Donna Gatena went to her first professional wrestling match when she was 12.
Her grandmother, who "was a freak about wrestling," first introduced her to the sport. Back then, she wasn't so into it. Now she has a son and a husband who are both fans, and she has grown to love it.
WWE Raw Live held a pro-wrestling performance Sunday at the Five Flags Center, and the die-hard fans were there hours before the event in the hopes of seeing the wrestlers arrive, and perhaps get an autograph.
Gatena was there for her second live show with her husband, Tony, and their son Brian, who is 13. She said she enjoys watching WWE every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with her family and her son's friends.
She said that even 21-month-old Brandon, who they are taking care of, likes to watch the wrestlers on their big screen, and can imitate some of professional wrestler John Cena's moves.
"It's exciting. You pick a favorite person and you follow them," she said.
And each member of the Gatena family will tell you who their favorite
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As the Gatenas waited outside of Big Show's bus, they discussed what they expected to see and who they wanted to win. Some feuds erupted over qualms about each other's predictions, but it was all in good fun. After all, Tony said, professional wrestling is a little bit like a night-time soap opera.
Ultimately, Tony said, the sport is good for the entire family because the wrestlers aren't caught up in steroids and illegal activities, as often has been seen in the headlines recently with other professional sports.
"(John Cena) is a good role model," he said. "I think they're good role models for the kids."
