Today I went to Icons of Wrestling II, which took place at the famous ECW Arena in Philadelphia. My main reason for going was to get a photo with WCW and WWE legend Sting, and to meet and finally get a photo with a wrestler I grew up watching in the 1990s: Bret “The Hitman” Heart.

First I met Sting. I reminded him how when we first met in New Orleans, the day of WrestleMania XXX, that I told him how the Ultimate Warrior had said nice things about him the night before at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. I then told him how I was shocked that just two days later, as I was getting out of the cab in front of my house in Philadelphia, I read on my phone that the Ultimate Warrior was dead. Sting said, “Yes, it was really sad to lose him so soon.” I replied, “I agree. However, I’m glad I was able to be there for that weekend. Despite the sad ending, it was a fun time.” We posed for a photo, and I had him autograph his page in the WWE Ultimate Superstar Guide. Next up was Bret Hart. His line took forever to get through because he was running late and because we had to wait for his handlers and the VIPs to get their items autographed before everyone else. I was in line for at least two hours. The people behind me were nice enough to hold my spot while I grabbed something to eat during this time.

When I approached Bret, I shook his hand and told him how I was happy that he overcame cancer. I also told him that my Dad had surgery last year to remove a cancerous tumor from his colon and that he just completed his chemo treatment and found out this week that he’s cancer-free. Bret said, “Tell your Dad I said congratulations!” I also had him autograph the WWE Ultimate Superstar Guide. Then I shook his hand and wished him well. After meeting Bret, I spotted Shane Douglas, who I spoke with the year prior, at length, about KISS. I reminded Shane of our previous discussion and showed him the photo of my cousin and I at our recent meet and greet with KISS. Then we started talking about music and wrestling. It was another wonderful conversation, which we capped off by taking a photo together. I had a great time at Icons of Wrestling II, despite the long lines. Meeting Sting and Bret Hart and having the opportunity to catch up with Shane Douglas was great. I also got to meet several really nice fans. All in all, it was a terrific experience I won’t soon forget.