Reported by Adam Martin of WrestleView.com
On Tuesday, March 30, 2004 at 9:56 PM EST

* Recap written by Adam Martin of WrestleView.com

This week's GIR Radio interview featured WWE star Al Snow. Snow discusses his role as a commentator, his previous gimmicks, Tough Enough's possible return, those who criticize the wrestling business and much more! You can listen yourself at www.getinthering.tv and every Sunday 540 AM WLIE @ 7pm in NY/NJ, and live off www.getinthering.tv.

- Al Snow joins the show. Sir Adam brings up how he was discussing the topic of grain alcohol with The Phantom and didn't realize he was on hold. The Phantom joked with Al and said maybe he drank grain alcohol to think of the Head gimmick. Snow said he didn't need to be drunk to think of the Head gimmick. Sir Adam mentioned how it was a very enjoyable gimmick during his days with ECW. Snow said he enjoyed his time in ECW and it was no doubt one of the highlights of his career.

- The Phantom brings up the recent rumors of a possible return of ECW and asked Al if he heard about any of them. Snow said he hadn't read anything about it, but mentioned how some guys came up to him backstage and brought it up to him and he had no clue. The Phantom said Al was probably too busy announcing a nationally syndicated program on Sunday Night Heat. Snow laughed and downplayed the preparation as an announcer for Heat.

- Talk turned to his transition from a wrestler to announcer on Sunday Night Heat with The Coach. Sir Adam asked what it was like to go from being a wrestler and teaching wrestling to becoming a commentator. Snow said commentating is a completely different challenge from him and gives lots of credit to The Coach. The Phantom asks if he is good friends with The Coach outside of wrestling because if he is, it would be a mistake as Coach is very hated. Snow agrees that The Coach is genuinely hated by many.

- Sir Adam asks Al if he still has a desire to wrestle or if more of his focus is on commentating. Snow said he still loves to wrestle and mentioned that it is almost like second nature to him as he has been doing it for 22 years now. He said that he knows at one point his career in the ring will come to a close. The Phantom said not Al as he will be around for a long time. Snow said he doesn't want to become one of those guys who overstays his welcome in the business and embarasses himself in the ring. The Phantom asks if any names come to mind that should have retired a long time ago. Snow said there are many names that come to mind, but doesn't go into detail.

- Sir Adam brings up an interesting fact that Al Snow was an uncredited extra in the movie Rudy. Snow confirms the fact and said if you watch the movie, you can see him in the football scenes as he plays an offensive and defensive tackle.

- A caller joins the show and tells Al that he is one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time and never understood why he didn't get a big push in the WWE. Snow appreciates the comments and jokes with the caller to pass the word to the higher ups.

- A long time caller of GIR joins the show and brings up the situation from the "Beyond The Mat" film where Vince McMahon was convincing Darren Drozdoff of the Puke gimmick. He said it wouldn't be an Al Snow interview without the reference of Avatar and asked what his reaction was to Vince McMahon approaching him with the idea of being a masked character. Snow said when Vince presented him with the character he mentioned how masked wrestlers don't really go far in the company. He asked Vince how it would work and that was when he told him about the idea of not wearing it to the ring, but putting it on once you got inside and then taking if off again during the exit. Snow brought up how a lot of ideas were tossed around by Vince about possible promos being aired about the character, but nothing like that took place and he ended up playing a character on RAW one night and become somewhat uncomfortable with it. He mentioned how he was shelved for the next few months before the next gimmick came along.

- Talk turned Snow's other gimmick as Leif Cassidy, one half of The New Rockers tag team with Marty Jannetty. The Phantom brought up how much he loved that name. Snow said he enjoyed playing the character, but was unhappy how it turned out to be another dead end situation for his career in the company. He mentioned how he tried to quit, but a contract situation prevented him from doing so and he eventually ended up in ECW soon after.

- The topic of Tough Enough was discussed next and Sir Adam asked if he told the students the bad things about the wrestling business. Snow said it was his responsibilty to tell them what it can be like and despite his love for it, he admitted to them that it can horrible at times. He mentioned how the highs are great, but the lows are also very dramatic and brought up how you will no doubt take things personally. Snow said that those who have a true passion for the business will no doubt take things personally and it can ultimately destroy them at times. He mentioned how when they asked questions, he would give them the ugly truth and give no B.S. at all. Snow said it wouldn't have been right for him to paint a rosey picture about the business, but said those inside the business also make mistakes and it shouldn't reflect on everyone involved.

