Wrestling is back at the Arena

Pro wrestling is back at the Arena in Corbin Saturday night.

Among the WWE superstars scheduled to appear are Roman Reigns, Charlotte Flair, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Becky Lynch, Big E and Happy Corbin, formerly known as “King” Baron Corbin.

I’m excited, but it isn’t so much for the show in the ring.

Editor Mark White has agreed to go take pictures so that I can go as a fan with my mother-in-law, Brenda Woods.

Mom, as she has been to me since we first met almost 18 years ago, is a pretty unassuming lady. But that can change at the drop of a hat when she has reached her breaking point.

And referees and wrestlers can push her to the breaking point as I witnessed at last year’s 50^th District Girl’s Basketball Tournament at Williamsburg High School.

I asked mom to go with me while I shot pictures because she knew one of the players on one of the teams.

The team and the player will remain anonymous.

There are bleachers at the end of Williamsburg’s gym that were rolled out during the tournament.

It was vacant except for me, a few others and Mom as it was easy for me to snap photos of the action at that end of the floor.

My attention was on the action, most of which I saw through my camera. I was focused on getting good pictures.

I don’t recall the exact situation, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught mom getting up and going toward the court.

Mom knows everybody in Williamsburg, so my first instinct was that she saw someone she knew.

When I got a good look, I saw that it wasn’t that, but after a call or no-call she was headed toward one of the officials with her glasses in hand and, I’m certain, a few words of advice for said official.

With Corbin, Williamsburg and Whitley County in the district, along with South Laurel, I try my best to not be biased toward or against any of the schools.

I am from northern Kentucky, live in Laurel County, work in Corbin and don’t have any children, so I have no connections to any of the three Whitley County schools.

The only connection I have to South Laurel is that my property taxes go to support it.

I quickly grabbed hold of her, pulled her back in her seat and reminded her that she was with the media and I have to be unbiased.

“He needs to make better calls!” was her reply concerning the referee.

I could only laugh even though she was steps from getting thrown out of the building.

I’m sure this will be on display Saturday at the Arena.

I glance at WWE Raw on Monday nights and AEW on Wednesday. I recognize the names of most of the wrestlers when the announcers talk about them.

I admit that I have spent more and more time watching and listening to classic wrestling from the 80s, especially Memphis with the likes of Jerry Lawler (yes, kids! King wasn’t always just an announcer), Austin Idol and Jimmy Hart and the First Family.

I would love to be able to watch these events unfold again by seeing the television tapings aired in chronological order so I could follow the storylines.

But even more fun than watching the wrestlers from back then is watching the fans.

I don’t know if it was that the wrestlers were better at getting the fans riled up, or that the fans took it more seriously, but there were some fans that were on the verge of going after some of the wrestlers.

That just isn’t going to happen today because fans know it is a show and the wrestlers, for the most part, don’t really hate each other.

But there will be some throwback fans, like mom, and other fans who will get into the action.

I will enjoy the in-ring action. But I am really going to see the show in the stands, especially the mean little mama from Williamsburg.