The staff of RF VIDEO was blown away with our latest shoot interview. We knew going in this man would pull no punches, as he is known in locker rooms across the country as a straight shooter. We’ve followed his career from SMW to ECW to finally WWE and yet we still weren’t prepared for what we caught on tape. That’s right, RF VIDEO is proud to announce the latest in our exclusive line of shoot interviews featuring the one and only AL SNOW!
It has been over ten long years since Snow sat down with us and we were surprised that we got not only a great shoot interview, but so much more as Al explained so much about the working insides of the wrestling business. To some degree, this new DVD is part shoot/part Behind Closed Door as Al mixes answering questions with weaving one story after another on his experience behind the scenes. If you are even considering getting into wrestling, or are a fan who has always wanted to know exactly what it takes to break into – and keep working – in wrestling, then this is the one man you need to listen to as Snow as been in and around the wrestling business working in various capacities for going on twenty five years.
Al discusses wrestling psychology and took us through an in-depth look at exactly what is wrong with today’s wrestling. Snow walked us through what guys are doing in the ring today, how it is wrong, and explains how it can be fixed. Snow described the “formula” trap that many wrestlers fall into and detailed his Seven Deadly Steps of a Wrestling Match. With one great example after another, Snow clearly showed how guys can be great wrestlers, but not great workers. Laying out matches, what “highspot” really means, what a pop should really be about, these and many more subjects are passionately talked about by Snow as he details how the art of the business is slowly being lost because it is being handed over to wrestlers not being trained by qualified professionals. Even we were shocked when Snow gave us his opinion on wrestlers who work the “stiff style” of wrestling with the mistaken idea that it is making wrestling look more real.
Snow doesn’t just explain the faults of wrestling, he also gives his answers on what needs to be done to get wrestling back on track and what promoters need to do to sell more tickets. Al also goes on the record describing his life on the road, including what he feels “paying your dues” really means. This is one of the only interviews in which you will honestly hear what the day-to-day life is for an average WWE superstar and the almost Faustian deal you have to make when you sign up for the major leagues. Amazing, truly amazing material.
Of course we talked about Al’s run in ECW and what it was like to work with Paul Heyman. Snow told us why he wanted out of his WWE contract, as well as how he ended up back there with the famous “Head” gimmick. Al described the locker room at the time with HBK and Bret Hart along with seeing guys like The Rock, Steve Austin, and Triple H work their way up through the system. We covered all of Snow’s major feuds in the fed, including his programs with Marc Mero, the Bossman and Bob Holly. Snow gives his candid thoughts on Mic Foley, along with some hilarious dealings with Vince McMahon that will have every viewer in stitches.
Al also reinvented his career by being the head trainer on MTV’s Tough Enough series. This shoot answers why Al thought it was a great concept for the WWE to get involved in and which guys backstage were against the show. Al told us what he thought of fellow trainer Bob Holly going into business for himself against trainee Matt Cappotelli as well as going through all the guys who went through the system, explaining “who had it,” and who didn’t. The Angle challenge with Daniel Puder, UFC taking some ideas from Tough Enough, and break out star John Morrison are amount the subjects covered in this highly entertaining section!
Snow then went down to OVW to be their head trainer and talked about working with both Jim Cornette and Paul Heyman, and which one of them was frustrating to work with. Al went over all the greats that spent time in OVW, including Randy Orton, and how the OVW system helped out WWE’s talent pool when they were looking to hire guys. You’ll going to hear hilarious stories featuring the Shane Twin’s dark match, Jim Cornette flipping out on them, and other various hijinx down in WWE’s developmental territory. Why did Al think it was a bad idea to hire Matt Sydaln and how did Sydal win over Al snow as a fan? What was it like to work with CM Punk, and did Snow feel Punk was just Heyman’s “golden boy?”
Whew! We don’t have room to bring up everything on this DVD, but Snow also talks about what TNA should do to succeed and why it would help the business. We talk about Snow’s regretting the interview he did with us ten years ago as well as fans who call themselves smart to the business. Snow gives his take on the Meanie/JBL incident from One Night Stand and actually gets very heated during this segment as Al explains what he would have done in Meanie’s shoes. What is Al Snow’s thoughts about life on the road as he explains ground hog day. The Chris Benoit tragedy. Just an incredible interview from top to bottom, one that will be talked about for years
In our last shoot you said you weren’t interested in going back to the WWF, what changed
Were you shown more respect when you returned
What were the original plans
Did you like the angles they did to bring you back
Were you surprised they kept the head gimmick
How did Paul handle it when you told him you were leaving
Chris Jericho has said that he was supposed to be Lance Storm’s partner at Living Dangerously but you turned out to be the partner. Was that a last minute replacement or did you expect to be his partner all along
Do you think you would have went over Shane at Wrestlepalooza if you stayed
How apprehensive were you of returning to the WWF after what happened the previous time
How different was the WWE this time around
Did the locker room have a different feel without Shawn or Bret
How did Austin handle being a top guy
Could you sense Triple H breaking out
Did you think the Rock would breakout as he did
Memories of your debut at King of the Ring
Do you think more could have been done with the Head gimmick
You wrestled Marc Mero quite a bit and he gets a lot of flack from the guys for being a bad worker. Do you think that is fair
Did any of the jokes Mick Foley made about you in his book bother you
Thoughts on Mick
Mick wrote in his book about the angle he did with Randy Orton where he wanted Randy to hit him hard and stiff. He said he regretted it because nobody knew the difference other than he and Randy. What are your thoughts on the newer stiff style of wrestling
Memories teaming with Bob Holly
Memories of your match at St Valentines Day Massacre
Do you think he gets a bad rap as a bully by some people
