Monday, June 24, 2013

WWE LIVE!! Amazing Events And So Much More!

Saturday night I had the pleasure of being a part of a fabulous event. WWE Live came to the Ocean Center. For those unfamiliar with the area, it is a very rare treat for WWE to come this close to where I live, and any time they are nearby, I MUST attend.

As many of you know, my son is nearly 6 years old and he has autism. Taking him anywhere new can be a bit challenging and new situations often upset him. I have always wanted to share the experience of a WWE event with him, but knew it would be too much for him to handle.

He loves WWE and watches it on TV with me all the time. We especially love to watch Saturday Morning Slam together. It's really perfect because it the WWE's show created specifically for kids. There is less concern hat the kids might see something too PG, and it is also on Saturday mornings, so kids don't need to stay up too late to see it.

It is such a great show too. Mick Foley is the GM. I love Foley. I have been a fan of his forever. Not only is he a Hardcore Legend, he is very smart, more so than one would think.

The matches are great and all the extra segments are so much fun. I love it just as much as he does, and the bonding experience it creates for us is so wonderful. I remember bonding with my big brother(my idol) over WWE as a young child, and those are some of the best memories of my whole life.

My son has been making huge strides in terms of social coping. I am so proud of how far he has come. I pretty much knew that a live show might still be overstimulating for him, but I knew that he would still enjoy it even for the anxiousness it also may bring.

When I found out that the WWE was coming to the Ocean Center for the only appearance there in 2013, I figured I had the seize the chance to take him.

He was excited as soon as I told him. He talked about it non stop for days and had a hard time understanding that he had to wait. When we arrived he nearly jumped out of his shoes.

The noise was a factor, as I knew it would be, he was fairly overwhelmed, but he was still so happy to be there, and he had a great time.
There was a great turnout of Superstars. Seriously, an awesome lineup, especially for being just an untelevised house show.

I was expecting a few low or mid grade matches, but I was blown away by the starts that appeared.

We were in the lobby picking up the tickets, buying merch and using the restroom and actually missed the first few minutes. I could hear some noise, but did not think the show had started. When I heard The Miz's music hit, I almost lost it. I love The Miz.

Still I did not think the show had started, because I thought there is no way a star like The Miz would actually be in the first match. I figured he would be more like the headliner, although no matter when he appears it is a headline appearance to me.

We got to our seats only a few minutes after the match started. There was still plenty of Miz goodness to enjoy as he defeated Curtis Axel.
That match alone would have been enough to make my whole night, but that was only the beginning of an incredible event.

Next, Zeb Colter and Antonio Cesaro came out to run their mouths.
They issued an open challenge for any superstar to fight Cesaro, and boasted that no one was man enough to accept, but Dolph Zigler came out ready to fight.
Of course Cesaro retreated. The match was set for later in the evening and was even made a Fan's Choice match where us attendees could text or tweet to vote for either a 2 out of 3 falls or a no DQ match. I think it is so cool that they did an interactive match even for a house show.

The next match was Heath Slater vs none other than Ted DiBiase Jr. I love him. I have not seen much of him lately and was certainly not expecting him to be there. I was so glad to see him.
This was a really great match.
DiBiase won, which was really cool.

The next match was a Divas Tag Match. It was Layla and Kaitlyn vs Aksana and (my favorite Diva) AJ Lee.
As most things are where women are concerned, this match was filled with drama. Of course the feud between AJ and Kaitlyn, but also the competition between Aj and her own partner Aksana, whihc ultimately cost them the match.

Next came a 2 on 1 handicapped match. Primo and Epico vs The Great Khali.
Of course, The Great Khali's massive size and strength was no match even for 2 opponents and he obliterated the duo.


After that was Big E Langston vs (one of Hubby's Mine and our son's favorites) Sheamus.
This was a wonderful match. Any time that Sheamus is in the ring you are in for a lot of fun.
Of course the match ended in a Sheamus victory(as if there would be any doubt). 

After all this action, I would be satisfied had the show ended at this point, although I always want more. However, the show was far from over, there was merely a brief intermission at this point.

The action picked right back up with The Prime Time Players vs The Usos.
This match was so fun. The Usos especially were really playing to the crowd, dancing and making it a really exciting match. I was actually blown away by the energy of the crowd during this match, it was main event level easy. My son actually got a little overwhelmed by all the clapping, cheering and stomping during this match. But he enjoyed it too.
The Usos won, which made me happy because I really like them, plus I cannot stand the Prime Time Players. The danced in victory, and that was really awesome.

The next match was the Fan's Choice Match, that I had mentioned earlier on, between Antonio Cesaro and Dolph Zigler. 

The stipulation chosen by the fans was No Disqualification. It was an incredible match. 
After all the carnage, Dolph Zigler emerged victorious.

And last, but certainly not least, the main event. Wade Barret vs (my obsession) The Viper Randy Orton. 
As expected from a Main Event, this match was terrific, and not just the glorious view of Orton, although that didn't hurt one bit.

The energy was off the charts. When Randy Orton's music hit everyone went nuts.In fact, it was so intense that my son became to overwhelmed(with excitement that was overstimulating) and hubby had to take him outside.
Of course the match concluded with an RKO, a Randy Orton victory and the crowd erupting with cheers. 

Thank goodness my son was already outside by then, because it was deafening(in a good way for those without autism). So much energy, it was electric. The amazing level of community is what really makes the events so incredible. Of course the superstars and the matches themselves are the main component, but in an arena with no energy it would not be nearly as much fun.

