeating things was the gold standard of comedy when I was six years old doing Lou Gehrig's speech for my friends but didn't translate well in my twenties.
Fuck that guy. He's the only wrestler ever that can send me to Jobber levels of anger.
I kinda liked his ridiculously uncooperative interview subject phase.
ReplyDeleteAs much as a dick Hogan can be at times, I have nothing but good things about his interactions with fans and everyone speaks the world of D Bry and Jimmy Hart. Glad you guys had an awesome time, hopefully I'll be going to WM as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is a serious question: is there anything right now that would make any of you watch Impact? If they took a good worker like Jeff Hardy and gave him a good storyline, would that make you watch?
ReplyDeleteI know it's hard to ignore the tomfoolery that's involved with them right now, but what would make people watch again, aside from a list of things 3 miles long?
Wait....WHAT? lol
ReplyDeleteThey did Montreal gear for Earldave?! What like...15 years after it happened? Hooooooooly shit that's hilarious.
Dump Dixie Carter and I'd try and give it a look.
ReplyDeleteThat actually happened? After he swore on the lives of his kids?
ReplyDeleteGood grief that's terribad.
He's STILL shilling that shirt at live events!
ReplyDeleteOr, I mean, he was, when they still HAD live events.
ReplyDelete....waits for the inevitable punch line and "FTFY" ref...
ReplyDeletehttp://shoptna.com/earl-hebner---damn-right-i-did.aspx
ReplyDeleteYeah, total upheaval at the top like Jobber said is the only way. Otherwise it's just a bandaid on a missing limb.
ReplyDeleteIf they announced that Dixie was completely gone I'd wipe the slate clean and give them another (sixteenth) shot.
To think, Paul Heyman could be booking TNA right now. Instead, Dixie Carter did not want to fire all the old former WWE guys because they were loyal to her. Yeah, so loyal that they everyone of them left except Kurt Angle, only because he cannot get back into WWE.
ReplyDeleteThe good things they were doing during the Bound for Glory 2012 series? Do those things more.
ReplyDeleteAlso, no Dixie
http://shoptna.com/earl-hebner---damn-right-i-did.aspx
ReplyDeletetreat yourself to one for the holidays!
Nah, with the move to the new channel, I'm completely done with TNA. Any mention of them from here on out will be seen as an annoyance.
ReplyDeletehttp://shoptna.com/earl-hebner---photo.aspx
ReplyDeleteOr who wouldn't want this mug over the fireplace, right under the mistletoe?
I don't know why I like the name repeating but I do. That's all he brings to the table
ReplyDeleteThe FACIEST OF FACEPALMS!
ReplyDeleteI've seen what happens to us after we die.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, his arm is the problem
ReplyDeletehttp://shoptna.com/earl-hebner---photo.aspx
ReplyDeleteI'd rather get one of these sweet Hebner 8x10 photos tna sells!
Holy shit we're opposite psychics.
ReplyDeleteFinally watched Django over the weekend.
ReplyDeleteTarantino does understand that not every movie needs to look like out came from the 70s, right?
Plus, the last thing we see is the lead character doing horse tricks? Lame.
The thing is, just a couple of years ago, Impact was a pretty engaging show. Joseph Parks, the onset of Aces & Eights and characters to actually care for. Was it the Bruce Prichard era?
ReplyDeleteEspecially when he teamed with AKI Man
ReplyDeleteDefinitely one of those movies where if ANYONE else made it people would say it was amazing but because it's Tarantino it's just kind of...there.
ReplyDeleteI put it on the bottom of my list as far as his flicks go.
Well all my xmas shopping is done!
ReplyDeleteSame here. Today's more like reminiscing on a dead acquaintance. And making fun of the stupid shit in their past.
ReplyDeleteHonestly....how funny would it be to take up a pool and send like 400 of these to Scott
ReplyDeleteMy sister sending me pictures of snow on the ground and all over her car make me laugh my ass off at the east coast. How's that Eastern Standard Time Zone now boys?
ReplyDeleteIt sucks.
ReplyDeletehttp://shoptna.com/blue-bag-special.aspx
ReplyDeleteJeremy Borash looks like one of those hostage victims here. "SHILL IT OR I'LL TELL SPUD TO BITE YOUR ANKLE!"
It's not Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs and while over-the-top gore was unnecessary, it was refreshing to see a mainstream movie with some well-written dialog.
ReplyDeleteIt's raining in New York. Looks like it's 6 or 7 p.m. right now.
