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Old-School Sundays: “The Bad Guy” Scott Hall

Sunday, September 30th, 2007

Hey, yo . . . welcome to another edition of Old-School Sundays. I’m your host, Mr. Mal Occhio. If you haven’t yet figured out this week’s spotlighted performer, let’s take a little survey: did you come here to see . . . some faceless jobber? Or . . . did you come here to see someone who should still be headlining cards the world over? Say hello . . . to the Bad Guy. This week’s Old-School Sundays is dedicated to Scott Hall, aka Razor Ramon, aka TNA’s next big signing? We’ll see.

SCOTT HALL BIOGRAPHY

For years, Scott Hall was just another large, lumbering pro wreslter looking to make it big — until a cartoonish gimmick finally gave him the focus (and push) into the upper tier of the industry. Initially trained down in Florida by Dusty Rhodes and Barry Windham, Hall’s first break in pro wrestling came when he was teamed with Danny Spivey as American Starship (with Spivey billed as Eagle and Hall as Coyote). After moving around through the NWA’s North Carolina and Kansas City promotions, Hall moved up to the Verne Gagne-led American Wrestling Association (AWA). Still stinging from the loss of Hulk Hogan to rival WWF, Gagne was determined to use Hall as his new Hogan, even having Hall grow a moustached similar to Hulk and urging him to employ similar moves. Labeled as “Big” Scott Hall (ya gotta laugh at the complete lack of originality on the part of the AWA’s marketing machine, or more aptly, lack thereof - Mr. Mal) he would soon be teamed with fellow rising star Curt Hennig, with the two earned AWA tag team gold, taking the titles off “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin and Steve “Mr. Electricity” Regal. AWA World Title singles pushes later against Stan Hansen and Rick Martel went nowhere however, and Hall would eventually head back to the NWA during the early days of WCW.

From there, despite being initially billed as another building block for the company’s future (along with fellow rising stars Brian Pillman and Sid Vicious) he would soon begin jobbing, and eventually, would leave the promotion. Underachieving began to become the norm for Hall — at least, until a remarkable gimmick change in the WWF as Razor Ramon. Now billed as Cuban-American — and taking his cue from the Al Pacino-Scarface portrayal — his “Say hello to the bad guy” catchphrase earned him instant popularity, as well as WWF Intercontinental gold. His feuds with Shawn Michaels, Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, Mr. Perfect and Jeff Jarrett (to name a few) finally earned Hall the main event status he looked ear-marked for over his entire career.

It would take legendary “Outsiders” angle in WCW, however, to make him a legend. Teaming with Kevin Nash (the former WWF World Champion Diesel) the duo launched a “takeover” of WCW in brilliant-booked fashion, eventually teaming with a now-heel “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan as part of the New World Order. Substance abuse struggles, however, have dogged the talented Hall ever since, with an eventual WWE-return short-circuited by his inability to “control his demons.” Hall has since worked briefly for TNA, Puetro Rico’s WCCW promotion along with the IWA. Rumors are now circulating that Hall may be once again brought into TNA, injury-free and supposedly clean and sober. Can he put his troubled past behind him? Only time will tell. There is no doubting his charisma, and even at 49-years of age, still should have some entertaining stints left inside this troubled-but-talented Bad Guy.

For your enjoyment, Mr. Mal has found some great Hall clips from various stages of his career, including an early AWA bout with Hennig against Garvin/Regal; a link to an early Hall WCW appearance against Terry Funk; his WCW “Outsiders” debut; a classic Hall mic session with Nash; a WWE classic with the Outsiders taking on Hulk Hogan and The Rock; and finally, a clip a shoot interview with the Bad Guy himself. Enjoy — and thanks for visiting pro wrestling’s fastest-growing internet site!