IrishCanadian25
Going on 10 years with WrestleZone
WZ Fan Slam - Saturday, June 21st 2008
The best thing about Fan Slam heading in was the fact that the event took place only 25 minutes from my house. Unable to contain my own excitement (hyperbole) I got my fiancee, Becky, motivated and we hit the road to get to the event around 10:00 am. We arrived, but putsed around for an hour and a half before going in. NorCal texted me at 9:45 to let me know he'd be there around noon coming all the way up from Dover, Delaware. THAT is dedication, folks.
After the marginal breakfast buffet (during which Danny Inferno and some of the agents sat behind us discussing the event) Becky and I hit the event, and paid our $15. We were originally going to get comped for the moderator role, but the guy who ran the event couldn't do it.
Though we'd missed the tricky tray, the merch they raffled off was cool. The guy who won the Million Dollar Belt wore it all day - winner - and the Roddy Piper Gloves looked badass.
Also early on, a "So You Think You Can Book?" contest was held. The winner created a WWE SuperCard consisting of Hogan vs Austin in the main event, a Hart vs Michaels rematch, and an interesting Umaga vs Samoa Joe street fight. There were great other matches the kid came up with, but I lost interest quickly.
The first person we caught up with was Chris Cash, who was extremely busy. He was also flanked by Nick "The Man of 1000 Names." Both of them, as well as Eric Stein, greeted Becky and I warmly when we introduced ourselves. Truth is, Chris and Nick are really cool guys. They worked their asses off most of the day to make sure the event was a success and in hopes the live stream and archived material came across well. I hope it did.
Cash allowed Becky and I to hang out in the interview room as they chatted with Stein, Kevin Kelly, and the winner of wrestling Jeopardy. Let me be clear here - Kevin Kelly is an awesome guy. We chatted for a while throughout the day, and it was apparent that he was very sincere and very dedicated to the business. We discussed some of our old debates and discussions when the Exclusive's section was up - including the Vader debate - and just shot the shit for a while.
Eventually, Cash and co. scored us press passes, so we got to take in the entire event and come and go as we pleased. I am not sure if I should mention that, but we also earned it. We got to work the event a bit, trying to support where we could.
The first wrestler I met was Scott "Scotty 2 Hotty" Taylor. Still, NorCal had not arrived. Taylor did the worm contest (which I did not participate in despite the invitation from Kevin Kelly) and it's sick how much height he gets when he does it 15 feet in front of you. The TV doesn't do it justice.
After the worm contest, (featuring an obnoxious character peice by some jerk off in a baby costume) Becky and I got to chat with Taylor as he waited to be interviewed by Cash, Nick, and Stein. Truth is, Taylor was a class act the entire time. Soft spoken, sincere, honest. Becky loved him. I asked him if he kept in touch with Brian Christopher Lawler, and he gave me a seemingly regrettable "no, I haven't spoken to him." It was apparent to me that he was disappointed by how that relationship shook out. From what I've HEARD about Brian and what I SAW from Scott, you could tell very easily who carried Too Cool's professionalism. Taylor was awesome to meet in person.
The autograph session was next, but still a ways away. Taylor and Kelly had already set up, and the first guy to show up (very early, might I add) was Axl Rotten. Folks, Axl is fantastic. He walked in and treated EVERYONE like an equal. No ego, no bullshit. He's just a regular, fun guy. By this time, still no NorCal, and to help the guys I was running bottles of water to the tables as the wrestlers arrived. Axl was the first, and he thanked me with a nice handshake, a "thanks, so much bro," and an autographed personalized color 8x10 reminding me to "Keep It Extreme!" I could not have been more impressed with this guy.
Shortly thereafter, the masses arrived. I BS'ed more with Kevin Kelly, and Norcal texted me that he was lost. I had Becky give him directions while I ran water to Al Snow, Nick Dinsmore, Samu, and Shawn Daivari. Al was so poised the entire time, you can tell what a consumate professional he is. He didn't put on the "Mr. Nice Guy I Want You All To Love Me" show, but he wasn't a jerk. Very sincere guy.
