Loot Crate asked WWE mega-fan and video game personality Jose Sanchez to takeover our WWE Slam Crate Facebook account and be our Looter at Royal Rumble. We checked-in with him to see how he thinks the Road to Wrestlemania will play out and to share his experiences from PAX South and Royal Rumble!:
(Photo by Jose Sanchez)
Hi Jose, thanks for chatting with us at The Daily Crate. Tell us about yourself and how you got started in media, games and the WWE.
I have been a lifelong fan of wrestling and video games. Growing up my parents were the ones who ordered all the wrestling pay-per-views and invited all my friends over to watch, so at least once a month my house was the place to be. My Dad got me started with his first game console, the Atari 2600, and I’ve been playing ever since. I have way too many video games and not enough time to play them all and I couldn’t ask for a better problem to have. Also a huge sports fan and try to attend as many sporting events as I can.
Back in 2002, the channel G4 TV came to life and I was instantly amazed by this “TV 4 Gamers” concept when the first show I saw, a game review show called “Judgment Day,” proved that you can play video games and review them on television. Mind. Blown. I joined the G4 Forums and found that the hosts of some of the shows, including Judgment Day, actually posted on the forums along side the fans. I struck up an online relationship with the hosts of Judgment Day, Victor Lucas and Tommy Tallarico, as well as the community of fans for the show, and in December of 2002 I sent a message to Vic and Tommy letting them know that I would love to help out if they ever happened to be in the Bay Area. They informed me that the Game Developers Conference took place in San Jose in March of 2003 and if I could make it, I could join them. So I joined the team as a Production Assistant until the time came to take the reins and try the whole hosting gig myself. And that time came in April 2005 in Los Angeles at a little event called WRESTLEMANIA 21! Knowing about my love for wrestling, Victor decided to let me interview the Superstars at the Granddaddy of them All for the latest WWE video game at the time. Talk about when Mega Powers collide. Video games and wrestling together and I’ve been a host ever since
You were in San Antonio for both PAX South and Royal Rumble how do these fans compare?
I feel as though wrestling fans and fans of video games are quite similar. They are both passionate beyond belief about the worlds created by both games and the world of sports entertainment. You go to gaming events, you see tons of people in gaming related shirts and dressed up in cosplay. You go to WWE events, you see the same thing. People in WWE shirts and dressed up as their favorite Superstars. These people clearly love it and so do I.
What games did you see at PAX SOUTH that are must plays?
I think the biggest hit at PAX SOUTH this year was obviously the hands-on stations for the Nintendo Switch. Having only recently been shown to the world, this was the first time people got the chance to play the Switch and the lines were insane. Obviously, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is going to be the hottest of the launch titles and it looks like it’s going to be taking Hyrule to an insanely large scale. Definitely can’t wait to get lost in only a few short weeks.
(Photo by Jose Sanchez)
Who’s your favorite active Superstar and favorite Superstar of all-time?
My current favorite active Superstar is John Cena. The guy does it all and regardless of the fan support/hate, he has persevered year after year and has been stepping up his game each year. Also, looking forward to the return of the 1st ever WWE Universal Champion, Finn Bálor. And REALLY enjoy NXT Superstar, SHINSUKEEEEEEEE NAKAMURAAAAAA!
My favorite Superstar of all time is tough! I’ve had the honor of meeting a lot of Superstars over the years, but the one that has eluded me in the 10+ years of covering WWE events is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Talk about a guy who has it. Easily one of the best mic workers of all time and at the time when there were so many amazing Superstars in the industry, The Rock made the biggest impact on me. So I have many favorites, but the Rock is the one that I will choose.
What is your favorite Wrestling game of all-time?
My favorite Wrestling game of all-time is a tough call! WCW vs nWo Revenge on N64 introduced an era of games that were incredible, but WRESTLEMANIA 2000 and No Mercy for the N64 were the games I played more hours than any other titles. I also have an affinity for WWE 2K13, as I just so happen to have had the accidental privilege of being in.
What would be your wrestling persona?
I’ve had this nailed down for years. Being someone who has a knack for impersonating others, my persona is “The CopyCatt” with my finishing maneuver being the “Xerox” where I would steal my opponent’s moves. Nothing quite like getting embarrassed by someone who beats you with your own move.
(Photo by Jose Sanchez)
What’s your favorite item from the Slam Crate or something you’d request as a fan?
I love the Belt Pins. I’m just a fan of the belts and own many replica belts myself. Would love to see more figures in Slam Crates celebrating some of the best moments in wrestling history. With WRESTLEMANIA coming up, maybe even something commemorating the WWE Hall of Famers.
What did you think was the highlight of Royal Rumble?
The highlight of the Royal Rumble has to be the John Cena vs AJ Styles match that just completely stole the show. Incredible match that had the perfect amount of back and forth that ending with Cena becoming the 16-Time WWE Champion. And I think Randy Orton taking the Rumble itself was a highlight not many expected but was a pleasant surprise.
What’s the lead story going into WrestleMania?
This year the lead story for a change is who on Earth the Champions will be going into the Main Event at Wrestlemania this year. With Elimination Chamber for Smackdown and Roadblock for RAW coming up prior to Wrestlemania 33 in Orlando, it’s up in the air if the champions now will be the champions come time for April 3.
How do you normally spend your Wrestlemanias (at home or onsite)
I have been blessed with being able to spend 10 of the last 12 Wrestlemanias actually ON SITE AT WRESTLEMANIA (yes, a dream come true!!!) and half of them have been for work, while the other half, I went because it’s hard not to be there when you’ve experienced the magic in person.
Thanks for being our wrestling expert at Royal Rumble, where can Looters find more of your stuff?
You can find me on the internets streaming gaming content on Twitch at http://twitch.tv/don_fubar or posting on all the social medias under the name donfubar