Another thing that really made his special, is the attitudes of the Superstars. They were all so nice and attentive to the fans. Pretty much all of them went around at slapped hand of everyone all around the gate. The Miz even picked up a little kid over the gate and help him up. It was so cute.

Many of the Superstars throw their shirts and things into the audience, and they were posing, dancing, smiling and having a great time(or appeared to be at least).

Randy Orton Stayed behind for about 10 minutes and went around to everyone anywhere close to the gate and even stopped for some pictures and autographs. I tried to get close, but of course so did everyone else, and in the spirit of not knocking people out of the way, I got within arms length but no cigar. I just think it is so awesome that he stayed so long to please the fans.

The entire experience was extraordinary! And even though my son got a little overwhelmed, he had a blast and I will definitely be taking him again any tie they come within 100 miles. The WWE sure knows how to put together a spectacular event. 

There were NXT stars signing autographs, a photo boot set up to have your photo taken with the WWE Title(for a cost of course), and even the Merchandise stands were wonderful. They were really efficient and the service was so courteous. The selection was very nice considering it was just a small show. There was hats, jewelry, armbands, masks, every shirt you could want(my son and I each got one) and even autographed photos.

My son LOVES his Sheamus shirt and has not even taken it off since the show, and I am in love with my Miz shirt as well.
Please excuse my disheveled Post-Show appearance, but such an intense event can cause that kind of thing. This is the look of a great night.

We all had an AMAZING time. If you have never been to a live show, there are no words(or even pictures) to describe the energy level and the excitement of a Live event. If there is ever one remotely close to you, you have got to attend. I promise it will be one of the most fun times of your life.

If you are not fortunate enough to have a WWE show come to your area you can still enjoy all the televised events and really get in on the action with WWE Merchandise. You can get any of the shirts, armbands, hats and so much more on WWESHOP.com 

The wonderful items you can pick up on WWE Shop include Brawlin' Buddies, like this John Cena one.
This toy is so much fun. It says 10 different phrases an if even makes grunting type noises when you hit it, like you are really beating it up. It's so cool. When I was little, my brother and I used to "wrestle" against pillows. We would have loved to have a toy like this. In fact, I still want one.

I almost kept this one, but of course it was for my son, so I gave it to him. He loves it.
They watch Saturday morning Slam together. It is adorable!

What I love most about the Brawlin' Buddies is that they are made to be beat up so you know they are going to last even through all the wear and tear kids inflict on toys. The quality is excellent and it can be a security toy for a boy without making him feel self conscious or like boys should not have one.


I also love that these can be purchased on WWEshop.com but they are also sold in stores, so if you don't shop online or just want to get this right now without waiting for it to ship, you can just head to most any store that sells toys and pick up one(or more) of these awesome toys.

Another great item you can pick up in the store while you are there is a Rumblin' Rampage Playset. Like this Crash Pack Playset with Body Slam Sheamus Figure.
My son loves Sheamus, so naturally, he loved this toy at first sight.
This is such a great little set. It includes the Sheamus figure(of course) as well as a ladder, chair and table and propulsion device, so it is really hardcore, and tons of fun.
He has so much fun playing with this, and I love that it helps him to use his imagination to make his own "match".
He plays with it for hours at a time, which is incredible for him. It's one of the only toys he actually plays with(besides his Brawlin' Buddy), usually he is on the computer or watching TV or reading, but he rarely plays with toys, so I love how much he enjoys this little set.

I totally get it. I cherished my WWE figures when I was younger. I wish I still had all my old ones. I will definitely be getting him more of these so he can have matches, tournaments and even Royal Rumbles like my brother and I used to.

No matter what you or your kids like, I can pretty much guarantee that WWE will have something(or countless things) that you will enjoy. It is impossible to resist becoming completely obsessed, but that is definitely not a bad thing. It is such a great bonding tool and perfect for building lifelong memories as I have done since my childhood and am now sharing with my children, who will hopefully have the opportunity to do the same with their children and so on.

I hope you will take my advice and check out the WWE. Live would be the ideal way, but on TV, or via their incredible websites or merchandise in stores. No matter how you do it, just DO IT!

*Although I received the event tickets and merchandise at no cost to facilitate a review, all opinions are 100% my own*

13 comments :

  1. WOW! What an amazing event you all got to go to! Your son did really well, and he looked like he really had a blast. I bet he liked the toy he got to play with. Wow you shared a lot of amazing pictures and I liked getting to see all the excitement. I am so glad that you and your son and husband had a great night. I like you shirt, it rocks!!

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  2. Looks like you had a pretty awesome time! I love all the pictures and so glad you son got so much enjoyment out of it!

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  3. the pics are awesome.. and I am glad that you described the event and how your son reacted we need to realize that some things may be over excessive for autistic kids.. but at times we may worry but we need to expose them to as many expierences as we can.. and I am so happy that your son enjoyed it as much as he did.. Thank you for sharing..

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  4. How fun!!!! You got some fabulous pictures!!

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  5. looks like you guys had so much fun!!! and to have the toys to bring home and recreate the action makes it that much more fun!

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  6. Looks like you got a really awesome opportunity to see them all up close and personal. I looks like your whole family had lots of fun :D

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  7. WOW what a fun memory for both you and your son.

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  8. My kids would love to go to a live show, it sounds like you had an awesome time and such cool stuff!

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  9. That's awesome! My husband and I loved WWE when we first started dated. I'm sure if my girls were boys we'd be watching it non stop. So glad you had fun!

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  10. Wow you took some great pics! Glad yall had so much fun! Looks like your little one loved it and his new toy!

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  11. Awesome! I went to a WWE event in my teens (many years ago) ;) and had a blast. I think next time them come around I'll look into it again!

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