Former TNA Star Shark Boy Says Steve Austin Liked 'Shell Yeah'

If anyone knows former TNA star Shark Boy for anything, it's his parody of wrestling legend Stone Cold Steve Austin, right down to Shark Boy using the catchphrase "oh shell yeah!", his version of Austin's "oh hell yeah!" And yet, it's a gimmick that almost didn't happen. Appearing on "My World" to talk about his career, Shark Boy admitted that, although he didn't turn down the Austin idea, he did have some hesitancy towards it.

"So I was worried about that," Shark Boy said. "Along what you were saying about I didn't come to you with pitches and things, I also never said no. I never said 'No, I'm not doing that.' But if Stone Cold had been offended, I think I would've come to you and said I don't want to do this anymore...You know what I mean? That would've been the one time where I said 'I just don't...I don't feel right about doing this, because I'm upsetting somebody who, to me, is a legend. But he liked it man."

Shark Boy would learn that Austin was a fan of the gimmick from his co-worker, and Austin's friend Kevin Nash, and was later overjoyed to hear Austin list Shark Boy as one of his two favorite TNA wrestlers, along with Nash. But it was a later interview Austin gave about the character that truly inspired Shark Boy to fully embrace the character.

"The one time they asked him about it, they said 'How do you feel about him making fun of you?' He said 'I don't think he's making fun of me. It's more of a tribute kind of thing.' And he goes 'I just wish he did it a little better. I don't think he sounds like me.' So he liked it, and once I heard that, now it was time to go all in, you know? I took Steve Austin and Spongebob Squarepants and smashed them together."

If you quote this article, please credit "My World with Jeff Jarrett" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription