Without much question, the highlight of my weekend was getting the opportunity to meet WWF legend, Hacksaw Jim Duggan at a minor league game in Frederick. What made it better was getting to share the experience in the company of good friends who like me, grew up watching Hacksaw punch and clothesline bad guy wrestlers, mostly, before unfortunately jobbing, and pretty often, in the most memorable ways (getting sat on and “injured” by fat guys like the late greats, Earthquake and Yokozuna). Regardless, the overly patriotic super face has always remained a lifelong favorite amongst us, and a very easy choice to make the trip up to see him, regardless of the baseball game involved.
Prior to going to Frederick, I couldn’t help but wonder of what the meeting was going to be like. After a great experience meeting Sgt. Slaughter, who was gracious, friendly and great with all the fans, I was sorely disappointed when I met Jerry “the King” Lawler, when he turned out to be a pretty apathetic and obviously money-seeking prick who didn’t so much care about the fans that wanted to see him as much as his head was already wondering when the meet and greet was going to be over. Honestly, I was just kind of hoping for something in the middle, and hovering more towards Slaughter than Lawler.
I’d have to say that Hacksaw probably raised the bar that the Sarge set. Duggan was meeting with fans and signing and taking pictures from the moment that my friends and I arrived, and he was more than willing to share with us the same privilege, even if we were sort of extra-marky and fanboyish with me bringing my US title replica and Huzzard bringing a WCW TV title replica, literally the only two titles he ever held in North America.
Hacksaw was super nice, friendly, and great with not just us, but all the fans that waited in line to see him. He signed countless game programs, two belts, and a surprisingly inordinate number of 2x4s brought in tribute to his own likeness. Whereas the Sarge and Lawler stuck to schedules and ended up leaving some fans hanging, Duggan signed and posed with people until there were literally nobody left to meet with him. It was about the seventh inning when this time finally came, and then he proceeded to perform in an on-field skit, beating up a Potomac National ballboy with a 2×4. The whole time, while my friends and I were incessantly and frequently yelling “HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,” because there will probably be no other time in our lives where could do such and it be completely justifiable. Base hit? That’s a HOOOO. Walk? That’s a HOOOOO. Didn’t make an out? Robbed the opposition? You better believe those were HOOOOOOs too. Fantastically fun evening.
The Frederick Keys ended up winning, beating the Potomac Nationals, but frankly, it didn’t matter. Getting to meet Hacksaw Jim Duggan was one of the greatest experiences ever as a wrestling fan, and it was totally worth making the trip up for it, even if it did put me in the scenario of getting put through Reagan National hell yet again.
