Stephanie McMahon On Which WWE Hall of Famer Left Her “Petrified”

Stephanie McMahon may have run WWE on-screen with an iron fist in The Authority but the Chief Brand Officer has named the WWE Hall Of Famer that left her “petrified.”

The youngest of Vince McMahon’s children, Stephanie grew up around the wrestling industry and even featured as part of WWE’s promotional material, modelling the latest merchandise when just a teenager.

Now speaking on an appearance with the SBJ I Factor, Stephanie McMahon recalled her earliest memories of the family business. McMahon recalled going to her first-ever show in Philadelphia at the age of five, which led to a terrifying encounter with a fully in-character George ‘The Animal’ Steele:

“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. 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 of. 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. 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.”

George ‘The Animal’ Steele was a real wild man of the wrestling industry throughout the seventies and eighties, becoming one of the most popular stars at the start of the wrestling boom on the back of ‘Rock & Wrestling.’ With his green tongue and penchant for munching turnbuckle pads, Steele’s most memorable feud arguably came in 1986 when Randy Savage took exception to The Animal’s feelings for Miss Elizabeth. George Steele was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 1995 and passed away in 2017 at the age of 79.

Stephanie McMahon has held numerous positions within WWE including several within the creative team. The former on-screen General Manager and Commissioner moved into her current role of Chief Brand Officer in 2013.

H/T to Sportskeeda