Opinion by Liz Hunter Inside wrestling September 1999 When I received the assignment to interview the WWF hardcore champion,the titleholder at the time was Hardcore Holly.But sfter Backlash,Al Snow won the belt.Okay,I thought,I've interviewd Al before.No problem. Wrong. I've met wrestlers in restaurants many times before,but this turned out to be the first time I ever met one at a McDonald's. I searched the numerous tables for Mr Snow,but he was nowhere to be found.Suddenly,I realized I was looking in the wrong place.I walked over to the children's Playland.There was the hardcore champ in the ball crawl!And every time a kid tried to enter,he hurled a plastic ball in his direction. "Al,I think you should come out of there,"I said. "Liz,how are ya?"said Snow."Come on in,the water's great as long as these rugrats stay out." Just then a ball went flying past my head and in the direction of a 5 year old who was encroaching on Snow's"territory." I can't describe the feeling that came over me when I began to crawl into that enclosure filled with hundreds of plastic balls and one psycho.Somehow I got up the nerve and climbed in.I gave the manager a look of reassurance.He didn't appear to find this kidnapping of his Playland humorous. "So,Al,where do you want to start?" "Well,Liz,I can't begin to tell yo my disappointment in not winning the hardcore title at Backlash,"Snow said"Head pulled a fast one on me.How was I supposed to know that she would do that to me?" "Excuse me,Al,"I responded."But according to the official records,your'e the champ." "No,no,no.It's not that easy,"Snow responded."I don't take hollow victories.I don't need any help,especially from that ungreatful Head.She is the champion.Or I should say,was the champion.Who pinned Hardcore Holly?Not me.I think the hardcore championship committee is reviewing the tape anyway.Those records will be-" He stopped in mid sentence."Hardcore Holly.That's kind of funny.I mean,Holly ain't excactly a masculine name.Infact,it's a girl's name.No,I know,it's more like,"Deck the halls with Hardcore Holly,Fa-La-La-La-La." "Whatever you say,Al",I said,not wanting to agitate him further."Let's talk about something else.You and HEAD just,um,reunited after you,um,defeated her." "Yeah,and now I'm stuck with this,too,"Snow said,lifting a deer head from the mass of balls."I know it's a rebound type of thing.When Holly got Head,I needed guidence.So I signed Pierre as my new manager.Frankly,he's not much of a manager,or a poker player for that matter.He always cheats,but most of the time I catch him.He's got nowwhere to hide his cards." I almost expected the deer head to react.I was being sucked into Al Snow's warped reality. "Don't talk back!"Snow cried."And stop staring at me with that blank look in your eye! It looks like you're caught in headlights." "So,Al,where's Head?"I inquired. "In line for a McFlurry" I looked over at the counterSure enough,there was a mannequin's head on the floor with a couple of dollar bills taped to its forehead. "I told her to stay away from them,"Snow said."She'd still be the hardcore champion had she not been indulging in those high-fat desserts.But does she listen to me?No way." One of the more bizarre moments I've ever witnessed was Snow beating up on that mannequin head on Sunday night Heat.But,in his mind anyway,that win did make him the hardcore champ again.I asked him what it was like to regain the title.Again,Snow went into a delusional tirade. "I think we still have to wait for a ruling on that.It wasn't me that pinned Head;it was this guy with the antlers.It wouldn't surprise me if him and Head were conspiring against me." With that,I said my goodbyes to Snow,crawled out of the ball crawl,and called it a day. It sure didn't look like Al was going to leave that Playland anytime soon,and the manager was on the telephone,possibly with the police.As I looked at Al,he was still arguing with the deer head as Head waited for her McFlurry. This trimvirate could hold the hardcore title for quite some time.Thats a scary thought