Monday Nitro and the Worst Night of our Lives

On January 18, 1999, my best friend, Marc, and I, were preparing to enjoy the night at WCW's Monday Nitro, which was in Columbus. We were both big wrestling fans, and we were super excited to go to the show that night, where we had floor seats. We had spent the weekend at a church retreat and gotten back that day.

We were at my house (which was in the ghetto), preparing for the show. How do three teenage boys (our friend Jeremiah was also coming to the show with us) prepare for a wrestling show where they'll have floor seats?

Signs. Lots of signs.

We were making signs for the show.

Marc and I recount this night as one of the worst nights of our collective lives. Here's why.

As we were making the signs, we got into an altercation with some boys from the neighborhood who were looking for my little brother. They came to the place looking for a fight, and I, being the master of calming people down, just poured gasoline on their fire.

At first they wanted to fight me. I masterfully convinced them that they didn't need to fight me, they'd win. Then, they decided they wanted to fight Marc. He wasn't able to convince them they didn't need to fight him. Chaos broke loose.

Jeremiah ran into the bathroom.

I ran into the kitchen.

Marc took a beating.

Another neighbor threw the boys off of Marc and chased them from the house. We called parents and police (in that order). We deadbolted the door and buckled down for our parents to come back (they all had made plans doing other things).

Eventually the police came and asked us why we were so stupid to let the punks in the house.

I genuinely have no idea why I am so stupid and let the punks in the house, but I feel absolutely sure that it was me and not Marc or Jeremiah who did so.

The police officer also asked why I abandoned my friend when he was getting beat up.

I genuinely have no idea why I abandoned my best friend when he was getting beat up.

After all of the chaos from getting jumped in my house died down, we finally made our way to the Schottenstein Center for Monday Nitro! We still had floor seats, so it was going to be AMAZING!!

However, we got to Nitro and realized, when we looked at our tickets, that our friend had mixed the tickets up and given us tickets to Disney on Ice.

We were devastated! Jeremiah had gotten his tickets earlier, so he just went into the show, leaving Marc and I outside like chumps! We were taken into the security office where they decided they were going to let us stay and watch the show, but we didn't get our floor seats. Instead, we sat right next to the entrance in between the lower and middle bowl (the handicapped aisle).

I literally remember nothing about that show. I found it on YouTube, so I'll definitely be watching it.

The reason I tell this story today is because tonight, Marc and I are making our triumphant return to the Squared Circle. We're heading to the Nutter Center tonight for RAW.

I'm super excited to enjoy my first wrestling show (Honestly, I've stricken the first time from my memory as best I can).

This year, we both turn 30, what better way to start the year than by going to WWE together and reliving our teenage years. We had wrestling parties, PPV parties, backyard-trampoline matches (I can tell you with ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE that Bret Hart's Sharpshooter hurts like CRAZY!) and many moments of watching wrestling and/or talking about it non-stop.

Marc and I at my wedding... still JUST. TOO. SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!