When I started up in concert photography, I didn’t think I would get to cover other media events. One of the best non-concert gigs I got to take part in was the Wrestlemania 29 press conference in March 2012. When my media partner asked me if I wanted to go, my response was a resounding FUCK YES! I’ve been a wrestling fan since I was a young girl; I was insulted he even had to ask.
When I got to Radio City Music Hall, there was a greeting line that I wasn’t expecting. I was supposed to be there as a media professional, but, I won’t lie. The little fangirl in me was giddy and star-struck.
The first person in the lineup was Big Show. I almost fainted – I have never been in the presence of someone so HUGE before. Nor have I ever felt every bit of my 5’2″ as much as I did right then. I reached out to shake his hand. It was thick, smooth, gigantic and gentle. To think how those hands have tossed grown men across a ring, and here was was holding my tiny little hand was almost surreal.
Next were the Bella Twins. I was blown away by how beautiful, petite and perfect they were in person. The two of them together were the size of my leg lol. I have never felt EVERY BIT of my 5’2″ as I did next to them. They were charming and graceful and even though they don’t look 1000000% alike, they look alike enough to make it a teeny bit uncomfortable.
Next was Mark Henry, who gave me a great big hug. It was like hugging a teddy bear that smelled like the pages of GQ, who could also throw me clear across the room with his pinky. This guy is a powerlifter, strongman, and Olympian. I felt like a flea next to him.
By the time I made it to The Great Khali, I was beginning to realize that I was probably not supposed to be gushing over everyone as I walked in. There was a line of media behind me cracking up and pointing at me to get back behind the media line. OOPS. (I did manage to shake his mitt, which was even bigger than Big Show’s. This guy’s shits are probably 5’2″!)
The press conference itself was a total shit show. It was chaotic, then boring, then funny and it just seemed to go on forever. It wasn’t like we were an audience of fans, although we WERE. One moment that stood out, a fairly new-to-the-roster wrestler named Fandango made his media debut, came out dancing with a babe. You could tell he was really into it because he had a HUGE boner. Did he know he had a boner? This dance went on forever – was he trying to dance it away? We were all cracking up in the audience. It was truly a highlight.
After the show
After the actual presser was the media junket in the lounge level. This is where media outlets have one-on-one interviews with the wrestlers and the photographers get to paparazzi the stars. There was food, there was an open bar, and there were reporters and wrestlers everywhere. Being an actual professional organization, I was not surprised this was a very well planned event. Down to the minute, there were people from WWE making sure everything was running as smoothly as possible.
To spare you the minute by minute, I’ll get to my favorite part which involves CM Punk. At this point in WWE canon, he and Daniel Bryan(who was actually NOT at this press conference, to my dismay) were my two favorite wrestlers. In the photo line, we were instructed to take our pictures and not interact with the wrestlers, other than to give them direction. I didn’t know who would be coming through the line. It turned out to be Big Show, Henry, Rock, Punk and Cena.
When Punk came to the marquee, the ultimate swoon of my life happened: he noticed my shoes. MY!!! SHOES!!! Which happened to be my favorite, as well…my red Converse oxfords. “I like your shoes,” he said, trying to stay stoic and in character. MY HEART LEAPED OUT OF MY CHEST WHEN I LOOKED DOWN AND HE’S WIGGLING HIS GODDAMN FOOT AT ME, WEARING THE SAME FUCKING SHOES. “I like yours, too,” I said, with biggest smile on my face. I thought I had been shot into outer space.
He talked to none of the guys in the line but he noticed ME. I took that as an opportunity to ask him something I always wondered while watching him wrestle on TV. “Aren’t you afraid that someone is going to accidentally (or intentionally) pull out your lip ring?” “They know better,” he said, “and they’re in for a world of hurt if they touch my face.” Or something to that effect. I stopped listening because I was lost in the my thoughts of throwing a *Kazakh marriage sack over him and taking him home.
The junket ended a few minutes later when we were escorted to a cordoned off area across the street from Radio City. Once we were all crammed in, all the stars of Wrestlemania 29 appeared on top of the famous Radio City marquee, waving to crowd of fans below, who were about to be escorted inside for their meet and greet event.
If only for that CM Punk moment, I will never forget this day. Out of all the special moments I have had as a concert photographer, this was the gig of my dreams. You can watch the entire presser up there!
