sharpshooter
Superstar
Joined on: Sept 28, 2010 6:06:08 GMT -5
Posts: 613
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Post by sharpshooter on Aug 22, 2022 17:01:55 GMT -5
Fantastic photos and always love seeing what you get signed and love your detailed reports.
I’m stunned House Of Black wouldn’t sign any extras. I understand they were nice about it, but really, what is anybody gonna say or do if they sign something different. It’s the same autograph and you spent A LOT of money to be there, and we’re even willing to spend extra.
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Post by Grumpyoldman on Aug 22, 2022 17:09:41 GMT -5
Great update. Malakai Black will be signing near me in December. I'd like to support him, being a fellow Dutchman. But his prices start at $45 for a signature, $120 for 2 signatures & a selfie. A bit steep for me. I always enjoy reading your reports.
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Post by A-Rob on Aug 25, 2022 22:31:22 GMT -5
Another great report Champ! Great to see more signings are happening here again.
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Post by TheChamp617 on Aug 30, 2022 22:15:13 GMT -5
Fantastic photos and always love seeing what you get signed and love your detailed reports. I’m stunned House Of Black wouldn’t sign any extras. I understand they were nice about it, but really, what is anybody gonna say or do if they sign something different. It’s the same autograph and you spent A LOT of money to be there, and we’re even willing to spend extra. Thanks! Yeah, it was really strange. A few days after this event, a few fans posted on a local FaceBook page ranting about this promotion and how unorganized they were. Apparently, GA fans were able to meet House of Black after the show for much cheaper than us VIP ticket holders. I can't personally confirm that the latter is true but the promotion did not address these comments nor the complaints. Great update. Malakai Black will be signing near me in December. I'd like to support him, being a fellow Dutchman. But his prices start at $45 for a signature, $120 for 2 signatures & a selfie. A bit steep for me. I always enjoy reading your reports. These things definitely add up financially but it's always a fun experience. I've met Malakai twice and he was great both times. Another great report Champ! Great to see more signings are happening here again. Thanks for reading! Hope to run into you at one of these events some time soon. It's been a while!
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Post by TheChamp617 on Sept 18, 2022 1:13:38 GMT -5
Cesaro, Rusev, and Ember Moon are in London, ON this weekend for the London Comic Con. This comic con was just slightly over two hours away from Toronto. Given I am huge fans of all three, and have figures of Cesaro and Rusev to get signed, I decided to make the trip. I initially didn’t have the Ember Moon figure I had her sign, but I did pick it up in preparation for the trip to make it more worthwhile. With convention doors slated to open at 10am, I arrive at just before 9:30am to see a line of only about 30 people. I honestly expected a lot more people, so seeing this short line was a relief (because I really needed to use the washroom lol). At regular intervals, volunteers would check for VIP ticket holders (I was GA) since VIPs get early admission. Security also checked bags and cosplay weapons as people joined the line. This convention seemed really efficient as right at 10am, the doors opened. The door lady scans my ticket, I head to the washroom, then make my way to the second floor where the celebrities were signing. The trio were seated in the same area. To my surprise, there were only about a dozen people in total gathered around the wrestlers, with a few fans at each guest table. My biggest want was Cesaro/Claudio because I had three figures for him to sign, and I needed a photo with him. Because of this, I went to join his line first. It only takes a few minutes for me to get up to the front of his line. I ask the handler if it would be possible to do a combo that consisted of two autographs. The handler turns to Claudio and asks if he’s okay with that. He happily says “sure!”, then I ask for two combos, consisting of three autographs and the photo-op. We shake hands and I tell him it is nice to meet him again. He returns the thought to me. I first hand him a white paint pen to sign two figures with. He says, “ah you brought your own markers!”