Meeting Larry Zbyszko at Publix

I was a cashier who checked out wrestler and commentator Larry Zbyszko at the Publix on Abbotts Bridge Road in what had to have been 1999 or 2000. Probably 1999. I (think) I am remembering wearing the Publix pants + button down shirt + tie + apron uniform that cashiers wore. And I only wore that uniform for a few months of my Publix career, as I went quickly from bagger to cashier to Publix Service Representative. ¹ So I checked out his groceries. This was of course before the days of self check out. I wonder if Larry Zbyszko would have chose self check out. I don’t remember any of the items Larry Zbyszko bought. Larry Zbyszko was known to me at the time for being a commentator and performed on cable television’s wrestling program: WCW Monday Nitro. This was a television show I was a big fan of. Also, Larry Zbyszko’s nickname was “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko. WCW Monday Nitro was a wrestling program that aired live in front of an audience attending in a stadium or arena throughout the country. When the show went live every Monday at either 8 or 9 at night, the first shot was typically the commentating team², including Larry Zbyszko, introducing the show. Fans in the crowd got into the habit of chanting “Larry, Larry” every time the show opened, and while the commentating team was opening the show, Larry acknowledged the chant. He would do this by putting his index and middle finger together and kind of doing a salute, you can see it here when Tony introduces him.

So when Larry Zbyszko came through my check out line at Publix I was smitten. He did not have a lot of items and moved through the line so he was even with me (as I was behind the register.) I saw him and immediately asked him “Are you the Living Legend Larry Zbyszko?” And he replied “Yeah, still living.” Then as he took out his credit card to pay for his items, he held out his credit card similar to as he held his two fingers in the salute to the fans and circled it through the air as he tried to figure out where to put it into the credit card reader.