Fans gather for WWE convention

MIAMI, March 31 (UPI) -- Thousands of fans crowded into the Miami Beach Convention Center to meet wrestling superstars for the second day of WWE Axxess convention.

The four-day convention is a lead up to Sunday's WrestleMania XVIII, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

Fans decked out in apparel supporting wrestlers John Cena and CM Punk filled the convention center Thursday and Friday, leading Axxess organizers to hope they are on their way to meeting or exceeding last year's attendance of 30,000, the newspaper said.

"It's awesome. I've been watching wrestling for 20 years, and to see all the superstars, and the signings and the VIP area, it's just awesome," said Thomas Gizki, 32, who traveled from Berlin. "We bought the tickets six or seven months ago, and just knowing that The Rock is coming and John Cena is wrestling, and the other great matches -- it's very exciting."

Meanwhile, WWE star David Otunga arranged for a young Haiti refugee to meet his wrestling heroes backstage at Wrestlemania, TMZ reported Saturday.

Otunga gave an anti-bullying talk at John F. Kennedy Middle School Friday and while there raffled off a ticket to Sunday's event. Upon learning the winner was a refugee of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and that the boy's mother died two weeks ago, Otunga arranged the meet-and-greet.