. I reply: “yes, and I also heard you asking how to spell names. Well, I have that ready too!” and point to the sticky notes. He signs my first two figures in white as requested. After signing the first one, he turns to Ember saying that these markers work really well, unlike her’s. Ember had her own paint pens that didn’t turn out so well on one of her photos. Ember says “it’s because of the type of print (i.e., type of paper)”. After making that excuse, Claudio looks at me and rolls his eyes, to which I laugh at. They were joking with each other back and forth regarding the marker situation, especially given that my markers were the same brand as hers. Ember concludes “I need to find a sharpie expert!” I then have him sign another figure in yellow. As he signs this one, I tell him that I’m glad he’s here because the last time I met him, we took a photo together that didn’t turn out so well. He replies “oh no! Let’s make sure we get a good one today!”. I then ask him if he’s going to be at the AEW shows in Toronto next month, which he told me that he plans on being there. After he finished signing this one, he told me “I signed the first two as ‘Claudio’ and this one as ‘Cesaro’. I hope that’s okay”. On my sticky note, I wrote “Cesaro” hoping that he would use that name on all three, but since the ‘Claudio’ isn’t too legible anyway, I was okay with it and tell him as such. I give my phone to a volunteer to take the photo for us. Once the photo is taken, Claudio asks me to check the photo to make sure it turned out well, which it did. We then shake hands and I thank him. He replies “thank you Alex! See you at the show next month!”. Claudio was awesome just like the first time I met him. I then went off to the side to let these dry before going for Rusev. Rusev was my second biggest want because I had two figures for him to sign. I was in the vicinity of the wrestlers as I was letting my Claudio signatures dry. While letting them dry, I pull out the Rusev figures and get my markers ready. Once the Claudio signatures are dry enough to put in my bag, I do so, then approach Rusev. I believe he saw me prep my Rusev figures because I hadn’t yet approached his table yet and I got the vibe he knew I wanted to meet him. We first shake hands and I tell him it is nice to meet him again. He returns the thought and I ask for a combo consisting of two autographs. He said he doesn’t mind it but he’s not the one that’s counting, so he asks his handler. The handler was cool with it and Rusev says “we’ll take care of you!”. He also asks what name I want on the figures (i.e., Rusev or Miro), to which I tell him I’d like Rusev. I first have him sign a basic figure in blue and we chat as he signed. These quotes aren’t verbatim as they usually are because of how much we talked: Me: “I met you several years ago at the Real Sports store in the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto! It was a long line up but well worth it” Rusev: “Oh I remember that! It was the Team store, right?” Me: “yeah!” Rusev: “yeah they gave me a jersey after that” Me: “I hope they didn’t charge you for that” Rusev: “they took care of me! What did I sign for you that day?” Me: “more figures! I collect all this stuff” Rusev: “How many do you have?” Me: “Too many” Rusev, laughing: “is there such a thing as ‘too many’”? Me: “When people see pictures of my collection, they think it’s a store” Rusev laughs some more. I then have him sign the Fan Central basic in orange. As he does, he looks at the attire and says “this was a good time” and then he asks me what the accessory it came with was. I explain that it was a belt that you would put around your wrist. Once he signed that, I pull up my instagram and show him my posts. Me: “I pour so much time and money into this hobby” Rusev: “but you enjoy it though, right?” Me: “I do!” We finally find the picture of my collection from years ago. Me: “This picture is really outdated but this is how it was a several years ago” Rusev, impressed: “how does it compare to Cardona’s?” Me: “Well… I don’t have the same connections as he does” Rusev, laughing: “I recently got into Storm Collectibles. I bought one, then another, then another” Me: “it’s a slippery slope!” Rusev: “I know. Next thing you know, I have a bunch” Me: “are you going to me at the AEW Toronto shows next month?” Rusev: “yeah! Are you? Both nights?” Me: “yeah! Dynamite sold out FAST” Rusev: “really?” Me: “yeah, it’s Toronto so I guess that was expected” Rusev: “Yeah I often go to Toronto. I was there recently with Lana for the film festival” Me: “oh yeah, I saw that on your Instagram. How is she? Is she here with you again?” Rusev: “She’s good! She couldn’t come because she has to shoot a commercial in LA. She might be with me next month though!” Rusev, going back to my collection: “do you collect the old stuff too?” Me: “I do! I love the old stuff. I didn’t grow up with the old stuff so I don’t have the same nostalgic feeling as other people do with it like my brother, but I love collecting the LJNs and Hasbros.” Rusev: “oh awesome, it creates a bond with your brother” Me: “yeah sometimes it’s hard because of the age gap” Rusev: “how big is the gap?” Me: “almost 20 years” Rusev: “oh wow, but at least you have wrestling to