Ok for anyone reading my blogs... I doubt there is many of you. I write to offer simple advice when it comes to WWE autograph sessions. I recall one rainy day in Toronto, I was outside with my brother for John Cena. It thundered, a bit of lighting but then clearned... we lucked out!
Anyway, as we were waiting in line a person behind us was getting rather impaciant, she had been in the line all day. She wasn't going to see John Cena, she was holding the spot in line for her nephew and son... problem was, it was wristband policy.
For those who have not heard of this concept, this is what it's about, as of late for autographs in Toronto you are given a wristband. If you have one and there is a number on it. You are garanteed an autograph (most of the time, I haven't had an issue yet with it) Yet if you do not, you are asked to leave the line.
This is where our story take a turn for the worst. I am all in for helping out young wrestling fans, however the young boys of this story don't seem to get a happy ending. It started when the line began to move and the woman who was waiting in line found someone's wristband on the ground. It had been torn off and left to linger (one from someone who already met John Cena)
So she thought she would put it on her nephew and no one would know the wiser. Worried that something bad was going to happen to this kid I warned the woman it wasn't a good idea. Why? All wristbands were numbered!
"Oh no problem" she said, She walked out of the line, went to the closest conveniate store and bought a marker. She wrote the next number on the tattered wristband and put it on her nephew.
Security had come by often to check the numbers on your wristbands. I warned this lady ahead of time and she insisted to me, no one was going to check... this is where a bit of Karma and Murphy's law takes effect.
Just as we were getting closer, the two boys could hardly contain their excitment as they were about to see John Cena... when security went by. They were checking numbers AND the wristband! As soon as they got to the woman who told the boys to show their number did the security guard smell something fishy, for the person behind the kids had the same number, the person behind them did not have a ripped wristband. Their were, and to add on to this, the woman who waited, tore her off to give to her son...
"You must leave the line up" he ordered them. It came to a war of words. The woman who had waited all day blew a gasket and told him they were ligit wristbands. However since she tried to make a second one for her newphew... BOTH were pulled from the line!
Sad but true, I just pass this along to any wrestling fan who may have a young child and think of this idea, and assume no one will notice. Just keep this story in mind.
SO what can you do to ensure a spot in the lineup? Here are my suggestions.
1. Get there early! I cannot express this enough, when I went to a Kane autogrpah session I was there at 9 in the morning! I was number 87! Get there early and prepare to wait.
2. bring a friend! Or a brother... I bring a brother personally, but if you have a wrestling fan that's a friend or older sibling, all the more better. Or if you just bring someone and make it worth their while later, I do that with my older brother. I usually treat him to lunch.
3. Perpare to wait! Oh man there's a lot of waiting. I waited outside for 2 hours in the rain for Kane! Yeah... I'm a 'keener' if you call it that... or just plain weird. But we were told to wait outside, so what choice do you have?
4. alliances maybe nessassary- If there are no wristbands, sometimes alliances between fellow fans would be nessassary. I have done that once, it was well worth it due to the fact there were no wristbands and only limited people would be getting signatures. Not to mention you make good friends in line ups when you are all after the same thing!
Well that's all for now, I hope this advice is useful to anyone seeking it, always be safe and have fun at the autograph session!
