Pumped up fans packed the Windsor Star News Cafe Saturday to catch a rare up-close glimpse of WWE superstar Dolph Ziggler.
For dedicated fans Edward O’Brien and his cousin Chris Sholomiski – who lined up to see Ziggler at 9:30 p.m. Friday – waiting more than 12 hours on the cafe’s downtown steps before the doors opened to the event was well worth it because they were able to get dibs on front-row seats.
“We were watching Smackdown last night, and we were like you know what, this is boring, so we came here,” said Sholomiski before Ziggler arrived Saturday. The two said they packed snacks to make it through the night and made conversation with the building’s security guard as he made his rounds throughout the night.
“He’s just a great wrestler, a great athlete and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see him,” said O’Brien. “We’re feeling kind of overtired, but excited. And we can’t wait for tonight’s show.”
The news cafe’s appearance was in advance of Ziggler’s Windsor debut at Saturday night’s card at the WFCU Centre, which was to feature several other wrestling megastars as well.
O’Brien, now 36, said he’s been a WWE fan since he was eight, and Sholomiski said he’s enjoyed watching wrestling since he was three, so they can relate to the dozens of kids who turned out to see Ziggler.
The event attracted about 100 people to the news cafe and there were cheers, applause and whistles from the boisterous crowd as The Windsor Star’s Don McArthur held a sit-down interview with the two-time former heavyweight champion.
“He’s a cool guy – down to earth,” said Max Ouellette, 13, who attended with his father, Larry.
Ouellette said he’s been a fan for about three years, but Larry said it’s been engrained in him since even before he was born.
“He was in his mother’s womb as she screamed at the TV watching WWE,” said Larry. “And even his grandmother is a big fan.”
The two had set a goal for Ziggler’s appearance – to get his autograph on a photo Ouellette shot of Ziggler last year as he faced off against CM Punk in London.
“We were in the front row and when Punk came out Max said to him ‘I want your shirt,’ and he said ‘OK, well I want your hat,’ so he gave him his Red Wings hat and he wore it in the ring,” said Larry. “So then my son took a picture of Punk wearing his hat across from Dolph, and then he got Punk’s autograph, but wasn’t able to get Dolph’s.”
Ouellette was smiling ear to ear following the appearance – after finally getting the chance have Ziggler autograph the photo.
“It’s really exciting. I’m a really big fan,” said Ouellette. “I think he liked the photo, too. He said it was really cool.”
Ouellette was dripping in Ziggler memorabilia – a T-shirt, necklace, and with him he brought along a poster, his photo and a doorknob hanging sign.
“Dolph is a show-off and so is my son,” said Larry with a laugh, holding up his son’s necklace with the world “Show Off” written on it – which is one of Dolph’s catch phrases.
Larry said he and his son often travel to catch WWE events throughout Canada and the U.S.
“We go all over, like we’ve been to Florida, London, Detroit, and we meet a tonne of the wrestlers,” said Larry. “So we travel a lot to see the stars, and it’s fun, but we like it when the stars travel to see us.”
And other local fans who attended Saturday said they couldn’t agree more.
“They should do a lot more things like this in Windsor,” said Audrey Main, who brought her sons Jordan Kennedy, 10, and Aaaron, 18, to see Ziggler.
“It lets them see the actual wrestler is real and this is an experience they may never have.”
Main said seeing Ziggler has been all her sons have been talking about lately – both to-the-moon ecstatic to get up-close and personal with the wrestling star.
“The little guy freaked out when they saw that Dolph was coming in The Windsor Star, and he put it right up on the fridge so I would know that we had to come,” said Main. “And then we freaked him out today because we didn’t tell him until today that we’re going to tonight’s event.”
Both Jordan and Aaron said they’ve been WWE fans since they were toddlers and it’s a passion that they’ve grown to love together.
“It’s kind of awesome. I just like the way he acts,” said Jordan about seeing Ziggler.
“I think it’s great to see a big name in Windsor like this because we haven’t had something big like WWE like this here,” said Aaron. “I’m pretty pumped.”
WWE wrestling star, Dolph Ziggler, arrives at the Windsor Star News Cafe for an interview and to answer questions from fans, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
Fans wait to ask questions for WWE wrestling star, Dolph Ziggler, as he visits the Windsor Star News Cafe, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
WWE wrestling star, Dolph Ziggler, answers questions from the fans as he visits the Windsor Star News Cafe, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
WWE wrestling star Dolph Ziggler, laughs during a Q&A with fans at the Windsor Star News Cafe, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
Dolph Ziggler, right, answers a question posed by The Windsor Star’s Don McArthur, left, during the WWE star’s visit at the Windsor Star News Cafe, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
Edward O’Brien holds up a replica of the Intercontinental Heavyweight Wrestling Championship belt as a group of fans wait outside the Windsor Star News Cafe to see WWE star Dolph Ziggler, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
WWE wrestling star, Dolph Ziggler, answers questions from crowd as he visits the Windsor Star News Cafe, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. The Windsor Star’s Don McArthur, left, moderated the event. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
WWE wrestling star, Dolph Ziggler, right, signs autographs for fans after being interviewed at the Windsor Star News Cafe, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
