Tito Santana - WWE

1) Tito Santana is a former professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and many other promotions throughout his 43 year wrestling career. 

2) Tito has won a total of 26 championships in his career. His most notable title reigns include winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship 2 times and becoming a 2-time WWE Tag Team Champion, once with Ivan Putski and the other with Rick Martel.

3) In 2004, Tito Santana was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. 

Photo credit wwe.com

D: What is your favorite WWE memory?

Tito Santana: My biggest memory that will last forever is being the opening match at WrestleMania 1. That was quite an honor.

D's Follow Up: It's cool that he was the first match at WrestleMania and it's even cooler that he won the first ever match. 

J: What's your favorite match of all time?

Tito Santana: My favorite match is when I beat Greg Valentine in a cage match in Baltimore. 

J's Follow Up: The match was cool and looked painful because of being a cage match. It wasn't as bad as they are today though. The Intercontinental belt is one of my favorites.

Chad: We did some research on you before we came and we saw that you might be a Spanish teacher. Are you currently a Spanish teacher?

Tito Santana: Yes. I started out as a PE teacher for my first four years. This is my nineteenth year teaching Spanish. So this is twenty three years.

Chad: This guy right here is in 7th grade Spanish. Go ahead and start talking.

Jordan: No. I don't really know anything. I just know "What's your name."

Tito: Como te llamas? How do you finish "Como te llamas?"

Jordan: Me llamo Jordan.

Tito: Muy bien. You have no idea how important it is to be able to communicate in Spanish. You don't even have to be fluent, you just need to be able to communicate.

It was quite the honor to be able to meet the legendary Tito Santana with my family at the SSW Supershow in Kenosha on Saturday, December 28th. I have been watching Tito wrestle since I started watching wrestling around 7 years old. I would watch him year after year and I found it amazing that he wrestled in the first nine WrestleManias. 

Of course, I also loved the fact that he is a Spanish teacher for nineteen years and started out as a PE teacher like me for his first four years. I can't even imagine what I would have done knowing that Tito Santana was my teacher. 

Tito was engaging with the fans and you could hear how he grateful he was for all wrestling has given him. He even put his wrestling boots back on and won his match at the Supershow against local superstar Jeff Luxon. At 66 years old, he had the crowd chanting "You've still got it." We will remember the night we met the legendary Tito Santana.

Alexa Bliss (Take 2) - WWE

1) Alexis Kaufman is a professional wrestler in the WWE performing under the ring name Alexa Bliss. Alexa is a three-time Raw Women's Champion, two-time Smack Down Women's Champion, and 2018 Money in the Bank Winner. Alexa Bliss has remained atop the women's division since making her debut on the Smack Down roster in July 2016.

2) Alexa played multiple sports growing up. She was involved in gymnastics, softball, track, kickboxing, and also was a Division 1 cheerleader at the University of Akron in the Mid American Conference.

3) Residing in Orlando, Florida, Alexa is an avid fan of Disney World and has been making visits to see Mickey Mouse since early childhood. She is also a big fan of cosplay which inspires her Harley Quinn, The Riddler, and Supergirl themed in-ring outfits.

Photo credit / wwe.com

D: What are your favorite healthy foods?

Alexa Bliss: Brussels Sprouts are my favorite. Bananas are my favorite fruit.

D's Follow Up: My Gramma tried to give me brussels sprouts once and I didn't want to try them. I like bananas but they are not my favorite like mangoes, strawberries and blueberries.

J: Who was your favorite wrestler growing up?

AB: Trish Stratus... and also Rey Mysterio.

J's Follow Up: I love Rey Mysterio a lot because of all the awesome moves he does jumping off of the top rope. I also love all of the masks he wears.

I never really saw Trish Stratus wrestle. She is back in the WWE again and I look forward to watching her wrestle Alexa at Evolution.

It was our second time meeting WWE women's superstar Alexa Bliss as she visited the Cricket Wireless store in Harwood Heights, IL on Monday, October 8th. It was Columbus Day for the boys and I, and apparently every other WWE fan in the Chicagoland area. We arrived an hour and a half before the signing and we barely made it in to meet Alexa before the 1 pm deadline with hundreds of fans still behind us. 

Alexa was happy to sign Danny's blue Money in the Bank briefcase and she was even more thrilled to sign Jordan's Women's Money in the Bank briefcase, which is exactly like the one she won back in June at the Allstate Arena. Jordan and I were in the building the night she won the briefcase and cashed it in later in the event during the Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey championship match.

