2007.06.01

I do not watch WWE. I do not read many WWE recaps. I wouldn't recognize half the guys on the WWE roster if I bumped into them on the street. I stopped watching wrestling several years ago.

Well, Cyrus Poe made me watch ROH - Joe vs. Kobashi. I got sucked back in. The Ring of Honor product is fantastic. I really enjoyed watching Samoa Joe. Samoa Joe now wrestles exclusively in TNA. A few months ago, I started tuning into TNA iMPACT on Spike TV. iMPACT is really the only program on TV I watch. Seriously. I (easily) watch less than two hours of TV each week. I like most of what I see in the TNA product.

Anyway, now you have some of the back-story.

My 8-year-old son is deeply interested in pro-wrestling. He wants to eat, drink, and sleep wrestling. He is hooked on the X-division. He is a huge fan of AJ Styles, Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, and Christopher Daniels. He loves the flippies. He has been asking if we can attend a TNA event.

Well, the next TNA PPV (Slammiversary) will be held in Nashville. He has saved up his own money for a ticket. We are going to Slammiversary. But wait, there is more. Mini-Mattis wants to MEET AJ Styles. So, we bought "fan fest" tickets.

We will get in the car early Saturday morning and drive to Nashville. Mini-Mattis will (hopefully) meet all of his X-Division heroes. Then, on Sunday, we will be in attendance for the PPV.

I attended wrestling events all of the time when I was a kid. Mini-Mattis has attended several indy wrestling events. He has never attended a WWE or TNA event. I have never attended a PPV. Slammiversary will be a first for both of us.

The extra little wrinkle in all of this... next Saturday (6/9) I am scheduled to wrestle TNA's "Wildcat" Chris Harris. It is... weird to one week be wrestling against a TNA wrestler and then the following week be walking through the arena with my son allowing him to get photos and autographs with TNA wrestlers.

As I look ahead to the PPV, Sting vs. Christopher Daniels is of high interest to me. I grew up watching Sting battle Ric Flair. I remember attending an NWA/WCW wrestling event in Sioux City, Iowa around 1987.

After the event was over, my uncle and I stopped at a diner to eat. About halfway through our meal, several large men entered. Those four men were Nikita Koloff, (Road Warrior) Animal, Lex Luger and Sting. They sat down right beside us. Sting was my easily my favorite wrestler. I had at least a dozen photos of him taped up on my wall at home.

Well, my little jaw nearly hit the floor. These guys were HUGE. I was in complete amazement at their size. I think they all ordered oatmeal and steamed chicken. I remember Sting saying that they had to catch an early flight. They had to wrestle in Seattle the following evening.

As my uncle and I left the little diner, I tried to say "hello" to Sting. I couldn't manage any words. Sting looked at me, nodded and said, "Take it easy."

It would be nice, 20 years later, to have a chance to properly say "hello" to one of my childhood heroes.

I am also very interested in Bob Backlund vs. Alex Shelley. Backland was a top draw (WWWF Champion) back when wrestling was a sport. He was the wholesome All-American kid on top. I would like to shake his hand.

That is enough for now.

God Bless!