My first Monday at Dan's house was all about wrestling. Not just watching RAW on TV. Not just incessantly chatting all day about what who would win and who would get their asses kicked on RAW when it finally did happen. But also literally wrestling.
The bedroom that Kenny, Dan, and I shared had three mattresses. Mine was a twin size so I'm confident that it was never converted into our wrestling ring. But I can't remember whether it was Dan or Kenny had the larger mattress. But it was that larger one that we used as our ring. Actually now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure that we combined both their mattresses together to have a decent sized ring.
I remember Kenny and Dan excitedly throwing the mattresses onto the green-blue carpet and methodically taking the sheets off like a team of surgeons. I remember the laundry hamper lid with the belt looped through it that Kenny used as his World Heavyweight Title Belt. And I remember the closet that acted as the backstage from which I'd make my debut appearance from. I remember sitting there with butterflies in my chest while staring at the poster on inside of the closet door. Menacing staredown from 50 Cent, Eminem, and Dr. Dre. Fifty had his muscular arms exposed because he wasn't wearing a shirt over his bulletproof vest. My wrestlers outfit was just me being shirtless in blue jeans.
I psyched myself up while staring at that poster as Kenny's pseudo-adultlike announcer voice went on muffled outside this closet door. He introduced me as the Japanese wrestler Tajiri who happened to be WWE's only active Asian wrestler at the time. I can't remember what theme song he gave me. But it played loud. I didn't know if I should open the door myself or if someone would open it for me. I ran out to the stage and jumped on the ring and was immediately struck by nervousness and fear. Dan was on the mattress. I had to wrestle him. He was probably around 80 pounds heavier than me. He was The Big Show.
The bedroom that Kenny, Dan, and I shared had three mattresses. Mine was a twin size so I'm confident that it was never converted into our wrestling ring. But I can't remember whether it was Dan or Kenny had the larger mattress. But it was that larger one that we used as our ring. Actually now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure that we combined both their mattresses together to have a decent sized ring.
I remember Kenny and Dan excitedly throwing the mattresses onto the green-blue carpet and methodically taking the sheets off like a team of surgeons. I remember the laundry hamper lid with the belt looped through it that Kenny used as his World Heavyweight Title Belt. And I remember the closet that acted as the backstage from which I'd make my debut appearance from. I remember sitting there with butterflies in my chest while staring at the poster on inside of the closet door. Menacing staredown from 50 Cent, Eminem, and Dr. Dre. Fifty had his muscular arms exposed because he wasn't wearing a shirt over his bulletproof vest. My wrestlers outfit was just me being shirtless in blue jeans.
I psyched myself up while staring at that poster as Kenny's pseudo-adultlike announcer voice went on muffled outside this closet door. He introduced me as the Japanese wrestler Tajiri who happened to be WWE's only active Asian wrestler at the time. I can't remember what theme song he gave me. But it played loud. I didn't know if I should open the door myself or if someone would open it for me. I ran out to the stage and jumped on the ring and was immediately struck by nervousness and fear. Dan was on the mattress. I had to wrestle him. He was probably around 80 pounds heavier than me. He was The Big Show.