So, a little bit of a long story that ends up being relevant to this:
My best buddy from college is "kinda" in the card industry. He's just a collector, but he's the kind of guy who is always on social media and the like, and he got hooked up with some card people who are associated with local sports celebrities. I don't pay much attention to this; he's always inviting me to some Eagles or Sixers players' charity event - I always decline, but he just keeps inviting me. Like I said, he's my best buddy, lol.
He's also very big into MMA. He used to be a big boxing fan when we were younger, and now has switched to MMA as it has gained popularity. Well, a few years ago, just as Bo was getting into MMA, I told him that this guy you know nothing about is going to be a big deal in a couple of years. I told him Bo has the pedigree, plus he's got the personality that they are going to promote. So, my buddy went out and located a Bo wrestling card and got it. After a couple of MMA fights, he put one of them up on eBay - I think it was a Sports Illustrated card insert of Bo at PSU or something like that.
Well, Bo contacts him to buy the card from him, and instead of selling it to Bo, my buddy gives it to him in exchange for Bo letting my buddy's kid do a short video on Bo working out at his MMA gym. My buddy's kid was a film major and now does freelance stuff for the Sixers and was trying to build his portfolio. So they start this relationship, and my buddy hooks him up with a local guy who does artistic cards, and that's where the Bo "Immortals" card comes from. (NOTE: I was gifted a box of these from the artist when they came out to promote this, I think, but I still haven't opened it or really even looked at it, it's not really my thing. Maybe they'll be worth something someday, lol. )
So my buddy becomes the biggest Bo Nickal fan in the world, goes up to see him do his podcasts occasionally, stuff like that.
Always inviting me, but I never go. I can't see driving 8 hours round trip just to stand around for a couple of hours watching Bo and Cassar or whoever talk about stuff. And he went to see him fight up in MSG, etc.
Well, anyway, to the point of my story. Bo texts my buddy that he's going to be in the RAF, and my buddy calls me up and says we have to get tickets, his wife is still going to be in Italy with her family that weekend, we can road trip out there, this is a wrestling thing, so you'll love it, etc., etc. So, I'm thinking - yeah, this is probably something that I'd like to do, road trip out there with him, watch a little wrestling, eat a good dinner, have some drinks, maybe visit the pro football HOF on our way there or back (I've never been) or do something else cool by Lake Erie.
He wants to buy the tickets that day. Only like $250-$300 per seat, he says, and we can be right in front, it's a great deal. I'm like, WOAH, this is wrestling we're talking about. Let me check this out. Sometimes the floor seats are no good if it's on a raised mat, $300 seems pretty pricey for this event, etc., etc. He says to me, "No way, we've got to buy these tickets before Bo announces. Once he announces, all the seats are going to go right away." I start laughing and tell him he may know MMA, but he doesn't know squat about wrestling. Dan Hodge (from the grave), Dan Gable, and Cael could all announce they were singlet-ing up for this event, and they're not selling this out or even getting close. It's not NCAAs and it's not even States.
A couple of weeks ago, he called me and told me I'm right - the tickets are barely moving. I told him we'll wait until the week of to buy - if we buy at all. I'm not sure if I really want to go or if I would rather watch PSU-Nevada instead of watching this event with only a couple of hundred people in the gym (probably half of them competitors and support staff). Last time I was in that arena, Cleveland State-Binghamton had more attendance than this looks like it's going to have. And that dual probably had a lot more atmosphere in terms of fandom. Seriously. My buddy just doesn't get it.
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