In Case You Missed It..

"My First Time" by Kevin Hunsperger

My job as a reporter has helped get me behind the scenes of several wrestling shows and meet some of my favorite superstars. It's been a big perk. My first such meeting was 14 years ago, this month. The Honky Tonk Man was doing media for the upcoming In Your House: Badd Blood PPV in St. Louis. This was the one that featured Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels in the Hell in a Cell.

Anyway, I was a production assistant at a TV station in the Lou at the time. The morning news anchor informed me that after the show, she'd be interviewing the Honky Tonk Man. She invited me to go along. I still remember being excited about this opportunity. I rushed home to grab a camera to document the meeting. We were meeting HTM at Union Station where he'd be "arm wrestling" fans for a chance to win a ticket in the nose bleed section to the PPV.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when meeting the superstar. I was nervous and excited, but didn’t want to come off as a mark. I don’t think that I did. He was very cool. Spoke with the reporter and I for a bit before and after the interview. I appreciated the fact that he was so easy to talk to and took the time to chat with us. This was part of his job of course, but I’ve had experiences with other athletes and performers who think they’re above everyone.

Little did HTM know, I already had my ticket (thanks to my friend Rick). I just wanted the opportunity to meet one of my favorite wrestlers. In 1987 HTM shocked the world and won the Intercontinental championship from Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat. Even more shocking, he held that title for more than a year, and is still on record as the longest reigning IC champ. To this day, Honky Tonk Man holds a special place in my memory.

Anyway, as you can see in the pic, Honky and I did in fact arm wrestle. He looks to be in pain, which is all a part of the act. He put up a little bit of a fight at first, but in a matter of moments, he let me win the bout. My first battle with a WWF wrestler, and I won. This was just the first of many meetings with wrestling greats. I truly have a blessed life. Thanks for reading.