Al Snow recently responded to comments from Sheamus about the Attitude Era, arguing that the biggest difference between then and now is the emotional connection fans had with wrestling during that period.
Snow said today’s crowds may be loud, but he doesn’t believe they react the same way fans did during wrestling’s boom periods.
“I want you to watch any show today, independent, AEW, WWE, and I want you to listen. Listen to the audience and the way they react.”
“They react. They genuinely react.”
Snow then compared modern audiences to crowds from the 1980s, 1990s, and Attitude Era.
“Now, I want you to go back to the Attitude Era. I want you to go back to even before the Attitude Era. You go back in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.”
“I want you to listen to the audience and listen to how they react and tell me honestly if anyone today can get the emotional response that those guys got during that day in comparison to today.”
According to Snow, today’s fans make noise, but that’s different from being emotionally invested.
“They make noise today. They don’t emotionally respond to that.”
“Not at all.”
Snow pointed to several famous examples of what he considers genuine crowd reactions.
“Do you want to hear what over really is? Do you want to hear just hear a real genuine pop?”
“I want you to go back and watch the Rock and Roll Express try to make it to the ring as women tore at their clothes.”
“I want you to go back to World Class Wrestling and watch as the Von Erichs had to have cops escort them through the audience just to get to the ring.”
Snow also referenced one of the most iconic reactions in wrestling history.
“I want you to listen. When Stone Cold Steve Austin, that glass broke and the place went insane.”
“The audience emotionally reacted. They didn’t just react.”
“All you get today is just a reaction. You get noise. You do not get a pop.”
Later in the discussion, Snow explained why he believes audiences were more invested during that era.
“Everything that was done at that time was with the understanding of achieving for the audience as high a peak of an emotional connection as possible.”
“It wasn’t just to get them to react and make noise.”
Snow believes modern wrestling has shifted too far toward simply generating reactions rather than creating emotional investment.
“Now that’s what they’re all looking for is they’re simply just looking to get a sound out of them, a reaction out of them.”
He concluded by saying wrestling was at its strongest when fans truly believed in the characters and stories.
“They wanted to believe and we made it possible for them to do it and that’s why they cared.”
“You could believe in Steve Austin.”
“You could believe that he and Vince McMahon didn’t get along.”
“You could believe and you could care.”
“You really cared. That’s what it was.”
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