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DREAMS DO COME TRUE

 

You hear the all too familiar guitar riff of your song, as over two hundred people all turn in their chairs to your direction, never knowing what to expect.  You pass through that curtain with either a gin or a scowl, usually the first sign for the people to cheer or boo.  As you walk down that aisle to the ring you now have the attention of those people.  You are their world. 

 

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a professional wrestler?  I did, and by rights it never should have happened!

It was a rather cold winter day in 1986; I was sick and laying on the couch when who would become my brother in law asks me if he could change the channel.  I wasn't watching anything so I said it was okay and he flipped it on to WWF from Boston .  I saw Tito Santana grabbing Randy Savage on the ring apron, lifting him up in a suplex when, WHAM, he hits Santana with something he pulled out of his tights and became the new WWF Intercontinental Champion.  I was hooked!  I would search the TV guide for when Wrestling was on and I would watch anything.  I was told by someone at school that you just had to like Hulk Hogan and that Roddy Piper was the scum of the earth.  When you are fourteen, have no real fans the world of professional wrestling was a great escape.

  

In the years that followed I got all the figures, turned my GI Joes into their own wrestling company ( the kung-fu battle grip made for great suplexes),  Bought Pay-Per-Views, Watched Saturday Nights Main Event (quivering in fear that Hulk Hogan would lose the belt), shirts, VHS tapes, God knows, if they made it I had it!  I got my brother into it too as he watched with me.  Even My mother became a Hulkamaniac!  I was asked what my dream job was and I said that I wanted to be the manager of the next WWF World Champion. 

 

Why not the champion, you may ask?  Thats simple.  I have not one athletic bone in my body.  I hated football, I couldnt hit a baseball, I couldnt ice skate, and always picked last in gym class.  In school I was the unpopular geek that no one liked, and the one all the bullies preyed upon.  I did do a couple of bowling leagues, but that still fit my profile

Lets flash to 1997 and my brother went away to school.  While he was there he made friends with some people that did live in our area and had a backyard wrestling group.  We were invited to join, and we did.  This was a good backyard group in that there was no tables, ladders, chairs, cheese graters, etc used in this group.  I was all man against man, in our own colorful characters.  It was here that I started my gimmick named Kirk Roberts, the REAL World champion  Yes it was a blatant rip off of the 1991 angle used by Ric Flair in the WWF, but even in backyard wrestling there was no originally. 

 

In 1999 our website was contacted by a local wrestler in Massachusetts , who wanted to start his own wrestling school and he was looking for guinea pigs to try it out on.  Out of all the backyard groups he contacted we were the only ones that said we wanted to listen.  We met with the trainer, explained what he wanted to do, gave us a great price, and we said yes.

 

I used to think that I knew professional wrestling.  I knew NOTHING!!! Week by week the instructors showed us the business.  Move for move, he explained why things were done a certain way, what it was like to tell a story in the ring.  He even had a match with an equipment bag, that was rather funny but he made it so that the bag was really kicking butt!  The bag went on to win, but it really told a story.

 

In March of 2000 I had my first professional wrestling match.  It was a tag team match with me and my partner, who I brought with me into the business, against our two trainers.  I was so nervous just before I walked out that curtain.  There were a good one hundred fifty people out on the bleachers and in the seats all watching that curtain waiting for me to walk out.  I did and I strutted down to the ring like I was somebody, yelling at a couple of friends that I had planted so I could make it known I was a heel.  I grabbed the microphone and I cut my very first promo.  The boos were thunderous, just what I wanted, and when my instructors came to the ring they got the cheer of the night.  As I look back on it the match itself was a train wreck, but it was a dream come true.

 

Never in a million years did I think that I would EVER get into a wrestling ring and entertain people.  It wasn't supposed to happen to someone like me, who for every step the class took I had to take three just to keep up.  But I can now say that I did something that a lot of people only wish they could ever do.  I was wrestling in a ring.  I jumped off the top rope!  I did it!

 

A  couple months later was our second show, and I started the show with a promo.  I needed to explain a future angle so the fans wouldn't be lost, and of course to get the crowd booing as possible.  I incensed the crowd but what happened next was worth more than any payday that I ever got.

