"I was so petrified" - Stephanie McMahon recalls first meeting with Hall of Famer
Stephanie McMahon recently spoke about her first memories of meeting WWE superstars. One particular incident that stood out, Stephanie said, was her first encounter with WWE Hall of Famer George "The Animal" Steele.
When she's not playing the evil boss on-screen, Stephanie McMahon is WWE's Chief Brand Officer, and she is married to Triple H. McMahon also plays an important role in WWE's efforts in the community as a supporter of various charities. Additionally, she is a strong advocate for the Be a STAR campaign that WWE supports.
Stephanie McMahon recently appeared for an interview with SBJ’s Abe Madkour to discuss leadership qualities, her career, and growing up in the wrestling business. McMahon spoke about her first memories of working in the family business, and she recalled that she was five years old when she went to her first WWE event at the Philadelphia Spectrum.
“Walking past all of these superstars mostly men at that time, and you know they're all big and standing there in their costumes, their gear," said McMahon. "And all of a sudden, around the corner all of these kids, like a group of kids come screaming and running - like running from something they're afraid. And I see these kids and I'm like what could that be? So, I walk a little further and I peek around the corner and here comes George ‘The Animal’ Steele who was covered in so much hair it almost looked like fur."
"He was just a naturally hairy man," McMahon continued. "Head shaved and his tongue is green and he’s you know coming at me in character and I was so petrified. I ran to my father. I ran up his legs, wrapped my arms around his neck buried my head in his shoulder and I was shocked when he started to laugh.”
Stephanie McMahon believes wrestling presentation has come a long way
During the interview, Stephanie McMahon also spoke about how the backstage area looked back in the day. She mentioned that it wasn't like the posh arenas on TV right now. Rather, she claimed, the backstage area was a stark contrast with fluorescent lighting, linoleum floors and concrete walls with huge wrestlers, mostly men in the hallways.
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