WWE supporters gather in downtown Minneapolis for fan event ahead of SummerSlam

WWE's SummerSlam is invading Minneapolis on Saturday and Sunday.

On Friday morning, pro wrestling die-hard fans flocked to the Convention Center for autographs and merchandise. 

Women's World Champion Liv Morgan kicked off SummerSlam by getting the crowd fired up. 

"I'm looking forward to all of it. Everybody. Even the commentators," said Tevon Lockett. 

With his Liv Morgan T-shirt and his replica WWE championship belt, Lockett was one of the first to arrive at the venue. He flew in from Chicago for the weekend. 

"It's the biggest party of the summer! SummerSlam. We just saw Liv Morgan not too long ago. I'm going to see Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins. It's the biggest party of the summer, man," said Lockett. 

Friday was the warm-up match, so to speak, before the main events at U.S. Bank Stadium this weekend. A chance to buy shirts, belts, memorabilia and more. For some, like Jay Mitchell of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, and his kids, it's a family event. 

"I took the day off of work so I could bring them down," said Mitchell. "A couple different autograph sessions the kids want to go to."

It was also a chance for fans to get interactive by jumping in the ring and working on their own wrestling moves. 

Minnesota fans in particular are looking forward to SummerSlam matches involving people close to home. Brock Lesnar and Tiffany Stratton are stars with local ties who will be performing. They are two of the many wrestlers that Kaiya Thao and her family cheer for from their Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, home. 

"I'm a fan of wrestling, and I watch it with all my brothers and it's really cool to see like all the merch and all that stuff," said Thao. 

The SummerSlam Takeover event at the Minneapolis Convention Center runs through Sunday.