Smith is a big fan of Maven Huffman, a professional wrestler who lives in Harrisonburg and has been a WWE wrestler and appeared on two reality shows.

"He's really nice," she said. "I've seen him out in public. I'm too nervous to say, ‘Hi,' but I always smile at him, and he always says ‘Hi, ma'am' — I think he knows I'm too nervous."

Maven is her favorite wrestler. He's a nice guy, she says, and he's also a local boy, the product of Fishersville's Wilson Memorial High School and Eastern Mennonite University.

"The fact that he's good looking helps, too," she laughs. "My husband knows that. I told him, ‘You know I'd never cheat on you unless it was with Maven.' "

It's Friday night, and they're waiting to meet their favorite wrestlers before the show. They've paid extra for a meal and the chance to mingle with the wrestlers.

It would be hard to argue. The 35-year-old Harrisonburg man has hundreds of action figures and thousands of videotapes. Hartman knows Maven personally, having "worked security" for him when he signed autographs at a local fitness center.

He's the ringleader of a group of "hardcore wrestling freaks" that sets up at a corner table and greets the wrestlers as they enter the room, Cheers-style.

Yet Hartman watches WWE twice a week. He catches the monthly pay-per-views too, although he goes to Buffalo Wild Wings so he doesn't give McMahon any money.

That's probably because of how he got into the business: He was the first winner of "Tough Enough," a reality show on MTV which pitted pro-wrestling hopefuls against each other for a chance at a WWE contract.

The show puts seven B-list celebrities together in a house. This year's cast also includes Sherman "George Jefferson" Helmsley, Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille and Tawny Kitaen, the video vixen best known striking sexy poses on the hood of a car in a Whitesnake video.

A lot of people in town know him, he says. They know where he works out (Nautilus) and they know what he drives (a Cadillac Escalade with 23-inch rims).

The benefits are things like speaking at the Boys & Girls Club, telling the kids they can be anything they want if they work hard. The downside usually starts with "I hate to bother you but …"

Harrisonburg is home, he says, and he likes it here. People are usually nice to him, but sometimes it's hard to eat dinner without getting interrupted.

He has no idea what he's going to do from here. He's been good with his money, he says, so he's not hurting for work. He's not sure if he wants to get back in the ring or if he wants to act or even do something else entirely.

Almost every wrestler here has done time with the WWE. Some of them were stars there, but can't use their old gimmicks now because WWE owns the rights. They aren't happy about this.

The figure is supposed to be Flair in '83. It's got the right trunks, but is missing the matching baby blue kneepads. Hartman says he plans to make some.

Bodewig doesn't keep his action figures in a duffel bag like his friends. He has a briefcase, a gift from Hepner. "I wanted him to look professional," she says.

That's the role he's got tonight, teaming with TNA's Heavyweight Champion, Jeff Jarrett, a boisterous bad guy, for a tag-team match against Team 3-D, likable screwballs.

When the show's emcee, NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler, brings Maven out to warm up the crowd, he gets booed. Maven starts talking, and the boos get louder.

He tells the crowd he wants his accountant to sell his house in Harrisonburg, so he can move to Florida or California and get away from the "filthy animals" in Harrisonburg.

"If I was from Harrisonburg, it would be different," he says. "He's not very likable. When he first came in he was nice, but his attitude changed."

When his match was over, his tag-team partner quickly fled the ring. A few of the other team's allies ran in from the locker room, leaving him outnumbered five to one.

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