bring you guys together!” Me: “yeah, it’s great! Anyways, Rusev, thank you so much for your time!” I decide to cut the conversation there because there were a few people waiting behind me. We shake hands and he thanks me as well. Rusev was very very awesome. With how lengthy the conversation was, my autographs were already dry, but I pause to ensure that they indeed are. Upon confirming this, I put them in my bag and take out the Ember Moon figure. I walk up to her table, and pay the handler for an autograph. I tell her it is nice to meet her again and remind her about Summerslam weekend in Toronto, to which she says “Nice to meet you again!” She asks what colour I would like her to sign in. I forgot to take out my white marker, which I do so upon realizing. She test the markers and presses the tip on a piece of paper. This marker was already super primed, so the tip had more paint than necessary and if used, would show up as a blotch when signing with it. Thankfully she noticed before she signed and made sure to remove the excess paint from the tip. Once she signed that, we thank each other to end the meet and greet. And just like that, I got all of my wants needed and in record time. Based on the time stamps on the pictures, this took only 12 minutes. Much shorter than I expected, but I’m not complaining. All three were super friendly and so were the volunteers at this con. Great experience overall. Thanks for reading!
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Post by Grumpyoldman on Sept 19, 2022 1:13:18 GMT -5
Another excellent report! Very cool that Claudio brought the ROH title with him.
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Post by TheChamp617 on Sept 24, 2022 19:59:41 GMT -5
Another day. Another report. The Hamilton Comic Con takes place this weekend. josecalderon /Ryan and I attended this one together. Of the wrestling guests appearing, I wanted to meet Dudley and Billy Gunn. Road Dogg was supposed to be here as well but canceled last month. The event was to start at 10am and we get there at around 10:10. We join the line to get in which only took a few minutes and headed straight to the wrestlers to see what the prices were. Billy Gunn was $50 per autograph, while Dudley was $60. These were the prices advertised on the website, so this is what we expected. Both had a few fans at their table, but before we get our autographs we look at the vendors. There was a decent amount of wrestling items available. I ended up purchasing some elites at below retail price. I mention this because this will factor into a decision I make later on in the day. Once we finished doing one lap around the vendor room, we decide to get D-Von Dudley who had just one other person in line. Once that person was finished, I pay the handler for an autograph then shake D-Von’s hand. We exchange pleasantries and I ask him to sign my Elite figure in white, personalized to me. After he signed, I told him about the time he was in Toronto 7 years ago for House of Hardcore. He said he remembered that event and that it was nice to meet me again. D-Von was very polite and soft spoken, and was awesome to meet. Ryan then met Dudley after me. After allowing our autographs to dry, we move onto Billy Gunn who had a few people in his line. While in line, I noticed that there was a pricing change. His autographs now had tiered pricing, with figures and belts being classified as “Premium” at a whopping $80. Remember that this is in Canadian dollars, but still, that is quite a jump. I contemplate for a minute and decide to bite the bullet. I figured that since I’m already there and since I got a good deal on Elites, I would put the money I saved on the Elites towards getting Billy Gunn’s autograph. If the circumstances were different, I probably would have passed. Billy also wasn’t the most personable, it seemed. Regardless, I paid the handler $80, then asked Billy to sign my figure in lime green. He signs it, and like my typical conversion, I tell him “it’s like my third time meeting you and it’s always a pleasure”. He smiles and shakes my hand. I tell him: “I met you several years ago in Mississauga for Destiny, and then a few years later in Kingston where you did that legends of wrestling signing with Bret Hart”. His response: “oh yeah! I remember that!” Ryan and I then brought our stuff back to the car and headed back in again. Ryan has a friend in Australia that he gets autographs for because of the lack of opportunity to get autographs in-person there. His friend wanted a Godfather autograph. Despite meeting Godfather several times before, I needed a photo-op with him in his Godfather gimmick. I already have one from year ago but the lighting wasn't great, so I decide to split a combo with Ryan. Ryan would get the autograph while I get the photo. Godfather had a few people in line and it took a few minutes for us to get to him. We pay the handler for a combo (reasonably priced, I might add) and we choose an 8x10 photo for Ryan’s friend. I told him: “we met you a few months ago in Michigan at the Astronomicon!”