 

There was a row of handicapped kids that were at the show.  They were the ones that were confined to wheel chairs, couldn't talk, move etc.  During intermission when all the wrestlers would come out to meet and greet I walked right over to them.  I shook all their hands, asked them if they were enjoying the show and thanked them all for coming.  Those who could, smiled, those that couldn't, had a gleam in their eye that was more precious to me than any money that I could have been paid.

 

From that point on I made it a point to interact with the fans.  Especially with the kids.  They are the ones that look up to you, and appreciate becoming part of the show.  At another show I was doing the old Bad guy tries to get the good guy to shake his hand so he can blind side him trick.  So I offered my hand out for a shake while my left hand was behind my back, fingers crossed.  A couple of ten year olds screamed, "Don't believe him! His fingers are crossed behind his back!

 

It was well over a year before I missed my first practice.  I was worn out.  The trip to the school was two hours each way and I needed time off.  When I came back the school was about to move to a much closer location which was great. 

Due to shyness (I know hard to believe from a guy who wears tights) I didn't have an easy time getting bookings.  Usually wherever my teacher could get me one I went.  Even in groups where he had control.  He never booked me to win, for over a year, and it was getting to me.  I know and I realize that there is no real win and no real loss in professional wrestling, but having lost as so many things that I tried, I didnt want to be a loser in fiction either.  I would go out there get the crowd in a frenzy, be one of the most memorable bad guys out there, but all I would do is make others look great.  I understood that rookies never saw a win in their first year, but I was in for three at this point and even the others in the locker room didn't understand it. 

 

I was working a television taping for a Vermont group when the person that I was working with jumped up with a leapfrog, came down right on the small of my back.  He followed with really hard forearms to the small of my back and he finished the match with a cradle that he twisted me in.  I was in terrible pain!  I had pinched a nerve on my back.  I was out for a month to rest it up and when I got back I landed on my sciatic five consecutive times.  My doctor told me that it was time to give it up. 

 

I was out of the business for about two years, longing for what was, when I got a call from a friend.  He was training a group of backyarders and he asked for my help.  I jumped at the chance and I was back!  The training went well at first, and for their shows I was a good guy manager.  Things went a bit wary when I started have conflict with my friend over our teaching styles.  In order to preserve my friendship I resigned as a trainer, and I went on the active roster for their group. 

 

One problem was that I had difficulties with the promoters booking.  It didn't make sense.  Any time that I tried to fix things it was met with resentment.  My last match was doing a masked patriotic gimmick that was over with the small crowd and the little kids that I had hold my flag.  I called that a fitting swan song to my career.

 

By this point I was so sick of all the politics of the business.  My partner found a new partner while I was hurt and was successful in Maine and I was left to my jealousies and my dreams.

 

Not too long ago I heard from another friend that I had not heard from in ages.  He had trained some kids and wanted to start a show in the north shore area in Massachusetts , and he asked me if I wanted to be a part of it.  I said Oh hell yeah and went to start anew.  Things were good for a couple shows until I had a conflict from someone that I had problems with years ago.  At this point I was yet again losing my love for being in the business.  But it's so addictive to be out there.

I went to perform in a TV taping of this group.  I had a match with my friend.  It wasn't a bad match.  It told a good story and it did what we had to do.  I don't know what happened but I re-pinched that nerve in my back and the pain was just horrible!

 

That's when I knew that it was really it.  I just had my last match.  My non-athletic body just said Enough.

 

What was different this time is that I'm okay with it. 

 

I look at my pictures, and I look at the tapes and I just realize that, I actually did this!  I was able to experience what millions of fans world wide wishes that they could do!  For that I'm grateful.  I had a fantastic run over these six years and I wouldnt trade them for the world.  The best thing is I've been offered a new role as ringside manager for this group.  Well, if anyone needs to get really booed then I'm your man to help!

 

My dream was to be a manager in the world of professional wrestling. Instead I became an actual wrestler.

 

This is my proof that dreams really do come true!!!

 

Feel free to email any comments or anything to TheJoker1701@yahoo.com