Nick Dinsmore is another one of the nicest wrestlers I have ever met. He became one of Becky's new favorites after a short convo with him. He stayed in character with some people, but there was no kayfabe with us. He was an intelligent, well spoken individual.
At this point, it's a little after noon, and NorCal is in the building. I walk outside the door and see him (instantly recognizable) as he walks to the ticketing area. I sort of hawked around him wearing my shamrock polo shirt and team Canada wool hat, wondering if he'd put two and two together. Well, he didn't. I asked him if I could help him find something, and he replied "no, just looking to get in." I dropped the guessing game and introduced myself. Cool to finally meet him. After a brief arguement with the people working the front door (obnoxious woman...) we went inside and I introduced NorCal to Becky.
HBK-aholic disclaimer - while I refuse to comment on whether Norcal was "good-looking" or not, his pics do not do his physical conditioning justice. It was apparent that there was a reason he started the board work out thread.
With Norcal there, we started the rounds. Photo with Eugene, introduced him NorCal to Kevin Kelly, met Samu (very chill guy), Al Snow, etc. We went to Shawn Daivari, and NorCal asked what kind of bullshit he had to deal with playing the post 9/11-Arab angle. AWESOME question by NorCal, and great answer by Daivari. "Nah, not too much, people who came out to meet us usually understood that we were playing a character and doing a job, they were cool." What a long way we've come since Sgt. Slaughter's death threats. Daivari is cool as hell.
Tomko walks in. Holy hell is he a big guy. He seemed to be pissed off, and wasn't all there, though I wasn't sure why. I found out later on that, the night before the Fan Slam, AJ Styles broke 2 of Tomko's fingers at Impact. Goddammit, AJ!
The last one to arrive was also possibly the coolest - JJ Dillon. He had a line waiting to meet him from the moment he sat, but NorCal and I held back for a bit as we met everyone else. Bill DeMott is also a really big guy, and not a bad guy to approach.
I went up to Al Snow one last time to ask him when he last spoke to Matt Cappotelli. The two keep pretty regular contact, and Al spoke to Matt last Wednesday. Apparently, Matt is in very high spirits entering his next round of chemo. Since Becky and I were both Cap fans from Tough Enough 3, we asked him to let Matt know his fans were praying for him. Al seemed very appreciative of it.
We go to JJ Dillon, and end up BS'ing with him for about 15 minutes. He is so relaxed, so appraochable. A few of the questions we asked-
Q- Where he ranked Tully Blanchard on the list of most underrated ever?
A- right at the top, if not #1.
Q- Big Van Vader - greatest SHW in history?
A- "Wow, that's a good question. I'll have to think about that. He'd be on almost anyone's top 5 list. Bam Bam is up there, Andre. Wow, that's tough." (editor's note - Chris "Crowbar" from the old WCW days overheard us and 20 minutes later came up to me and actually asked me if I minded his opinion on it. Of course I want to hear what he has to say! He nominated Bill DeMott, which brought Danny Inferno over to second the nomination. Ended up being a fantastic convo!)
Q- More fun working as part of the 4 Horsemen, or as the boss in WCW?
A- Horseman, hands down. It really was as much fun as it looked. We were part of something so special, as exhausting as they made it, especially Ric.
Q- Which stables, if any, have come the closest to embodying the heel stable the way 4H did?
A- Well, that's going to be debated forever. Obviously we hear about the nWo's, the Dx's, the Evolutions. But when the dust settled, what we did was special because we were first, and people still appreciate what we did.
Q- Like many fans, I was shocked and thrilled when you came out for Flair's farewell ceremony. How did it feel, and were you impressed by WWE having that type of class to extend the invite?
A- I think a lot of people were surprised, but that moment was so special to myself, Arn, and everyone.
Like I said - GREAT GUY! NorCal and I got a photo taken, flanking JJ, throwing up the four fingers. I bought his book, and he personalized and autographed it. We shook his hand and calmly walked away before marking out like 12-year old girls at a Shawn Michaels signing.
Part two to be posted later. I don't want to rival Will's post length - his ego is too fragile.
Thanks for that Irish. I was just beginning to get over him