Al Snow And Big Boss Man’s Feud: A Tale Of Canine Calamity And Wrestling Absurdity

Professional wrestling was at an all-time high in popularity during the late 1990s, with the WWF—now WWE—really pushing the envelope and creating some of the most outlandish storylines imaginable. Among the most infamous feuds of this era was the rivalry between Al Snow and Big Boss Man, which culminated in the infamous “Kennel from Hell” match. This feud, while memorable, truly epitomizes the creative highs and questionable lows of the WWF’s Attitude Era.

The Players

Al Snow

Al Snow was a veteran wrestler born Allen Ray Sarven, who enjoyed a reputation both for technical wrestling and comedy. Probably the most remembered by his time in the ring, judging by his carrying and talking to a mannequin head he called “Head,” with it, he became rather popular with audiences, setting the ground for becoming a figure involved in surreal storylines.

Big Boss Man

Meanwhile, this new roster is made up of none other than rough-around-the-edges Ray Traylor as Big Boss Man: The no-nonsense corrections officer was turned into this wrestler character that had become well-established with WWF since the latter half of the ’80s, all the while getting transformed from his heroic duties as law and order enforcer and transitioning into a remorseless heel throughout most of the Attitude Era.

The Build-Up

The rivalry between Al Snow and Big Boss Man truly originated in the summer of 1999 over the WWF Hardcore Championship. It was a title synonymous with extremely crazy matches and featured the rule that defense had to be done anywhere and at any time—the linchpin to an ever-growing personal and ridiculous feud between the two.

The Hardcore Title Swaps

Their feud started off fairly conventionally, as Big Boss Man pinned Al Snow to win the Hardcore Championship at the Fully Loaded pay-per-view event in July 1999. Snow regained the title at SummerSlam during a Falls Count Anywhere match, which spilled out of the arena and onto the streets, into a bar event, truly embodying the bedlam of hardcore wrestling.

Enter Pepper

When he finally was deep into his long feud, Al Snow replaced the mannequin head with his new companion—a Chihuahua. This little puppy would be cast as the foundation of one of wrestling’s most controversy-laden angles.

The Infamous Dog Incident

Things took a dark turn in the feud when Big Boss Man kidnapped Pepper. In one of the most infamous segments in wrestling history, Boss Man would agree to return the dog on the condition that Snow could beat him in a match. When Snow lost, Boss Man welched on the deal and kept Pepper8.

The Dinner Scene

The segment reached perhaps an unprecedented low when Big Boss Man invited Snow up to his hotel room, apparently to discuss how Pepper would return. Instead, he set a plate of food in front of Snow and ultimately revealed it to be the remains of Pepper. It is allegedly loosely based on a story of Mr. Fuji once doing the same thing to his tag team partner.

The Kennel from Hell Match

All this brought things to a head at the Unforgiven pay-per-view on September 26, 1999, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The aforementioned Al Snow vs. Big Boss Man was the main event and was billed as a “Kennel from Hell” match-conceit that was certainly more entertaining on paper than in execution.

The Concept

The Kennel from Hell match was a creative monstrosity, marrying two of the WWF’s most daunting set pieces. The ring itself was covered in a blue steel cage, which in turn was surrounded by the larger Hell in a Cell structure. Between these two cages, “vicious” Rottweilers were supposed to roam, adding an extra layer of peril for the wrestlers trying to escape both cages.

The Reality

Unfortunately, the match failed to live up to its menacing concept. The Rottweilers, far from being the snarling beasts promised, appeared docile and uninterested in the proceedings. Some dogs even relieved themselves in the ring, creating an unintended spectacle that distracted from the actual wrestling.

The Action

Notwithstanding the lousy canine contribution, Snow and Boss Man tried to salvage the match with a hardcore-style fight. They used plenty of weapons and even bladed to try to make the bout exciting, but the awkward setup and the distraction of the disinterested dogs made it tough for the wrestlers to gain any momentum.

