So, we set off for Dover, NJ for the ROH show and to be a part of Darren Aronofsky "The Wrestler" movie taping, starring  Mr. Angel Heart himself - Mickey Rourke. 

Once we hit 287 we get behind a couple in an Aztec with either a flat tire or some sort of axle mishap.  The tire was shaking and bouncing violently, but they kept driving.  I was positive they were going to end up losing a wheel.  We stayed close for quite some time, out of curiousity, but after about 20 miles we came to our exit and they continued along.

Dover is considerably closer than the usual ROH venue in Edison, so that was a nice bonus.  As such, we arrived there very early.  With time to spare, we took a detour into a place called Mount Hope.  Unbeknownst to Hope, the inside jokes between Georgedust, myself and our friend Hope were already brewing.  After a few vagrant maneuvers we positioned ourself to get a little historical evidence.



Along the way, we also came across Mount Pleasant Ave, Gaydos St., Chestnut St. and several other veiled references.  Another oddity was at the intersection of Guy St. and Mt. Hope.  What a strange place!

Anyway, the streets aren't labelled well enough for our google directions to be followed and suddenly we're randomly lurking throughout Dover.  Luckily, my usual inner compass works it's wonders and we end up right in front of the venue. 

With 90 minutes to spare, we go off in search of something quick to eat.  Instead, we ride around for about 20 minutes in what turns out to be a huge circle and end up right back at the venue again, with no sign of safe eating anywhere.  In fact there is no sign of any kind of eating anywhere.  Nothing.  No deli, no pizza, not even fast food - no nothing!  How do people survive in this city?  We strike out again, this time going East, and end up finding a scary deli in an area that looks like something out of Mad Max.  With no public bathroom and my bladder about to burst I find my way behind the building to relieve myself.  Let me tell you, the enclosed area behind the building was even scarier - there were what looked like bloodstains on the 12 ft cement walls!  Luckily the wraps were surprisingly edible... 

Back on the road again, and somehow we have now gotten completely lost.  This is a first for me.  We're riding back and forth past Dover into the next towns over but cannot find our way back to the Baker Theater.  I resist the standard man-urge to refuse directional help and desperately dial my wife for assistance.  She saves the day by geting us back to the Venue within about 15 minutes.  After a quick parking scare (apparently, people with cars don't visit Dover, and who could blame them), we rush inside.

After finding the "seating troll" we manage to eject the mutant who stole our seats.  We're treated to the usual great ROH show with movie taping segments between each match.  The gentleman next to me points out that we know when the taping segments are going to happen because that's when the two insanely hot, scantily clad chicks wearing what looks like a table runner come out and sit right in front of us.  In a hilarious moment, The Cat Ernest Miller is the big baddie of the movie, The Ayatollah (somehow he's Iranian now).  There's more than a few Cat fans in the crowd and later we are treated to a few seconds of The Cat's old music as they tease a Cat return.

The movie taping segments were interesting.  The crowd treated Rourke to an Austin-esque "What" response, prompting Aronofsky to come out and give us a little better direction for a re-shoot.  The crowd seemed a little frustrated but obliged greatly once the cameras were rolling.

Afterwards, Joey Mercury Matthews faced off against Steen.  Matthews gets Steen right in front of us and gives him his best Ric Flair chop, at with Georgedust comments "that's gonna leave a mark".  Matthews looks right at Georgedust and admits "yeah it is!".  Farther into their match Matthews gets flung upside-down into the barrier where we are.  Georgedust again comments "now that's REALLY gonna leave a mark", and Matthews looks up in pain and nods.  He'll be feeling that one in the morning.

Later, The Necro Butcher was in rare form, coming out and cleaning house by throwing everything at ringside into the squared circle.  Necro proceeded to take the tablecloth from the ring announcer's table and spin it wildly in the air several times.  In the spot of the night, Necro bowls Roderick Strong down the ramp on a chair into Delirious and Davey Richards' clone.

After the show we escape out a side door to beat the crowds.  We end up by the catering and equipment trucks.  We decide to hang around there for a bit to see what goes on there.  There's a small crowd of what looks like film people, and a few random fans.  Davey Richards comes out unnoticed and is talking on his cell.   A kid asks us if Richards is a wrestler.  We tell him yes.  He asks if there are any other wrestlers out here.  I resisted the urge to tell him Georgedust was one, after my foresight could see George offering to piledrive the kid.  A few minutes later out comes the one and only Necro Butcher!  Necro is studious with his glasses on, and completely no longer in his wrestling character.  He chats with a bunch of the film people and is very personable.  Necro recognizes George's Chargers throwback jersey and hat and calls out to us.  As it turns out, Necro has been a huge Chargers fan from the days of Stan Humphries and Marion Butts!  True greatness!  We stop over to chat with him for a few, snap a low quality picture with the man and thankfully head out to escape Dover.