Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Scott Hall Tribute

By Steve Ward

The pro wrestling world lost another legend Monday afternoon as Scott Hall died at the age of 63 after he suffered three heart attacks Saturday. Hall began his career in 1984 in the territories of the NWA before short stints with the AWA, WCW, and New Japan Pro Wrestling. In 1990, he returned to WCW where he wrestled under the moniker of The Diamond Studd before he caught his big break upon signing with the World Wrestling Federation in 1992 where he was bestowed with the persona of Razor Ramon. Hall catapulted to superstar status as he feuded with other legendary competitors such as Shawn Michaels and Goldust on his way to winning the Intercontinental Championship on several occasions. 

Hall’s first stint with the WWF/WWE was probably best highlighted by his ladder match with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania X - a match still considered one of the greatest of all time. Hall again made history in 1996 when he and longtime friend Kevin Nash, began their “invasion” of WCW angle which culminated in the creation of arguably the greatest wrestling stable of all time, the NWO, along with Hulk Hogan at WCW’s 1996 edition of Bash at the Beach. After a successful run in WCW where Hall again saw several more title runs, both  as a singles competitor and one half of The Outsiders, he again had short runs in WWE, TNA/Impact Wrestling, and other various promotions before making his final major appearance in April 2021 when he was honored as an inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame for the second time as a member of the NWO. 

On a personal note, this writer was a huge fan of Hall’s career and even found myself temporarily banned from watching wrestling after I was caught emulating him as I gave my youngest brother The Razor’s Edge when he was maybe six year’s old. In my defense, I delivered it with perfect execution into a pile of pillows. 

The legacy Hall leaves behind is undeniable and it is sad that he never found his way into a managerial role much like fellow legends Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Tully Blanchard have carved out in AEW as his mic skills were superior to many of his peers and what he may have lacked in that department was more than made up with charisma. From all of us at The Weigh-In, we express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Scott Hall and if you believe in the afterlife, I would expect him to eloquently introduce himself to St. Peter with a simple, “Hey Yo.”

No comments:

Post a Comment