ReplyDeleteLol, that's a good way to look at it. TNA going to Destination America means the same to me as it going out of business. I guess I'm happy some of those guys are going to be still getting paychecks but that's it.
ReplyDeleteSamuel L. Owned that shit.
ReplyDeletePaychecks <> Pizza Hut coupons, though...
ReplyDeleteIt's snowing on and off and very gray out. Wouldn't have it any other way. Love the Christmas season. I think I have the opposite of the seasonal depression everyone in Cleveland seems to claim that they have.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I watched TNA was 2012 and what got me to watch was it featured wrestlers I was interested in seeing. The Roode/Storm feud got me into both characters, Austin Aries, Joseph Park. These characters I was interested in got me to watch alongside a lack of annoying or overbearing storylines. Then Roode/Storm got put on the back burner for Aces & 8's and Aries lost his title in short order to Jeff.
ReplyDeleteWhy I don't watch now is that I am not interested in whoever they are featuring. Eric Young? No. Bobby Lashley? No. I can't actually name anyone else I just see them in TNA threads. The former Derrick Bateman. No. So that's why. Plus I'm not watching much wrestling currently period.
That was awesome
ReplyDeleteI really liked Django. It was entertaining. Sam Jackson and Leo both stole the show.
ReplyDeleteI loved him in his role; however, I thought Christoph Waltz carried what would have been the otherwise slower parts of the movie with his discreet badass character.
ReplyDeleteI hate stuff like that. It's so annoying when they make the face look like a moron. I get that the idea was Shawn was supposed to care so much about Lothario that the title temporarily took a backseat, but none of the fans really gave a crap about him, so it was basically eh...
ReplyDeleteHe was very good. Excellent, even. But Jackson knocked me over a couple of times.
ReplyDeleteWe got rain, not snow.
ReplyDelete"How's that Eastern Standard Time Zone now boys?"
ReplyDeleteStill ruling the world
I like fall weather and fall fashion.
ReplyDeleteWhen it gets to February, however I will hate that weather.
That's funny because I really thought the dialogue was the most glaring omission as far as Tarantino movies go.
ReplyDeleteGranted I only saw it once on opening weekend but I don't remember any particular long kick-ass dialogue scene like Honeybunny or The Milk or German Three from Basterds or even The Moors from True Romance.
February and March I admit to get sick of it but generally it gets nice around March.
ReplyDeleteWatched it once and liked it. Never saw the need to watch it again unless it's to look at Kerry Washington's lips or to see DiCaprio die.
ReplyDeleteYeah mid January to early march is the worst.
ReplyDeleteI met him in October 1996, just as he was in prime heel mode.
ReplyDeleteHe came to our mall to promote his vitamins and sign autographs/ take pics.
The first thing he said when he came out was that even though he was a "bad guy" on TV, he still cared about all his Hulk-A-Maniacs and appreciated everyone coming out still.
I thought that was kind of cool, since there were a ton of kids there.
Even though it would have been MORE badass if he came out and told the kids to "Stick it, brothers!" and left.
A buddy of mine met him in a club in Pittsburgh one night and still talks about how he was the nicest person he ever met. As much as his co-workers hate him, it seems like he still "gets" he's an entertainer and appreciates it.
ReplyDeleteMy day job is involved in entertainment journalism and I can confirm that Hogan is one of the nicest celebrities I have ever had the chance to meet. And I've met hundreds.
ReplyDeleteIt might have been the fact that he called me "Brother", which was one of the coolest moments in my professional career.
Glad you guys had a good time. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWho was the worst?
ReplyDeleteFun post and some great pictures.
ReplyDeleteSeemed like a blast.
ReplyDeleteAnd Wade Barrett is a tall dude.
To be honest, I've met a lot of "eh" celebrities but nobody particularly bad. They know they have to be nice to the press, and I always treat them with respect so they have no reason to dislike me.
ReplyDeleteWith that said...
Joaquin Phoenix is the biggest headcase because he just simply refuses to answer questions. He never does solo interviews. He'll sit next to the director or somebody and the other person will answer every single question. It's actually more humorous than annoying because he puts more effort into NOT answering questions than actually answering them.
The only one I ever had a negative experience with was Denzel Washington. He showed up extremely late to a press conference because we were told he was sick, and after waiting all that time for him to finally he didn't really answer any questions and just looked miserable. You could tell he rather be anywhere else but in that room.
Jimmy is an outstanding guy. Has time for everyone, even if it's just a quick handshake and hello.
ReplyDeleteDid he tell you something, brother?
