I definitely see Wrestlecon as a thing for long time fans. The appeal seems to be the opportunity to meet the old heads, that doesn’t leave much for new fans. It’s essentially a form of retirement plan/way to get out of the house and see the boys. Some of them do it from the time they step out of the ring until they’re immobile. It’s probably a gold mine for young wrestlers who ask the right questions.
As someone who works full time for a large convention, this definitely sounds like it was an afterthought. A typical convention would have a vendor room and maybe even some Q&A panels at the very least.
You might enjoy Starrcast. It's usually in the US but came to Australia this year. It had the meet and greets, but also had a large amount of stage shows- including a healthy amount of fan q&a, two nights of wrestling events (all women's event HER and men's Australian Stampede). Had a mix of famous former WWE talent- Bret Hart, Mickie James, Eric Bischoff, Shelton Benjamin, to name a few, along with local Australian talent. Side note- the Aussie wrestling scene is largely underrated, the likes of Rhea Ripley and Grayson Waller are just scratching the surface. They also had various stalls to buy merch. Really fun time, although yeah, pricey as each wrestler charges, plus the show tickets etc.
You are absolutely in the right about assuming more from a convention. I'm not saying this is bad experience, you're getting what you paid for $20. But as someone who's been to SDCC, multiple PAXes, NYCC, and just got home from GenCon, a big convention usually has a ton going on and most of it is covered by the admission fee. I would definitely recommend going to a full blown convention. The upcoming newly created Fanatics Fest seems to be closer to the experience you were expecting.
Dang, you got me thinking about a wrestlecon that could be like other conventions. Could you imagine a wrestlecon that's like animecon or sdcc that's 2 floors at a convention center with panels and exhibits and artists? You could have like an indie area and interactive things to do and then more space for the bigger companies. Could have trials for upcoming videogames and cosplay competitions. Maybe in the far far future when the industry gets more recognition it desrves. Heres hoping! Thanks for the vid!
You hit the point here totally, a lot of the wrestlers you saw there didn't resonate with you that much as you're a new fan, and that's totally fine. Wrestlecon is an awesome event for "older" fans like myself with stars I looked up to when I was young. The WWE World event would be a better bet for new or younger fans like yourself, as it has plenty of the current roster - but it also costs more if you want the premium add-ons of meeting the bigger names. Wrestlecon is also great for people that like to collect / rare merch, get some retro stuff signed etc. You're doing a great job with the channel though dude! 🙂
I never been to a wretleCon, but I did remember seeing an autograph session with some free matches at a mall (Galleria Mall in Toronto in 1995). There was more excitement there - especially having Hacksaw Jim Duggan there hyping up the fans to come over for an autograph or photo. Yes, seeing the footage it looked like an afterthought.
That's a shame they didn't offer the full wrestlecon experience for Summer Slam. I went to the one in New York for WrestleMania and It was a decent size. Mostly just vendors and wrestlers doing signing and photos. That's usually most of the stuff at any kind of con. But, A lot of wrestlers were just walking around. Some willing to talk, others stayed around their tables. But, it was still really cool getting to have a quick conversation with a few ROH guys and a couple legends. They even had a hand full of matches going on, although you had to pay extra to attend).
Wrestlecon’s big draw for me is the bus tickets which will get you to Wrestlemania and back so you don’t have to pay for parking or Ubers when there’s a million people trying to leave. Wrestlecon though is mostly for meet and greets and can cost hundreds of dollars. Some talent have the option to pay for them in advance prior to getting to the event which makes it easier since you spread out who you are paying for. It’s mostly legends, aew, tna, and ect not being sponsored by WWE like an Axxess or WWE world is. You have to plan in advance who you are seeing to get the most out of it.
