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Wrestling Fans Meet Stars At Convention In Wildwood

Posted: Jul 27th 2010 By: CMBurnham

Some of the biggest names in pro wrestling met some of their biggest -- and smallest -- fans during a meet-and-greet Sunday at the Wildwood Convention Center.

Boys who were too young to have watched a dozen or so Hall of Fame wrestlers in action shook hands and posed for pictures with their hulking heroes.

"My three boys are big, big wrestling fans and I grew up watching it," said Nick Castellano, of North Cape May. The 43-year-old had his sons in tow -- Nico, 8; Mikey, 6; and Zac, 3.

Castellano introduced himself to Tito Santana, the 6-foot-2 former American Wrestling Federation champion, and asked him to pose for a picture with his sons. Santana came from behind the table and gritted his teeth for the photo, the boys holding his 1997 championship belt.

Once inside, they could meet wrestling greats like "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez; Nikolai Volkoff; Wiseguy Jimmy Cicero and his trainer Ivan Koloff; and Snitsky, who, at 6 feet 7 inches, appears tall even while seated.

The Hall of Famers sat behind tables, ready to shake outstretched hands and sell autographed photos and T-shirts. Santana, 57, even had his own action figure at his table, something he'd never imagined.

"I feel like I've been very blessed to have had the opportunities that I've had,' said Santana, who now teaches Spanish at Roxbury Middle School in Morris County.

The wrestlers said they enjoyed meet-and-greets because they can reminisce with fans about their glory days.

Thirty-two-year-old Snitsky, of Orwigsburg, Pa., said he's a fan of meet-and-greet events because his admirers can stand within arm's reach of him and ask questions.

Much of the mystique about wrestling develops because spectators at live events can only see participants from afar, walking down the entrance ramp and stepping inside the ring.

"Fans love to reminisce about when I wrestled Bruno Sammartino, and I was the first one to sell out Madison Square Garden," recalled Volkoff, 60, of Baltimore.

Gale Frey of Newfield drove to the convention center because her grandson, Michael Radziemski, 9, watches pro wrestling every chance he gets.

None of the titans who are familiar to Michael -- The Rock, Big Show and Triple H -- appeared at the event. But his grandmother brought him anyway.

To the boy, the appeal is simple: "I like to watch people wrestle," he said.

Bernie Consalvo III, a 10-year-old wrestling fan from Lyndhurst, said he enjoyed the event with his father, because "you can meet old-timers and take their advice." The two-day event served as a reunion for athletes who forged friendships beyond the ring that made many of them household names.

"Our business is like a fraternity," Santana said. "We all like each other and we competed, but once the match is over, it's over," he noted.

"I see lot of old friends I don't see much anymore on a regular basis like I used to," Volkoff said. "It's always nice to see old friends."

For Cicero, 41, of Manassas, Va., and his wife, Windra, it wasn't just about wrestling. The couple pledged to donate proceeds from T-shirt sales to Autism Speaks! on behalf of their two sons, Nicholas, 3, and Anthony, 1, who have been diagnosed with the developmental disability.

"At least I can use my profession to raise awareness and that makes me proud," Cicero said.