. Godfather: “I remember that! Wasn’t that more than a few months ago”. Me: “it was in April!” Me, asking for the personalized autograph: “This is for a friend in Australia. His name is ___. If you could put an inscription on there, that would be great” Godfather: “I’m gonna put ‘Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy!” Once he signed, we then pose for a photo and he thanks us. He also comments on Ryan’s shirt which had one of The Rock’s quotes. Godfather says that the third season of Young Rock will feature the Nation of Domination. He said that he is excited to see who will play him because he’s never been in a position like that before. He also says that they pay him a set amount but he doesn’t have any creative control over what they do. When we were done with Godfather, we went back to Dudley because Ryan also needed a signed 8x10 from him for his friend. Dudley didn’t have anyone in line so we walked straight up to the handler. I say “we’re back!” and ask for one more autograph. We choose an 8x10, and Dudley greets us. He might not have remembered us because he look at what I was wearing and said “I like your shirt!”. Perhaps he didn’t notice during the first time we met him. I thank him and explain the same thing I did to Godfather regarding Ryan’s friend and ask for a special inscription. Dudley was more than happy to do that, even making sure that he primed his marker as it started to lose steam midway. After he signed, he told me again “I like your shirt!” I tell him, “thank you! I’m a huge fan!” Dudley: “Thank you for the support. I was supposed to wear that shirt today actually.” Me: “Ah, why didn’t you?!” Dudley: “Shawn Michaels and those at the PC wanted me to wear this one!” Me: “Ah, I get it! Thank you again!” Dudley thanks us in return and shakes my hand. At this point, Ryan just needed a couple of actor guests for his friend. The issue is that both were at their lunch break, so we do a half lap around the vendor room again. I stumble upon a booth that had old school WWF magazines. They were reasonably priced at 3 for $10. I purchase 9 for $30, which was literally the last cash I had in my wallet. I usually budget for these events appropriately, but with purchasing more Elites than expected, combined with Billy Gunn upping his price, I was out of cash. Included in that lot of 9 magazines was the WWF Magazine with Papa Shango on the cover. I show this to Ryan and tell him that I’ll get this one signed next time because I’ve spent too much already and didn’t have cash. Ryan offered to lend me the $40 I needed for the autograph. I declined at first because I wanted to make sure that he was able to meet his needs with the cash he had left. The con had an ATM, so if I really wanted to get it signed, I could just grab cash there. However, I felt that I had already spent enough. After thinking about it more, I thought that next time Godfather comes around, I’d have to pay admission again and therefore, since I’m already here, I might as well. Still though, I was hesitant to spend more than I already did. I spoke with Ryan for a bit and he convinced me to get the autograph. To be fair, it didn’t take much convincing lol. He raised a good point - we paid $40 USD at the Astronomicon for Godfather and he’s $40 CAD here. Ryan lends me the $40 and we go back to Godfather. Just like with Dudley, I tell him and his handler “we’re back!” as I pay for the autograph. I tell Godfather: “I found this magazine here at one of the vendors!”. He replies “no way! Do you want me to put ‘Beware of Voodoo’ on it or just sign it?”. I tell him that adding the inscription would be great. Ryan asks if it was true that they/WWF were going to have him do a second version of Papa Shango. Godfather points to one of his 8x10s which shows him as Papa Shango but with a different face paint scheme, telling us that it was true. He says that he had put on all of his face paint and they took photos. Soon after, Vince speaks with him, tells him that there’s a change of plans. Instead of this second iteration of Papa Shango, he would become Kama Mustafa. On that note, Ryan asks if there will be a Kama Mustafa figure. Godfather says that he’s heard that there’s supposed to be a two-pack with him and D’Lo. However, he’s heard that for many years and nothing of that nature has been made. He then talked about the new Superstars figure and how weird it looks. We end the conversation there and we thank each other. Once we were done with our second round with Godfather, we move onto Terry Kiser and Dean Cain. I’m not too familiar with their work, but they were very very friendly to us. And that’s it for today! Thanks for reading!
