Wrestler Run-Ins

m. inferno

From the "Virgilbag"

Ryan's Story: "About four or five years ago, I was walking around the mall with my girlfriend. There happened to be a card show and random tables filled with sports memorabilia, which I was aimlessly browsing through. Out of the blue, she says, "Look! It's Bobby Lashley!" She knew who most of the popular wrestlers were mainly because of me and my love of professional wrestling. I turned around IMMEDIATELY, not to see Bobby Lashley, but instead... VIRGIL!

I walked over to his table, which had a huge sign that read MEET WRESTLING SUPERSTAR VIRGIL. Again, it was probably 2007. Not exactly Virgil's heyday—if he ever really had one. I've always been a huge wrestling fan, so I was pretty pumped to go talk to one of four men to ever hold the Million Dollar Championship, and judging by the empty table he was sitting at, thought he could use some company. I ended up shooting the ? with him for almost 45 minutes, all while he tried telling me some serious ? , like the time he won the Intercontinental Title (never happened); how he trained Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (ya kidding me?); and how he made over $15 million during his time in the WWF (VERY doubtful).

? aside, Virgil seemed like a genuinely nice guy, and hooked me up with a free autographed picture (of himself, Ted DiBiase, and Andre the Giant), probably for giving him something to do for 45 minutes. He signed it: "To Ryan, BE COOL! Virgil."





John's story "I was working for a TV station as a camerman in Upstate NY about 12 years ago when ECW came through and we went down to the arena to do some interviews. We talked to a couple wrestlers who you could tell had taken their fair share of head shots. Well I turned around and there is New Jack, who is quite the intimidating figure, especially when you're 20 years old. He was a nice guy though. He was just standing there holding a fork and my reporter asked him if that was for his supper and he goes "No, I plan on stabbing somebody with it tonight." (Sure enough he did later at the show. He jabbed it right into the top of a dude's head). As we were leaving he called me over and goes "Why don't black guys play hockey?" I had no idea what to say or how to act since New Jack is African-American and I wasn't sure if it was a joke or a serious question, and I really didn't feel like ? off the guy who still was holding the fork he planned on using as a weapon later. So I said "Uhhhhhh, I....don't know" and he goes "Cuz we can't fight on skates!" and starts laughing his ass off. I didn't really know what to do do I just stammered out a "Ha...ha that's...funny" and took off to find my reporter."

dalyricalbandit

Chi-Town Bully

It got to be more with that virgil picture, had the event started yet or had it ended. It's just too empty in that place

Trollio

wouldnt want to be one of his kids

m. inferno

Calvin, " When you think of terrible wrestling gimmicks from the 1990's Doink the Clown is going to be on everyone's list. I used to shoot photography for a couple independent organizations and one in particular LOVED bringing in Doink the Clown. The owner would always say "That guy's a ? goof, but he still draws, man. I'd take him over any of those other spoiled ring ? ."

I was back in the locker room going over the spots with the guys so that I'd know where to catch the best photo and when it came time to map out Doink's match, he would keep getting up and leaving for 10 minutes. After returning a third time, without being asked, Doink just says "HOLY ? BOYS. I have the ? tonight." The guy he was to square off with asked him about the match finish and Doink could only shout "We'll just go with the usual spots. I ... I don't ..." as he darted for the restroom once again.

His match was allotted 15 minutes for in-ring work and post-match celebrations with the kids who are ringside. Doink's music hits and he makes his way down to the ring, doing his usual schtick with the 40 or so fans who bothered to show up that night. The bell rang and the match began. Barely two minutes later Doink pulls the ref and the other wrestler in close, says something, then falls on the other guy for the three count. It looked both wrestlers just dropped dead, no one had any idea what was going on. As soon as the match was over, Doink jumped up and darted for the bathroom.

In this particular gym, once you made it past the barricade, there was nothing separating you from the crowd. As Doink was holding his ass cheeks together, a kid around the age of 10 was on an intercept course with a program and a pen in his hand, seeking an autograph. Well there would be no time for that because when a clown has to ? , a clown has to ? . As the kid started holding out the program, Doink smashed him straight to the ground. He gave that kid a Heisman pose that Ed Smith himself would have been proud of. Not knowing his night long battle with the runs, to everyone else it just looked like Doink the Clown beat down a small kid because he asked for an autograph.

Doink would emerge from the dumper to fans booing him. He walked over to the promoter and said "I need my check, I'm out of here, I've got the ? something fierce."

m. inferno

Another Virgil story: RUSS- My fiancée and I were at the New Jersey State Fair. Virgil had somehow gotten a table right by the entrance, so there was no way you couldn't notice him. I go up to Virgil's table and he says "you must know who I am."

