Welsh grans reunited with wrestler after viral Las Vegas encounter
A group of Welsh grandmothers who struck up an unlikely friendship with a wrestler on a flight to Las Vegas have been reunited with him after their story went viral.
DeReiss Gordon, better known as Man Like DeReiss, took to Facebook to share the news that his “reunion of dreams” with the group of ladies from Cardiff would feature on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, 5 May.
In April, Rose Sulley, Lynn Crawford, Susie Matthews, and Christine Goodwin found themselves seated next to the wrestler on their flight from Heathrow to Las Vegas.
A booking mishap meant the group of six women were split up, with DeReiss unexpectedly seated between them. They were initially “fuming”, according to the wrestler.
Tensions soon cooled, however, when DeReiss assisted one of the ladies with reclining her seat and the pair began a conversation.
DeReiss, a professional wrestler from Birmingham, was performing in Las Vegas as part of Game Changer Wrestling’s ‘The Collective’ event.
He said on social media: “I explained it’s Wrestlemania, and… She told me she used to love wrestling on World of Sport, Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks etc. and her grandchildren love wrestling too.
“They then asked what time and place I will be wrestling. So I told them to come to Joey Janela’s Spring Break. She doesn’t have social media so I told her to be at the Horseshoe, 7pm, Friday night. GCW.”
After a big group hug at the airport with his new friends, DeReiss was sceptical they would actually turn up to watch him wrestle.
But surprise was in store as, while at the merchandise booth on the night of the show, DeReiss was informed the women were at the show and asking after him.
View this post on Instagram
Despite Susie saying that watching the wrestlers “flying out of the ring” was “traumatic” at first, she told the BBC: “It was the best day, we absolutely loved it. It was so special that we kept our promise, and he was so excited to see us.”
Knowing that they didn’t have social media, DeReiss took to his Instagram and Facebook on 24 April to share the story and ask anyone who knew the ladies to put them in contact with him, wanting to invite them to another show in the UK.
Reacting to the wrestler’s surprise that the group of friends made the effort to attend his show, a commenter told DeReiss: “No one makes a promise like Welsh grans! Nothing in Heaven on earth would have stopped them making that show.”
It only took a day for social media to put DeReiss, now calling himself ‘Your Nan’s favourite wrestler’, in contact with the women.
On 25 April, he shared an update, including a message from Susie who revealed her grandchildren had shown her the original post.
“Was a shame you wasn’t sat by me on the way back as I was next to some old grumpy bastard,” she shared, adding that DeReiss should stay in touch as they would love to watch him perform in London.
Buoyed by the viral nature of his posts, which gained thousands of likes, DeReiss said the fever was “spreading at an alarming rate” and was “very susceptible to cute nans.”
After the story was featured in several news outlets, he added: “We’ve taken over the mainstream media! But now YOU’RE in control! The question is, WHO wants to see me and the nans have a reunion?”
He told the BBC: “I think we got on because our lives are so different, we found each other interesting. We were both going to Vegas for completely different reasons.”
The friends, who have known each other for over 40 years, were travelling to Las Vegas to scatter the ashes of Rose’s late husband, which they did at the MGM Grand before seeing DeReiss at his show the following day.
The wrestler added: “People don’t talk to each other enough. If you strike up a conversation, you’ll often find someone has an interesting story.
“Just ask the person next to you how their day is going, or why they’re travelling. There’s usually a story behind it.”
On 2 May, the group were finally reunited and their day out together will be shown on screen on the BBC Breakfast programme on Tuesday, 5 May.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