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Post by Grumpyoldman on Sept 25, 2022 12:35:57 GMT -5
Another excellent report. Glad you had a good time. I'm very surprised that Billy Gunn is charging that much for a signature. I know you said this in a previous report, but The Godfather has excellent penmanship. D-Von's looks great as well.
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Post by TheChamp617 on Sept 25, 2022 15:22:32 GMT -5
Another excellent report. Glad you had a good time. I'm very surprised that Billy Gunn is charging that much for a signature. I know you said this in a previous report, but The Godfather has excellent penmanship. D-Von's looks great as well. I was surprised with Billy Gunn myself. Godfather and D-Von take their time with their signatures - they're definitely great. Thanks for always reading!
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jason1980s
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 30, 2009 14:58:56 GMT -5
Posts: 2,333
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Post by jason1980s on Sept 28, 2022 22:52:38 GMT -5
I would like to see your Dean Cain and Terry Kiser report if you want to post it. D-Von really gave a great bunch of writing on the figure. It's a shame Bubba is so unfriendly. I'm not surprised they kind of went their separate ways not long ago. Charles Wright is always so nice. Tito Santana called him one of the nicest men you could ever meet and Tito is great in his own right.
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Post by TheChamp617 on Sept 29, 2022 8:47:17 GMT -5
I would like to see your Dean Cain and Terry Kiser report if you want to post it. D-Von really gave a great bunch of writing on the figure. It's a shame Bubba is so unfriendly. I'm not surprised they kind of went their separate ways not long ago. Charles Wright is always so nice. Tito Santana called him one of the nicest men you could ever meet and Tito is great in his own right. I didn’t have much of an experience with Cain and Kiser as I’m not too familiar with their work. I just tagged along with Ryan and took photos for him. My only interaction was thanking them and shaking their hands. D-Von takes his time with his autographs, which is always appreciated. Wright is definitely one of my favourite people to meet. It was my fourth time and each time was great. Thanks for reading!
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Post by A-Rob on Oct 7, 2022 1:07:57 GMT -5
Another great report Champ! I'm not surprised Billy Gunn is charging more for autographs since he's super over now. If Road Dogg didn't cancel (because he's back with WWE) i would have gone since i wanna meet him.
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sharpshooter
Superstar
Joined on: Sept 28, 2010 6:06:08 GMT -5
Posts: 613
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Post by sharpshooter on Oct 7, 2022 10:55:48 GMT -5
Surprised to hear about Billy Gunn’s pricing. I absolutely love Billy, but that is WAY too much. He can be hit and miss at signings, but always seems in a better mood when he’s with Road Dogg.
Love the items you’ve got signed.