My fiancée doesn't, so I ask her if she remembers the Million Dollar Man. "Yes!" she says. "Is this him?" "No, this is his bodyguard."

Virgil then puts his arm around Cindy and says "I go by Sweet Black now." Awkwardly, I ask how much for a picture. He says it's $15. I tell him I have to go to the ATM, and never come back.

m. inferno

Another Virgil story from MATT - "I work at a 7-Eleven. Its not glamorous but it pays my bills. Who should I see walking in one day but Virgil. Being a lifelong wrestling fan I knew it was him but decided to play it a little coy in asking, saying "Don't I know you from somewhere?" Of couce he gave a small list of his accomplishments (mentioning a Wrestlemania and a few other things I can't remember unrelated to wrestling) and I said I had a feeling it was him. Unknowing what I was getting myself into. He went on for 30 minutes running down Vince and Linda to me, saying he would get into fights with them all the time. Real physical altercations. He then asks me if I'm looking for a job. I basically say "Yes, I'm looking to move on with a better career." He then proceeds to give me career advice by telling me to go work for WWE's shopzone webstore. Saying he knows the guys who work there making $180,000 a year and only work 3 or 4 days a week at most. So he basically went from saying he used to beat the ? out of the owner of a company and his wife to saying that I should go work for them. After he finished going on and on and on, he bought a slurpee and about $50 in lottery tickets."

m. inferno

SHAWN MICHAELS RUN IN


" Growing up in San Antonio, Shawn Michaels was always one of my favorite wrestlers. Even when he "turned heel" and kicked his then tag-partner through a glass window, I always liked him. He was from my town, I had to right?

What a ? dammed ? he is/was/continues to be.

My first realization of his true colors was when I was 9 or 10: at the time my mom ran a bar, and I would go play pool and darts and do other stuff that a 10 year old might do in a bar (e.g. cause trouble). So one day I'm just playing darts, and Shawn Michaels comes into the bar! I immediately recognize him and tell my mom, "Hey that's my favorite wrestler! In your bar! That's so cool! does he come here all the time? Do you know him? Can I meet him?, etc" , just typical prr-pubescent stuff you might expect from a kid.

Well it turns out he was there to meet one of my mom's "regulars". They had apparently gone to high school together and were meeting up for a drink. As it turns out, the guy he met (let's call him 'Dave') was actually a family friend. So when 'Dave' got there to meet Shawn Michaels, he called me over to introduce me! Awesome! This is my big moment. The following is the basic dialogue that took all of about 30 seconds:

"Hey you're Shawn Michaels. You're my favorite wrestler."
"That's my wrestling name. Not my real name."
"Can I get your autograph?"
"If I sign 'Shawn Michaels' I have to charge you $10."
"I don't have $10. This is my mom's bar."
"Am I supposed to be impressed or something? Leave me alone, KID" (Heavy on the KID)

At this point I'm crushed, humiliated, and confused. I walk away with my tail in my legs not really realizing what all just happened, just that I didn't get my autograph, and Shawn Michaels was a big ? .

Many years later, when I got my first job, a friend of mine had a run-in with him also.

We were both (at the time) working at Whataburger. I was at a different store than my friend, but we both worked at the same place. We would frequently hang out, and being young, we would often talk about customers, experiences, or generalities of the job working at Whataburger. he told me the following story, that after my personal experience, I have no problem believing:

My friend was working the drive-thru at Whataburger when Shawn Michaels comes through and orders. When he gets to the window, my friend recognizes him and acknowledges that he realizes Shawn Michaels is in the drive-thru, (maybe he was gushing. I don't know, I wasn't there) but when he says "You're Shawn Michaels" I guess the other people in the store heard him, and came to see him at the window.

Well I guess this was the WRONG thing to do (dude, you're in your HOMETOWN, and you're at WHATABURGER and you're surprised people notice you?!?!) because he tells my friend "This is ? . Don't you need to make my food? I want to see your manager".

So my friend, who at this point, has barely taken his order is kind of like "WTF?".

So he gets his manager and Shawn Michaels proceeds to berate the entire staff to the manager: "All these kids are ? off, they're not working, I've had to wait 10 minutes for my food, I shouldn't have to deal with this ? , I'm just a normal guy, blah blah blah".

