I took out his name because I do or don’t know if he wants me to share his story. I was very touched by it and shared it with Mike Quackenbush. These are the reasons that make indie wrestling great. I really do love what I do...
Mr. Cabana,
First off, I want to let you know that I love the podcast. I will try to keep this short. I don't normally do the "writing people who don't know me" thing, but I really wanted to share this with you.
I've been a wrestling fan since I was 6 years old. My Grandfather got me into it, and I quickly became hooked for life. I'm now 28, married with a wonderful stepson, daughter, and another on the way. My stepson (who is 11, we met when he was 6) and I get along well, but we've lacked the bond my daughter and I have. We've never really had a "thing" that we shared between just the two of us. Our interests a rather different. However, he has been watching wrestling with me more and more the past few months. I try not to push my interests on him too much, but I suggested we go to National Pro Wrestling Day, just the two of us. He was a little apprehensive because he's only familiar with some of the WWE guys and didn't know anybody on the card. However, after I assured him that there were plenty of great wrestlers on this card, he decided he wanted to go.
We went for the afternoon card, as we live an hour and a half away in northern New Jersey, and I didn't want to keep him out super late by attending the evening card. We couldn't have had a better time. We sat in the third row. He was chanting and yelling for everybody. I bought him a mask. When the final match of the afternoon was starting he asked me how many matches were left. I told him this was the last one. He asked me, "Can't there be two more?" He didn't want it to end.
I write to you because the one match he didn't chant or yell during was your match with Mike Quackenbush. I absolutely loved it, but he was quiet (but observant) throughout the match. It was a different style of match than he's used to seeing, so I just figured maybe this one wasn't his thing.
As we drove away from the armory, I asked him what his favorite match was. He thought for a moment and said, "Well Chiva Kid's double backflip (I later told him its called a moonsault) was awesome, but I think my favorite match was the guy with the black and yellow pants against the bigger guy who got the award afterwards. You know, when they were both pinned and kept putting their arms up and then the ref yelled at them." I was a little surprised by this, only because he was so quiet during the match. I asked him why he was quiet and he replied, "I just couldn't stop watching it to yell anything, I guess." He also loved the spot when Quackenbush tripped you after throwing you to the ropes, and then went to do it again, and you just walked away all cool (which happened right on our side).
My favorite part of the day was when I put the kids to bed that night, and I went into his room to thank him for coming with me. He gave me one of the bigger and tighter hugs he's ever given me, told me he had such an awesome time and thanked me for taking him. I told him I love him, something he doesn't always respond to, (and when he does it tends to be mumbled or said quietly), he said it back to me louder and clearer than he ever has.
This may sound dramatic or whatever, but I can't tell you what it means to me to finally have a connection with him like that. Especially because wrestling has always been this huge, but weird, part of my life. I've love it since I was a kid. I was made fun of for liking it in Middle School. In High School it was the same, so I just stopped talking about it. It became this weird thing that I loved so much but was too embarrassed to share with anybody (except for my one cousin) for fear of being shit on. Two years ago or so I realized, "Hey, I'm a grown-ass man. I don't need to be embarrassed by anything anymore." Since then I've proudly worn my fandom on my sleeve.
I'm sorry this got so long, but this whole thing just amazed me. The speech you gave really summed it up, and echoed the same feelings I realized later than I should've: we should be proud of this. This is a great community. This is a wonderful thing that we all love. That we are all passionate about. That we all take shit for. There's nobody else who can do what you guys do. And it's just amazing to me that this wonderful thing that I've loved all my life has helped form the bond I've been looking for between my stepson and I.
So thank you, Colt. And I would love to thank Mike Quackenbush as well. You and Mr. Quackenbush are two of my stepson's favorite wrestlers now (and two of mine as well). And even more importantly to me, you both were my stepson's favorite part of one of my favorite days I've ever had. We are most definitely going to come see you wrestle when you are next in our area.
I wish you the best of luck in everything. Take care, and thank you again.
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