Monday, March 25, 2024

Remembering The Time I Hung Out With Ron Simmons...Professional Wrestler


My son and his friends have become...

Pro wrestling fans.

I'm not concerned, in fact, I think it's a fun sport to follow. There's interesting stories, personalities, and they've been entertaining crowds for centuries. I have little connection to wrestling, professional or otherwise. Back in ancient times, when there were only three channels on TV, and as a kid you watched whatever they put on, my brother and I watched professional wrestling. It was fun. We'd watch The Iron Sheik, Rick Flair, Baron Von Raschke "The Claw" (who is still alive...), non-wrestler Gene Okerlund, so many others. It was fun, mostly harmless entertainment.

I don't watch pro wrestling anymore, but from the snippets I've seen, the modern version is like the wrestling I used to watch but on steroids (sorry...). It's high-flying, loud, flashy, and to say it's over-the-top is an understatement.

My son said he and his friend get together on-line and watch Wrestle-Mania. I told him at a comic con years ago I hung out with a professional wrestler. Today I dug up the pictures and showed him. He didn't know Ron Simmons--I could say the same thing when I met him in 2015--but he's going to see if his friend recognizes the name.

I blogged about the experience back in 2015. If you'd like to read that post, click: HERE. Ron was such a nice man. I spent most of the three days just sitting and talking to him. The fans who recognized him were so grateful he came. I also got to know his handler, Rodger. That guy was a character, too. 

I wonder if, in the coming days and years, my son will have the opportunity to meet some of the athletes and performers he's fallowing now. I'd like to think so. If his experience is anything like mine, it'll be a good one.

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