The Shinobi,Avatar,Leif Conspiracy Back at the end of 1995 the begining of 1996 many a Wrestling fan were confused as to just who was this Shinobi/Avatar under that mask,although when Avatar was in the ring he would take his mask off and if you were an Al Snow fan you know right away who he was Around the same time Vince got it in his head to remake if you will the Rockers,one Wrestler would be one of the original Rockers Marty Jannetty,the other Wrestler was a mystery,the on line Wrestling fans had their own ideas of who it might be I take you back now once again into the deep dark corners of Deja News(I surf in there so much I get nighmares that I'm reading every post) The fans back in 1995-96 posted many a thought on the Gimmicks in the works that were all Al Snow,I thought I would post them here to show the confusion and maybe the conspiracy that was....... Wayne Sooooooo, the 'Crow' gimmick was scrapped! Well let's have some different new ideas since we all know that there will be about a snowball's chance in hell of Al being able to work *without* one. Here goes: * McMahon expounds on the 'Snow' part of his name and gives him a pro-drug gimmick. With 'Snowblind' by Ozzy Osbourne as his ring entrance music he packs white powder in his tights to throw into the eyes of his victim namely Fatu; since Fatu is against drugs, he and Al will feud when Al jumps Fatu in an interview segment, hitting him from behind and making him shoot up in front of the whole audience, then hangs a big sign around his neck that says "Just Say Yes".Al will also hand out fake joints to little kids at ringside. Al will call his finisher the 'Overdose' * New name: "The Abominable Snow Man". The Bigfoot gimmick has never been used (unless you count monster trucks) so Al will dress in a full-body, hairy suit ala Giant Ganzalas and won't interview but only utter loud gutteral grunts. Thomas Grotenhuls DejaNews 10/21/95 I've read the various posts about Shinobi the last few days. I'd like to clear up a few misconceptions.Shinobi only appeared in SMW once. It was a show in Ashland promoted by Bobby Blaze. Al has never used the Shinobi gimmick in Japan. He was originally scheduled to have a dark match at the AAA PPV as the Black Ninja (or soemthing like that) against someone I can't remember. However, the match never happened. The name "Shinobi" is not from the video game. It is actually the Japanses translation of "ninja." Al had no idea about the game until I asked him the name's origin. It's my understanding that McMahon like Snow's performance as Shinobi. Maybe Al will wrestle as Shinobi when people no-show. Jason A. Campbell Deja News 2/22/96 Does anyone have the definite skinny on this yet? Is Snow Jim Cornette's new ninja, or is he Jannetty's tag team partner? Because I can't see Shinobi the Black Ninja or whatever as a Rocker. Ah, the wonderful world of Al Snow... a few more gimmicks, and he catches up to Ed "Brutus-Barber-Bruti-Butcher-NoName-Zodiac-BootyM an" Leslie. OK, so maybe more than a few more gimmicks... Patrick Emond aka Heartburn Kid - Montreal, Canada,Deja News 2/23/96 I just watched the Action Zone and they showed a BRIEF still-frame picture of the new Rockers and the new rocker looked like Tracy Smothers!!! I know, I know, its suppose to be Al Snow but since when did Al let his hair grow out like that? I really hope the new Rocker is Al Snow and it was probably a case of me seeing the picture too quickly. BTW I thought Al did an excellent job as Shinobi today against Shawn. Andrew Crowder Austin,Deja News 2/25/96 Hello everybody and welcome to the first ever Larroid's views here on RSPW. My name is Larry Sternshein and yes I know Mark Bareu (even though I can't spell his last name). This is going to be short because its really bitching. AL SNOW IS A FUCKING KARATE FIGHTER!!!!! What the fuck is wrong with Vince? First Dustin comes in as Golddust and now Al Snow is a fucking Karate Fighter. Why didn't Vince just call him Avatar, the Karate Fighter presents Suvivor Series? This is just a fucking joke to make the assholes at hasbro happy. I don't see how this guy can generate any heat now. He won't ever get fucking interview time because Vince saves all that time so we can hear Diesal or Shawn Michaels. He wears a stupid ass mask the whole match.Why couldn't Vince brought in Al Snow the heel? Fuck, team him with Issac Yankem or something but a FUCKING KARATE FIGHTER!! Somebody kill Vince McMahon.(ED;Now thats one angery fan...lol...I'm sure he didn't mean "kill") Larry Sternshein,Deja News 10/24/95 Does anyone remember when Marty Jennety was facing Savio Vega (on Superstars I beleive) Lief (actually Al Snow for those, who somehow dont know or remember) took Savio vest and chains and wore them, and began to dance around the ring. That, was funny shit Malice667 Deja News 1/10/99(ED;Not old but fun to remember huh? They showed a picture of the "New Rockers" or was that the "New Jobbers" on the Action Zone. Despite reports that Al Snow was going to do double duty as Shinobi and the new Rocker, it didn;t look like Al Snow to me. Granted, I have only seen him in his match against Benoit in ECW and his brief Avatar appearance. Anyone got an update? Simon Jester,Deja News 2/26/96 Does anyone else think that the New Rockers are the most underused talents in professional wrestling today? I simply love Al Snow everytime that I've seen him wrestle, but he ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS JOBS! Even to the damn Gunns. And Marty can really work a good tag match. Take a look at the job Jannetty did at last years Survivor Series (top rope powerbombs Skip - a WWF first). These guys could be way over if they weren't heels and given a couple of wins. I really think they could have a ***** series of matches with Krofft and Furnas. McMahon, if you're reading this, please PUSH THE ROCKERS! Joseph Collins,Deja News 10/18/96 Al Snow has been in the business for about 12 years now but the WWF continues to misuse this great worker. Imagine the kinds of matches he and Shawn Michaels can put together if they only let him be AL SNOW. Not Leif, Shinobi, Dork, but AL SNOW. Slugger12 Rhymes with Al Snow mark In which Kare wrote:While I agree with your opinion that Al is indeed a great and exciting wrestler, I really don't think that the quality of the gimmick can make a wrestler perform poorly in the ring (barring any weird costume malfunctions). I don't really think that wrestling as "himself" would make the quality of the wrestling in the matches any better or any worse than it is. Now if you meant that the booking of the match itself is bad, then that's the fault of whoever plans it and in doing so misuses the gimmick, and not the fault of the gimmick itself.