jason1980s
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 30, 2009 14:58:56 GMT -5
Posts: 2,333
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Post by jason1980s on Jul 3, 2024 12:13:27 GMT -5
Great stuff.
That Isaac Yankem autograph is so nice looking. I wonder if he signed any as the fake Diesel? I know in the past he refused to sign one of the names and the one he did sign he would basically sign the first letter and scribble the rest. I think that was Diesel.
He's always been pretty nice. He did a Toys R Us signing in 2002 or 2003 which was a free one so the line was huge but he didn't rush people.
I wish he would have been more embracing to the bad gimmicks in the past. Kane could have been a loser gimmick if not for his talent.
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Thunder Chunky
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 1, 2010 21:57:30 GMT -5
Posts: 4,519
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Post by Thunder Chunky on Jul 4, 2024 11:58:39 GMT -5
I met Kane about a year ago, he was massive in person.
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Post by TheChamp617 on Aug 23, 2024 23:52:38 GMT -5
July and most of August were pretty dry for me in terms of signings. I did attend Money in the Bank and did some meet and greets which were mostly rushed photo-op only so not report-worthy. Since then, any signings/events fell on dates that didn’t work for me. That finally changed tonight as Jinder Mahal is in Toronto tonight for Greektown Wrestling. A few nights ago, I preorder my admission ticket which included a pre-show meet and greet. After work today, I arrive right at the slated time the doors were to open (6PM) and see a few dozen people. Not too long later, a staff member announces that they will start letting people in soon but also mentions that Jinder is held up at the airport and will be late. The meet and greet would be happening after the show. Not too long after, doors officially open and I find a seat. During the show, Jinder Mahal wrestled in a triple threat match to a losing effort. At almost 11PM, the show is over and a line forms in the meet and greet area. As the line grew, I first talked to the promoter (indy wrestler Channing Decker), complimenting him on his match and exchanging pleasantries. I then ask how much extra autographs would be and he tells me $30. He then sorts it out with the handler at Jinder’s table. A few minutes later, Jinder comes out and starts signing. When it is my turn to meet Jinder, the handler sees me, saying “I’ve been wondering what that thing in your bag is!”. The handler was also the door guy so he saw me walk in with it. I pay him for the extra autographs while telling him it’s a ring (pictured below) and he asks if I’ll open it up. I tell him that I’ll have Jinder sign the front of the box. I take it out of my bag and the handler gives me an extra hand because of its size. Jinder says, “I’ve been looking for this forever!” Me: “it’s a cool piece!” Jinder: “Yeah I collect all my figures in shadow boxes. I got this, opened it up, threw everything away and kept the figure. I want the whole thing in box now!” Me: “I’ve had this since it came out!” He then signs it and I ask him to personalize it. He double checks the spelling of my name and tells the handler he always has to check because you never know. Then, I have Jinder sign two more figures. The handler was a great help, giving me an extra hand when needed and even packing up my stuff for me. I asked Jinder to switch markers for every figure which he had no problem with. Once he signed, we take a photo together before conversing more. I tell him: “I attended the fireside chat thing you did in Brampton many years ago” Jinder: “oh yeah! I believe that was for… Sikh Heritage Month” Me: “It was really cool hearing your stories. I especially loved hearing the story of when you had to get a new passport and so you brought the title home to your parents” Jinder, smiling and nodding “yeah yeah!” Lastly, he signs the 8x10 included with my ticket. I then shake his hand and thank him. He replies with “of course!” Jinder was awesome yet again. Thanks for reading!
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Aug 24, 2024 11:07:24 GMT -5
Jinder seems like a blessed brother. Proper chilled & calm in his interviews & podcasts.
