Al Snow recently spoke with T.J. Stephens of PWMania.com for an in-depth interview to promote his new comic book, "The Ballad of Al Snow and Head."
During the discussion, the former WWE Superstar spoke about the comic book, his thoughts on Ric Flair's out-of-retirement match at age 73, as well as his take on Paul "Triple H" Levesque now running WWE and what he thinks his vision for the company will be going forward.
Featured below are some of the highlights from the interview where the wrestling legend touches on these topics with his thoughts.
On his new comic book, The Ballad of Al Snow and Head: “Also ‘The Adventures of Al Snow and Head’ they’re two separate comic books, two titles. So that one is an individual story that just involves myself character wise. “‘The Adventures of Al Snow and Head’ is where I team up with other professional wrestlers such as Jesse Godderz of Big Brother fame that we just recently ended the Kickstarter campaign, and with Chavo Guerrero, Jr. prior to that. Coming up soon will be Tommy Dreamer and Scotty 2 Hotty as well and at some point Ricky Steamboat, and I’m blown away and flattered by the artists and of all the the people that are working on these comic books are top name people in the comic book industry, they’re really big time, people. And they’ve done just an amazing job. And the stories are based on the wrestling characters and very true to the wrestling characters. There’s lots of easter eggs in the stories that are related to the wrestling characters. But the stories themselves are not revolving around wrestling, they’re revolving around the fact that all of these different adventures take place in my psychotic head. And so that gives us the freedom to put them in any place at any time. In any situation. For instance, the original ballad is set in a post apocalyptic world and where I believe that I’m a detective and run a detective agency that along with Pierre and Pepper and Head, and I try to help people that don’t want my help. Because I’m insane. I basically overhear that a waitress, a barmaid has had her heart stolen, meaning she’s in love, and I take it upon myself to resolve this issue for her and retrieve her heart, even though she’s not actually lost her physical heart. And then in “The Adventures of Al Snow and Head” had the team up with Chavo is set in the old west and Chavo is riding Pepe the stick horse in the story. And the way the artists did it was amazing. Because you never see Chavo’s feet, there’s dust clouds and things and he rides the Pepe as fast as I do a real horse. And we combat a railroad tycoon that’s trying to take over a town. And in the one with Jesse Godderz that’s set, in like the 30s in the 40s, I’m involved in the circus. And then a gimmick that we were going to use in WWE where I have “the swarm”, which are little miniature versions of me, in all my old, different incarnations. And they all attack people at my command.”
On his thoughts on Ric Flair's out-of-retirement match at age 73: “I thought he did great. And I commend him on you know, they told him an awesome story. They built the heat, people cared and were emotionally connected and they created a moment that people will never forget, and he went out on his terms. I say congratulations. So what he was 73, Lou Thesz did his last match when he was I think, in the 70s or 80s. Al Costello who was a mentor of mine, did his when he was in his 80s. The misconception these days is that this business is only for the young. And I gotta tell you, nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the people that you all idolize from the years past, that were true stars really didn’t get there until they were in their 30s and 40s. Because it takes so long to learn and understand what works and how to do it. That you’re not really, truly successful. And, if they’re really smart, I could go down the list of names that worked into their 40s or 50s or 60s. And we’re still draws, major draws, and could elicit more of an emotional response with a look, because of that understanding and that knowledge than most can do today doing three to 100 things. Ric Flair being 73 is irrelevant. Did Ric Flair sell out the arena he was in? Yeah. Did tons of people pay to see them on a pay per view? Yes. What is the job? The job and the objective of any performer regardless is to be a draw be an attraction. Was he? Yes. Kudos to him.”
On Paul "Triple H" Levesque taking over WWE and what he feels his vision will be for the company going forward: “Well as far as his vision, I don’t know. That would be a question for him. But it clearly is going to shift because you have a different person. And so they’re going to have their own different direction. They’re going to have their own different vision and their own different take on how to do it and their own different pace in accomplishing it. That’s no different than what it’s been historically, forever in the business when we were in regional territories every territory had its own style, its own direction, its own vision that was dictated predominantly by you know who the promoter or IE Booker, or who ran the company’s direction was. You could you’d go into the New York territory and a majority of the talent were bigger men and they were more slow, plodding, methodical matches You go than the southeast and it was faster paced, you know, more wrestling, switching, reversing, takedowns, escapes. You’d go into Memphis and see more brawling, you’d go into the Midwest and into Detroit and it was a cornucopia of different approaches and styles up and down the card. If you went to Louisiana, bigger men, but there was a mix of smaller, and very logical, progressive, realistic storylines based on whether or not you know, the wrestling business was ‘real’ meaning in a sense of a competitive situation, in that the wrestlers were prizefighters, so you if went anywhere, and you had to adjust and adapt style-wise, because the audiences were vastly different. Again, contrary to popular opinion, the United States is not all unified in the same culture. Culture in the Northeast is dramatically different than it is in the Midwest. It’s dramatically different than it is in the Southeast, it’s dramatically different than it does out in the far West or the Southwest, there are distinct differences, and those audiences are distinctly different. So what appeals in one, and works in one doesn’t necessarily appeal or work in the other one and you as a performer back then you had to learn to adapt. The two things that were unified and united was that as performers, and promoters we all sold, who we were and why we were in the ring. Triple H is going to certainly have a different tact, and different direction than Vince did, because Vince had his own unique way of doing things and Triple H is going to have his, and that you will be able to see a definitive difference. All I can do is hope that he’s as successful or more successful than what Vince has been for. The last guy knows how many decades. And quite honestly, Vince McMahon is, without a doubt the most successful wrestling promoter there’s ever been and without a doubt, his vision, his direction, is what’s led WWE to be that successful for that long. And now Triple H is going to have his own opportunity. That’s a big shadow to come out of, very big shadow. The challenge is going to be there because right now, he’s in I say, that everyone gets the run, and that means he’s got his day in the sun. Right now he’s basking, it’s the early morning glow. People will just moon over you and love you, you know, and we move into high noon, the sun’s in the sky, and you can’t do anything wrong. Then we move into the afternoon and we start getting in the afternoon. Well, now if you’re making you make some mistakes were in morning, low and high noon, they don’t acknowledge those mistakes. But now in the afternoon, we start to kind of acknowledge your mistakes, but we make excuses, we make justifications. And then as we go into late afternoon and early evening, we start to call you on those mistakes, we start to tell you what we don’t like, and then as the sun starts to set, we, you know, we start to become disenfranchised, and we start to complain and we start to and that follows with whether it’s an individual wrestler or a promoter or booker. We’re watching it transpire right now with AEW, you know. They came in and there was the morning glow. They couldn’t do wrong. High noon *angelic singing*. Now, we’re getting into the afternoon, people are starting to get cranky. Now it’s up to you to realize that and then to manufacture another day in the sun, as a performer, as a promoter, as an entertainer, you’ve got to, you’ve got to reinvent. I hope that Triple H can do that and just continue to do what Vince has done. It’s for the best interests of the business in its entirety.”
Check out the complete Al Snow interview by visiting PWMania.com.