No negativity meant by my comment, but your expectations and opinions remind me of what I used to be like when I was wrapped up in the WWE bubble and it's presentation over actual wrestling. I was just not interested in other shows and promotions that focused on wrestling itself. I preferred the style of WWE and how they presented their product. All about entrances, returns, talk segments, basic wrestling in matches but lots of polish to keep me hooked. And shows like Wrestlecon just seemed tacky and basic in comparison. Nowadays after 30 years of WWE, I prefer wrestling which adjusted my opinion of Wrestlecon. Hope that makes sense and once again, no insults or negativity meant, as we all have different opinions.
I went to my first wrestle con this year in April and there were a lot more people and it was in Philadelphia and it was a lot of fun and it was during wrestlemania weekend, so it was super busy.
Maybe you would like WrestleCade. It's a 3 day event in Winston-Salem,NC. It's at the end of Nov. They have a Facebook page listing attendees that they update and a website with all the info.
I have never been to a Wrestlecon but I have been to Wrestlecade in Winston Salem, NC for the last two years and it has been awesome. WWE does not allow it's active talent to appear though, so if you are a WWE person there is usually nothing of attraction. Last year I did have my picture taken with Wardlow from AEW. I paid in advance for it and just showed them my QR code when it was my turn. There are usually quite a few people from AEW at the show and they do 3 days of panels and a couple of wrestling shows. This year I think TNA is doing a show at Wrestlecade. I'm an older fan (63 next month) so I love seeing the older guys. And they don't charge to actually speak to them, so I normally go around and say hi to alot of the guys and girls I grew up watching.
It is still awesome you are trying these things out. I do still reccomend stardom for a more pure wrestling style a d it is a good time to jump in as all of their factions just changed
Went in 16 for WM in Dallas and I will never go again. I understand the appeal but I’m not the type of guy that enjoys paying $50 to take a picture with someone after waiting in line for an hour. The wrestling show they did after was great but idk if that’s still a thing.
Yeah, they were also like three floors for the one during wrestlemania weekend in April the one in Cleveland was last because it’s just not as popular as wrestlemania and it was in a hotel for this wrestle con in April I would say go to it next year because you have an amazing time and a lot of people it was overwhelming but in a good way
At WC I paid to meet the Hardys, RVD, Bubba Dudley, Lita. The hardys were cash only which there wasn’t a sign saying this so a lot of people were bummed and had to step out of line. Meeting bubba i waited til his table was empty I asked for a pic told me to talk the guy taking payments I let him know I was a fan of his podcast he just said thank you very much we took the pic then he walked away didn’t really feel that great. Lita was energetic I paid for her to sign a hardy boyz shirt.RVD was cool he talk to me about my shirt we did his taunt together and his wife asked me how’s my day been what plans we had
You should try megacon Orlando it is pretty big and there are always top teir wrestlers there. Plus next to comic-con it's one of the biggest cons. It's not just wrestling but everything else and there is always something to do
Yea During WM 40 Wrestlecon was Charging like around $150, I think $200 for 1 hour Early access, But all the Wrestlers had individual prices $50-100, I Opted to go to WWE World instead.
The only convention I ever went to was wrestlefest in Wales the day of Clash at the castle. It was a total mess. The venue was way too small for the amount of tickets they sold. It took them hours to get everyone in and when you finally got in you missed some of the meet and greets. It was the most crowdest space I've ever been a part of and it was scary. I got to meet Bret Hart which was cool but had to fly out of there right after as it was so chaotic and claustrophobic. Later on they shut down their Facebook page cause of all the refund requests.
I dont think you are wrong in saying this. Wrestlecon is still a brand and you want people to come back next year so the organisers need to make the event itself attractive. They could have had displays or other market stalls. Even small panels with talent or industy people. Hell even youtubers/fans like yourself. No signgage is pretty poor. Thats even 101 to display signs. I think for those photo prices, id expect a professional photo. Thats just me. All types of conventions ive been to that sort of price is a pro photo.
