Coolspotting: Nerding out in England - Comics, CosPlay, Video Games and Wrestling

'Nintendisco' @93 Feet East, London

Day 272 - Nintendisco (London)
- '93 Feet East' in Shoreditch, where I celebrated my birthday with great friends
- Nintendisco was celebrating its own birthday, turning one
- Participated in the SNES StreetFighter II tournament, Losing a tight one in the 3rd round playing as T-Hawk against Guile.

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London Comic Con @ExCel Arena, London 

Day 274 - London MCM Expo (London)
- The ExCel arena was simultaneously hosting a Comic Convention and casting 'Britain's Next Top Model'. Beauty and the Geek.
- Saw an opening during the morning rush and snuck in. Notables include sampling the new Streetfighter games and sitting ringisde for UK Indy Wrestling fed, FWA (Frontier Wrestling Alliance)
- Nabbed a "StreetFighter UK Fight Club" tshirt that was being thrown into the crowd.

The night was capped of by the finals of Euro Cosplay 2011
- Personal fave in competition: Inquisitor Lord Hector Rex from Warhammer 40K, Lithuania
- Personal fave in the crowd: Dudley from StreetFighter IV
- The 2011 winner: Skeksil Chamberlin from Dark Crystal, England

Go to the official London MCM Expo page
Go to FoxyChan81's Flickr album - Euro Cosplay 2011

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UFC 138 @LG Arena, Birmingham

Day 279 to Day 281 - UFC 138 (Birmingham)
- Rashad Evans and Ross Pearson in-store signing, Dudley (near Birmingham). Got a photocard and my flatcap signed.
- UFC 138 weigh-ins. Befriended a former Arena security guard in the queue, with his connects we got to sit in the gated area alongisde Fight Club members, press and fighter entourage.
- Accessed the members-only line to meet Ross Pearson and Octagon girls Arianny and Chandella. The lock: Security guard asks "Are you a member?". The password: "Yes".
- The Birmingham hostel was full of Fight fans from around Europe. I was offered half-priced tickets but it was still too rich for my blood.

Ok calm down! We are at Birmingham cathedral on temple row west! In front of main entrance. Be safe getting here!!!!
— Dana White (@danawhite) November 5, 2011

- Unbeknownst to me UFC President Dana White had tweeted they would be handing out free tickets to the show at a designated location. Seeing dozens of burly tattooed men, clutching their mobiles spiked my curiosity. I was at the right place at the right time.
- I sat next to fans who paid £160 for their seats. After winning his undercard bout, Michihiro Omigawa and his trainer sat behind us with their fam.

Find UFC 138 Results here. Find UFC 138 weigh-in highlights.

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WWE Smackdown @LG Arena, Birmingham

Day 283 - WWE Smackdown (Birmingham)
- After making an unexpected return to WWE, prodigal son Mick Foley graced Birmingham with his presence
- Three grown men were in full costume beside me, Papa Shango, Sgt Slaughter and someone I couldn't identify. When I inquired, he declared he was Razor Ramon. He told me Security confiscated his toothpick.

Find pictures of WWE Smackdown in Birmingham here

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CM Punk in Nottingham, England

Day 285 - WWE Raw (Nottingham)
Betraying his fan favorite persona onscreen, CM Punk is notoriously prickly to his admirers. This was on display in Nottingham. His in-store signing before the night's show was hurried and perfunctory. I also witnessed this animated exchange as fans gathered around the departing tour buses after the show:

FAN: Can you sign my shirt?
CM PUNK: (taunting) Throw it over the fence.
FAN: (unsure) Are you going to sign it?
CM PUNK: Where's your pen?
FAN: (pleading with others) Does anyone here have a pen?
CM PUNK: You want me to sign your shirt but you don't even have a pen. You're not very smart are you? You're a douchebag!

- Kliqster Kevin Nash makes a surprise appearance, teaming with 'Awesome Truth' in a six-man tag against Cena, Ryder and Kingston
- 3 kids in front of me persisted with their puzzling chant of "We pee on you!"

Find pictures of WWE Raw in Nottingham here

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Mick Foley UK Comedy Tour 2011 @Glee Club, Nottingham

Day 286 - Mick Foley: UK Comedy Tour 2011 (Nottingham)- I spent the night visiting the Comedy clubs of Nottingham. Visiting my second venue that evening, I happily stumbled onto Mick Foley's sold out Comedy show. Missed out on the performance but was able to meet the man after the show and get my flatcap signed.

Find the official page of 'Mick Foley: Stand Up UK Tour 2011'

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Nerds Gone Wild!
I often get asked why I like wrestling, my standard response is that it speaks to me intellectually. I enjoy the charisma, psychology and manipulation. Experiencing the show live, I realised I'd overlooked its obvious appeal - watching wrestling makes me feel like a kid again. For maximum enjoyment you need to completely buy into it. Its about surrendering, not being jaded or acting self conscious. The same goes for the fantasy in comics, the roleplaying found in Cosplay or the immersion in Video games. Considering my travels have largely been in pursuit of happiness it was a pleasant epiphany.

'Awesome Truth: The Miz and R-Truth in Nottingham

Its been a fun few weeks marking out to all these cult pursuits. During the show in Nottingham, heels Miz and R-Truth delivered a wrestling promo that encapsulates the feeling:

After manipulating the audience with a microphone sketch, 'Awesome Truth' admonishes the crowd

MIZ: You're all puppets! And we are the puppet masters
R-TRUTH: (singing catchphrase) That's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...
MIZ: (singing) ...and Iiit's Aaaaaaawesoome!

The Kids are Alright

- Coolspotting in Frankfurt and Barcelona
- Coolspotting: Subculture in the South of Spain
- Coolspotting in Netherlands
- Coolspotting in Netherlands Pt II
- Coolspotting: Nerding out in England - Comics, CosPlay, Video Games and Wrestling
- Coolspotting in Berlin
- Coolspotting in Istanbul
- Coolspotting in Sydney
- Coolspotting in Melbourne

Read more Wrestling posts:
- Road Music: Songs to be happy to (UFC 138)
- Road Music: Songs to be happy to (WWE UK Tour, November 2011)
- Coolspotting: Nerding out in England - Comics, CosPlay, Video Games and Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts in South America