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Post by TheChamp617 on Oct 16, 2022 20:59:39 GMT -5
Thanks to those who continue to read these. Here’s another one. EC3 and Lance Storm are in Mississauga, ON tonight for Destiny. Destiny usually runs out of Santino’s gym; however, they used the Anapilis Hall which was surprising to me because they usually only use this venue for their big summer show. Ticket sales for this one seemed slow as VIP didn’t even sell out like they usually do. Regardless, I do prefer this venue because there is more space. The show was to start at 7:30 and although there was no official time the doors would open, they usually open an hour beforehand. I get there at around 6:15 and see a line of about ten people. This was strange to me because although I didn’t expect a large turnout, I expected more than just ten people this close to show time. I decide to wait in the car since the line wasn’t that large. 6:30 comes and just a few more people joined the line. I was worried, thinking that perhaps these are the VIP ticket holders and General Admission was lining up in a different area. I thought this because I saw other people enter the venue through a different door. I walk around the venue and realize there was another event taking place at the same venue and that the line I saw for the wrestling really was short. I join the line at around 6:35 and ten minutes later, VIP ticket holders are let in. A couple more dozen join the line at this point. A few more minutes later, first and second row ticket holders are let in, followed by GA. It is almost 7pm by the time I get into the venue and approach EC3’s merch table. He had a few people at his table and it didn’t take long until it was my turn to meet him. To start, we shake hands and he gives me a look as if I looked familiar and was trying to remember who/when. He must have been remembering someone else because although we have met before, it was more than three years ago. I tell him “nice to meet you again!” He asks, “where have we met before?”. I reply, “Summerslam!”. He says “Oh! Summerslam!” I then ask for two autographs and pay him. He was $20 per autograph. Upon paying him, he asks “what am I signing?” I first hand him his elite figure with a white paint marker. He sees my ‘To Alex’ sticky note and he says “To Alex!”. Before he signed, he noticed I was taking my phone camera out and he asks if I’m ready. I tell him I am and he signs the figure. After he signed the figure, I tell him “I hope you don’t mind! I have a program here with you as Derrick Bateman”. He was really surprised to see this and asked if I wanted ‘Bateman’ on it, to which I said yes please. As he signed, he tells me “I don’t sign many Derrick Bateman autographs!”, which was cool to hear. Once he signs, we thank each other. Me: “I hope you enjoy your stay here!” EC3: “thank you! Everyone is so nice!” Me: “How long are you in town for?” EC3: “20 hours! I’m in and out!” Me: “Oh wow!” EC3: “Yeah! I want to come back though! This is a nice place and everyone is so nice. I also need to check out Greektown Wrestling. Lots of people are telling me about them” To end the conversation, I tell him that I’m glad he’s here and that I appreciate his time. I wished him luck in his match which he thanks me for. I then move on to meet current Impact World Champion, Josh Alexander. He’s a local talent so I’ve seen him wrestle dozens of times but never actually went to meet him. He is featured on the cover of the latest Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine which I purchased literally on the way to the event. He had one other fan talking to him and once they wrapped up, I shook Josh’s hand. I ask him to sign my magazine and he was more than happy to. He went to his bag and told me he just needed to pull out his black sharpie. I had a red paint pen in hand, so I told him not to worry about it and he can use mine. Me: “I was really excited when I saw you were on the magazine!”. Josh: “me too!”. Me: “How much for the autograph?” Josh: “Don’t worry about it!” He was willing to sign my magazine for free, but I wanted to support him so I asked how much his 8x10s are. He was asking $10 for them and I told him I would buy one. He asked me which photo I wanted, I picked one then asked him to make it out to Alex. Before signing, he asked to make sure that my name was spelt the traditional way. Once he signed the photo, we posed for a picture which he did for free. Before we took the photo, he asked if I wanted the Impact Title as well. Really great guy. Lastly, Lance Storm was also at this event as the special guest referee for one of the matches. I’ve met Storm twice before but needed a photo with him, which I’ll explain below. Storm was $30 per autograph or photo, or $50 for a combo. He didn’t have a line so I walked straight up to him and his handler, and ask for a photo. I pay