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9. How Action Figures "Broke The Ice"
That love of toys brought both men together.
Remarkably, they hated one another at first. Hawkins and Ryder viewed the other guy as competition, largely because they were both the exact same size, looked like one another and worked with the same zest for wrestling. When both were training to become wrestlers, they actively tried to outdo each other.
That didn't change until one of them spoke up about toy collecting. After that, it was plain sailing, and both lads realised they had something in common. Talking about toys and action figures "broke the ice", and it also gave Hawkins someone to go to Toys R' Us with in between training sessions.
Their fondness for hitting up geek stores on the road never faded even when the pair made it to WWE full-time. If you haven't, check out episodes of their underrated 'Figure It Out' show on the Network; it's worth your time if you like shows like 'The Toys That Made Us'.