(ED;Och.) Kare,Deja News 12/29/96 I recently heard on Superstars that next week, Jim Cornette will try to regain revenge on Shawn Michaels on behalf of his new Japanese imported newcomer "Shinobi".(ED;Japanese import?? lol) Also, does anybody know who Marty Jannety's partener will be in the recreation of the "Rockers". I've heard rumours that it will be Al (Avatar) Snow or Brian Christopher. Eraser,Deja News 2/21/96 Hey damn it, stop laughing!!! Match signed for Wrestlemania XII: Al "Shinobi" Snow versus Jim "Zaxxon" Hellwig in a loser must wear a Q-bert costume match!(ED;Well said) Zack Potts,Deja News 2/21/96 Leif did tons of funny things, but most of it didn't catch on with the fans for this reason: They didn't know the "New Rockers" were supposed to be a joke. A lot of people saw Leif as another Shawn Michaels (since he was Shawn's replacement) and sort of expected him to act like Shawn, and not be so goofy. It took me a few weeks to figure out they were supposed to be goofy/funny. Some other funny Leif moments include: -in a match with the Godwins, Leif and Marty bring stuffed toy pigs on leashes to the ring. Leif holds a pig like a football and Marty punts it into the crowd. -Leif dancing and screaming "Yeeeah!" -"I drive a Yugo. It's really good." -"Vince, you're so cool. You're just like Dick Clarke" (or words to that effect). -The Bodydonna's manager "Cloudy" kisses Leif. Leif shreiks and wipes his face madly, then gets pinned with a roll up. Hillarious look on Leif's face (like he has just swallowed acid).(ED;OH acid flash back) Delfin,Deja News 1/11/99 Duh! NEW Rockers! Idiot! New means it won't be Shawn! They were the OLD Rockers! Plus with Shawn's singles push, the only possible way that situation could work out was if Jannetty turned heel on Michaels to set up matches when Shawn wins the WWF Title. Nevermore. Some people are so stoopid. Al Snow and Jannety? Hmm has a nice ring to it, though I have trouble seeing Snow in one of those Rockers outfits! Raven,Deja News 2/21/96 Near as I can figure. Avatar came out, put on a mask before his match and took it off after he beat up a jobber. That was the gimmick, that's it. And the costume and mask all seemed reminiscent of Hayabusa. He also portrayed Shinobi (looking quite a bit like The Great Sasuke) in a squash by Shawn Michaels before resting in The New Rockers as Leif Cassidy. The Extreme Reverend,Deja News 7/1/98 Sassy,Andy and Kylie,have a talk:Sassy;Actually, the very first thing I noticed, even before the match got started, was Snow missing a high five from Marty and that alone was enough to make me feel sorry for MJ. And I'm really not surprised he looked pissed. Think I would have been too in his position. He was probably thinking that he'd just as soon be jobbing alone than jobbing with this guy. Or maybe he was just thinking back to the days when he had a tag team partner who actually had a clue what to do in the ring. Sassy True...it's sad, really, that someone who can still work well is reduced to jobber status...one would have thought that if he was able to look sufficiently >good in the ring, he would be pushed, instead he's reduced to putting over newcomers with a fraction of his talent... And of course, Snow came to the WWF with a great reputation, but then achieved absolutely nothing...three gimmicks, about two squash wins, and er, that's it... Sad, sad, sad...is this an example of wrestlers being misused? Andy Damn, somebody actually figured out what the hell I was trying to say with the jobbing comment. I'm impressed. ;) But anyway, when I went back and re-read what I wrote, I wanted to clarify to any of his fans that I wasn't trying to put down Al Snow. I've seen him wrestle several times in other federations and he was very good. I was just disappointed in his performance in this particular match, not that the Avatar/Shinobi gimmicks were much better. But I really like Marty Jannetty. He's always been a good worker and I hated to see him saddled in that match with someone who appeared so clueless, at the time. But now that I'm hearing maybe it was part of an angle, I feel a little better about Snow. Going back to what was said in the above post, I also think it's so sad when you have guys like Ahmed Johnson.. this guy comes out and he gets this major pop from the fans, then he walks into the ring, and if we're lucky, we see maybe one or two actual wrestling moves, and then the man proceeds to crawl around on his hands and knees with his tongue hanging out. It's just stupid. And he got one helluva push too.. for doing this? Meanwhile, the genuinely ~talented~ wrestlers are reduced to jobbing. There should just be *someone* in the WWF who can see this and do something. Can't believe they're really this clueless up there.. but apparently so. Really is sad. Kylie,Deja News 3/8/96 Al Snow wrestles as Leif Cassidy. Before that he was the Avatar, and briefly Jim Cornette's ninja, Shinobi. Prior to coming to the WWF he wrestled in ECW, Smoky Mountain and several other indy feds. It was rumored last week that he had given McMahon his 90 day's notice. This was either an incorrect rumor, or the WWF talked him into staying by promising a push, or the angle started on RAW is part of his leaving. Snow only wrestles part time as Cassidy. His greater role with the WWF has been training new wrestlers at Titan Towers. John Petrie Deja News,for Slobberknocker Central 5/15/97