I only live 2 hours and 45 minutes from Cleveland was hoping to go to the con and SummerSlam unfortunately that didn't happen but I don't understand you paid $20 and they have nothing else to offer you then you have to pay to meet the wrestlers which is understandable but I don't know it's more like a meet-and-greet to me than a con I've been told that WrestleMania times the best time to go to this Con but it's nothing different it's still just a wrestlers I don't know that's just what I've been told definitely but Def not a con
I’ve been to Wrestlecon. It sucks. Kinda of pathetic. Wrestlecon Wrestlemania usually has a separate indy show. which is cool but it’s just a bunch of guys flipping around.
I definitely see Wrestlecon as a thing for long time fans. The appeal seems to be the opportunity to meet the old heads, that doesn’t leave much for new fans. It’s essentially a form of retirement plan/way to get out of the house and see the boys. Some of them do it from the time they step out of the ring until they’re immobile. It’s probably a gold mine for young wrestlers who ask the right questions.
As someone who works full time for a large convention, this definitely sounds like it was an afterthought. A typical convention would have a vendor room and maybe even some Q&A panels at the very least.
Thing is WWE set the bar so high this year. WWE World during Wrestlemania weekend was like 10 Wrestlecons combined.
Ehhh it was so crowded and I waited on line for 90 min to meet DDP for him to get up and leave right before I got to him. YMMV of course.
I would have dropped $180 for Kurt Angle and Torrie Wilson. Them two are my childhood. Ruthless aggression and puberty. 😂
Torrie’s titantron on here comes the pain did a lot for a young Tunda lmao 😂
You might enjoy Starrcast. It's usually in the US but came to Australia this year. It had the meet and greets, but also had a large amount of stage shows- including a healthy amount of fan q&a, two nights of wrestling events (all women's event HER and men's Australian Stampede). Had a mix of famous former WWE talent- Bret Hart, Mickie James, Eric Bischoff, Shelton Benjamin, to name a few, along with local Australian talent. Side note- the Aussie wrestling scene is largely underrated, the likes of Rhea Ripley and Grayson Waller are just scratching the surface. They also had various stalls to buy merch. Really fun time, although yeah, pricey as each wrestler charges, plus the show tickets etc.
You are absolutely in the right about assuming more from a convention. I'm not saying this is bad experience, you're getting what you paid for $20. But as someone who's been to SDCC, multiple PAXes, NYCC, and just got home from GenCon, a big convention usually has a ton going on and most of it is covered by the admission fee. I would definitely recommend going to a full blown convention. The upcoming newly created Fanatics Fest seems to be closer to the experience you were expecting.
I'm setting a goal right here right now. I NEED to be at WrestleMania 41. I need to.
Dang, you got me thinking about a wrestlecon that could be like other conventions. Could you imagine a wrestlecon that's like animecon or sdcc that's 2 floors at a convention center with panels and exhibits and artists? You could have like an indie area and interactive things to do and then more space for the bigger companies. Could have trials for upcoming videogames and cosplay competitions. Maybe in the far far future when the industry gets more recognition it desrves. Heres hoping! Thanks for the vid!
That's kind of what I was picturing in my head 😆 sounds awesome
You hit the point here totally, a lot of the wrestlers you saw there didn't resonate with you that much as you're a new fan, and that's totally fine. Wrestlecon is an awesome event for "older" fans like myself with stars I looked up to when I was young. The WWE World event would be a better bet for new or younger fans like yourself, as it has plenty of the current roster - but it also costs more if you want the premium add-ons of meeting the bigger names. Wrestlecon is also great for people that like to collect / rare merch, get some retro stuff signed etc. You're doing a great job with the channel though dude! 🙂
As someone who doesn't really care to pay to meet people, Starrcast seems like a more fun event bc they have live podcasts and things like that.
I never been to a wretleCon, but I did remember seeing an autograph session with some free matches at a mall (Galleria Mall in Toronto in 1995). There was more excitement there - especially having Hacksaw Jim Duggan there hyping up the fans to come over for an autograph or photo. Yes, seeing the footage it looked like an afterthought.
