Two words: "Hey, yo." If you hadn't known Big Scott Hall from his AWA days, or even his early WCW run as the Diamond Studd, then you were probably convinced he really was Razor Ramon, the Cuban-American from Miami, Florida. You may have even believed that if something happened to that gold, something was going to happen to the poor guy holding it at ringside. Scott Hall invented the character as an attempt to branch out from what he'd been doing, and was so successful that WCW eventually called him back, where he made wrestling history. As the first member of the NWO to be seen by wrestling fans, his very presence convinced everyone that the WWF was invading and taking over WCW. To this day, Hall's charisma sets him apart from the pack. He was frequently involved in the main event scene, but never quite stayed in the spotlight. Although a four-time Intercontinental Champion, he never won the WWF Championship, a belt he would have been greatly suited to wear. He got the NWO ball rolling, but once Nash and Hogan revealed themselves, he seemed more like a sideman, a "medium-sized mang" after all. Not that any of that matters. Hall's fans knew he was more gifted than just about anyone he wrestled. His personal troubles are well-documented, but like Jake Roberts, Scott Hall appears to be headed for a recovery thanks to his friend Diamond Dallas Page. His son Cody is wrestling now, and the kid looks poised for greatness. Perhaps we'll get another father-son tag team out of the deal.
Check out "The Champ" by my alter ego, Greg Forrest, in Heater #12, at http://fictionmagazines.com.
I used to do a mean Glenn Danzig impression. Now I just hang around and co-host The Workprint podcast at http://southboundcinema.com/.