the 30 and I step behind the table for the photo. Once the photo was taken, we thank each other. I explain: “I’m glad you’re here. I met you twice before. The first time was outside an Impact Wrestling taping in downtown Toronto. It was dark so our photo was blurry. The second time I met you was when you did a seminar last year here. In that photo, we had our masks on. I’m happy to get a proper photo with you!” He laughs and says “third time’s the charm!” And that’s the report for tonight. As an added bonus, here is a report where I tried to meet The Rock a few days ago. My Attempt to Meet The Rock (10/13/2022)The Rock was in town this day to promote and talk about his Black Adam movie. In order to attend this event, you needed to be invited or win tickets via social media. After entering countless contests, I was unsuccessful in securing a spot. However, Warner Brothers announced that there were limited Rush Line tickets available the day-of. The issue is that they did not say what time tickets will be distributed, what time the event itself even started, or how many Rush Line tickets are available. I wanted any chance I could get to meet The Rock, so I took the day off work and headed to the venue. I arrive at the venue at around 9:45 and there were about two dozen people there. The line steadily grew over time but not to the extent one may expect. We got the news that the event starts at 4:30, which meant that we were in for a long long day. At 4:30, doors open for invitees and contest winners. They had everyone’s name on a list so they were going one-by-one checking off the names. This line took FOREVER as there were tons of people. An hour later, a staff member comes out with tickets for the Rush Line. Thankfully there were about 50 of them, which meant I was able to get one. Once I get my ticket, I head into the venue. I get handed a swag bag, and there were dioramas where you can step in and pose for photos. There is a small stage set up where most people were already congregating. I was hoping to get to the front of the stage such that when The Rock comes out, I would be able to get a quick autograph or selfie. This didn’t seem possible, so I walked around the venue a bit because food was being served. It was all free: pizza, chicken sandwich sliders, mac and cheese, poutine, etc. I hadn’t eaten all day so this was well needed lol. After filling up, I return to the stage. I chose the end of the stage. This turns out to be the curtain where The Rock would step out behind from. I thought this would be the best area to try and get him if I couldn’t get to the front of the stage because once he was done his thing, he’d have to walk back to this curtain. Unfortunately, I was three or four rows from the front so this would still be a challenge. The Rock comes out around 6pm and talks about the movie, while signing autographs and taking selfies sporadically for those closest to the stage. Once he was done talking, he left the stage and walked back to the curtain. He stopped by my area to sign autographs. It was extremely chaotic with everyone trying to get something. I had an Elite I was waving at him, but unfortunately, he signed perhaps 7 or 8 autographs before heading behind the curtain. I was close but not close enough. Once the event ends, everyone is invited to the movie theatre which is a 15-minute walk away from this venue for an advanced screening. Instead of joining everyone else, I waited around the venue hoping to get The Rock as he leaves. I wasn’t sure where to wait, but I saw an autograph seeker start running. I wasn’t sure where he was going, but I felt like he knew something, so I followed him. It turns out he was going to the back of the venue where 25 other people were. The back of the venue was a parking lot, which was blocked off by security. We waited as close as possible and were hoping Rock would stop as he left. It wasn’t until more than an hour by the time The Rock left as he was doing interviews the entire time. He had a police escort and was within a convoy of dark tinted SUVs. Unfortunately, he did not stop, nor did we know which SUV he was in. Although this was unsuccessful, I’m glad to have tried. http://instagr.am/p/Cjvk5jdOk0c Thanks for reading!
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Post by Grumpyoldman on Oct 20, 2022 15:53:38 GMT -5
Lance Storm is a definite want for me. I hope he eventually comes around to the NJ/PA area. Great read, as always. Too bad about Rock. Sounds like you had a really long day.
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Post by TheChamp617 on Oct 20, 2022 21:23:34 GMT -5
Lance Storm is a definite want for me. I hope he eventually comes around to the NJ/PA area. Great read, as always. Too bad about Rock. Sounds like you had a really long day. Thanks for reading! Trying for The Rock was indeed a very long day. It was worth a shot though.