I’ve been to 4 Wrestlecons . Every year it gets more expensive and there is less to do. Wrestlecon Orlando was the best having panels and concerts
That's a shame they didn't offer the full wrestlecon experience for Summer Slam. I went to the one in New York for WrestleMania and It was a decent size. Mostly just vendors and wrestlers doing signing and photos. That's usually most of the stuff at any kind of con. But, A lot of wrestlers were just walking around. Some willing to talk, others stayed around their tables. But, it was still really cool getting to have a quick conversation with a few ROH guys and a couple legends. They even had a hand full of matches going on, although you had to pay extra to attend).
Wrestlecon’s big draw for me is the bus tickets which will get you to Wrestlemania and back so you don’t have to pay for parking or Ubers when there’s a million people trying to leave.
Wrestlecon though is mostly for meet and greets and can cost hundreds of dollars. Some talent have the option to pay for them in advance prior to getting to the event which makes it easier since you spread out who you are paying for. It’s mostly legends, aew, tna, and ect not being sponsored by WWE like an Axxess or WWE world is. You have to plan in advance who you are seeing to get the most out of it.
Thr wretlecon in LA was probably the mania one.
No negativity meant by my comment, but your expectations and opinions remind me of what I used to be like when I was wrapped up in the WWE bubble and it's presentation over actual wrestling. I was just not interested in other shows and promotions that focused on wrestling itself. I preferred the style of WWE and how they presented their product. All about entrances, returns, talk segments, basic wrestling in matches but lots of polish to keep me hooked. And shows like Wrestlecon just seemed tacky and basic in comparison. Nowadays after 30 years of WWE, I prefer wrestling which adjusted my opinion of Wrestlecon. Hope that makes sense and once again, no insults or negativity meant, as we all have different opinions.
I went to my first wrestle con this year in April and there were a lot more people and it was in Philadelphia and it was a lot of fun and it was during wrestlemania weekend, so it was super busy.
You can talk to them without having to pay. I enjoyed wrestlcon because I got to meet so many i grew up watching. I had some memorable moments.
Very true. I had a convo with Matt Riddle for free lol
Maybe you would like WrestleCade. It's a 3 day event in Winston-Salem,NC.
It's at the end of Nov. They have a Facebook page listing attendees that they update and a website with all the info.
I have never been to a Wrestlecon but I have been to Wrestlecade in Winston Salem, NC for the last two years and it has been awesome. WWE does not allow it's active talent to appear though, so if you are a WWE person there is usually nothing of attraction. Last year I did have my picture taken with Wardlow from AEW. I paid in advance for it and just showed them my QR code when it was my turn. There are usually quite a few people from AEW at the show and they do 3 days of panels and a couple of wrestling shows. This year I think TNA is doing a show at Wrestlecade. I'm an older fan (63 next month) so I love seeing the older guys. And they don't charge to actually speak to them, so I normally go around and say hi to alot of the guys and girls I grew up watching.
It did feel like people were either standing around or walking around trying to figure out where to go or what to do. I know thats how I felt lol
@@Tallywags-lv3qk cute dog
6:44 I would’ve expected like a bounce house, wrestling ring, and stuff like that
It is still awesome you are trying these things out. I do still reccomend stardom for a more pure wrestling style a d it is a good time to jump in as all of their factions just changed
Went in 16 for WM in Dallas and I will never go again. I understand the appeal but I’m not the type of guy that enjoys paying $50 to take a picture with someone after waiting in line for an hour. The wrestling show they did after was great but idk if that’s still a thing.
Yeah, they were also like three floors for the one during wrestlemania weekend in April the one in Cleveland was last because it’s just not as popular as wrestlemania and it was in a hotel for this wrestle con in April I would say go to it next year because you have an amazing time and a lot of people it was overwhelming but in a good way
LA was Mania 39.