Memories of your run as hardcore champion
How did things change for everyone when the WWE exploded in 1999-2000
Do you think Vince put too much attention on himself and his family in the ring
Thoughts on Shane and Vince as workers
Memories of your Hell in a Cell match with Bossman
Memories of matches with Steve Blackman
Memories of matches with the Outlaws
How did Taz change when he came into the WWE
Why do you think you and Mick only had 1 week as tag champs
Was there a testing period for guys who came over from ECW
Was there a fear when Vince brought in the NWO that they would play political guys and disrupt the locker room
Thoughts on Hogan
Thoughts on Nash
Thoughts on Hall
You wrestled in several Royal Rumbles. How much input do you have on what you do in the Rumble or is everything planned from the second
Did you ever question leaving ECW
Was it hard to go from being a top guy in ECW to being a bit player in the WWE
How did you hear that WCW was sold
What were your initial thoughts
Like the question about ECW guys, was there a testing period for guys who came over from WCW
Was there a fear among guys that they were going to lose their spots
Do you think the Invasion angle could have lasted longer
Out of all of the ex-WCW talents, was there one that surprised you in coming to the WWE
Did any of the WCW guys have a hard time adjusting to the WWE
How surprised were you when ECW folded
Do you think Jerry Lynn got a bad deal in the WWE
How did the idea of Tough Enough come about
How do you answer critics that say it exposed the business too much
Is there anyone from the Tough Enoughs that you were surprised didn’t make it
Why do you think that 6 years later that only 1 Tough Enough winner is still on the roster
Are you surprised Johnny Morrison was the most successful of all winners
Triple H was very vocal about Tough Enough being bad for business, did you ever have any confrontations with him or any of the other boys over it
Do you think Bob Holly was too tough on Matt Cappotelli
Were you surprised that they decided to end Tough Enough
Did Vince like it
Do you think that they blew it with Daniel Puder
Did it bother you when things got corny with the last Tough Enough
Did you get any heat for whatever reason when Puder almost tapped out Angle
Did it surprise you or did you think it was a bad idea
Melina recently did an interview and talked about how you pulled her aside after eliminations and encouraged her. Do you remember this
Did you get closer with any one Tough Enough kid over the others
Memories of the night you beat Jim Ross and Lawler for their jobs
Do you think they pulled the plug on that too soon
Were you surprised that Vince brought back ECW
Did you expect it to turn out as it did
Thoughts on Paul Heyman’s run in the WWE as a writer
Thoughts on Brock Lesnar
Thoughts on Brock’s UFC debut
How did you wind up working fulltime in OVW
Thoughts on Jim Cornette
Thoughts on Greg Gagne’s brief booking run in OVW
Thoughts on Danny Davis
Do you think they bring up guys too fast
You did an interview and said working with Paul Heyman in OVW can be frustrating. Can you expand on that?
Who are you surprised from OVW made it in the WWE and who are you surprised didn’t do so well up there
Did you like announcing
Thoughts on John Cena
Thoughts on Randy Orton
Do you think he bullies the younger guys too much
What do you think about what went down between he and Meanie at One Night Stand
Do you think if RVD held on to the ECW belt that ECW would have been more successful
Thoughts on CM Punk
Thoughts on Edge
You have worked with and taught a lot of talent. How do you tell kids to prepare for the WWE
What does the WWE look for in talent
Do you think they need to change the criteria
You said in an interview that you let your frustrations get the better of you the first time you were in the WWE. Was it difficult not become as frustrated during your last run
Thoughts on TNA
Are you surprised they are still around
Do you think Vince made a mistake by cutting ties with OVW
Do you plan on opening up another school
How can a fan tell the difference between a serious wrestling school and a scam
How do you think My Space and social networking will change the business
You have said you think Vince McMahon is a great guy. Most people watching this interview will never get to meet him. What’s it like to work with him
What do you remember about the controversy with your figure several years ago
Are you surprised you and Raven didn’t get a big run in the WWE with each other
Do you think a character like “Head” is missing from wrestling today
Are you surprised that Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock still fight
How different was the Shawn Michaels that came back to the WWE from the Shawn you worked with years ago. In our last shoot you said you like him but you have seen him be a huge asshole.
In our last interview in 1998 you said you didn’t think UFC would get any more popular because it isn’t a typical sport. How do you explain the rise in MMA in the United States
Do you think it is fair when people try and overlap and compare wrestling to mma
In 10 years do you think UFC will still be as popular
Has UFC changed the way you can present pro wrestling today
What are your thoughts on Kurt Angle attempting to get into mma
Why do you think so many wrestlers try to do mma
Is there one wrestler you know that you think would do well in mma
Do you like doing indys
Have you seen any talent out there that you think could do well in the WWE
Do you still have the same passion about wrestling you had years ago
Who do you think are the next breakout stars in wrestling
Thoughts on so many ex-wrestlers getting into reality television
Thoughts about the fallout from the Chris Benoit tragedy
Do you think the government will get involved at some point
Do you think there is a market for nostalgia wrestling after the ECW resurrection
Do you think it is too easy for people to get into the business
Why were you let go from the WWE
Were you surprised
Do you think the door is open to return in some form
Can strong style wrestling make it in the states
Can TNA compete with the WWE
Do you prefer working with vets or younger guys on indy shows
What makes someone a good worker
In your career who did you find was overrated and underrated
Favorite matches overall
Fav guys to work with
Least fav guys to work with
Who do you enjoy watching
Good ribs and road stories
Career goals for the next year and five years
How will Cena and Batista do within the next year
What has surprised you most about the independents
Is it hard to make a living as an independent wrestler
Good road stories
Fav and least favorite guys to work with
Do you see yourself with another WWE run?
Is there anyone you wished to work with that you havent
What do you think is lacking on the indys today
Do you ever want to write a book