It was a long day of waiting but it was worth every minute to meet our favorite women's superstar, Alexa Bliss.

Booker T - WWE

1) Booker T is a former professional wrestler and current color commentator for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He is also the founder of Reality of Wrestling (ROW), an independent wrestling promotion in Texas City, Texas.

2) Booker T won 42 titles spanning over 23 years throughout his wrestling career. Booker was the 16th Triple Crown Champion (winner of three different championships in a single promotion) and the 9th Grand Slam Champion (winner of four different titles within a single promotion) in WWE history.

3) On April 6th, 2013, Booker T was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. 

Photo credit wwe.com

D: Who is the hardest opponent you've ever gone up against?

Booker T: Big Show...but I beat him though.

D's Follow Up: Big Show is a big man like my favorite wrestler ever, Andre the Giant. They are so big and one slam would put you out for a match. It's amazing that Booker was able to beat Big Show.

J: What's your favorite WWE memory?

Booker T: Probably going into the Hall of Fame. Going into the Hall of Fame, that was pretty cool, ya know.

J's Follow Up: That means that he's one of the best wrestlers of all time and I'm excited that he made it in to the Hall of Fame.

Chad: What is your favorite match you've ever wrestled in?

Booker T: There are too many matches to pick from. There were so many good wrestlers I went up against...Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho.

Chad: I know superstars wrestle around 300 days a year or more, so I understand it would be tough to pick a particular match over so many years. He definitely had some classic battles with Mysterio and Jericho but I will always remember Booker T most for becoming the King of the Ring in 2006 and his reigns as tag team champion with his brother Stevie Ray as the Harlem Heat in WCW.

It was an honor to be in the presence of royalty as we met the former King of the Ring and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T on Wednesday, August 8th at the Kenosha Kingfish baseball game. The baseball game turned out to be great but make no mistake, we were in attendance to meet the legendary Booker T. Thanks to sponsor Lynch Chevrolet, fans in attendance got to take a picture and get an autograph from one of the greatest wrestlers to step foot in the squared circle.

Photo credit wwe.com

Booker T spent over two hours meeting with fans of all ages. Our family loved meeting with Booker and asking him questions. We greeted him with the famous "All hail....King Booker" chant, which we've been using in our house for years, and he jumped right into character. Booker T made it feel like we were old friends and he noted that his favorite part about being a WWE superstar is meeting with fans. We are thankful to have had the opportunity to be there the night that Booker T became the King of Kenosha. All hail, King Booker!

Tyson Kidd - WWE

1) Tyson Kidd (TJ Wilson) is a retired professional wrestler for WWE who now works for WWE as a producer.

2) Tyson was the final graduate of the legendary Hart Dungeon, the famous wrestling school created by Stu Hart of the Hart Dynasty.

3) Kidd held 16 titles throughout his wrestling career, most notably winning the World Tag Team Championship (1 time) and the WWE Tag Team Championship (2 times) while in the WWE. Kidd had his career cut short due to a severe/neck spinal injury he suffered 2015. 

BONUS FACT: Tyson is married to WWE Women's Superstar and former SmackDown Women's Champion and Divas Champion, Natalya. 

D: What other sports did you play growing up other than wrestling?

Tyson Kidd: I wasn't a great skater on the ice. I played floor hockey, baseball, and badminton.

D's Follow Up: I've played all of those sports too. I love them. I like floor hockey the best. 

Photo credit / WWE.com

J: Who was your favorite wrestler growing up?

Tyson Kidd: I better say Bret Hart or I'll get in trouble (LOL) but I really liked Owen Hart too.

J's Follow Up: I liked Owen Hart too, a little more than Bret Hart. He was an amazing wrestler and so was Bret. They are two of my all time favorites.

On Saturday, June 16th and Sunday, June 17th, the Allstate Arena in Rosemont was host to two WWE pay per view events (NXT Takeover and Money in the Bank). Jordan and I were fortunate enough to catch both shows and meet former wrestler Tyson Kidd before NXT Takeover. 

Tyson Kidd (TJ) was one of our favorite wrestlers to watch, especially when teamed up with Cesaro. Kidd was a great technical wrestler, a high flyer and he and Cesaro were the perfect compliment to each other. Although his career was cut short due to injury, Tyson Kidd was able to make his mark in WWE as a superstar and was able to reach the pinnacle of the tag team division on three separate occasions. 

