It's been almost 2 years since I have been in the US of A - Mind, Body and soul. I LOVE it. But it surely is gonna take me much more than that to get used to certain terminologies here. March madness, for one! Before I could type the next line, I did google the term to ensure I don't goof up the game. I am an Indian. So I would be damned if I as much as gathered information on any sport that's not cricket! (Apologies to all the soccer.. oopss.. football fanatics who share the same birth country as your's truly!) March madness is an annual college basketball tournament in the US conducted in March (no surprises there!) But this post has absolutely nothing to do about basketball (Remember? All hail cricket!)
I have always been a late starter! So it wasn't until my college years I picked up a new interest - professional wrestling or what people usually relate to better - sports entertainment. Super athletic men with long hair and brash attitude, flexing their muscles, beating each other with chairs, putting people through tables, jumping off the ladders and boy, was I hooked! After all that's what real men do right?
I remember going to WWE RAW tour of India - 2002, in Bangalore. With the cheapest tickets a college kid could afford, I gate crashed into one of the "expensive" sections and stood sticking to the barricade for as long as the show lasted. It was a miracle, it was God sent. My wrestlers were in front of me. Ric Flair had just called Bangalore a sweaty place filled with flies. With HHH standing by his side, I wouldn't mind buzzing around for a lifetime! That very day I knew, I had to watch a MONDAY NIGHT RAW live in the US. It's just one of those things I had to do and no excuses would be acceptable.
Fast forward 12 years. I enter the US colesium in Bloomington, IL. I take a moment to look around and fight back tears. I was finally there. I was about to watch my first ever wrestling event in the US. I stood in the line to buy WWE merchandises. This was my day. I was going to let myself go, dress myself in attires that would probably leave my poor mom thinking, "Where did I go wrong with her?". With my "Hounds of Justice" t-shirt, CM-Punk wrist band and a Daniel Bryan foam finger, I was going to rule the next 3 hours of my life! (Just for the record, Dolph Ziggler, no girl has ever screamed your name so loud and for so long - no one -EVER! ) I finally got a pic of lifetime next to a steel cage. I was riding high on my dreams and no stopping me there! But it was all just getting started!
The next day, there I was, even more excited (like that was even possible). I was like this little kid, who was visiting a circus, the only difference being, my circus comprised of some really well built, occasionally spandex covered animals! I hadn't met a single person in my daily life who would admit watching WWE. I thought of all the times people rebuked me for my choice. "You know that it's all fake right?", I have been asked. Well, people, if you get your heads out of your rear ends, you'll know it's as real as a movie. Low temperatures and extreme wind wouldn't deter any one of us standing outside, maintaining a hawk's eye view of the parking lot, hoping one of our superstars would drive by!
Finally, there I was, along with close to 18000 wrestling fanatics. I looked around me, basking in the glory of what my life had unfolded, I knew I belonged there. I was so overwhelmed, border lining inebriated state!
Seeing my heroes, live and loaded, flesh, blood and bones, was an experience I am yet to sink into my blood stream! It took over a decade, but it did come true. My dream of being associated with something so special had come true.
P.S: If you don't give up on your dream, your dreams will never give up on you.
I have always been a late starter! So it wasn't until my college years I picked up a new interest - professional wrestling or what people usually relate to better - sports entertainment. Super athletic men with long hair and brash attitude, flexing their muscles, beating each other with chairs, putting people through tables, jumping off the ladders and boy, was I hooked! After all that's what real men do right?
I remember going to WWE RAW tour of India - 2002, in Bangalore. With the cheapest tickets a college kid could afford, I gate crashed into one of the "expensive" sections and stood sticking to the barricade for as long as the show lasted. It was a miracle, it was God sent. My wrestlers were in front of me. Ric Flair had just called Bangalore a sweaty place filled with flies. With HHH standing by his side, I wouldn't mind buzzing around for a lifetime! That very day I knew, I had to watch a MONDAY NIGHT RAW live in the US. It's just one of those things I had to do and no excuses would be acceptable.
Fast forward 12 years. I enter the US colesium in Bloomington, IL. I take a moment to look around and fight back tears. I was finally there. I was about to watch my first ever wrestling event in the US. I stood in the line to buy WWE merchandises. This was my day. I was going to let myself go, dress myself in attires that would probably leave my poor mom thinking, "Where did I go wrong with her?". With my "Hounds of Justice" t-shirt, CM-Punk wrist band and a Daniel Bryan foam finger, I was going to rule the next 3 hours of my life! (Just for the record, Dolph Ziggler, no girl has ever screamed your name so loud and for so long - no one -EVER! ) I finally got a pic of lifetime next to a steel cage. I was riding high on my dreams and no stopping me there! But it was all just getting started!
The next day, there I was, even more excited (like that was even possible). I was like this little kid, who was visiting a circus, the only difference being, my circus comprised of some really well built, occasionally spandex covered animals! I hadn't met a single person in my daily life who would admit watching WWE. I thought of all the times people rebuked me for my choice. "You know that it's all fake right?", I have been asked. Well, people, if you get your heads out of your rear ends, you'll know it's as real as a movie. Low temperatures and extreme wind wouldn't deter any one of us standing outside, maintaining a hawk's eye view of the parking lot, hoping one of our superstars would drive by!
Finally, there I was, along with close to 18000 wrestling fanatics. I looked around me, basking in the glory of what my life had unfolded, I knew I belonged there. I was so overwhelmed, border lining inebriated state!
Seeing my heroes, live and loaded, flesh, blood and bones, was an experience I am yet to sink into my blood stream! It took over a decade, but it did come true. My dream of being associated with something so special had come true.
P.S: If you don't give up on your dream, your dreams will never give up on you.
Surprised u were one of those WWE crazy ones ;) nice article though
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