ReplyDeleteMy only experience with Hogan was in 1994 while on vacation to DisneyWorld. This was a month or two before his WCW debut and right in the midst of the "Thunder in Paradise" days. My family and I were taking a backlot-type tour at Disney-MGM Studios, back when they still did a lot of filming and production there. Anyway, our tour was filing through an area where voice work was typically done and behind some glass, right in front of us, was the Hulkster doing voiceovers or something. He immediately stopped what he was doing, stood up and did all of the signature poses, applauded and gave thumbs ups to our group, even though he couldn't hear us and we couldn't hear him.
ReplyDeleteIt was a really neat moment for a 12-year old kid who loved Hulk Hogan and wrestling in general and I'm thankful that the first time encountering a "hero" of mine in real life was a positive one.
Looks like it was a great experience. I live about 2 hours from Santa Clara but didn't get word about this event until after it had already happened. Thanks for sharing the story and pictures. Seems like everyone you met was cool. So glad mania is back in California.
ReplyDeleteMatt, do you work in banking? The bank I work for had a huge system issue on Friday so just curious if that was what you were dealing with.
Thanks for kind words. :)
ReplyDeleteI work in the Tech Support field and I had a call for a hospital's network that had crashed and left patients at risk. :(
He subbed for Hillbilly Jim a few years ago for a festival the band Lucero does in Arkansas every year. My friend swears Jimmy was the nicest guy ever, doing free photos and insisting that people hold the megaphone. I should have gone.
ReplyDeleteLooked really fun. Really fun write up. Had a fun time reading it. Good stuff.
ReplyDeleteAs cynical as I am about present day Hogan, I'd Mark out for ages if I got a "brother" or "dude" from the Hulkster
ReplyDeleteHogan may have his issues as a private person (and backstage with his fellow wrestlers/management) but I've never heard a bad word about him in his public dealings with fans. I've always said that even though I'm a much bigger fan of Bret Hart and believe what he says about a 1000% more than anything that Hulk utters, I have a feeling Hogan would be a heck of a lot more fun to hang out with for an evening. Just nod at the BS stories and hang on for the ride.
ReplyDeleteGreat read. I really enjoyed this. Also, Hogan is such a pro. He probably just owns shit like this. I really hated the guy when I first started smarking but man does he schmooz a room like no other.
ReplyDeleteSo who all is going to wrestlemania? I live in the state so I really think I should go but its a BIG state and its really a long trip. I came close to getting one of those travel packages but 5500 is too much considering I wouldn't use the hotel, or do any of the meet and greet stuff. But that was the only package with floor seats, and if I go I'm getting the best tickets I can afford. I really don't know but if a bunch of people from here are going and want to meet up that would put me over the top and I'd go for sure.
ReplyDeleteI'm considering one of those packages but I'm terrified of spending all that money and being let down
ReplyDeleteHey jobber, Matt and are going, if you go try to see if you can get tickets to the Preparty. Then you can hang with us and lots of other fans. Don't miss this event. :)
ReplyDeleteI missed out on my chance to go when it was in Atlanta. It turned out to be the worst WM ever but I still want to go just to say I went. If they ever get close to the south again then count me in.
ReplyDelete32 is in Dallas, I think.
ReplyDeleteYeah, sounds like Denzel had a bad day. We all do.
ReplyDeleteGreat read, I hope you enjoy the show!
ReplyDeleteYeah I live in Atlanta and I'm still mad at myself for not going.
ReplyDeleteWhats the PreParty? How do I get tix?
ReplyDeleteI just might go. Guess I'll start saving for it now.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff, glad you had fun. You can never go wrong meeting the best pro wrestler of the last decade and one of the 3 biggest stars in the history of wrestling.
ReplyDelete"This is my Brother Dude, Jack!!"
ReplyDeleteYou want to find something like this from your favorite 3rd party resller (as far as we know TicketMaster doesn't sell this): VIP PRESHOW PARTYPASS13 left$110.00Local PickupNote: 2 hour private preshow party located nearby the stadium featuring great food drinks and entertainment | Includes commemorative gift item | Does not include an event ticket which is required to attend the preshow party. .
ReplyDeleteGuys like Hogan and Rock being nice to fans no matter what, even after being recognized over and over again by so many people for years on end, makes it hard to sympathize with guys like Punk sometimes, who can be such dicks.
ReplyDeleteNeither of us can wait till Wrestlemania, we'll probably blog the VIP Pre Party and the event as well. :)
ReplyDelete