The Outcome

In the end, Al Snow emerged victorious in the match by escaping both cages to retain his Hardcore Championship, but it was dampened as the match was not well received at all. 26.

Aftermath and Reception

The Kennel from Hell match was pretty much universally panned by fans and critics alike. Wrestling Observer Newsletter gave it the dubious honor of “Worst Match of the Year” for 1994. The concept has since become a cautionary tale in wrestling circles about the perils of overly complicated gimmick matches.

Feud Continued

Despite the poor reception to their marquee match, the feud between Al Snow and Big Boss Man continued briefly as Boss Man regained the Hardcore Championship in a triple threat match involving Snow and Big Show shortly after Unforgiven 6.

Legacy

While the feud is sometimes remembered for most of its over-the-top, outlandish moments, at the core of it lies what made it actually work: the commitment of each performer to these characters no matter how ridiculous the storyline got. Al Snow mostly looks back in a mix between appreciation of having gotten the chance and disappointment over how said execution went.

Analysis of the Feud

Creative Ambition versus Execution

The Al Snow vs. Big Boss Man feud was a true manifestation of creative ambition during the Attitude Era, where it seemed like writers and performers alike were encouraged to push the envelope in most any and all ways they could. It’s also a function of the risks associated with that strategy, as ideas that might sound compelling in theory fall completely flat in their execution.

Tonal Dissonance

That would be a pretty jolting storyline shift from a simplistic ‘title feud to a dark pet murder and slight implication of cannibalism, the kind that have unfortunately become all but expected from latter-day professional wrestling. Mixed bags of comedy and disturbing usually trademarked a portion of the era or simply resulted in an unevenness.

Performance Under Pressure

Credit where due for both Al Snow and Big Boss Man for committing to an angle that was far from perfect, with both keeping their characters’ intensity and motivation throughout the feud when often absurd situations—like the Kennel from Hell match—were thrown at them.

Production Challenges

It becomes much more apparent with the Kennel from Hell match how important correct planning and execution are in the world of live entertainment. Incorporating untrained animals mixed with the intricateness of the cage setup created logistical problems that even a set of highly skilled performers couldn’t work around.

Reflection and Impact

Al Snow’s Opinion

In retrospect, Al Snow appears to have mixed feelings about the feud. While he was grateful for the high-profile opportunity, he realized the execution was not up to par. Snow said that the WWF “dropped the ball” with the storyline, adding it could have been “a really amazing” narrative if handled differently.

Evolution of Wrestling

The Al Snow vs. Big Boss Man feud is a milestone in wrestling’s evolution. It was a time when the industry was testing the waters of more mature and controversial content, often crossing the line of good taste. The negative reception to some aspects of this feud, particularly the implied animal cruelty, contributed to a gradual shift in storytelling approaches in subsequent years15.

Cultural Impact

Despite—or because of—its shortcomings, the feud has become some sort of legend within wrestling circles. It’s frequently referred to as one of the excesses of the Attitude Era and is regularly mentioned in articles discussing the most outlandish storylines in wrestling history915.

Conclusion

The Al Snow-Big Boss Man feud, culminating in the Kennel from Hell match, is one of the most interesting moments in professional wrestling history. It really encapsulates creative risks, production challenges, and tonal inconsistencies that characterized the WWF’s Attitude Era. If it is not a classic rivalry, it certainly left an indelible mark in the memories of fans and became a unique case study in how sports entertainment storytelling was evolving.

For better or worse, the Al Snow versus Big Boss Man feud pushed the boundaries on what was acceptable in professional wrestling storytelling. It showed that even in a medium built on the suspension of disbelief, there is a line that the audience will reject. But the aftermath of this feud remains a cautionary tale and the reminder of those times when wrestling promotions would stop at nothing to mesmerize their audiences, no matter what kind of backlash or long-term outcome would await them.