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Post by TheChamp617 on Aug 25, 2024 21:27:04 GMT -5
Tito Santana was at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) this weekend. Jimmy Hart was also supposed to be there but his appearance was moved to next weekend only alongside Jerry Lawler. Santana was advertised to be signing during the showtimes of 2:30, 4:30, and 6:30. I saw a comment that he would be signing around 1pm so I arrived at the CNE around noon. I figured I’d roam around the fairgrounds first. When I arrived, I checked out the wrestling area and saw that Santana was already out and had no line. Ryan, who was also planning to attend, was still on his way so I waited for him at a nearby table. Ryan arrives close to 12:30 and we prep our markers and items to get signed. A few minutes later, we approach Santana at his table who is all smiles and excited to greet us. We start with a handshake and exchange pleasantries. I then ask how much it would be for two autographs and he says it would be $80. I pay him and he first signs my magazine, first asking where I want the autograph. Then, I have him switch to a red paint marker to sign the Strikeforce set. He tells me that this is an expensive piece and I respond by telling him I collect a lot of the figures. He then tells me that Rick Martel, who doesn’t do any events or signings, may start doing them soon. He says that when he was in Iowa, he was talking to Tony Garea who is really close to Rick as they were also former tag partners, and Tony said that Rick told him he plans to do some events and would like the three of them (Garea, Martel, and Santana) to be together for it. Santana encourages it as it would bring Martel lots of money which he has turned down in the past. I tell Santana that if he and Martel come back to Toronto together, we’ll be there. At that point, my items are signed and it is now Ryan’s turn to get his stuff signed. As Ryan gets his stuff out, I tell Santana that many years ago, he did a show in Toronto where he told stories. He said he remembered that and was wondering if he did that show with someone else. He was certain he did but I told him I only recalled him being there. Santana then signs Ryan’s stuff and as he signed, we conversed with him a lot. He said that he hated the Matador gimmick because they were supposed to give him a big push with that, hence why he beat Undertaker in Barcelona. However, that push never happened and he started doing jobs. With that push, he was supposed to feud with Ted DiBiase. He was frustrated that didn’t happen as he was really over with the fans. He talked about the union and how Hogan prevented it from happening as he was earning $5M. Santana also talked about his figures and cards, even pulling some cards out of his locked case he had with him. Ryan asked if he was ever approached by Cardona/Big Rubber Guys and he has not been. Santana says he trademarked “Tito Santana” so he could do whatever he wants given the opportunity. Lastly, he talked about the Hall of Fame. He said that he only agreed to it for the money ($5000) and that WWE would pay for flights and accommodations, including limo service. He hadn’t realized how huge the concept and WrestleMania had become because when the Hall of Fame was still new, it was a smaller event. However, for his induction, he was surprised when he saw how big everything was and at the fact that people were asking for autographs when he arrived. I mentioned to Ryan that the ceremony was released on DVD, then turned to Santana and told him he signed that DVD for me like 15 years ago at a flea market. He said he remembered that flea market, asking if it was between Buffalo and Toronto as he remembers being picked up from the Buffalo airport. I say somewhat as the flea market is northwest of Toronto. Ryan asks me who the promoter for that was. I reluctantly say the name because the promoter has a bad reputation. Santana tells us that the particular promoter now lives in Florida. He says he didn’t f him over but he knows others who have been f’d by him. Santana says he requires to be paid upfront to avoid problems. At this point, two other fans arrive and want to meet Santana so we end the conversation there. All in all, we spent almost 20 minutes with Santana. As we leave the table, he thanks us and we thank him back. Ryan and I find a place to put our stuff away and catch up for a bit. Eventually we go our separate ways and he needed to get home while I roamed around the fairgrounds a bit more. I returned to the wrestling area again later to check out what was going on and saw a decent sized crowd enjoying the wrestling. Overall it was a great experience with Tito Santana. If all goes as planned, I will be back for Jimmy Hart and Jerry Lawler next week. Thanks for reading!
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Post by The Brain on Aug 25, 2024 21:40:47 GMT -5
I got that Strike Force 2 pack signed by both. Real gem piece
Great report as always Champ!
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Post by Grumpyoldman on Aug 26, 2024 0:15:34 GMT -5
Great read! My friend's wife worked in the same school as Tito did. He recently retired. He always helps out with fundraisers for local schools & PAL organizations. Very nice & humble guy.
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Post by hbkjason on Aug 26, 2024 1:26:49 GMT -5
That was a great read!
Tito Santana was one of my first favorites when I got into wrestling. He was one of the guys that always felt like he was on one of the weekly shows and he always had a solid match. My grandfather had a place in Spain and loved all things Spanish culture so he got a huge kick out of the El Matador character.
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Post by TheChamp617 on Sept 1, 2024 20:02:19 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for the comments on the Tito Santana signing and on the prior signings which I haven’t responded to. I appreciate and read all of the comments despite being inconsistent with replying to them. I’ll try to be better with that. Here is the report that was hinted at within the Tito Santana report. Jerry Lawler was at the CNE today. I was hoping to follow the same timeline as the Santana signing as I had plans to meet with some friends at the CNE after the signing. I get there around 12:15, make my way to the wrestling area, and find a sign advertising Lawler. I wait around for a bit and sent Ryan a few updates as he also wanted to meet Lawler. We wanted to coordinate as he needed a photo-op only while I needed multiple autographs so we wanted to split a combo. About 15 minutes later, I see the promoter and ask him about Lawler’s status. I am told that Lawler is on the way and would be arriving in about 30 minutes. Not too long after, Ryan arrives and shortly