- The Phantom brought up how the Tough Enough series allowed those who weren't really interested in the business to watch and become hooked. Phantom asked why it wasn't picked up for a fourth installment and if there is something behind it. Snow said ideas have been floating around about Tough Enough 4 getting picked up by Spike TV, although nothing has been set in stone. He urged fans to e-mail Spike TV and get it on the air. Snow said one of the main reasons for it not returning on MTV was because they didn't have full 100% control of how everything went down. He mentioned how it had nothing to do with lack of ratings or interest because it drew very solid ratings and was a huge success all three seasons. Snow brought up how it was one of the few outside projects by the WWE that was a success and allowed people who would never watch wrestling to gain a form of respect for the business and appreciate what they do.

- The Phantom asked Al if he saw the other side of the argument where some believed it gave too much away about the "behind the scenes" part of the business. Snow, who at this point raised his voice and seemed very angry towards those who had those opinions, put over how he has been in the business for 22 years and mentioned how he joined the business when it was very protected. He said it was so protected that he wouldn't even smarten up his mother about how it works as it was a very touchy subject. Snow said he knows how to protect the business and thinks it's a crock that people thought it exposed the business too much as the current audience is much more sophisticated than what it was 10 or 20 years ago. He put over the fact that wrestling is all about conning the audience into believing what you are doing.

- Sir Adam brought up the point how when people go see movies, they don't sit in the theatre screaming that it is fake and predetermined like many do with professional wrestling. Snow brought up the stigma magicians have to go through and how magic is very much like pro wrestling as it is an art form that takes years and years of practice. He mentioned how the true goal is to suspend the audience into disbelief and be entertained with what they are watching. Snow said Tough Enough will always be considered a success and put over the fact how it makes new stars. He stressed the fact of the WWE trying to create new stars to further the wrestling business.

- The Phantom brings up how he has many tapes of Al facing Sabu in some solid 30 minute wrestling matches in front of only 150 people and asked if he regrets going all out like that in front of a smaller audience. Snow said not at all and mentioned how he was always told that no matter if it was 5 people or 5,000 people, he would always put forth his personal best. He said those people paid money just like everyone else and it was his job to make them entertained and also prove himself as a wrestler. The Phantom asks why Sabu was never really given a shot to be a big star for bigger wrestling companies. Snow said he was given the shot, but in a way became his worst enemy in that, although he had a true love and passion for the business, the values taught to him didn't always benefit him in the future. He said Sabu is a great guy and has always gone out of his way to help others and that is something people don't always know about him.

- The Phantom brings up the topic of Mick Foley and asks Al if he ever gets bothered by the constant ribs. Snow said he didn't mind and mentioned how the fans started to turn on him at one point because he wouldn't give him a break. The Phantom brought up how Test almost had it worse. Snow agreed and said that became Foley's next target.

- Sir Adam brings up an interesting fact provided to him by the new GIR Intern stating that Al has a large collection of hockey jerseys. Snow confirmed the fact and said he has close to 248 in total. Sir Adam asked what some of the rare jerseys he has. Snow said he has so many and can't really keep track. Sir Adam said he started this before the new throwback trend. Snow laughed and said he is setting trends years in advance.

- The Phantom asks Al if there is a talent in WWE right now that deserves a big push and become that next big star. Snow said he can't really say one person becomes there is a bunch of guys to pick from and he can't really single one person out. He said if he had to give a name off the top of his head, he would say Val Venis. Snow said he has the look and the talent to make it big.

- Sir Adam asks if wrestlers were upset about the recent USA Today article that painted a very negative picture of professional wrestling, especially using a former wrestler like Del Wilkes (aka The Patriot). Snow said many guys were upset about the article, but said the thing to remember about newspapers and news TV is that they are in the business to sell papers and gain ratings. He said the way to do that is to take a topic and make it very dramatic like they did in USA Today with steriods in wrestling. Sir Adam brought up how big the topic is in baseball right now.

- The Phantom brought up the feud with Al & The Coach vs. Jim Ross & Jerry "The King" Lawler and asked, despite the storyline, if there was some real feelings attached to the angle about wanting to take the spot on RAW. Snow said there is always that feeling in the business where you feel underutilized and always waiting to get that shot sooner or later.

* Get in the Ring t-shirts are now available for only $15! For more, visit www.getinthering.tv.

* Olympic Sports is the ONLY SPORTSBOOK offering WRESTLING BETTING on pay-per-view and weekly matches. Check out our lines each week at www.thegreek.com.