WWE’s beloved “Sign Guy” Rick Achberger will be remembered with a special gathering later this month following his passing in September. The celebration will give those who knew the longtime front-row fixture a chance to come together and honor the man who became part of the WWE experience for decades.
According to PWInsider, a celebration of life for Achberger is scheduled for Saturday, November 27, from 12 PM to 2 PM at Kelly’s Restaurant & Bar at 3191 Preston Road in Frisco, Texas. The gathering will take place inside the venue’s private side room, and anyone who knew Achberger is welcome to attend.
Achberger became instantly recognizable to wrestling fans through his years of sitting in the front row at WWE events with his homemade signs. His presence became so familiar that numerous WWE stars paid tribute to him following news of his passing.
Jonathan Coachman recently revealed just how much Achberger meant to people behind the scenes as well. Speaking on The Coach and Bro Show, Coachman recalled that Achberger worked for Verizon and saved his own money to travel around the country attending WWE shows without ever asking the company for special treatment.
“So what he would do, he’d work for Verizon, and he’d save up his money and buy a bunch of tickets. Then one time, after several years—he never asked for anything—he traveled to California for a show.”
That dedication eventually caught Triple H’s attention. Coachman said Triple H once had him tell Achberger to stay behind after a show, which initially left Sign Guy worried that he had somehow gotten himself into trouble.
“We’re talking around backstage, and Triple H says to me, ‘Hey, Coach, I want you to text him and tell him I want to meet after the show.’ I text him, ‘Hey, don’t leave. We need to talk after the show.’ He says, ‘Am I in trouble?’ I’m like, ‘You’re not in trouble.’”
Instead, Triple H wanted to make sure Achberger understood how much WWE appreciated his support. According to Coachman, Triple H told him that he never wanted Achberger spending money he couldn’t afford simply to continue attending WWE events.
“So we brought him backstage, and he was so crazy about meeting Triple H. Triple H says, ‘We appreciate your support, but in no way, shape, or form do we want you going into debt or spending money you don’t have simply so you can watch wrestling shows.’
So Triple H said in front of many of us, ‘As long as I’m here, you will not buy another ticket to a WWE show. Every time you wanna come, you just text us. We got him a name, and you just let us know, and we got you.’”
Coachman explained that Achberger had become far more than another familiar face sitting near ringside. Wrestlers themselves would look for his signs, and getting one dedicated to them became something of a badge of honor.
“Because, Vince, he was worth way more than the $150 he was spending on a ticket because he became synonymous with us. His sign, when we were in the ring, we used to talk about, ‘Oh, he has a sign for me today.’ It was a badge of honor for us.”
The upcoming celebration of life now gives the people who knew Achberger beyond those signs an opportunity to remember him together. For somebody who spent so many years becoming part of the atmosphere at WWE shows, it’s fitting that the doors are being opened to everyone who crossed paths with him along the way.
What is your favorite memory of Rick “Sign Guy” Achberger and the signs he brought to WWE events over the years? Let us know what you think in the comments.