WWE is fortunate to have Tyson (TJ) working with them to produce shows now and although he is no longer able to compete, we are excited to know that his influence and input behind the scenes is a part of the shows we watch each week. Thank you to Tyson Kidd for taking the time to say hi and giving Jordan a fun experience he won't forget.

AJ Styles - WWE

1) AJ Styles is a professional wrestler with the WWE who is signed to the SmackDown brand show where he is the current WWE Champion (2-time).

2) AJ has wrestled all over the world including Japan, Mexico, and England and competed in over 20 wrestling promotions since making his professional wrestling debut in 1998. AJ Styles has won over 50 championships in his illustrious career. 

3) AJ Styles graduated from Johnson High School in Gainesville, Georgia in 1996 and soon after attended Anderson University in South Carolina on a partial wrestling scholarship. Styles ultimately left college to enter a professional wrestling school because his friends were trying it and he thought he may have a natural ability to compete. 

J: Did you have a favorite wrestler to watch when you were growing up?

AJ Styles: I didn't have a favorite wrestler but I did have a favorite football player. Barry Sanders.

J's Follow Up: Barry Sanders was awesome because he always did a bunch of jukes and spin moves. He was slippery. He's my third favorite running back behind Bo Jackson and Walter Payton.

D's Follow Up: That's awesome. Barry Sanders is one of the best running backs ever.

Photo credit / givemesport.com

The Allstate Arena in Rosemont recently hosted two WWE pay per view events (NXT Takeover and Money in the Bank) on Saturday, June 16th and Sunday, June 17th. We had tickets to both events but unfortunately D was too sick to attend. Jordan and I were able to bring a friend to each event in D's place and it worked out well. These two pay per view events were action packed and full of surprises and left us speechless multiple occasions.  

First up was NXT Takeover and Jordan and I were fortunate to meet the phenomenal AJ Styles the Saturday before Money in the Bank. AJ was as awesome as we had hoped and it was an unforgettable experience to meet one of the greatest wrestlers in the world. AJ is currently the WWE champion for SmackDown and he was on his way to another show in Iowa before defending his title against Shinsuke Nakamura the following night. On Sunday, we were excited to be in the building to watch AJ defeat Shinsuke in a brutal "Last Man Standing" match to retain his title and continue his reign as the top superstar on SmackDown. We hope that AJ can keep the WWE championship title around his waist for a long time to come!

The New Day - WWE

1) WWE wrestlers Big E, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston make up the pro wrestling stable known as The New Day and perform on WWE's SmackDown Brand.

2) The New Day holds the WWE record for the longest Tag Team Championship reign as they held the titles for 483 consecutive days spanning from April 26th, 2015 to December 18th, 2017, breaking the previous 28 year-old-record held by Demolition.

3) The New Day competes under the Freebird Rule when Tag Team Champions, which allows any two of the three members to defend the title on any given night. Their finishing moves include The Midnight Hour and the UpUpDownDown. 

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D: Who was your favorite wrestler growing up?

Big E: Goldberg
Xavier Woods: (The boys believe he said either Sting or Scorpion but are not exactly sure?)
Kofi: Shawn Michaels

D's Follow Up: I like Goldberg too because he was a heavyweight champion and beat Brock Lesnar. I do like Sting because of the scorpions on his outfit and he was a champion too. I like Shawn Michaels because of his music and he used to fly high like Kofi. My favorite wrestler is Andre the Giant because he was so huge and nobody would want to fight him. 

J: What sports did you play growing up?

Big E: Wrestling and football. For sure I know we all did wrestling.
Kofi: I know we all wrestled and we also played football too.

J's Follow Up: It is not a surprise that they all wrestled and they all played football. I play flag football but wrestling is not my favorite. But I like WWE.


Chad to Kofi (from friend Logan): When are you going to win the Royal Rumble? We think you're ready and one of the best to compete in the Rumble.

Kofi: Thanks, I appreciate it. Hopefully soon, right?

Chad's Follow Up:  Kofi has been one of the greatest Royal Rumble competitors of all time in my opinion and I don't believe he's come close to winning the event. Kofi is known for his historic Royal Rumble Saves that are simply jaw dropping. I hope that one day Kofi will be one of the last men standing in the Rumble because he has certainly earned his shot and is one of WWE's top stars. 




