Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Greg Coleman and Matt Morgan celebrate the life of Scott Hall.
This week marked the sad death of one of wrestling's most beloved figures - Scott Hall. We here at Smark Out Moment want to highlight his strengths, reflecting on his long wrestling career.
Question 1: Which match do you personally feel is Scott Hall’s greatest? What was it about his matches in general that you enjoyed?
ALLSOPP: His match with the 1-2-3 Kid on Raw. And I’m not even sorry for selecting it. That match showcased just how talented Scott Hall is, and how well he can create a captivating story. Sometimes in wrestling, getting people over is one of the most impressive things to witness, especially when said wrestlers don’t seem to be on a path to greatness. It can be argued that Hall made X-Pac here.
COLEMAN: A pretty obvious answer, but for me, his ladder match with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 10 is my pick for Scott Hall’s greatest match of all time. The thing that I enjoyed the most about Hall's matches in general would be his in-ring persona, and his working punch! The Rock took his working punch and made it famous, but to those who know, Hall was the one who did it first.
MORGAN: I am in agreement with Greg. The ladder match between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 10 is such a classic bout, that is hard to beat. The image of Razor standing on the ladder after the match with both WWE Intercontinental Championships will always be etched into my memory. In general, Scott Hall was a great worker and in-ring talent who could always tell a story, which is what made him a fun performer to watch.
Question 2: Should Scott Hall have been either WWE Champion or WCW World Heavyweight Champion? Is he one of the most historically significant WWE Intercontinental Champions of all time?
COLEMAN: Seeing as how Kevin Nash was both WWF Champion and WCW World Champion and Scott Hall was a better worker, I think he should’ve been the main Champion in the WWF/E for sure. His feuds with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels could’ve been revisited when both men were WWF Champions, and Razor Ramon would’ve been a great opponent for either. On the WCW side of things, I believe it was a timing issue which kept Hall / Diamond Stud from becoming WCW World Champion. During his first run, Hall was a lower midcard guy and couldn’t break into that upper layer where Sting, Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Big Van Vader, and others resided. When Hall came back with the nWo, you had the two icons of the previous decades of both WWF and WCW in WCW, so it was hard to see him leveling up to get in that conversation. However, David Arquette became WCW World Champion, so Hall should’ve had a run as well.
MORGAN: Whilst I think that Scott Hall should have had a World Championship run in either company, I also think he’s someone who didn’t need the too belt to be a legend due to his other contributions to each company - just like Roddy Piper. For the WWF, Hall will always be considered one of the greatest WWE Intercontinental Champions of all time. I feel like Hall helped make the WWE Intercontinental Championship very important during the two-ish years he was in the title picture, due to having consistently great matches with other competitors. In terms of WCW, his work with the nWo was so incredibly monumental, especially since he essentially started the faction. And I think the nWo established Hall as a main guy who was always going to be important on the show, regardless of whether he had a World Championship or not.
ALLSOPP: Yes, but with a caveat. Just like Jeff Hardy, there were doubts over whether or not Hall could keep his demons in check. Being the face of either WWE or WCW would mean more pressure, and it can be argued he would be a victim to his own success. As a WWE Intercontinental Champion, however, he was one of the very best. I genuinely feel he was one of the best holders of the belt in the 90’s.
Question 3: What do you consider to be Scott Hall’s greatest contribution to wrestling?
MORGAN: Scott Hall's greatest contribution to wrestling, for me, will always be the nWo. There were so many members of the nWo, but he was the very first individual to start that faction. I can clearly see him standing in the middle of the ring on WCW Nitro, looking into the camera, and saying “you know who I am, but you don’t know why I’m here.” If that angle didn’t have an established star like Hall to start off with, I don’t think it would have been nearly as successful. Nor do I think the nWo angle would have been as impactful on the wrestling business.
ALLSOPP: The Outsiders ‘invading’ WCW to kick off the nWo is Hall’s lasting legacy in wrestling. He was one of the architects of the single greatest wrestling storyline in the history of WCW, and the manner in which he apparently defected to WCW lives long in the memory. He was a sar like fee before or since, and his death hit me hard. He had worked so hard on his sobriety, and I only wosh he was able to wind down his years with peace and happiness. You meant a lot to me as a fan, and clearly to so many in the fanbase.
COLEMAN: By all accounts, Scott Hall had one of the best minds for the wrestling business, so I think his greatest contributions to wrestling were his feud with the 1-2-3 Kid in WWF, and the nWo-Sting saga. Both of which are two brilliant pieces of business on different scales. Razor Ramon losing to the then Lightning Kid changed the way wrestling fans look at what we deem to be simple squash matches involving a star and an enhancement talent. The nWo is one of the greatest factions in wrestling history and the nWo’s feud with Sting is one of the best feuds in wrestling history.
Hall is a legend, and it was an honor and joy to follow his career. To Scott Hall I say: Thank you for all the sacrifices you’ve made to entertain fans like myself. My prayers and thoughts are out to Hall and his family as they go through this difficult time. “Hard times don’t last, dreams come true. Bad times don’t last but bad guys do!”
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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