Remembering Scott Hall
When it was announced Monday that Scott Hall had passed away, it sent shockwaves through the professional wrestling world.
Hall had been put on life support after suffering three heart attacks following hip surgery.
It would take a month无毛视频檚 worth of columns to fully touch on Hall无毛视频檚 career, but let无毛视频檚 take a cliff notes look.
He debuted in 1984 as American Starship Coyote in the NWA and headed to the AWA in 1985 where he wrestled under his real name.
While in the AWA, Hall wrestled on a card at the Monongahela Aquatorium on Aug. 17, 1986, where he pinned Doug Somers.
Next was Hall无毛视频檚 first run in WCW, but it was forgettable where he wrestled as Scott 无毛视频淕ator无毛视频� Hall.
After stops in Japan, Germany, and Puerto Rico, he returned to WCW in 1991 where he floundered in midcard purgatory under the moniker of The Diamond Studd.
Hall made his WWE debut in 1992 as Razor Ramon and instantly became a top star.
During his four-year WWE run, he would win the Intercontinental title four times and be given the nickname 无毛视频淭he Bad Guy.无毛视频�
While with WWE, Hall had memorable matches with Bret Hart and 1-2-3 Kid (Sean Waltman) among others, but the two matches his WWE run is most remembered for were his pair of ladder matches with Shawn Michaels.
The first took place 28 years ago today (March 20, 1994) at WrestleMania X and it stole the show. In fact, one of the best matches in Mania history, Owen Hart versus his brother Bret, opened the show and isn无毛视频檛 spoken about much because of how good the Razor versus Michaels ladder match was.
Watching it now, there have been dozens of better ladder matches, but that specific match laid the foundation for all ladder matches.
The Michaels and Razor ladder rematch took place in Pittsburgh at SummerSlam 95, and many fans feel it was better than the first.
Razor, Michaels, Kid, Diesel (Kevin Nash) and Triple H were known as The Kliq backstage in WWE and became so powerful that they had Vince McMahon无毛视频檚 ear.
Hall knew how to play politics, and when he and Diesel left for WCW, it changed the wrestling world.
He showed up first, followed weeks later by Nash, in what appeared to be an attempted takeover by WWE.
It laid birth to the nWo and the hottest era in pro wrestling history.
In fact, it can say Hall无毛视频檚 appearance on the May 27, 1996, episode of WCW Monday Nitro may have given birth to WWE无毛视频檚 Attitude Era.
How, you ask?
Hall, Nash and eventually Hulk Hogan became 无毛视频渃ool无毛视频� bad guys and the nWo versus WCW storyline brought an anti-establishment approach that fans bought into hook, line and sinker.
While some will say Stone Cold Steve Austin brought on the Attitude Era, and while his rise began at the same time as the nWo, it took longer for Austin to gain traction with fans and the eye of the mainstream public.
Had Hall and Nash not made being bad cool and anti-authority the thing to be, chances are Austin never explodes to the stratosphere he took the pro wrestling business to in the late-1990s with his feud with Mr. McMahon.
Hall would eventually return to WWE after McMahon bought WCW, and Hall faced Austin at WrestleMania X-8.
While he was never about wins and losses, Hall knew how to make sure he was protected and always seemed to keep the right company.
However, the one battle that it took Hall far too long to win was with his addiction to drugs.
He made it to the age of 63, but many are surprised he lived as long as he did.
Hall had demons since his childhood, and the 2011 E:60 piece on ESPN on him went more in-depth.
无毛视频淚 should have been dead 100 times,无毛视频� Hall said on the show before repeating himself. 无毛视频淚 should have been dead 100 times.无毛视频�
When I watched Hall say that in 2011, the first thing I thought of was Mickey Mantle making a comment about not taking care of himself because he thought he would die young and how he would have taken better care of himself had he known he would live as long as he did.
With Hall无毛视频檚 childhood and life being public knowledge, chances are he lived life under the same mantra.
Hall is easily one of the top performers to never hold the WWE championship, and I include him on the short list with Ted DiBiase, Rick Rude and Mr. Perfect.
As Mike Johnson wrote about Hall in his excellent piece this week at www.pwinsiderelite.com, 无毛视频淲hen Hall was ON, he was in the top percentage of any talent form his era.无毛视频�
However, it was when Hall was off that hampered him and his demons took their toll on him.
Between the physical issues he went through in his career and the mental health issues Hall fought, his life can be looked at one to provide hope to many while others may say 无毛视频渨hat if无毛视频� about his career.
On top of his stellar in-ring career form bell to bell, Hall was also known for his many legendary catchphrases.
The last one he used in front of the entire pro wrestling world was at his 2014 WWE Hall of Fame induction (he has been inducted twice, one as a solo star and the other as a member of the nWo).
无毛视频淗ard work pays off, dreams come true. Bad times don无毛视频檛 last, but bad guys do,无毛视频� he said.
Ans while he prepares for his next match in the 无毛视频済reat ring in the sky,无毛视频� this specific 无毛视频淏ad Guy无毛视频� will continue to live on and will indeed last in the heart and minds of every fan that was lucky enough to see him perform.
Big E has broken neck
Last Friday on Smackdown, Big E suffered a broken neck when he came down on his head and neck after Ridge Holland hit him with an overhead belly-to-back suplex outside of the ring.
Fortunately for E, he does not need surgery after fracturing his C-1 and C-6 vertebrae and did not suffer any damage to his spinal cord.
This Day in History
In 1981, Andre the Giant defeated Hulk Hogan at a WWF house show in Altoona, Pa.
This week无毛视频檚 question
If Brock can无毛视频檛 end Roman无毛视频檚 reign as the Universal champion at WrestleMania 38, who do you see as the one to do it? Donnie Tylka.
What a great question! If WWE has Reigns win, there really isn无毛视频檛 anyone at a level yet who could be considered as an equal to him.
Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre might be considered. If Reigns does retain WWE needs to build someone up quick as Reigns has gone through just about everyone who would be considered credible.
Email questions/comments to powerhousehughes@gmail.com or tweet them to @BillHughes_III.