D to Kofi: I like it when you do the Midnight Hour (finishing move)!

Kofi: Thank you! I like it too.

The New Day is one of our favorite WWE tag teams of all time and one of the WWE Universe's most popular tag teams ever. They are also the most entertaining, just take a look a their entrance. With that said, we knew we wanted to take advantage of a rare opportunity to meet all three members of The New Day as they were the celebrity showcase superstars at the Autorama World of Wheels show in Rosemont. Although, we were in line an hour and a half ahead of their scheduled signing time, we ended up waiting over 3 hours to meet the former WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions and we all agree it was worth every second. 

While standing in line for over three hours, we got to meet so many people who love wrestling as much as we do. Making new friends and talking with people who have the same passion for the WWE or sports as we do is one my favorite parts of going to these events with Jordan and Danny. 

The boys have been bringing their beloved Money in the Bank briefcases with them to get signed at each event and they become a big topic while standing in line, especially since they have collected over 30+ signatures to date and counting (The New Day, The Miz, Daniel Bryan, Carmella and more). Many people in line wanted to hold their briefcases and two young boys wanted to take pictures with the MITB briefcases and have dreams that they will one day cash in and become WWE champion too!

When we finally made it to meet Big E, Xavier, and Kofi, they were as awesome and fun as expected and they took the time to shake hands and talk to each of us and answer questions. This was the case for every single person in line and although it made the line go slower, everyone left with a special experience with The New Day. 

Known for their fun loving antics and positivity, The New Day bring the party with them wherever they go and this time it happened to be at the Rosemont Convention Center. We are thankful that Autorama World of Wheels brought in The New Day and we are thankful to Big E, Xavier, and Kofi for giving us an experience we won't soon forget.

The Miz - WWE

1) The Miz is currently the most must see superstar in World Wrestling Entertainment and has been wrestling on the WWE main roster since April of 2006. 

2) One of seventeen Grand Slam Champions in WWE history, The Miz has won the WWE Championship (1 time), Intercontinental Championship (8 times and is current champion), United States Championship (2 times), Tag Team Champion (6 times) and also won the 2010 Money in the Bank ladder match.

3) The Miz is married to former WWE wrestler Maryse who also manages The Miz on WWE RAW. They call themselves the "It couple" and are expecting their first child in April.

D: What are you most excited about as you become a new dad soon?

The Miz: I am most excited to meet her and I hope to set a good example for her.

D's Follow Up: I think it would be cool for Miz to teach her tricks like how to walk and talk and jump and be a good example for her. 

Photo Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

J: Who was your favorite wrestler growing up?

The Miz: The Ultimate Warrior

J's Follow Up: The Ultimate Warrior is aaaawwwwweeessssoooommmeeee and I've watched a lot of his matches too. Some of my favorite wrestlers are R-Truth, The Miz, and Bo Dallas.

The Miz: Mitchell Trubisky, yeah? (referring to Jordan's hat with #10 and Mitchell's signature stitched in)

Jordan: Yep.

Dad: We know you're a Browns fan, what do you think of Deshone Kizer? Is he the answer?

The Miz: He needs about 4 years of experience.

The boys and I headed north from Chicagoland to Milwaukee (West Allis) to meet one of our favorite WWE superstars, The Miz, at the Cricket Wireless store for a special meet and greet before WWE RAW. The Miz is the most must see WWE superstar today and he didn't disappoint as he met with hundreds of WWE fans. Thankfully, Danny won three skip the line passes for us as he battled another boy in a rock, paper, scissors showdown and saved us at least an hour of waiting in the freezing temperatures of Wisconsin. 

The Miz has all of the personality and charisma that he displays on TV every Monday night and he truly was AWESOME. I've been watching The Miz from his days on The Real World, The Challenge on MTV and now his rise to the greatest Intercontinental Champion in WWE history. The Miz truly is must see TV.

The Miz was excited to meet J and D and was happy to answer their questions and sign their Money in the Bank briefcases and photo. Jordan had the opportunity to wear The Miz's real Intercontinental Championship belt and he said it weighed more than his own brother. When you have the opportunity to wear The Miz's belt just hours before he walks down the aisle with it in front of thousands in the arena and millions at home, you take advantage of it! For one day, the three of us were part of The Miztourage and it was a day we'll never forget.