There are babyfaces and bad guys , super heavyweights and much more limber types who leap off the top rope to execute their finishing maneuvers . There are crowd favorites who carry hedge clippers to the ringside , and cold-blooded heels with snake gimmicks . Then , there is Tommy Fierro . In the realm of pro wrestling , where characters and storylines seem unbelievable , Fierro is the man who connects them with real people . He does this at The Wrestling Collector , amodest brick-and-mortar store in Sussex County — perhaps the least likely place to find idols of the 1980s and early 1990s , such as the Brooklyn Brawler , Tito Santana and Brian Wickens , aka “ Bushwhacker Luke .” The wrestling greats make in-store appearances to sign autographs and take photos ; the cost to attendees is
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OH YEAH Action figures of wrestlers like “ Macho Man ” Randy Savage ( opposite page ) can sell for thousands of dollars depending on condition and scarcity ; ( Above ) Tommy Fierro ( right ) talks with acustomer at his shop .
between $ 25 and $ 40 , depending on the star .
“ They were larger than life ,” Fierro , 44 , says of the era ’ s wrestling legends . The store , he adds , reminds many customers of their childhood , and parents introduce their own children to the greats of Fierro ’ s youth . “ You can ’ t put a price tag on that ,” he says . Wrestling fans come from as far away as Alabama , West Virginia
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and Ohio , says Fierro , alerted to its location at 2772 Route 23 North in the Stockholm section of Hardyston Township by his considerable social media presence .
That ’ s because before there was The Wrestling Collector , there was 80swrestlingcon — the website , Facebook page , Instagram account and Twitter handle . There is even a podcast at blogtalkradio . com , he says , with new episodes every Thursday . Fierro plays to his virtual audience as skillfully as his heroes performed for live ones .
NATURAL MARKETER
Fierro , a Woodland Park native who recently moved with his wife and 5-year-old daughter from Wayne to Lincoln Park , was steeped in the business for many years as a promoter of an independent wrestling circuit . He started running events when he was a sophomore at Passaic Valley Regional High School in Little Falls
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COURTESY OF TOMMY FIERRO |
26 FALL 2021 WAYNE MAGAZINE |