We never thought we would live to see the day that Scott Hall entered the WWE Hall of Fame. More accurately, we never thought that Scott Hall would live to see that day!
It was announced tonight on Monday Night RAW that he will be (what we expect) will be the final entrant to the 2014 Class. Hall had already achieved a level of success in the AWA, NWA and WCW when he entered the World Wrestling Federation in the summer of 1992, but it was there he took his game to the next level.
Rechristened “Razor Ramon” (which was a gimmick of his own creation), Hall was now a Cuban immigrant whose dialogue and character was influenced by the iconic 1983 film, Scarface. Ramon was never shown to be a drug dealer like Scarface was, but he did sport razors on his tights (a known implement for cocaine) and referred to himself as the “Bad Guy”.
Unlike in his previous promotions, Razor Ramon was a main event player, and following a face turn, he would become a four time Intercontinental Champion, in a period when that title was still valuable. His most famed title defence was at Wrestlemania X in New York City where in a Ladder Match he defeated Shawn Michaels. The work of Ramon and Michaels vaulted the Ladder Match into a staple of wrestling gimmick matches and one that proved to be difficult to top.
In 1996, along with Diesel (Kevin Nash), he moved back to WCW, only this time as a top star. He helped form the New World Order, which not only revolutionized wrestling, but took WCW to a front of the Monday Night Wars. Now using his own name, Scott Hall was the definition of a “cool heel”, a heel, whose actions were dastardly, but was someone who radiated an aura that you wanted to be a part of.
Unfortunately, it was around this time that alcohol and drug addiction began to be visually apparent. Hall was missing dates, and in a show of truly poor taste by World Championship Wrestling, his addictions were incorporated into the storylines. Hall’s problems became so bad, that he was finally taken off television, and he was not really seen until 2002, when the WWE revised the NWO, which he was a part off. He was only there for a few months, as again his demons caught up with him.
The past decade had not been kind to Scott Hall. His numerous mugshots have been in the pages of TMZ, and the WWE acknowledged that they have spent more on rehab for Hall than any other former talent. An ESPN piece two years ago chronicled his troubles, and those who saw it, witnessed an individual so troubled that they thought he would not last the year.
One of his former co-workers, Diamond Dallas Page, had developed a lifestyle system called “Yoga for Regular Guys”, which was far more than just a program to introduce Yoga to the uninitiated. It helped those who were suffering with weight and other issues get into regular shape; and Page reached out to Hall (as well as fellow 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee, Jake “The Snake” Roberts) and through the grace of God, he responded.
Scott Hall has sounded better and looked better than he has in the last seven years, and the WWE now feels confortable to induct a performer that they probably wanted to include years ago. We would like to formally congratulate Scott Hall for this accolade.
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