after, Lawler also arrives as expected. Lawler arrived alongside actor Scotty Schwartz. Both were eating ice cream cones so we let them finish up before approaching. Once they were finished with their ice cream, Lawler takes out his crown while Schwartz helps Lawler set up his table with 8x10 photos and other memorabilia. While Schwartz was helping Lawler, we approach Lawler and meet him. Schwartz was also the one taking money. It was a very simple meet. We start of by exchanging pleasantries and I ask him to sign an elite, personalized. I tell him that it is nice to see him and he thanks me. After he signed, he asked if I wanted “Puppies!” on it, which I said yes to. I then ask if I can go around his table to sit down beside him for the photo. After, Ryan then meets Lawler, paying for a combo and getting a second elite signed for me. It was the exact same interaction with Lawler asking if he wanted “Puppies!” on it. Ryan gets a photo as well. At this point, my two figures are signed and Schwartz is still pulling out Lawler’s stuff. He pulls out a record, which is a weakness of mine. I look at it and Lawler tells me something about it. I thought I heard that he said there are 16 songs on it but after looking it up, there are 10. Ryan thinks he heard that Lawler had 16 copies, which may actually be the case. I ask Lawler the price and he tells me $100. I say that I’m tempted but didn’t have enough cash on me so I thank him for now then Ryan and I find a table so I can put my stuff away. I often don’t bring too much extra cash to avoid overspending. However, as a record collector, I really wanted to add a Jerry Lawler record to the collection. I tell Ryan that I’m going to find an ATM; however, he asks how much extra I need and he’d lend the money to me. He does so (side note - I reimbursed him within a few hours lol) and I go back to Lawler’s table. I take a closer look at the record but realize there is a second record on his table as well. I look at that as well, looking closely at the back. He tells me that one of the band members died a few weeks ago and that his ex-wife sang on the record, pointing to both of their images on the back of the sleeve. I then ask if he sang lead on these songs, which he tells me he sang lead on all of them. I tell him that I have a bunch of Jimmy Hart’s records signed which he smiles at. I end up going with the second record I looked at as there were more cover tunes I recognized (Monday Monday, Pretty Woman, The Letter, and some others). He takes it out of the plastic sleeve and signs it. I ask him to personalize it to Alex. Midway through signing my name, he stops to confirm the spelling. I pay him the $100 and thank him again. Though quick, Lawler was very respectful and it was great to meet him especially considering the health challenges he has had. Thanks for reading!
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Sept 1, 2024 20:14:29 GMT -5
Lawler is a big legend. Good stuff
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Post by Grumpyoldman on Sept 1, 2024 23:16:11 GMT -5
Wow! Is that record an original pressing? I've never seen it before. Glad Lawler shaved his goatee. He was looking like Bill Watts for a bit. As always, great read. Lawler has great penmanship.
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Post by K5 on Sept 2, 2024 11:49:52 GMT -5
small world, my trainer actually set up the ring for that greektown event. i almost went. i'll be at their next london event though.
also, the same day you met Lawler, I was setting up a ring for CCW in Mitchell
if i can give ya any info on who's coming and going for signings before it's announced, i'll pm it over to you.
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Post by The Brain on Sept 2, 2024 11:53:20 GMT -5
Love Lawler's autograph. One of the best
Glad to see he's out and about
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Post by TheChamp617 on Sept 3, 2024 12:47:22 GMT -5
Lawler is a big legend. Good stuff Thanks for reading! Wow! Is that record an original pressing? I've never seen it before. Glad Lawler shaved his goatee. He was looking like Bill Watts for a bit. As always, great read. Lawler has great penmanship. Thanks! Based on the look and feel of the record, it seems like a modern pressing. Can't seem to find much info on it. small world, my trainer actually set up the ring for that greektown event. i almost went. i'll be at their next london event though. also, the same day you met Lawler, I was setting up a ring for CCW in Mitchell if i can give ya any info on who's coming and going for signings before it's announced, i'll pm it over to you. I'd appreciate that! Hopefully our paths cross in the future too. Love Lawler's autograph. One of the best Glad to see he's out and about He definitely has a great autograph. It seems to have changed since his stroke but it's a better autograph than what a lot of wrestlers give regardless.
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Sept 14, 2024 21:12:03 GMT -5
Lawler is a big legend. Good stuff Thanks for reading! Wow! Is that record an original pressing? I've never seen it before. Glad Lawler shaved his goatee. He was looking like Bill Watts for a bit. As always, great read. Lawler has great penmanship. Thanks! Based on the look and feel of the record, it seems like a modern pressing. Can't seem to find much info on it. small world, my trainer actually set up the ring for that greektown event. i almost went. i'll be at their next london event though. also, the same day you met Lawler, I was setting up a ring for CCW in Mitchell if i can give ya any info on who's coming and going for signings before it's announced, i'll pm it over to you. I'd appreciate that! Hopefully our paths cross in the future too. Love Lawler's autograph. One of the best Glad to see he's out and about He definitely has a great autograph. It seems to have changed since his stroke but it's a better autograph than what a lot of wrestlers give regardless. Keep em coming!
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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 17, 2024 11:59:58 GMT -5
Great report from Jerry. It's nice to see he was able to recover from the stroke and get back out to meet fans. His book has a detailed spot about his autograph show habits to ensure that fans get the best experience in the amount of time he's scheduled.
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Sept 19, 2024 20:31:02 GMT -5
Great report from Jerry. It's nice to see he was able to recover from the stroke and get back out to meet fans. His book has a detailed spot about his autograph show habits to ensure that fans get the best experience in the amount of time he's scheduled. Gotta give em big respect for going back out there so soon 💯
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