KLAY Al Snow Interview

KLAY Interview by Datu Kelly Worden


KW: Hello KLAY listeners this is Kelly Worden and I'd like to thank you for joining us on this segment of "On the Edge",it's Tuesday night and I'm here at the Tacoma Dome for the World Wrestling Federation Superstar event,hey speaking of Superstars joining us for a quick interview is WWF Superstar Al Snow,wow Al,how fun and exciting is it to be a WWF Wrestler?

Al: So excited I got tickets Kelly I'm right on the edge of my seat.

KW: How long have you been involved with the WWF?

Al: I have been involved with the WWF for 5 years,I have been wrestling a total of 18

KW: What were some of your pryer caricatures you used right when you started?

Al: I really didn't have a caricture when I first got into wrestling there really wasn't you know any emphasis on the caricature so to speak you were just a Wrestler not a sports entertainer and then you know of developed personalities and carictures so you go along so I have had several,nothing of any consequence thats for sure

KW: So where are you from originaly?,what state and city?

Al: I'm from Ohio,usually they say I am from a state of confusion,but I'm actually from Ohio in a little town called Lima,I still actually live there

KW: Well I actually noticed while watching you that you have a Martial Arts background,did you do that before wrestling?

Al: Yes I did,I have a Black Belt in Kempo style Karate and a Brown belt in Jujitsu and I have tried a couple of other things too

KW: interesting our show"On The Edge" started out as a Martial Arts show,I'm a Martial artist myself,you mentioned Kempo is that Parker system or Japanese system?

Al: It was Japanese system,I trained in Ohio so we really didn't get involved in the Ed Parker system so..

KW: Yea Parker stayed out there in California,well you know busting into the WWF,how did you go about that? and that type of thing,maybe you could give us a little background

Al: It's been about 13 years I wrestled on the independent circuit going to Japan,working for differant organizations and then went to what they call a farm or feeder system,Smoky Mountain Wrestling,there I meet Jim Ross,he in turn got me in touch with Vince McMahon who hired me

KW: Great,thats a good background right for there,just from picking up tips on the WWF scene,you got got your own gym that you train out of?

Al: No...I mean there is a gym that they have thats located at the office building in Stanford,but if your there and you happen to be at the office then you can train in their gym,but as far as training on the road we just go to different gyms in the throughout the country,we were at the Power House in Seattle today

KW: So weight lifting centers and fitness centers is really what you use for your gym warm up when your on the road?

Al: Yea,basically we go there,we work out and then we come here to the building,and then we actualy warm up and stretch and then head for the ring

KW; Defintiely,well lets see,hmm,how many years does it take to reach your level of proficicency before you got excepted into the WWF?

Al: It depends,some guys get a break being in for 6 months some guys get a break after 6 years,some guys get a break after 16,it just depends on the guy and being at the right place at the right time

KW: Well having a Martial Arts background and that definitely gives you a serious side of life in some respect,and you know different times we hear Martial Arts is so deadly and wrestling is so phony,I know you are able to balance the two out because it takes such dynamic control to your transferring that Martial Arts control into the wrestling,have you been severerly hurt doing the wrestling?

Al: Oh yea,at this point in time I live with some degee of pain every day of my life so,I have brocken bones,I have dislocated joints,I have had head injuries,from concussions to minor strokes and....you name it I'v goten it.

WC: Well that being the case your a diehard and your trying really hard to go some where,you got a idea of which direction or are you just here as a survivor?

Al: Right now I'm just surviving,I think I haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up,I was thinking of being a greeter at Wal-Mart but then that whole Action Figure controversy came up and that fall through so now I'm thinking of running for Governor of Ohio or something

KW: Thats not a bad suggestion,how many nights a week are you actualy Wrestling Al?

Al: The schedule verys but for the most part it's four to six days a week,about 250 days a year we are on the road

KW; Well I know when I get a good work out in the recovery time is killing me,you guys getting into Hurbal treatments,Acupuncture,deep body massage?

Al: Absolutely anything that well stop the pain, thats exactly what we do,just Chiropractic massage,acupuncture,you name it we try it all

KW: So you have tried Acupuncture?

Al: No I axactly have never goten to to that,I'm going to try it though

KW: You better try it,I'm telling you I live and survive on Acupuncture,I gave up the Chiropractic and I kind of stay with the Acupuncture and the massage stuff,so Acupuncture does have it's benifits,how about the deep body massage?,you guys,does the WWF have Masseuses for you to work on you after an injury?

Al: Every once in a while they will have them at the building on the road and stuff and when they are there I take advantage of them thats for sure

KW: What would you till somebody that was looking to get involved in Wrestling,and in what direction would you point them?

Al; I would tell them not to,seek professional help,if they really want to do it make sure they get in for all the right reasons,make sure they get in for the love of the business,it's something they feel they absolutely have to do,not for the money or the romantic idea of the travel,because if the do they are going to be sorely disapointed

KW: Well how about your most memorable moment

Al: That would be great if I had a memory any more,I realy don't have a long term memory so,I know persisive to say,I have had lots of memorable moments and I couldn't just pick one

KW: What about your best match?,you have a match that really lives deep in your mind some of the Surviver Series or anything like that?

Al: Same thing,I mean it's,you know I have had lots of matches that stand out and it would be very hard just to pick one,people always ask that and those are probably the two toughest questions to ask me because I usualy have an answer for everything but I never do for those

KW: OK,lets go with the good guy bad guy,I know at differant times you have been a bad guy,and at different times your a good guy,and I think some people love the bad guy,which side are you on this week?KW: Well lets talk about injuries,what is your worst injury and what is your biggest nightmare?

Al: Biggest nightmare would probably be to suffer some kind of injury were I could no longer walk or perform my normal life,and thats a possiblity every time we step into the ring,worst injury,I mean they range up and down the list,I mean painfull ones like a cracked tail bone,that hurt for several weeks,you know I have broken my Elbow I dislocated my shoulder,separated both shoulders,suffered sever head injurys,blow out all the legaments in my left knee,broke my Ankle,broke my shin,counting my fingers and toes I'm up to 38 broken digits,broke my nose 3 times,I mean I can continue to go down the list if you want me to

WC: So the WWF has full medical coverage?

Al: No they don't but I do

KW: Honestly,they don't have coverage that covers you guys when you get hurt?

Al: they do now I mean,If you get hurt in the ring they will take care of it you know,they will pay the bills,medical expences and stuff,at one time when I first got into Wrestling you were pretty much on your own if you got hurt you got hurt it was an expected part of the risk and you did what you had to do

KW: Now your partner Steve Blackman you guys get along real well?,you guys get together and train?,or is it just a meeting between the matches?

Al; We get along just fine,but no we don't travel together or anything like that,he basicly goes his way,I go my way,you know it's just too much personality to get in one car

KW: If there was one more thing you could tell the people in Tacoma what woud that be?

Al: That I am probably the most unpredictable,unexpected,inexplicable,professional Wrestler they have ever seen,and probably the most entertaining so show up and watch

KW: Well thats what we want to hear and,one more question,hey does Vince ever talk to his old lady?

Al: (laughing) I'm sure eventually he does

KW: Well thanks alot for the interview,I do appreciate it and we wish you all the best luck tonight

Al: thank you very much I can use all I can get

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