10 Hidden Masterminds Behind Wrestling's Biggest Ever Stars

9. Al Snow

Danny Davis OVW
WWE/Twitter/@TheRealAlSnow

The former WWE European, Tag and Hardcore Champion was always regarded as immensely underrated at his peak, so it's little surprise his influence on the generations that followed him have somehow gone understated.

Transitioning from a full time wrestling role to part-time coach in the mid-2000s, the likes of Cody Rhodes, The Miz, Shelton Benjamin, Ruby Soho, Wade Barrett and Dolph Ziggler were all guided along their course by Mick Foley's favourite punching bag, with Snow's grasp of the fundamentals famously so exceptional as a wrestler that it was easy to imagine them benefitting others.

Snow showed his training chops on camera whilst still working as a full time wrestler during WWE's early-2000s cult hit Tough Enough, playing good cop against absolute sh*thouses Taz, Hardcore Holly et al. He might have been bodied by Neville Southall for one of his most famous takes on what makes a great match, but he's contributed to plenty of classics (both money-drawing and otherwise) even if he wasn't out front taking the bumps.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett