In early May I would have a huge AEW haul where I would get updates, upgrades, and fresh ops. And also filled up lots of autos on my WWE encyclopedias.
The first night of AEW was a very successful one.
Saw Tony Khan but he was doing awkward looking ops so I didn't bother getting another. He told me hello probably recognized me from 3 months prior.
Billy Gunn's kids and Preston Vance also remembered me. So did Max Caster (didn't like my camera so didn't take a photo op).
Big Show and MJF are some that didn't stop.
Fresh ops include
Mercedes Martinez
JD Drake
Luther
Brody King
Jamie Hayter
The Butcher
Alex Abrahantes
Skye Blue
The Blade
BJ Whitmer
The Bunny
Satnam Singh (Damn he's huge)
Matt Martel
Cezar Bononi
Konosuke Takeshita
QT Marshall
Some notable repeat ops:
Great shot with the Hardy Boys who took ops with the whole hotel staff.
15 year update with Justin Roberts!
Luchasaurus with no mask (my previous shot was at a con where he had his wrestling mask)
Next day I wanted to try for the movie cast of Ghosted. On set are Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and Dexter Fletcher (director of this movie but has lots of acting credits too). I have Chris but need the others. Also need Chris on a figure. Then I get flight info for Germany heavy metal singer Doro. So I elect to go to that and she is nice as can be.
Next up I hit up movie trailers but see nothing. Then I go to a venue where Jeffrey Skunk Baxter is playing. He was doing signings after his show so that was a good opportunity for a guarantee. Playing with him is CJ Vanston who composed music for some movies. I get them both and they are cool.
Music autographs (Baxter and Doro)
Hit up the trailers and still nothing. I would find out later they went to the hotels after the shoot. Head back to AEW and find out I missed some people going in including the Big Show who stopped. But from what I could tell no one that would have been fresh.
Fresh ops I got that evening include:
Eddie Kingston
Ryan Nemeth
Yuka Sakazaki
One notable repeat name is an awesome photo op with Y2J himself, Chris Jericho!
Tony Khan autographs and signed AEW cards
All autographs obtained on WWE Encyclopedias
WWE_E V4
Adam Cole
Bobby Fish
Big Cass
Cash Wheeler (Revival)
Dax Harwood (Revival)
Frankie Kazarian
Jeff Hardy
Kyle O'Reilly
Matt Hardy
Trent Beretta
Leva Bates (blue pants)
Samoa Joe
Serena Deeb
Jim Ross
Justin Roberts
Taz
Tony Schiavone
Vickie Guerrero
WWE_E V3
Cash Wheeler (Revival)
Chris Jericho
Dax Harwood (Revival)
Frankie Kazarian
Matt Hardy
Trent Beretta
Leva Bates (blue pants)
Jim Ross
Justin Roberts
Tony Schiavone
Arn Anderson
WWE_E V2
Frankie Kazarian
Jeff Hardy
Matt Hardy
Serena Deeb
Jim Ross
Justin Roberts
Tony Schiavone
Next day I decide to do the hotel for the movie set in the hopes of getting Chris, Ana, and Dexter. This would prove fatal! Because both Chris and Ana came out of their trailers and two people got Chris (the trailers were far apart so you could only pick one, I would have picked Ana). PUNCH! So we wait longer at the hotel in the hopes of redemption. Dexter arrives and is nice as can be. Chris arrives and takes the garage. And we don't see Ana (she must have been staying somewhere else). The evening is largely a bust.
Wake up the next day and find out they are filming in London next. So I scramble to find a flight for Chris Evans leaving. Easier to look for Chris than to look for Ana, and my logic is if I find him I find Ana too. By miracle I score the flight of Chris Evans to London!
Go to the airport and wait. Finally I do see Chris surrounded by an entourage wearing hat/shades/mask. One guy gets in my face to stop me. I simply run around him and go in front of Chris' field of vision and beg for an auto on my figure. He caves and signs for me. Sadly I don't see Ana and would later find out she didn't even go to London (so she likely flew back to LA). Didn't get what I truly wanted but at least a Chris auto is a $200 convention value.
Couple of days later for a music fest, I get word that the band Skid Row checked in. The current line up has 3 originals and 2 barely valids. I already met the lead singer Sebastian Bach a few years (who isn't in the current line up and replaced by a barely valid). So I thought it would be cool to get the other 3.
I arrive at the hotel and first get Davy Vain of the band Vain. This is an upgrade from my older shot. Also get Joel Proto of Vain (update).
First member of Skid Row I get is the barely valid drummer Rob Hammersmith. Then I get the 3 originals in Rachel Bolan (had to ask him to remove the mask, he lowered it), Dave "the snake" Sabo, and Scotti Hill. Score! Then finally the barely valid lead singer Erik Gronwall.
