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— before he could drive acar . He organized matches with semi-retired stars in high school gyms , raising money for charities . His mother took him around town to post flyers on lampposts and in storefront windows . “ One thing led to another ,” he says , “ and Islowly worked my way into the wrestling business .”
By 1995 , inthe same year he graduated from high school , he was rubbing elbows in his own living room with “ Superfly ” Jimmy Snuka . The Fiji-born star , who died in 2017 , went to Fierro ’ s home to watch WrestleMania XI , he says . That show is most remembered for featuring retired New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor against the late Bam Bam Bigelow in the main event .
Nine years later , Fierro hosted
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a convention with 18 stars who participated in the very first WrestleMania . But that event , in a hotel ballroom on Route 46 west in Totowa , was a risky undertaking . Fierro did not have enough money to cover the costs for all of the stars ’ airfare and hotel accommodations . He gambled that the convention would pay for itself , and it did . In fact , he made an enormous profit .
By 2010 , however , he was starting afamily , so he decided to find a job that provided a more reliable source of income , and became a bartender for California Pizza Kitchen at Willowbrook Mall . Eventually , Fierro climbed his way to the top of the corporate ladder to handle marketing for 11 of the chain ’ s locations in New Jersey and New York .
His enthusiasm for pro wrestling
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never diminished , though . Six years ago , he opened his 80swrestlingcon accounts , where he posted photos of wrestlers from the ’ 80s . “ I did it to stay connected , and all these big wrestling stars started following me , including The Rock , Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan — the three biggest names in wrestling ,” he says . “ When they started following my account , so did everyone else .”
Fierro took advantage of all the attention by holding another ’ 80s wrestling convention in 2019 , this time at iPlay America in Freehold . “ It was like Comic Con , with tables selling memorabilia ,” he says . The gathering was so successful that he held another there and was planning a third convention for April 2020 when COVID shut him , and the in-person event world , down .
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INTERIOR : MICHAEL KARAS ; EXTERIOR : COURTESY OF TOMMY FIERRO |
28 FALL 2021 WAYNE MAGAZINE |