Caprio - Are We There Yet?: Tales from the Never-Ending Travels of WWE Superst

Are We There Yet?

POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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Robert Caprio

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Copyright 2005 by World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

World Wrestling Entertainment, the names of all World Wrestling Entertainment televised and live programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans and wrestling moves, and all World Wrestling Entertainment logos and trademarks are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. Nothing in this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

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All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

Photos on pages 22, 64, 165 courtesy of Molly Holly. Photo on page 18 courtesy of Dr. Tom Prichard. Photos on pages 58, 69, 110, 135 courtesy of Ivory. Photo on page 90 courtesy of D-Von Dudley.

All other photos copyright 2005 World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7434-9041-2

ISBN-10: 0-7434-9041-X
eISBN-13: 978-1-439-12178-8

First Pocket Books trade paperback edition February 2005

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Taking a steel chair to the head is sometimes the easiest part of the day for your favorite WWE Superstar. You would expect that wrestling for the fans is the most rewarding thing a Superstar can do, but the easiest? Consider that, for the few hours leading up to the time you watched them strut to the ring, each Superstar had to get to your hometown from wherever they may have been. Maybe they just flew in that morning from another time zone and spent most of the flight restraining a drunk passenger who was punching people for no reason. Or maybe they stayed at a hotel four hundred miles away that didnt put too much of a premium on cleanliness.

These stories are all part of what happens to the WWE Superstars when youre not watching them. When theyre busy going from town to town to do the one thing they love more than anythingentertain the fans. Its the only job most of them ever wanted.

Its a job that keeps them on the road for over 240 days each year, but lets them see parts of the world many never dreamed theyd visit. It separates them from their families for incredible stretches of time, but introduces them to their other family.

Its a job unlike any other.

Their time traveling the world has given them incredible memories and lasting friendships. From the early days trying to make a name in the business to the night they first won the World Heavyweight Championship, many of your favorite WWE Superstars now share their most personal experiences from life on the road.

Are We There Yet?

MOLLY HOLLY I guess whats fun for some is just an animal sticking its head in your car for others.

WWE Superstars are constantly traveling the world but are never on vacation. Some have flown to Ireland for one day, and when they came back could only tell their families how nice the airport and arena were. The pubs? Didnt have time. Others have been on four-day tours through South Africa. When asked about the beauty of the countryside, theyll tell you, It looked great from inside the bus. But all Superstars will let you know that not every trip can go like this. You have to try and steal some time in between towns to do things you enjoy, to take your mind off the monotony of the traveling. As Molly Holly points out above, each person has a unique view on what is fun, and thats what makes these stories so entertaining.

Perhaps the greatest of them all are the stories that didnt involve any planning. Through some odd coincidence or series of events, the Superstar was taken on a journey he never expected and will never forget. One saw his WWE career blossom thanks to a bus ride in England, while another discovered the most important thing in his life during a road trip to a Pay-Per-View in Pennsylvania.

John Cena

If not for one specific trip in Europe, I would still be searching for my connection with the fans. My chance to develop my free-stylin character arose from something we were doing to pass the time during a bus ride in England.

We were on the Rebellion Tour in the fall of 2002, and thats one of the few times that everybody travels together. WWE chartered most of the trip for us. Our travel arrangements were covered for the two rides over the ocean, then for most of the trips in between the cities while we were over there. By the end of the week, the traveling got real long and tedious. In the span of seven days we went from Memphis, Tennessee, to Helsinki, Finland, to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to Manchester, England, to Sheffield, England, then to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

So we took the first charter flight to Finland. We did a show in Helsinki, then boarded another charter flight over to Ireland and one more to England. Now, the England shows were in two different towns that werent far away from each other, so we took a bus between them. After the last show, we got back on the bus to head to the airport. Its quite a drive and were all just kind of hanging out doing whatever. The tours over, everyone is exhausted, but were all wired with energy, you know that feeling, kind of punch drunk. I think it was because of the shows. Whenever we go overseas the fans are incredible, they are just awesome to us. All that energy in the building was keeping us going on the bus.

Now, we ended up having a lot of guys in the back of the bus who all like hip-hop, guys like Rikishi, Rey Mysterio, and Chuck Palumbo. We all just started rhyming. It got to be my turn and, man, I must have freestyled for like five or ten minutes straight. It was just flowin. Little did I know that in the front of the bus was half of the creative team who heard it and said, We gotta do something with this.

Id freestyled backstage at Raw before, but just in front a few of the guys. On this bus was the first time a lot of people could hear, and it gave me a huge opportunity and pretty much launched my career.

Mark Henry

I know every strip club in every city in America.