WRESTLERS MAKE DREAM COME TRUE

Professional wrestlers are a unique breed of entertainer-athletes who are well known for their dramatic, crowd-inspiring, high flying antics. But some also have other talents they can make dreams come true.

For 11-year-old Brad Sacha of Cape Girardeau, the chance to see the World Wrestling Federation in action at the Show Me Center Wednesday night was a thrill.

But when he was able to shake hands and trade "high-fives" with three of his favorite wrestlers during intermission, he was nearly overwhelmed.

The wheelchair-bound youth has muscular dystrophy and has long dreamed of meeting the athletes he idolizes. But he said Wednesday that he never thought the dream would come to fruition.

"I was really surprised," he said, after shaking hands with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and Kerry Von Erich, "The Texas Tornado." He also met his favorite wrestler, WWF Champion "The Ultimate Warrior."

"I watch wrestling all the time, and my favorite is The Ultimate Warrior," Sacha said. "I just can't believe I got to meet them, and I've got pictures to prove it."

He said he would take the pictures and his autographed program from the event to his classmates at Alma Schrader School in Cape Girardeau.

His father, Dr. Robert Sacha, said he's tried unsuccessfully in the past to set up meetings with some of the wrestlers when they previously came to the Show Me Center. He said Wednesday's meeting wasn't easy to arrange.

"It was just a matter of talking to a lot of people, asking around and I kept pestering people until I finally talked them into it," Robert Sacha said.

"This is a dream come true for him, it's just super. He'll not forget this night. Those guys are super guys."