A Chicago Made Bus Ride

A fun bus ride that included meeting CM Punk, Paul Heyman, and the co-host of the Old School Wrestling Podcast!

A Chicago Made Bus Ride

By Eric Darsie

 

Traveling to Chicago with Beverly Hills, we had a ton planned.  Met up at the Old School Wrestling Podcast Empire to talk to the co-owners, the Black Cat and Dre, to discuss some great Chicago superstars and some awesome Chicago wrestling.  Being from Minnesota, Black Cat had to school us in American Wrestling Association knowledge.  Nick Bockwinkel versus Hulk Hogan for the AWA title was both Black Cat and Dre’s favorite match.  I had to ask them if they remembered Curt Hennig versus Larry Zbyszko.  Neither man remembered that match, so we pulled it up on Dre’s iPad and had fun watching it.

 

Right before leaving, I had to ask those two gentlemen, “In Illinois, who is CM Punk?”

 

“To be honest,” Dre jumped to respond, “And I’m sure I can speak for the Black Cat on this, we both normally don’t talk to people about us being wrestling fans.  We don’t feel like trying to explain why we enjoy seeing grown men grappling one another in their underwear.”

 

Stroking the little facial hair he had when Dre was talking, Black Cat put in his two cents after Dre finished, “The few ROH shows I went to, everyone loves Punk.  Fans at ROH shows believe Punk’s one of theirs, and with the current age of professional wrestling, Punk is.  We don’t have the territories for guys to craft their technic, so they have the independents, hoping to be seen by TNA or WWE.”

 

“Oh yea, totally.  With all four of us falling into the category of ‘smart fans,’ we should consider CM Punk as one of ours.  If it wasn’t for Punk last summer, cutting the famous ‘pipe bomb promo,’ our podcast wouldn’t have gotten as popular as it did,” Dre added.

 

I thanked them for their thoughts, saying I was thinking of putting together a review of CM Punk, mixing thoughts of fellow podcasters, facts, and Meltzer’s opinion, into a poetic philosophical blog.   Wanting to read it once it’s finished and online, I agreed.  Then Beverly and I jumped on a bus and headed back to the airport to fly home.

 

Wanting to save the audio of asking those two awesome podcasters and put it on my iPod for I can transcribe it for later, Mr. Hills tapped my shoulder when I was plugging into one of my USB ports on my laptop.

 

“Yeah, what’s up Bev?” I asked, frustrated because Beverly didn’t use words when trying to get my attention.

 

“Um, look to our 9:30 position and tell me who you think that is,” Beverly Hills whispered, not wanting the whole bus to freak out on who he just noticed.

 

Smiling, I whispered back, “Holy crap!  I can’t believe it’s him!” 

 

I got up and walked up a few feet to meet him, and asked, “Sir, can my friend and I take a picture with you, please?”

 

“Where are you guys stopping?” This gentleman asked.

 

“We’re going to the airport,” I responded with a crackly voice, similar to a teenage boy going through puberty, asking a girl out on a date.

 

The gentlemen gave me a puzzled look, like I was onto something.  He looked at me and said, “I’m going there too.  I’m meeting Paul, I’m sure he’ll be up for taking a picture with you guys too.  I’ll even give you two an autograph.  I don’t want to do it here; I don’t want everyone to know I’m on the bus.”

 

“Great!  Thanks sir!” I replied and hurried to my seat.

 

“What did he say?  What did he say?” Beverly was excited to know what went down with the straight edge WWE Champion.

 

Whispering him what happened, Mr. Hills couldn’t believe we were heading to the airport with Chicago’s own CM Punk!  Even more of a surprise, Beverly couldn’t believe we’re also meeting Paul Heyman, one of professional wrestling’s modern legends.  “Thanks for talking to him,” Beverly whispered to me.

 

“Not a problem,” I replied, smiling and posing.  “Just like the Governor Jesse Ventura, the pleasures been all mine!”

 

So we went on our way to the airport.  Beverly Hills took down notes in his notebook and I synced up my iPod with the audio of the conversation with the OSWP hosts.  I grabbed my phone and sent a text to Dre and the Black Cat, saying that we met someone very important on the bus and will be sending them a picture when we get a chance.  Both wondered, “Who could the Dirty Dawg and Beverly Hills 90210 meet on a public bus in Chicago who we know?”

 

Once parked at the airport, we grabbed our luggage and made our way to the exit.  CM Punk got off the bus before we did and stepped to the side, not wanting to be noticed by the public, yet wanting to keep to his word.  When Beverly and I got off the bus, Punk grabbed me and whispered, “Walk with me.”

 

Impromptu body guards, we walked CM Punk to where he and Paul Heyman agreed to meet up at.  To no surprise, Heyman wore what he normally wears on television, that’s a suit and a baseball hat.  We shook both Heyman and Punks hands, talked for a few minutes, had pictures taken, and autographs were signed.  Both Beverly and I were in “smarks” heaven.

 

“I want to ask you Minnesotans a question,” Paul asked, right when he signed my notebook.  “How do you guys handle the cold, harsh winters?”

 

“I’m assuming they are similar to the New York or Chicago winters.  Being born and growing up there,” Beverly responded, “we grow accustomed to the winters.”

 

Heyman chuckled and told us a few Minnesota stories he had on the road with such legends as Brock Lesnar, Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, and several house-shows with Extreme Championship Wrestling, during the original days.

 

Punk looked at Heyman, nodded, and they both dismissed themselves.  We thanked them for their time and giving us autographs; they shook our hands again and gave us a hug.  Grabbed their bags and walked off, both guys headed off to catch their plane for their next show.  Mr. Hills and I watched as they went, in awe and amazed on who we ran into on the bus ride over.

 

We walked to where we were supposed to catch our plane, shown our ticket, boarded our plane, and flew back to Minneapolis.  Right when we landed, I texted Dre and the Black Cat one of the pictures from my phone, showing them who we ran into.  They were definitely shocked and amazed, too, on who we met.

 

Went home, posed those pictures on Twitter and Facebook, and unpacked my bags.  Still surprised on meeting CM Punk and Paul Heyman, I texted Beverly, saying it was fun traveling with him in the Windy City and thanks for pointing out the Second City Saint on the bus.

 

With tired hands, thoughts, and fingers….

 

The “Dirty Dawg” Darsie