1:59 that’s how I felt whenever I was getting ready to buy fanatic fest tickets
At WC I paid to meet the Hardys, RVD, Bubba Dudley, Lita. The hardys were cash only which there wasn’t a sign saying this so a lot of people were bummed and had to step out of line. Meeting bubba i waited til his table was empty I asked for a pic told me to talk the guy taking payments I let him know I was a fan of his podcast he just said thank you very much we took the pic then he walked away didn’t really feel that great. Lita was energetic I paid for her to sign a hardy boyz shirt.RVD was cool he talk to me about my shirt we did his taunt together and his wife asked me how’s my day been what plans we had
Wrestlecon was what I expected. Nothing bad. $$$$ I would say Starrcast has a better setup, etc.
I was at WrestleCon Philadelphia, all the complaints you had were the exact same there.
That's a bummer
You should try megacon Orlando it is pretty big and there are always top teir wrestlers there. Plus next to comic-con it's one of the biggest cons. It's not just wrestling but everything else and there is always something to do
Yea During WM 40 Wrestlecon was Charging like around $150, I think $200 for 1 hour Early access, But all the Wrestlers had individual prices $50-100, I Opted to go to WWE World instead.
That's insane to me
The only convention I ever went to was wrestlefest in Wales the day of Clash at the castle. It was a total mess. The venue was way too small for the amount of tickets they sold. It took them hours to get everyone in and when you finally got in you missed some of the meet and greets. It was the most crowdest space I've ever been a part of and it was scary. I got to meet Bret Hart which was cool but had to fly out of there right after as it was so chaotic and claustrophobic. Later on they shut down their Facebook page cause of all the refund requests.
That sounds awful... I'm glad wrestlecon wasn't that bad
I went to a Wrestle fest one year & you got a couple autographs but had lot of Hall of Fame stuff dvd play by play machine call a match
Wwe world during wrestlemania weekend is something you would enjoy
This was just a pop up wrestlecon. The main wrestlecon is more expensive but also a lot better.
12:38 this video was helpful
If you want just pure experience, just do WWE World you could do more free stuff for about $60
I’ve never been this early! That’s cool!!
Welcome!
I dont think you are wrong in saying this. Wrestlecon is still a brand and you want people to come back next year so the organisers need to make the event itself attractive. They could have had displays or other market stalls. Even small panels with talent or industy people. Hell even youtubers/fans like yourself.
No signgage is pretty poor. Thats even 101 to display signs.
I think for those photo prices, id expect a professional photo. Thats just me. All types of conventions ive been to that sort of price is a pro photo.
Yeah this wouldn’t be the event I would recommend for a newer fan. Mostly dudes who haven’t wrestled since the 80s and 90s lol
Yeaaaaa I kind of picked up on that lol
If I were to go to WrestleCon I would only go to Torrie's table and drop the $100 for both things, have a crush on her since I was 7 lol, 26 now
5:23 I could see it being worth it if you didn’t have to travel so far for it
Los Angeles was Wrestlemania 39
Favorite match from the Mania by any chance?
Please rant... You need this for more subscriptions 😉
I'm not much of a ranter lol
@@Dporticusapart from when that guy from ecw keeps blowing his whistle lol
Nice thumbnail
It’s so gross how much wrestlers pay to sign something. Really makes me lose respect for them
well now im glad i didnt go
I only live 2 hours and 45 minutes from Cleveland was hoping to go to the con and SummerSlam unfortunately that didn't happen but I don't understand you paid $20 and they have nothing else to offer you then you have to pay to meet the wrestlers which is understandable but I don't know it's more like a meet-and-greet to me than a con I've been told that WrestleMania times the best time to go to this Con but it's nothing different it's still just a wrestlers I don't know that's just what I've been told definitely but Def not a con
That one looks lame. No panels, no talks? Didn't even look like they had vendors there
Cons are always lamer in person
yep, welcome to cons. pay to get in, and then pay to do shit
I’ve been to Wrestlecon. It sucks. Kinda of pathetic. Wrestlecon Wrestlemania usually has a separate indy show. which is cool but it’s just a bunch of guys flipping around.
Wrestlecon normally has matches? Dang lol
$60 for a photo or autograph is crazy