10 Things We Learned From The Stone Cold Podcast With Al Snow
9. He Was Legit Terrified Of The Original Sheik
Smaller men like Kevin Sullivan and The Original Sheik deserve a lot of praise for becoming fearsome heels in a traditionally size-obsessed industry. To Al, Sheik represented everything that was terrifying about the pro wrestling business. Growing up, he legit believed that Ed Farhat (The Sheik) was insane and dangerous.
Steve Austin got a kick out of hearing Snow recant tales of childhood. Al genuinely believed that Sheik would maul him if he looked at him funny or got in his way. Once he started training to become a wrestler himself, that fear didn't subside. In fact, the legend only grew and Al was scared to death about sharing a locker room with his nightmare.
Part of Al's fascination came from Sheik's refusal to shed his gimmick in public. Jim Lancaster used this as a valuable lesson for Snow and taught him that perception is everything when it comes to wrestling. This is something Al still believes today despite there being next-to-no emphasis on kayfabe.