He then suggests to the manager that he should get his food for free for all the hassle. The manager basically says, no, there hasn't been a hassle and there hasn't been anything wrong with his order. So my friend by this time, has his order ready to go and is standing behind his manager while Shawn Michaels continues to scream. He steps from behind, so that Shawn can see his food is ready and he says something like "It's about ? time." Well my friend, (now growing tired of his ? I'm sure) says something like "you're a ? " and Shawn just stares at him and makes a motion with his hand to 'come-here' and says "I'm a celebrity and you work at Whataburger. Give me my food." and takes off.
"

m. inferno

Chi-Town Bully wrote: »

It got to be more with that virgil picture, had the event started yet or had it ended. It's just too empty in that place

ANOTHER VIRGIL STORY: "I used to work in the Toms River Mall for a few years. Sometimes they would have card collector conventions and what not in the middle of the mall. Virgil always showed up for these, although he was sans table. He would just walk around with a handful of photos and hope someone would recognize him so he could sell him a picture. The first two times I saw him I didn't think anything weird of it, as it was baseball cards the first time and the second time it included guys selling wrestling vhs tapes. But the third time I saw him in the mall, the mall was basically having a big flea market. The fourth time though was the kicker. Everyone was selling Beanie Babies, and there was Virgil, randomly walking around with his photos and a camera. I knew enough never to bother him, just because of that desperate look in his eyes."

Trollio

lmao at sweet black

how about washed up even when u was on tv

Trollio

jeffrey the butler>>>virgil the bodyguard

Co_Town_Michael

Saying Virgil sounds like a ? ass ? in real life, would be an understatement.

m. inferno

Kurt:

Around 1999 I worked at the Home Depot in Holiday,FL. While working in the garden center, I noticed a giant looking at flowers. His stature and scraggly hair piqued my interest, so I decided to provide excellent customer service and see if he needed any help. As I got closer, I noticed his tattoos and realized that the giant with the unkempt mane was none other than the Undertaker. I asked him if he needed help and he mumbled something under his hair and that was my cue to leave him alone and stalk him through the racking like a jungle cat. I watched him pick out flowers and then go inside to compare light bulbs. There was something so strange about watching the Undertaker shop for housewares. Usually when you see stars out of their element, they tone their shtick down a little bit. Not the Undertaker. He was just as creepy and strange looking at hibiscus trees as he was lurking into the ring.

m. inferno

Marc:


This past spring, I went to a Comic Book show in Calgary. I always wear a New York Yankees hat, and I take alot of flack for it, and that Saturday morning I heard "Hey Yankees!"

I look over to my right... And there, behind a table, sat Virgil. I was BLOWN AWAY! Virgil was talking to me! Holy ? ! I begin to walk over thinking "Holy ? , Virgil wants to talk to me". As soon as I get to his table, without skipping a beat, Virgil puts the "Money Dollar Belt" on my arm, and shouts at my brother, "Yo homie, take a picture!" My brother snaps a picture of this, and then, without hesitation, Virgil grabs an 8 x 10, and signs it for me, and then says "50 dollars little homie". I had no desire to pay the man 50 bucks. I got hustled BIG TIME by Virgil.

At the time, I was upset, then I realized... "This guy is at a Comic Expo on a Saturday morning charging 50 bucks for a picture and an autograph... I think he needs it more than me".

I paid the man, and it was awkward when I walked past him for the rest of the weekend.

m. inferno

Anthony:


Two years ago, when Siren Music Festival was still on Coney Island, my roommate Golden and I were drunkenly walking the boardwalk when he pointed out "some wrestler" sitting at a card table alone. It was Virgil, with the now standard misspelled sign and stack of glossy Million Dollar Man 8x10's. Being a recovering wrestling nerd, I briskly walk up to the table, and shake his hand, telling him how much I loved watching him and DiBiase in my youth (I'm 29 now, but Money Inc will forever be a canonical Tag Team). Virgil comes off as bored yet appreciative, and asks if I'd like to purchase a signed autograph. Knowing the limits of my fandom/wallet, I tell him that I sadly have no money, but it's nice to meet him.

Golden, who is quite stoned, excitedly tells me to stand closer for a picture, but I stop him (a non-wrestling fan) and explain that this is Virgil's job, and I don't want to be a ? and scam a free photo-op. As Virgil thanks me for being considerate, Golden laughs and says "Who ? cares, it's only Virgil", and starts taking pictures of the interaction. Virgil (whose upper teeth consist of a single dental plate) rises, and starts berating my roommate, threatening to throw him in the ocean, and suggesting that "nobody would look because (he) knows people in high places" and "has hung out in Vegas with Mayor Bloomberg."

I look on in shock, while Golden taunts Virgil for another 90 seconds, closes with "Whatever, Virgil", and then continues wandering towards the Nathan's for another round of giant beers.

m. inferno

Kevin:


WCW was promoting an event in Buffalo and had Shane Douglas and Torrie Wilson signing autographs at a Tops Supermarket in Cheektowaga, NY. This was prior to a matchup which would pit Douglas against Buff Bagwell at their next PPV. My brother and I went to get autographs, and my brother (who was 13 at the time) asked Douglas how they decided who won matches. Douglas replies "whoever is the best looking wrestler". He made the mistake of saying then, "so Buff Bagwell is going to win the match then?"

With a smirk, Douglas replied, "You think he's cute, huh?"

My brother didn't talk for the rest of the day.

m. inferno

Back in the heyday of Attitude-era WWF, a local promoter set up a wrestling event at the UAW hall in our town. The event was to feature among others, WWF Superstars ? Foley, Al Snow and The New Age Outlaws. At the time, it was a pretty big deal for our little slab of Midwestern middle-of-nowhere.

The day of the show, a local record store owner buddy of mine set up a meet-and-greet with Al Snow and The Road Dogg Jesse James. Both guys turned out to be really cool, taking a ton of pictures, signing autographs and putting up with the small town mongoloids that still thought wrestling was real.

After a few hours Al Snow had to leave, but the Road Dogg decided to stick around and ended up staying until the store closed for the day. My record store buddy had a pseudo-mancave in the basement, so when the door was locked, six of us (including the Road Dogg) headed downstairs. The next two hours were spent drinking beers, smoking some home grown and playing Mortal Kombat. Over that time, I didn't keep an exact tally, but I'd be comfortable saying the Road Dogg had close to ten beers and two giant hits on a Half Baked-sized blunt. Mind you, this was all less than two hours before he was scheduled to wrestle in a tag team extravaganza at the UAW hall.

Eventually, the Road Dog had to leave for the UAW hall, but found himself without a ride. I was going that way, so I offered him a lift, which lead to this gem in the car…

Me: "So, being a pro-wrestler must be pretty badass."
RD: "Ehhh…it beats the ? out of diggin' ditches."

The Road Dogg went on to wrestle that night and didn't miss a beat, which leads me to believe that every Monday night on Raw, that dude was totally ? bombed.

m. inferno

My dad had received press passes for the Cleveland Sports Card Convention sometime in the early 2000's, so I decided to go one summer afternoon with my dad and my friend, also a big WWF fan. We headed down to the press area, off limits to the public, where the sports celebrities hang out before they begin their signings. Immediately as I walk down the stairs, I almost literally, run into Muhammad Ali. We are all pretty much speechless for a few seconds seeing the boxing legend. My dad exchanges a few, brief words with Ali and I shake his hand.

My dad is ready to grab a picture with me and Ali when out of the corner of my eye, I see Virgil. Remember, I was an insane WWF fan. I immediately RAN away from Ali to meet Virgil. In my 12-yr-old eyes, he was FAR more important than Ali. I approach Virgil as he is in the process of hitting on some small Asian woman doing some paperwork. I'm starstruck and nervously ask for his autograph. He grunts and steals a piece of paper from the Asian woman to sign. He never looked at me once during our interaction and was repeatedly asking the woman for her number. She ignored him the entire time and just nervously laughed, looking very uncomfortable. I left with a plain, white piece of paper with "Virgil," barely legible and poorly written sideways, thinking it was the greatest thing I ever received. Ali was gone by the time I got back as my dad was puzzled as to why I fled. I passed up an opportunity to meet the greatest boxing champion of all time to meet Ted DiBiase's slave. I am not an intelligent person.

m. inferno

Steve:


I was working a show in Chattanooga, Tenn, that featured many former superstars and some up-and-coming ones as well. On this card was "Grandmaster Sexay" Brian Christopher (Lawler...yes, Jerry's kid). After the match (he won of course, being a former WWF Superstar/Tag Team Champion has it's perks...) he did his usual post match dance schtick. He brought a young boy who had an obvious mental handicap of
some sort up into the ring with him, placed his goggles (those "used to be in-style with morons" ski goggles from the '90s) on the boy's head and did the dance with him.

After the show, the family stopped me and thanked me and asked that I pass on their thanks to Brian for making their son's night a treat. The son still had the goggles on his head and a beaming smile that was
pure joy and awesomeness. So I run backstage and pass the message on to Brian. What I heard in response still shocks me to this day.

"Hey, go get those goggles back. Those things were like, $50 and I have to have them back. I don't care if you rip them off his ? head, go get them now!"

What I did was I asked the family if they would like to meet Brian Christopher, had them wait outside the locker room, and told Brian, "? , they're outside the door. You want the damned goggles back so much, you get them." And proceeded to wave the family in the room, leaving him and the kid.

When the family came out, the kid was sans goggles.