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Post by TheChamp617 on Oct 20, 2022 21:29:03 GMT -5
Just a few days after my last report, here is yet another one. Lince Dorado was in Toronto tonight for Demand Lucha. This was close to the downtown core so this was relatively easy to get to using transit. The doors were to open at 7pm and I get there at close to 7:10. I did not anticipate there being many people given that it was Thursday night so I didn’t feel the need to get there too early. When I arrived, people were already mostly in and there was about 6-7 more people in line waiting to get in. Lince was slated to sign before the show as they offered a preshow meet and greet ticket for him. Once I got into the venue, the door people checked my tickets and told me where to find Lince. He was situated at the merch stands with a handler there to check your meet and greet tickets. I join the line for Lince. There were a few people in front of me by the time I joined the line and despite the small line, it took a while to get to him. He was taking his time and engaged in conversation with everyone that came to meet him. When it was my turn, I first showed my tickets to the handler. I paid for the meet and greet, plus a couple extra items. When the handler verified my tickets, she said to go ahead and get my stuff signed. I grab my figure as that was the first item I intended to get signed; however, before I could put it in front of Lince, he politely interrupts and asks for my name. Lince: “First of all! What’s your name?” Me: “Alex! I’m a huge fan!” Lince: “Thank you, Alex! Where are you from?” Me: “Downtown Toronto. This is home for me!” Lince: “Nice to meet you!” Me: “I read online that you’re not taking many bookings next year.” Lince: “Yeah, I’m gonna be honest with you. I’m being very selective with my dates next year. I’m doing a documentary which is going to take up much of my time” Me: “That’s awesome. We’ll miss you here!” Lince: “I’ll be around! Hopefully this is one of the stops where I do my documentary. Jordan [the promoter] is always good to me!” Me: “I’ll look out for that. I’m a huge fan” Lince: “Thank you very much, Alex. What am I signing?” I then hand him my figure with a blue paint pen. Me: “Can you please make this out to Alex?” Lince, nods: “Ah a nice marker too! I always recommend pink or baby--” Me: “yeah I was indecisive with the color choice” Lince: “I was gonna say baby blue, but this IS baby blue.” Me: “I also thought yellow would look nice!” Lince: “yeah!” Lince had his newest basic figure on his table so I thought he was selling them. I inquire about it as he signed my Elite. Me: “how much is your figure?” Lince: “actually, this is a charity auction that we’re running here for Sick Kids . You can bid on it and win the figure, a mask, and my ring used gear. It’s all going to a good cause. I get nothing for it!”. Sick Kids is a local hospital in Toronto. Me: “Oh that’s awesome. I’ll consider putting a bid in.” Lince: “I appreciate that Alex!”
Once he signed those, I open up the NXT program and hand him a regular blue sharpie. He looks at the picture and recognizes the match.
Lince: “This is when I wrestled Hideo Itami!” Me: “You remember that just based on the picture?” I was surprised because Hideo is not in the picture with him. Lince: “Yeah! I make all my gear and I only use them for a few matches. This is the gear I used for the CWC, except for the mask. At this point, I already put that mask away and was using this one” Me: “do you keep all your gear?” Lince: “Yeah, I’m a hoarder!” Me: “I am too!” Lince, laughing: “I rarely let go of stuff which is why it was different for me to let go of some of my gear for the charity, but since it’s going to a good cause, it’s cool” Me: “Yeah, I bet it's a labour of love too. You must spend a lot of time making them” Lince: “I do!”
At this point, he signed my items and we pose for a picture which the handler takes. After we take the picture, he grabbed an 8x10 print. The print was included with my ticket. The meet and greet ticket advertised a print, a signed personal item, and a photo. There was no implication that the print would be signed but you could choose to get it signed if you didn’t have a personal item. Before he handed it to me, he signed it for me as well. He seemed to be doing this for everyone.
Me: “I really appreciate that, Lince. Thank you!” Lince: “I appreciate it as well, Alex. Thank you very much!”
Lince was very very friendly and great to meet.
Thanks again!
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Post by Grumpyoldman on Oct 21, 2022 0:19:19 GMT -5
^ Very cool!
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Post by Scott! on Oct 27, 2022 15:50:08 GMT -5
That's awesome, sounds like a great guy. Your Elite looks great in the blue like you said!
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jason1980s
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 30, 2009 14:58:56 GMT -5
Posts: 2,333
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Post by jason1980s on Oct 29, 2022 10:57:33 GMT -5
He seems like a great guy. Lots of younger guys seem to just do the minimum but he went above and beyond.
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